The following interview appeared in the Japanese magazine THE MAGIC. It was occasioned by the publication of The Secrets of Alkazar in Japanese, and was conducted by the translator, Yuki Kadoya. The Sorcerer's Companion - A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter is also available in Japanese.

YUKI: Please introduce yourself for us.
ALLAN: These days, when someone asks what I do, I answer that I'm a magician. For many years, I identified myself as a broadcaster - I used to manage a rock 'n roll radio station - and before that, a writer. But most of the time it's "magician," or sometimes "sleight-of-hand" performer. Most of my performing is in schools, where I appear as a visiting artist. I do a science program that uses magic to pose questions about perception and the scientific method: Can you rely on your senses? What is an illusion? How do you begin to find true knowledge? Another program called The Art of