Interview with Sharon Tregenza by Steve Gladwin

Talking at the Scattered Authors Charney retreat recently, Sharon and I came up with the 
idea of swap interviews. We thought this might give a chance to learn one or two more interesting facts about a couple of children’s authors and be a little more in depth than the usual interview.

Sharon and I have some things in common - we both came to children’s novel writing later in life and we’ve both been short-listed for the Tir Na n-og Welsh Children’s book of the year and not quite made it to the main prize.

Sharon has had what you'd call a varied life, full of adventures far and wide and numerous careers. And yet throughout her life there  has been her love of books and perhaps a certain kind in particular, something which I believe is reflected in the children's books she has written, which are full of engaging characters in believable situations, with the next peril just round the corner. 

Q. Let’s start with the prizes that you did and didn’t win. You clearly know what it’s like to win because your first book ‘Tarantula Tide’ won both the Kelpies Prize and The Heart of Hawick Award and was also nominated for the Branford Boase. More recently, ‘The Jewelled Jaguar’ won the Calderdale Prize. They must have been very different experiences.

A. They were. For the Calderdale I travelled from Bath to Halifax. I wasn’t expecting too much as the competition was fierce, so I was thrilled to win. We spent the day in the extraordinarily glamorous town hall giving workshops to the most enthusiastic children I’ve ever dealt with. They were brilliant.

Q. Now, let’s take a look back at your childhood and the first time you picked up a book which turned out to mean something to you. Can you tell us what it was and what it was about the story that first captured your attention and imagination?

A. This:

The idea of sneaking out with your sisters at night AND dancing the night away was thrilling. I wasn’t too bothered about the princes at age 7 or 8. 

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your career before being a children’s writer? I gather you’d written quite a lot before that but give me a flavour of life’s highways and byways. It’s clear you’ve travelled widely and lived in a number of interesting places.

A. Pffft. How long have you got? I’ve had several businesses including a guest house in Mousehole, Cornwall, a run- down holiday park in North Wales and apartments and a fishing lake in West Wales. Chuck in there somewhere, five years as library assistant for an American school in Dubai and teaching conversational English to local girls in Sharjah. Most of that time I was also writing children’s copy for a large newspaper group in the Middle East.

Q. Let’s talk about ‘The Jewelled Jaguar’ which I’ve just read and greatly enjoyed. In its story of secret caves, deadly knives and an enigmatic mathematician it’s an adventure mystery for which the word skulduggery might have been invented. The same applies to your other books. Was it a conscious decision you made because it’s the sort of book you enjoyed reading as a child?

A. I haven’t really thought about that but I suppose the simple answer is yes. Being Cornish, beaches, caves and coves were an integral part of my childhood and who doesn’t enjoy a bit of good ol’ skulduggery.

Q. Now, as well as completing an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Wales you have another MA in ‘Writing for Young People’ from Bath Spa University. I’ve met a lot of graduates from that course – what did you appreciate most about it.

A. There was such a lot to enjoy there. Firstly, the campus – Corsham Court:

Corsham Court is a country house, surrounded by stunning gardens complete with peacocks.

Add to that the first-class tutoring by established children’s authors, the camaraderie of other writers and the opportunities available as a direct result of the course. I still miss it.

Q. What about authors you admire and why? They needn’t be children’s authors.

A. Ooh, too, too many. I’ll pick one from each age group for now and I could write an essay on why (don’t worry, I won’t) 

Children’s: Norton Juster

YA: Louis Sachar

Adult: Toni Morrison

Q. And finally for a bit of light relief, let’s do…

Favourite Book? ‘Holes’

Favourite Film? ‘In Bruges’

Favourite place? Cornwall

Favourite Food? Souvla or Gumbo

Well, thanks Sharon for talking to us and all the best for your future plans and ideas.

Thank you, Steve and I look forward to hearing the results of my interview of you. 

NB For anyone who missed that interview, you can find it on August 3rd.

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Steve Gladwin

'Tales From The Realm' - Story and Screen Dream

Connecting Myth, Faerie and Magic

Author of 'The Seven' - Shortlisted for Welsh Books Prize, 2014