Interviewer
Hello Frank Cottrell Boyce! I am interviewing you for the Daily Times: we are interested in your new book and film as we have heard many good things about it. I have a few questions for you … is this ok?

'Frank Cottrell Boyce'
Yes that is fine!

Where did you get the idea of the story from?

Well at first I was very stuck for ideas. However I picked up an issue of The Financial Times and began to start reading an article on the subject of our country joining the Euro. Then my son asked me ‘If I had to spend all the money I had possessed in order to receive the Euro when our country’s currency was converted, what would I spend it on?’ Consequently this question made me think and I adapted this thought and began to jot down ideas and let my imagination run. And I finally ended up with a novel that was soon changed into a film.

Does the story reflect on a dramatic feature in your life ... or was it something you wanted to have?

To cut a long story short, I feel many children dream of owning riches and living a healthy and happy life. I wanted to make them realise, however, that money isn’t the key to happiness and no matter how much money you have, you can’t always pass the obstacles that prevent you from getting the one thing you desire. Also I feel life has to deal with many different morals and I wanted to give many morals in my novel so I presented Damian and Anthony many issues such as to deal with choices. For instance they had to decide whether to tell the police or keep the money for themselves, and I also ask the question that if you kept the money, what would you do with it

Throughout the story Damian encounters apparitions of different saints in different situations How did the idea of these saints develop?

Well as a young child I was very interested in saints and went through a stage were I wanted to be one and act just like one. As I grew I believed I could not achieve this, but still at my age I am very interested in saints and love to express my knowledge of them.

Why do you make the young boys use up their money in this way …why couldn’t you just make them convert the money into Euros and spend it gradually?

Well, every book needs a good story with a positive build-up and a dramatic plot. And it wouldn’t be much of a story if I finished it off with them converting the money straight away!

Thank you very much!