If reborn, would like to be a bar-room singer: Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Archer says his first love would always be writing but if reborn, he would want to be a bar-room singer.

After writing, the celebrated British writer's preference has been cricket and politics. He closely follows cricket and was rooting for Somerset to win the County Championships for the first time.

Having been an MP and now a member of the House of Lords for over 27 years, Archer is also passionate about following what's going on in politics, though he is no longer directly involved.

Archer, 79, has just come out with the first book of an eight-part series involving his new character William Warwick.

He regrets that he doesn't have a good singing voice. But if he gets a chance to born again, he says, he would want to be a bar-room singer.

I've always loved old style crooners like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and would love to have had a good singing voice - but I don't, Archer told PTI.

Another thing he loves to do is visit India and meet his fans.

On Indian cuisine, he says, I am not a lover of anything too spicy, but have always enjoyed Indian food - both on my visits to India, and at a couple of favourite restaurants in London. My go-to dish would be chicken curry.

Archer, whose novels and short stories include Kane and Abel and Cat O' Nine Tales, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 275 million copies.

Asked if he would to rework on any particular book of his, he says, Ten years ago I rewrote Kane and Abel', as it remains one of my bestselling and best loved books, even after 40 years. I didn't change the story at all, but felt I had become a better craftsman, so could perhaps sharpen up some of the dialogue.

According to him, he has never chased or expected awards.

I confess that receiving an award for doing something that you love is exciting and of course satisfying, remembering how hard you've worked on a book, but I've never chased or expected awards, he says.

I was nevertheless, delighted to receive the International Recognition Award from the Irish Book Awards board, for having contributed substantially to the health and wealth of the Irish book-trade, he adds.

Archer's novel, Paths of Glory, won the Prix Relay du Roman d'Evasion, a prize that rewards a novel in which readers can 'escape from everyday life', and A Prisoner of Birth won the Prix Polar International at Prix Cognac Awards for Best Thriller of the Year.