Conn Iggulden: ‘I lost a six-figure sum to a man I thought I knew’
Conn Iggulden is an author whose historical novels have sold more than 10 million in the UK alone.
He is also the co-author of the multi-million selling The Dangerous Book for Boys (2006), a publishing phenomenon.
The 53-year-old was an English teacher for several years – the broadcaster Fearne Cotton was among his pupils – before becoming a full-time author.
The father of four, who’s written more than 30 books, lives in Hertfordshire with his Italian wife Ella and their children.
How did your start in life affect your outlook on money?
My father grew up in Sussex, without electricity, joined the RAF as soon as he could forge a birth certificate and took part in the flotilla flying the gliders to Arnhem in 1944.
My Irish mother joined a convent at 14 and left at 32. She swore an oath of poverty and obedience and always found waste uncomfortable.
Dad built up a sizeable pension pot in part through investing wisely, but I have never met another couple who cared less for physical wealth – though they did like to have a neat house.
Their effect on me remains profound, and I am annoyed by unnecessary spending, such as a Ulez fine.
Did you receive pocket money?
I got a pound a week, and I’d spend it on chocolate, crisps and a comic – the Beano for preference, though I bought 2000AD for years too. Lying on my bed scoffing sweets and reading about Roger the Dodger or Judge Dredd was a happy time.
What was your first proper job?
I had a job in a greengrocer’s in Eastcote until some men came in asking for the owner and I waved them through. When I wandered back inside, I found him tied up – they’d robbed him and when I took the gag off, he fired me on the spot.
My second job was at a fish and chip shop – I got ￡20 a shift before going out to a nightclub but when I started to dance and heat up, people kept asking if I wanted vinegar with that [laughs].
Did you always want to write?
Yes. I was sending first chapters to publishers from the age of 11, trying stories on people in sixth form and writing in the small hours of every night.
Did success come overnight?
Hardly. Agents and publishers said no for such a long time that it was a huge surprise when one of them actually said yes.
I would send every book I finished to 20-plus people and they’d invariably send them back to me in the envelope I’d enclosed. I had to wait until I was 30 before the door opened.
How big an advance did you get for your first book?
My first deal, after years of getting nowhere, was for a trilogy -– ￡102,000 a book, though it was split between delivery, hardback and paperback publication.
I’d started teaching on ￡14,250, rising to the dizzy heights of ￡15,400 in my second year, so the advance was a huge sum for me. It meant I could write full time for the first time.
What was your breakthrough moment?
Reading Christian Meier’s biography of Caesar which inspired my first novel, The Gates of Rome (2003), about the young Caesar.
I suddenly thought: “Everyone knows that he was assassinated… but no-one knows what I’m reading here, that he was captured by pirates and held for ransom, and then hunted down those pirates. What a great story!”
In terms of historical fiction, I hardly knew what I was doing, but I did know a great story when I saw it.
What inspired The Dangerous Book for Boys?
Having a fairly ancient father, whose own father had been even more ancient, I grew up in a house filled with old books, mostly inherited, such as “The Wonder Book of Wonders” and “Chemical Amusements for Boys”. When I had a son of my own, I looked around for similar books and couldn’t find any.
I started thinking about writing one, covering all the daft things I’d done as a kid and some of the skills and knowledge I thought every boy should have: like tying a bowline knot, making a bow and arrow and knowing about Douglas Bader.
Which book has been the most lucractive?
The Dangerous Book for Boys sold well in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France and China. It got to No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller chart, sold 500,000 plus in the UK alone; in all, it has sold a few million. And to think it had chapters on playing poker, training a dog and Admiral Nelson too…
How did the book change you life?
The publicity tour was on a different level and I was interviewed by everyone from Steve Wright to Claudia Winkleman. I also got to participate in the conker world championship and lost to my brother, which rankled a lot.
Did you splash out on anything big?
I bought a ￡2,000 hamper from Fortnum and Masons for my agent, and treated my family to a holiday on Italy’s Amalfi coast.
How do you follow up a bestseller like that?
I doubt I’ll ever write a book as successful – lightning doesn’t strike twice. The sequel, “The Double Dangerous Book for Boys”, didn’t sell as well. Perhaps the moment had passed? Perhaps kids are all on phones now? I did my best to hold back the tide!
How has publishing changed since you started out as a writer?
An awful lot has changed since my first novel came out around 20 years ago. Entire new genres, like “Romantasy”, have been created while publicity now is driven by TikTok and Instagram, memes and tweets on X. It’s a very different world.
Have you experienced any lean times?
I wasn’t paid a fortune in my teaching days, and smoking 20 cigarettes a day didn’t do much for my bank balance either. Nor did having four kids. But we got by and being a compulsive saver, I’ve always had a rainy day fund.
What was your best investment?
My Rolls-Royce shares. I panicked a bit during Covid when the price crashed, but I thought they’d have to get flying again eventually. I held on and they’ve done very well since. My BAE and AstraZeneca shares have also done well; I bought them because I have faith in the country and its future.
Do you own a property?
Yes, a five-bedroom, pre-war detached house just outside London where I live with my wife and children.
Are you a spender or a saver?
A saver. I find it difficult to enjoy spending money. My wife has just announced the plumber’s verdict that our ancient boiler is now officially beyond recovery. That news has cast a pall that will last for weeks.
Your greatest indulgence?
For many years, it was cigarettes – a pack a day, sometimes two – but I gave up 10 years ago, so have saved a small fortune. These days? Maybe vodka. I like the occasional martini.
Your worst money decision?
I was once ripped off by a man we knew but didn’t know, who had visited my wife in tears and said he was going to lose his house, and his wife and children would be made destitute, if he didn’t get some cash fast.
She asked me to help and I went into a stupid time-pressured panic mode: I doubled my mortgage to help him out, transferring a six-figure sum to a man I did not realise was a thief and a scoundrel. How he must have laughed at my naivety. It was madness and I deeply regret it.
Do you donate to charity?
Yes, every month. I have a standing order to nuns. They’re very good at finding deserving people who need a little bit of help.
Nero, the first instalment of a brand-new trilogy by Conn Iggulden, was published May 23 (Penguin Michael Joseph).
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