Ben Naparstek is best knownthese days as the 23-year-oldwunderkind who was thesurprise choice as new editorof The Monthly. But aficionadosof the literary interviewmay have quietly noticed himearlier as a skilful and prolificpractitioner of the form, often appearing inThe Age’s literary pages and elsewhere.Naparstek shares his guiding strategy in hispreface: ‘I always endeavour to maintain asceptical eye when asking questions of peoplemuch more distinguished than myself.’ It’sone that has served him well.

Here, 39 of the over 100 interviews he has conducted arecollected. It’s an enviable list, too: Paul Auster,Carlos Fuentes, Seamus Heaney, TobiasWolff, Robert Fisk, Janet Malcolm, HarukiMurakami, Toni Morrison. These are, of theirnature, glimpses – snapshots in time. Butthey’re particularly telling ones: polished,stylish, starkly observant and studded withinsights. A fascinating read.