Foyles

Novelist Dan Rhodes has revealed that he still likes to take jobs outside of the literary world.

In an interview with the Independent, the Anthropology author claimed that he has made 'three-quarters of a modest living' from writing over the past ten years, but regularly works other jobs.

He has recently worked in a whisky warehouse and secured a large Christmas bonus, while he found it 'soul-destroying' to open boxes of other authors' novels when working in a bookshop.

'I do like to do jobs that are outside "the biz". I don't want to be teaching creative writing, because I would only do that when I was having difficulty making a living through writing,' Rhodes explained.

He also told the newspaper that current hardback Little Hands Clapping was written in a different way to his previous books, which include Don't Tell Me the Truth About Love, as he now has a family.

In contrast to his normal dark style, the new book has a 'soppy' ending for some of the characters - something which made Rhodes joke that he should give up writing.

A Financial Times review of Little Hands Clapping claimed that the book would appeal to both 'cynical idealists and idealistic cynics'.