A couple of years ago, I interviewed the author Sebastian Faulks, only to discover the next day that my digital recording device had wiped the interview. Or, more likely, that I had wiped it. Either way, this was not good.

I tried to think back to what he had said. Perhaps my memory would save me from ignomy. But as I rummaged through my brain, the only things I could really remember where that, during the interview, he had used some nouns, a selection of verbs and perhaps a compound adjective. And that his hair was very impressive.

So, I did the only thing I could do which was to get in touch with him, explain my predicament and ask him if, by any small chance, he would overcome any sudden disdain for me and re-do the interview. Being a gentleman, he agreed, and this time asked if we could do it by e-mail. We did, and I was delighted because a) he made a lot of fascinating points and b) it saved me having to transcribe a recording.

But it reminded me to always use fresh batteries for interviews, lock the device during recording and again after checking that it is on the device. And to never, ever place trust in my memory.

This is brought on by reading AA Gill’s interview with playwright David Hare in this week’s Sunday Times, at the end of which Gill makes a startling revelation about his working methods.

As we reach the foyer, Hare is going to a cast and production bonding party. I ask for his phone number to check stuff. “You don’t take notes,” he says, “or use a recorder.” No. “So, will you go away and write this up now?” No, I’ll wait a couple of weeks. “Well, how will you remember?” By remembering. “But will it sound like me?” No, it will sound like me having talked to you. There are two sorts of journalists.

Did he really just say that he uses neither recorder nor notepad for his interviews? No matter how good a writer Gill is, and no matter how impressive his powers of recall, as a reader it’s unnerving to realise that he writes what appear to be impression of encounters rather than any verifiable actuality. And it also brings me back to a previous discussion here about when interviewees will start bringing their own recording devices to interviews.