I’ve just had a few weeks in Europe, and took a couple of days in Bulgaria to research a character in a new novel (which is a kind of sequel to The Score). With the help of a small tour company, a pre-arranged itinerary, a driver, and a guide, I created the imaginary life of a boy growing up on Sofia and returning there as an adult. I spent a couple of hours with a very eminent violin professor at the National Academy of Music, visited a small monastery, and spent time in various neighbourhoods in Sofia. This new novel is primarily based in New Zealand, but understanding where characters come from is so fundamental. Now I just have to finish the novel!