Master of the art in writing biographies
dubai — Writing about people’s lives not only impacts the person concerned but also allows the writers to open themselves to the universe, said the world’s most popular biographer Andrew Morton. He was speaking on the sidelines of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.
Morton, known for his bestsellers on modern celebrities including Princess Diana, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Madonna, told Khaleej Times that writing biographies allows writers to explore their own ignorance besides exploring the personality behind the public mask.
The British journalist was best known for his sensational account of Princess Diana’s life, Diana: Her True Story. Through it, he was the first to reveal Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Bowles, Diana’s eating disorder and her repeated suicide attempts during her pregnancy of Prince Williams.
The subject, he said, has now become a part of the conversation about the British royal family. “The biography revealed the truth behind her life, as opposed to the two-dimensional image the public received. She was an unhappy woman who was striving to make sense of her life,” said Morton, who dedicated most of his writings on the British royal family.
Biographies allowed him to explore the transformation of people’s states starting from Princess Diana, who became an independent woman with a tremendous following in her own right, to Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who moved from a wild child struggling with anorexia to a great humanitarian.
The challenge of writing a biography, he said, is getting to know the train. “You will need to look at the timeline of a person’s life and understand why they acted in certain ways.”
He did this by spending time with people, especially those who are fair observers of what is going on in the celebrity’s life. “With Angelina Jolie, for example, I got close to stepfather and her mother. With the Duchess of Windsor Wallis, I had spent a long time in libraries contacting descendants of key people,” Morton said.
There is a lot of fate involved in a biographer’s career, Morton said. “I meet people who become friends and vital sources. You open yourself up to the universe and it carries you along.” Morton has just completed a biography of the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis in Love.
In April, he will publish his new biography on the latest royal family member, the Hollywood actress Meghan Markle, who recently got engaged to Prince Harry.
For aspiring biographers, Morton said it lies in picking the subject, then finding a narrative arch and exploring it. “You develop an understanding of human nature and think how they react at a certain time of their lives. The more you do it, the better you become at it.”
I meet people who become friends and vital sources. You open yourself up to the universe and it carries you along.” Andrew Morton, biographer