India, Sept. 5 -- 1Though gang wars and violence feature in All Them Dogs, family relationships are also at the heart of this novel. For me, it's a novel about belonging. Tony is looking to be accepted, but he seems to have this twisted idea of who he should be accepted by and what that acceptance might look like. This idea of his gets mixed up with the idea of being feared and admired. It's based on the role models he has seen growing up, the experiences he has had as a young person. Ultimately, what he wants is something universal, which is why readers find something relatable in him. Perhaps a path to empathy, despite all the kinds of horrific things he does. 2Does the idea of physical home elude him because he doesn't feel at home in his body, and because of the negativity his sexuality might attract? I don't address it directly - the kind of shame or contradiction that might be raging inside Tony. But it goes without saying that, given the environment he was in. If Tony doesn't feel safe in his body, how can he feel safe anywhere? I think that reading could be tracked across the novel. 3Were you inspired by gangster movies, while writing this novel? Gang culture is cyclical in nature. What gets depicted in TV and media is eventually imitated by people who desire and want to mimic this lifestyle. Interestingly, one notices this cyclicity in media itself. For example, in the early episodes of The Sopranos (1999), people are watching The Godfather (1972), and I quite liked it, but I can't really say if that inspired me. I don't know why I was so into shows like The Wire (2002) or the Irish drama Love/Hate (2010), and of course The Sopranos and Goodfellas (1990). I think it may be the characters, who come from really low circumstances, becoming intoxicated in the rush, the danger, and everything else this lifestyle promises them, before their eventual undoing. For me, there was always something attractive about exploring this tension. In all these stories, there was usually a betrayal. Somebody would have to kill a friend or family member, so relationships were always in question. There were moments of such heartbreak and drama. 4It's heartbreaking when Tony realises that perhaps Archie and his ma are a unit, and he is being isolated. I mean they're people; they're hurting. It's a strange dynamic these three explore, and it is going to shift. In doing that my intention was to make a story feel true. A story where extravagant things happen but ultimately the trials and tribulations of the characters are grounded on a human level. The real pain here isn't bullet wounds, it's a fragmented connection....