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