Jeffrey Archer’s reaction when told he was posing with one of Calcutta’s leading actresses. “When I started reading thrillers, I started with his books. From Kane and Abel to The Prodigal Daughter, I’ve read quite a few of them. Right now, I’m reading Prison Diaries Vol 2.... I’ve never felt this kind of excitement about meeting a star! I’ve had this rush of adrenaline from (Thursday) morning to meet the person who’s nurtured the habit of reading in me. I remember trying to finish a shot quickly so that I could move to the next page!” said Swastika, post-book signing.

Swastika goes click-click on her cellphone camera.

Barun Chanda (third from right) was curious to know “how much of the characters are real and how much are they made up”. “Harry (from The Clifton Chronicles) is very autobiographical,” revealed Jeffrey Archer at the event organised by Crossword with The Telegraph. “The Oxford and Cambridge teams were taken care of by a man called Tommy Mcpherson when I was in my 20s and he was in his 40s. Everyone felt there was a mystery about him and he was the man I stole from when I wrote the character of Old Jack Tar. I get ideas from real people and real stories but I weave it, twist it and write it in my own way.”

Arindam Sil (extreme right) beamed: “I have a library with a shelf dedicated to you. My daughter has also…” Before he could finish, Archer cut in. “Yes, I can see her, sitting right next to you!” he said, pointing at Roopa Ganguly and sparking off a ripple of laughter across the rows.

In return for Lord Archer’s autograph on some of his books, Derek O’ Brien gifted him a book of poems by Mamata Banerjee. “I’ve read just two of his books. But more than his novels the fact that he’s a politician and he’s successful makes me a bigger fan. He turned out to be such a great speaker and that’s a surprise because most authors I know are terrible speakers! I got three books signed by him. One for my wife, one for my parents for their golden anniversary and one for myself. I gave him Motherland by Mamata Banerjee and told him that the poems were by the lady who will remove communism from the world on May 13!” said Derek.

Barry O’ Brien and wife Denise, Rahul Todi and Roopa Ganguly wait for the prized Jeffrey Archer autograph.

Bureaucrats too made a beeline for the hand that shakes the publishing world.

 

Roopa went down on her knees for her books to be signed by the master storyteller even as Pallavi Chatterjee handed him her copy.

 

“We’ve read his works but it is amazing to see him talk. He’s such a witty man and a great performer,” said Roopa, who went home with autographed copies of
Only Time Will Tell. “One for myself and one for my son.”

 

“One gets to know Jeffrey Archer better through his Prison Diaries. How did it make a difference to the writer?” asked Anindita Sarbadhicari (in black). “I think meeting fascinating people who I’ve never normally met,” replied the author.
“I love storytellers,” Archer smiled when Oindrila Dutt (in red) asked, “Who else do you read other than RK Narayan?” “I’ve never gone beyond page 17 of Ulysses! I also love F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Dickens, Steinbeck, Alexandre Dumas,” added Archer.

“I don’t know of anyone who is not a fan of Jeffrey Archer. I have read Kane and Abel and also seen Khudgarz, the film based on the book. It was an opportunity of a lifetime to meet him personally!” said Pallavi Chatterjee.

“Only Time Will Tell will be the first book of his that I will be reading, but I’ve heard his name a lot and my grandson is a big fan. I found him to be very interesting. He has an awesome sense of humour and is a great performer. I was engrossed as long as he spoke,” said Sharbari Datta.

“Would you ever agree to sell the rights of your book for a film in Bengali?” was Sundeep Bhutoria’s poser. “I have in the last 30 years one million pounds offered to me by various people for rights to my books. I never have,” said Archer, turning down the Tolly offer.

 

“I’ve been reading his books since I was very, very young. I’ve read all of them but I love his short stories the most. I’m a big fan of Charles Dickens, O’Henry, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and he said he’s fond of them too! That’s probably why I like his books because there’s a little bit of each in the way he writes,” said Rakhi Purnima Dasgupta.

Intrigued by Jeffrey Archer’s interest in art, former ad professional Ruma Dasgupta asked: “Like postmodern art today, is the process as important as the final product?” Archer had a ready reply: “Yes. The final work when it is presented to the public, there is far more there than the public realises. All the ingredients have to be right.”

Archer fans browsed and bought books in Salon 175 of The Bengal Club and then queued up for autographs at the event hosted by Crossword with The Telegraph.

Pictures: Rashbehari Das and Aranya Sen