Zadi Smith: First game is a random adventure

Award-winning and bestselling author Zadi Smith said he was "nervous" about the world premiere of his first play. But the writer told the in his only UK interview that writing the lewd comedy The Wife of Willesden, which started Wednesday, was "fun."

Smith adapted Jeffrey Chaucer's Bath Woman from Canterbury Tales and translated obscene medieval texts from the 14th century. He is the author of five novels, including his White Teeth award-winning debut, for multicultural postwar England. Her third novel, About Beauty, won the Orange Award for Fiction. He has also written many essays and children's books.

"I worked alone for a long time and was used to being in charge of myself, so I wasn't a great team player," he said. "I'm a bit allergic to responsibility." However, he adds that "not being the only brain in the room" is good.

"Spending 20 years in a room writing a book can be very depressing," he explains. So working with ten actors and director Indu Rubasingham is "like a life force," he says. "I am happy to have co-workers. "It's great to see people doing things together," he said, humiliating himself when he saw his words come to life on stage.

But that part came about by chance. Smith described it as a "weird story, random adventure." So when Brent made his bid for the 2020 London Borough of Culture, Smith lightly agreed to attend. "I don't think I immediately thought Brent would win," he admits.

But there was also increasing pressure to come up with an idea ("it got a little tough"), and in growing panic, Smith looked over his bookshelf and saw a copy of Canterbury Tales.

Now he suggests translating a short and long "monologue" from "The Woman in Bath's Tale" "because everyone remembers it," which can then be published in a local magazine. However, as he flew to Australia, a press release was sent announcing that he was translating all of The Wife of Bath into a play.

Smith was embarrassed. "And once it was on the air, so to speak, I felt obligated to do so." Smith translated Chaucer into modern English as a student at Cambridge University.

"Blank pages are much more terrible, and I have never dealt with blank pages. I always have this Chaucer fence which is awesome. They are the best fence one could hope for." One of the worshipers is called Alison, or Bath's wife. In the prologue to her story, she reveals that she was married five times and shares her views on sexuality, approval, and disdain for the class privilege.