A Dead Good Evening with Jo Nesbo

The first thing you notice when Jo Nesbo talks is that he loves to talk. The second is that he should. He strolled on to the stage at The Old Market Theatre in Hove, wearing sunglasses and turned up jeans, looking effortlessly cool. As soon as the interview begins, his charisma and sense of humour draw you in, and it soon becomes apparent that he is a natural storyteller, both in life and on paper. In fact, there is what Nesbo described as a "long and complicated" story behind is latest novel, Blood on Snow, a story he was happy to indulge us in. It seemed neither long nor complicated when told by him, and I wouldn't want to ruin it by attempting to write it here. All I will reveal is that the novel, and its sequel to be released later this year, were planned at first to be released under a pseudonym, right up until the lawyers stepped in.

As well as having the audience captivated by his stories, he also has you admiring his honesty. He was asked about the Harry Hole Foundation, a charity he set up in 2008 to provide literacy classes in third world countries. He explains that a country where the majority of the population cannot read and write can not be truly democratic, but this is not the only reason he created the foundation. Nesbo also half joked that it allowed him to be both rich and shameless, to a certain extent. Having been born in one of the richest countries in the world, he was automatically more privileged than those he now donates money towards, and being as successful as he has become means he has more money than he needs. The Harry Hole Foundation does not affect his lifestyle, but it does affect his standing as a human being, in the public's eye as well as his own. This is not a fact he says away from, and to be honest, its entirely endearing to hear.

The foundation, despite being named after his incredibly popular Harry Hole series, was set up following the huge success of his stand-alone novel Headhunters. All proceeds from this book, as well as his latest Blood on Snow, and his upcoming novel Midnight Sun go to the foundation. These proceeds include those from the film adaptation of Headhunters, released in 2011. The film appeared to be a slightly uncomfortable topic for Nesbo. He compared being asked if he liked the film to asking a gynaecologist if he thought his last patient was sexy. I will leave that to your own interpretation.

The interview I attended with Jo Nesbo is just one of many promotional events for Blood on Snow. However, he openly admits that he avoids meeting with his fans, not because he does not appreciate them, but because he is apprehensive of being tainted by them. He explains that he doesn't want to give the readers what they want; he wants to give them what they didn't know they wanted. He certainly achieves this in every novel I have read so far, and hopefully Blood on Snow will be no exception.