Category Archives: Eight Questions With…

If You Read This

When Brie was younger, her mama used to surprise her with treasure hunts around their island town. After she died three years ago, these became Brie’s most cherished memories.

Now, on her twelfth birthday, her mama has another surprise: a series of letters leading Brie on one last treasure hunt.

The first letter guides Brie to a special place.

The next urges her to unlock a secret.

And the last letter will change her life forever.

Pushkin Press

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MANGOES was one of my favourite books of last year, so I jumped at the chance to read IF YOU READ THIS. Always a worry, reading the follow-up to something brilliant, but I wasn’t disappointed and was very pleased to ask the author, Kereen Getten, a few questions!

What part of ‘If You Read This’ came to you first – the letters or the character of Brie?

I really liked the idea of a treasure hunt, and the character going on a journey of self discovery. The idea was very vague and so I started to think about Brie, who she was and why she would go on a treasure hunt so although the idea of the letters came first, Brie had to be developed before the letters were explored.

I love the Caribbean settings of both your novels, really evocative, are any of the scenes based on particular locations you know well?

When I was eleven years old, we returned to Jamaica for eighteen months. We moved into a gated community called Silver Sands and that’s where I loosely based where Brie lived. Also, Brim’s town is also loosely based on a small seaside town, on the western tip of Jamaica. The rugged, twisty road to Brim’s house is based on the actual road that leads into a rocky landscape overlooking the sea.

Have you thought about writing a story set in the UK?

I have! I actually wrote a short story for Happy Here anthology set in the UK it was called HOME. My historical novel Two Sisters is based in Jamaica and the UK and I’m definitely looking to do more UK based stories in the future. [CF: Oh, of course, I read and loved TWO SISTERS, a brilliant historical novel in the Scholastic VOICES series]

What kind of events do you like to do with readers?

As a pandemic author, I really am just beginning to do in person events, but I have enjoyed many virtual events where I have spoken to multiple schools at the same time. Nothing beats meeting readers face to face though, and some of my favourite moments are talking to readers about my books.

Have you had much feedback from young readers?

Yes! Sometimes I get social media messages from them or their parents after they’ve read my book, or after an event. With Mangoes there were a lot of conversations around the twist! Which I loved.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I’ve just finished Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. A wonderful book about a young girl’s journey to mending her relationship with her mother while chasing a fox’s journey across the arctic.  I would recommend it to readers who love visual descriptions, stories about relationships, immigration and nature

What are you working on now?

I am currently editing a short fantasy book out next year titled Ada Rue and the Banished about a young girl who moves to a town where magical people are banished from society. I am also editing a detective series where a group of friends in the Caribbean form a detective agency to solve mysteries but they’re terrible at it!

Kereen Getten (photo credit Amy Spinks)

Thank you to Kereen for answering my questions, and Pushkin Press for sending me a review copy and organising the q&a. IF YOU READ THIS is out on 1st September 2022!

Something Certain, Maybe

Something Certain, Maybe is a powerful novel about first love, friendships and embracing the uncertainty of an unknowable future, from Sara Barnard, winner of the YA Book Prize.

Rosie is ready for her life to begin, because nothing says new life like going to university. After years of waiting and working hard, she’s finally on the road that will secure her future.

Except university turns out to be not what she hoped or imagined, and although she’s not exactly unhappy – really – she might be a little bit worried that she doesn’t really like her course much. Or her flatmates. Or, really . . . anything? But it’s normal to be homesick (right?) and everything will have settled in a month or two, and it’s totally fine that her friends seem so much happier than she is, and that the doctors don’t seem to know what’s wrong with her mother.

And then she meets Jade, and everything starts to look a little brighter. At least, it does if she’s only looking at Jade. But is first love enough when everything else is falling apart?

Macmillan

This is the 3rd outing with Rosie and her best friends Caddy and Suze. I thought Beautiful Broken Things was great, all those years ago before I put photos in tweets…

…adored Fierce Fragile Hearts

…and Something Certain, Maybe was no disappointment…

…so I’m very pleased to be sharing a Q&A with Sara Barnard as part of her blog tour today, A-Level results day!

  • Rosie’s voice is so authentic, as are all your characters, do you eavesdrop on lots of teenagers?

Thank you! I don’t usually eavesdrop on real teenagers, no! The voices of my characters always just come through very clearly to me. My biggest piece of advice for writers writing teenage voices is to not actively try to make them sound like teenagers. Just trust their natural voice.

  • When you wrote ‘Fierce Fragile Things’ were you already planning ‘Something Certain, Maybe’?

Not at all! I wish I had been, because it would have made Something Certain, Maybe much easier to write! One of the most difficult parts of writing this book was making sure it fitted alongside FFH. There are a lot of things I would probably have done differently with FFH if I’d known there’d be another book set over the same period. So maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t know, because I love FFH a lot!

  • Which of the 3 girls came to you first, and who was the hardest to write?

Suzanne, and she came along quite a lot earlier than Caddy or Rosie. I wouldn’t say any one of them is particularly hard for me to write, because I could write all of them all day long and be very happy! But if I had to pick one out of the three, it would probably be Rosie, for reasons that are more to do with her book being the third one than her as a character.  

  • What kind of reaction have you had from teen readers?

Readers generally tend to respond to the friendship between the three girls, though I get the most messages about Suzanne! With Something Certain, Maybe in particular, I’ve been struck by how many people in their 20s and older who have got in touch to say how much the story of a disappointing university experience resonated with them, and how they wished they’d had the book when they were at university. I had hoped to put something on the page that doesn’t really get talked abou, so it means a lot that it has resonated with people in this way. 

  • What kind of reader engagement event, in schools or libraries or elsewhere, do you enjoy most?

YALC is always my favourite, but generally literary festivals are always a joy. There’s something about all those people choosing to be there out of a shared love of books. They’re such engaged audiences and there are usually some great questions. 

  • Have you finished writing about Caddy, Suze, & Rosie or do you think you could be tempted to write about them in their 20s?

I would love to write them in their 20s! I have written bits and pieces of them a little older. But I can’t imagine it would ever be something that would have a life outside of my laptop, sadly! 

  • What are you reading and who would you recommend it to? 

I am very late to the party, but I’m currently reading Life After Life. It is just as brilliant as everyone always said it was. I’d recommend it to everyone who likes reading.

  • What are you working on at the moment?

I’m editing my next YA book, Where the Light Goes, which will be out next year! 

Check out the rest of the tour. Thank you to Macmillan for organising!
Every single one of these books is brilliant.

The Nicest Girl

Sixth-former Anna Campbell is the go-to girl when anyone needs anything. Teachers, friends, random strangers… It never occurred to her that she could say no. After all, Anna Campbell’s always been too ‘nice’ to say no. But Anna is sick of being that girl, the nice girl, and she’s going to do something about it. Only, is she prepared to risk losing everything she cares about – even herself – along the way…?

Sophie Jo

THE NICEST GIRL is Sophie Jo’s debut UKYA and it is brilliantly put together, I felt every page of it! I asked the author a few questions:

How much of yourself is in the book, were you a “nice girl”?

There’s definitely some of me in the book – I’m a bit of a recovering people-pleaser and have felt the pain of being “the nice girl” many a time over the years, especially in my teens and early twenties.

When I started writing the book, I was really keen to hear from friends and acquaintances about their own experiences. It was sad but oddly freeing to learn that people I’d previously viewed as very assertive and “sorted” were struggling to turn down work shifts or stand up to friends or set boundaries in their dating life. I think a lot of us – especially women – are battling against this deep-rooted need to be seen as likeable and easy-going.

Trying not to include spoilers…there are tensions that build up & come to a head in totally believable ways. Did earlier drafts have anything more over-the-top that you decided to tone down?

The tension explosion and resolution has actually stayed pretty much the same throughout the editing process! I did wonder at one point if Anna would decide to cut one particular character out of her life (again, no spoilers…), but I’m glad she doesn’t, and I hope I did a good job at illustrating both points of view when things do erupt.

What would you most like readers to take away from the book?

I’d really love for readers to consider the middle-ground-complexities of the whole topic. You don’t have to turn into an unkind person to set boundaries – it isn’t about forgetting to be respectful or that other points of view exist. It’s about remembering that your feelings are as valid as anyone else’s and there for a reason.

I also hope it shows readers the value of honest, kind communication in friendships and other relationships. Sometimes you see stuff online that’s like, “you don’t owe anybody anything! Set boundaries! Immediately ghost people who don’t treat you right!” and while I am very much on board with anything that teaches people to stand up for themselves, I also think there’s space for most of us to better express expectations/wants/needs so our nearest and dearest at least have a chance to respond to those. Anna means very well and her struggles are relatable, but because she’s quite good at picking up on the emotions of those around her, she often expects them to mind-read in return – and they can’t.

Have you had much opportunity for feedback from teen/YA readers?

I was able to meet some amazing teen and YA readers at this year’s YALC – they’d picked up proofs from my publisher UCLan’s stand and were really excited to read. That was such a lovely experience for me, especially as someone so new to all this. It’s also been cool seeing initial reviews on Goodreads and NetGalley from people who’ve related to Anna and rooted for her throughout.

What would your ideal school visit to promote the book involve?

I would LOVE to sit down with a group of teens and talk about the concept of ‘niceness’ vs assertive communication. Maybe a lil quiz: Nice or Too Nice? A poetry-writing session? I have a million ideas; I’m going to start writing them down.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I’m enjoying THREE GIRLS by Katie Clapham, a fellow UCLan author. The voices she’s created for these characters are so strong, and there are these brilliant little drops of humour along the way. It’s quirky and interesting but never try-hard. Would recommend to: anyone who wants a really solid book about teen girl friendship.

I’ve also just finished a proof of GIRL FRIENDS by Holly Bourne, which is definitely one of my new favourites. She just gets women. Every time I read a Holly book I feel like she has crawled into the depths of my soul without judging me. Would recommend to: anyone who grew up reading 90s/00s Sugar magazine articles about How To Get Boys To Like You…

Have you any more stories bubbling away?

I’m currently writing draft one of book two. The main character is quite different to Anna – a lot more cynical and outspoken – so it’s been a real change to write, in a very fun way. I’m also trying out a dual narrative for the first time, which is a whole new challenge in itself. Hopefully we’ll be back talking about the finished book before too long!

THE NICEST GIRL was published by UCLan in August 2022. Thank you to Antonia Wilkinson for organising a review copy and the opportunity for a Q&A.

The Royal Rebel

Born in 1876, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was the daughter of the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab, and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. After her father lost control of his empire and was exiled to England, Sophia had a privileged but troubled upbringing that left her unsure about where she belonged – in India or England. Sensitive to injustice, she became an suffragette and fought hard to win the vote for women. This is the extraordinary story of her life.

Barrington Stoke
artwork by Rachael Dean

Bali Rai has such a range when it comes to writing, he really has done something for just about every reader, but I have a soft spot for his Barrington Stoke titles, I reviewed his previous one, STAY A LITTLE LONGER, here. Barrington Stoke titles are a little bit special because there is not a word wasted, they’re written to engage and not patronise children and young people. This particular book, THE ROYAL REBEL, is based on the real life story of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, who led an extraordinary life. I was filled with sadness reading it, about how affected her life was by British colonialism and politics, but she was a fascinating character and Bali Rai’s writing from her perspective has really brought her to life.

I asked Bali Rai a few questions!

What prompted you to write about Princess Sophia Duleep Singh?

My family is Sikh, so I had known the story of Sophia’s grandfather, Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and of her father, Duleep Singh, since childhood. However, I had never been told of the role Sophia played. So, when I discovered who she was and her role within the Suffragette movement, I was determined to bring her story to younger readers. I am passionate about representing unheard voices in British literature and always have been.

Has your research led you to any other figures in history that you would like to write about?

Yes, I learned of the roles played by the Royal Indian Army Service Corps at Dunkirk, and Mohinder Singh Pujji (RAF) during World War 2. I have written about both. The next figure I want to write about is an Indian revolutionary called Udham Singh, whose story is much darker, but just as important. There are many unheard voices throughout British history, and I hope to write about many more.

You’ve written in a wide range of genres, is writing a historical novel a very different process to that of writing about contemporary characters? Do you favour one over the other?

My main genre is reality based fiction, so the research involved in writing historical fiction is very different. I actually enjoy the historical research more than the contemporary stuff. I’ve always loved history and like nothing more than getting stuck into research. It’s often time-consuming but always worthwhile. We can learn a great deal about where we are now, based on what came before us.

You’ve written a number of books for Barrington Stoke, as well as longer novels, for middle grade and YA audiences. How do you choose which of your ideas to use for the shorter novellas and for what target age?

I generally think of an idea, and work on that with my agent and the editors at Barrington Stoke. That’s most true of the more contemporary stories I’ve written for them. The Royal Rebel was only possible because of that partnership (I reworked the idea several times) and it’s a collective effort that I value highly. The age range doesn’t really enter into my head. I have a voice that I want to write, and a theme to explore – and the target age and reading level are determined by the amazing people at Barrington Stoke. Since my first books for them, Dream On, it’s been a team effort, and it’s a process I love to be part of. Barrington Stoke are wonderful publishers, doing something vitally important.

Which of your books are your favourite to do events for?

My younger historical fiction books are now firm favourites for events. The response to them has been amazing. And much as I adore working with older teens, there’s something even more wonderful about introducing diverse British history to KS2 and KS3 pupils. The levels of enthusiasm for the events just add to that pleasure.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I’m currently reading lots of non-fiction about the British Empire, for a new young adult series I’d like to write. The last children’s book I read was How I Saved The World In A Week by Polly Ho-Yen. I’d recommend that to anyone who loves imaginative and thrilling adventure stories. It’s brilliant and Polly is a superb writer!

What can we expect from you next?

I have a junior series for Reading Planet out soon, called Green Patrol, and a short novel called Wolf Girl. I’m currently researching and working on a new young adult idea, and also a new World War 2 story with British Indian characters. Oh, and I’m reworking an older adventure series idea, in the hope of showing that to an editor at Penguin.

THE ROYAL REBEL is out now from Barrington Stoke, thank you to them for a review copy and to Bali Rai for answering my questions, I’m really excited to see more about your next ventures!

The Hideaway by Pam Smy

The Hideaway tells the story of a boy, Billy McKenna, who runs away from a difficult situation at home and takes refuge in an overgrown graveyard. While hiding there he meets an elderly man who is tending the graves in preparation for a day in November when something magical is set to happen.

The book is written in two alternating narratives, both different aspects of the same story. One thread tells of Billy’s experience of hiding away in the graveyard, his mixed-up feelings and emotions, and the supernatural events he eventually witnesses. The other tells of his mother’s situation at home and the police search for Billy. Covering themes of family, childhood, separation and reunion, domestic violence and doing the right thing, this is an important and beautiful book for middle grade readers right up to adults.

Billy’s story is illustrated throughout with tonal and textured black and white drawings, until the event on All Souls’ Eve, when the text gives way to a series of double page images of the supernatural happening.

The Hideaway is a compelling, exciting and emotional story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

Pavilion Books

Pam Smy is such an interesting illustrator, Thornhill is a wonderfully unique book (shortlisted for the Carnegie Award), so I was very excited to be sent a review copy of her 2nd novel The Hideaway…which is haunting and sad and uplifting and will really stay with you…and then even more excited to ask her a few questions! And of course, the most appropriate book to highlight for Halloween!

Which aspect of The Hideaway came to you first?

The scene-setting of The Hideaway came to me first. The graveyard where it is set is a real place here in Cambridge, and it has the chapel in the middle, the row of yew trees, the poem carved into the back wall, and most importantly, the World War 2 pillbox. The combination of the meaning of the poem All Souls’ Night by Frances Cornford and the idea that someone could use the pillbox to hide away sparked the idea for the book.

Thornhill was alternate chapters, a wholly illustrated contemporary voice and a historical diary, while The Hideaway is an illustrated story. Did you draw and write at the same time or had you mainly got the words down before choosing which sections to illustrate?

With Thornhill I wrote the text and made the rough drawings for the story in turn, so both elements of the story evolved at the same time. With The Hideaway I wrote the manuscript first, and then illustrated it – but I knew that I wanted there to be a wordless sequence in it from the outset and I knew what I wanted the feeling of the graveyard to look like in the illustrations.

Do you lay out the pages alone or with a designer?

For The Hideaway I worked directly into an InDesign document so that I could move the text around the illustrations I was making, and the very patient designer, Ness Wood, tidied it all up at the end.

They’re both a bit spooky with extremely atmospheric illustrations, very suitable for Halloween season, is the supernatural your favourite genre to read?

I read a variety of books. I love books about people and relationships, and stories that are set in the past or in rural environments. I also love crime novels. I read a lot of picture books and illustrated books of all kinds for all ages. I wouldn’t say that I especially read supernatural books, although they are certainly on my bookshelf.

I think I am drawn to write and illustrate spooky books because I love making atmospheric artwork, and building a world that is based on the everyday, but is different from what we may typically see – but without tipping into fantasy or sci-fi.

You’ve also published a picture book, Merrylegs! Three very different books, which was most enjoyable to work on?

I enjoyed making the artwork to The Hideaway the best. I was trying to work without using much linework – so it was a new challenge for me.

The Mermaid in the Millpond, written by Lucy Strange and illustrated by you, is being published in January by Barrington Stoke. Do you find it easier or harder when the words aren’t your own?

Both easier and harder. If I am illustrating my own ideas the vision of those illustrations is already in my head, and the excitement and the challenge is to get that across on paper. When I am illustrating someone else’s writing it is a joy to be able to bring to life the words, and to add atmosphere or understanding to what is being described. I love illustrating other people’s texts, especially if the art direction and design layout isn’t too prescriptive and I have a little bit of a free reign.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I am reading and re-reading Captain Rosalie by Timothee de Fombelle, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. I am recommending it to everyone I know, and buying copies of it to send to my friends. I think everyone who is 6 and over should read it. It is a beautiful piece of writing and Arsenault’s illustrations are absolutely stunning. Also by my bedside is While You’re Sleeping by Mick Jackson and John Broadley, and All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison.

What might we see from you next?

I am working on developing a few collaborations at the moment which I am VERY excited about, but can’t say anything about yet.

The Hideaway by Pam Smy is published by Pavilion Books, out now, 14.99 hardback.

The Sound of Everything

Winner of the Everything with Words’ YA Competition 2019 judged by Patrice Lawrence, The Sound of Everything is a heart-felt coming of age story for all those who struggle to feel like they deserve love.

Betrayal, rejection, violence Kadie has known it all. She’s tough and prepared for everything. Everything except love.

Kadie has has just arrived in yet another foster home. She trusts no one and lives by the rules: don’t count on anyone, always act, be prepared to lose everything. She’s lost everything more times than she can count but then she meets Lips and learns that some things are even more important than survival. But she has secrets of which she must let go if she is to make a stab at friendship and love.

Everything With Words

I was immediately interested in reading this book when I saw that Patrice Lawrence had helped to choose it as the winner of the Everything With Words’ YA competition 2019, because she has good taste in stories and I wasn’t disappointed, I was gripped from start to finish by the events of Kadie’s life. I was also pleased to read a book by a fellow school librarian, although Rebecca hasn’t been in the role for very long, hopefully it will give her some ideas for a future story! After sending these questions through the publisher, I found out about Rebecca’s musical background, which really helps to explain how much music features in the book (though she is more classically trained on the violin), and that she’s been working on this story since she was the age of her main characters.

Did you decide to write about a girl in foster care and that turned into Kadie, or was it her character that started you writing this story? I believe I decided to write about foster care first, out of which came Kadie – but it’s been so long since I had the initial idea that I can’t really recall what the process was. Kadie herself took a long time to develop into the complex character that she is, but foster care was definitely always a large part of the story, I think because there was so much to explore within it, beginning with the daunting prospect of being dropped into a new environment in the middle of GCSE years. I think what really touched me when I was learning about the realities of foster care was the amount of pain that a lot of young people go through as they are shafted by the system. I quickly learned that it’s not as simple as just being put with a family and staying there.

Did you have to do much research before/while writing?
Yes! I did a lot of research. I knew next to nothing about foster care, so I researched and researched some more. I read real life stories, newspaper articles, blog posts; I watched videos, looked at film renditions, and found what I could in the library. I love the research side of things. I find it particularly important, once you think you have exhausted all your sources, to go back some time later and dig around for new stuff. There’s always a wealth of information out there.

Do you think there should be a trigger/content warning on the book for the self harm element? I think just to err on the side of caution I would add a trigger warning just in case, if it was up to me. I don’t think I was particularly explicit about the self-harm, but I always want readers to be prepared for sensitive topics the same way I would want to be prepared if I was reading a book that covered serious issues.

Who was your favourite character to write? Was there anything or anyone (without spoilers) that you found difficult to get onto paper?
That’s really hard. Really hard! In first place has to be Beverly. She’s just so huggable. She’s partially inspired by siblings (“I’m stuck. In boredom.” – one of my favourite lines.) Very, very close second would be Lips best, particularly when it came to fleshing out his character right down to the nitty gritty bits like his likes and dislikes, his fashion choices, his little quirks – I thoroughly enjoyed that. Lips is almost like one of those big mascots at sports events – big and clumsy, though perhaps not cuddly, although he might chase you for a hug.

In terms of getting things written down, I didn’t find any bits of the book hard to write, but quite a few of the scenes did undergo some serious overhauls that took a little brainstorming before I got them right. That said, I think Shadavia was a hard character to write and I’m actually a little bit not 100% happy with her. I’m not sure whether she’s a friend or an enemy, which is off-putting because I think I wanted her to be either or.

You won the Everything with Words 2019 YA competition, has the story changed much between your submission and the published book?
A lot has changed since the manuscript that I entered into the competition, but at the same time not much has. The bits that have changed are fundamental to the plot but not in a way that changes the direction of the story. Previously I had focused on Kadie’s issues and the things she was trying to hide, without expounding on the reasons for things, the complex background to why she thinks the way she does.

Also, a lot of my secondary characters were very flat in the original. I had a lot of great fun making them into real people. Readers will never know most of the details about Eisha or Josh or even Kelly, but I know them, and that’s the important thing, because it really makes a difference when the background characters have a full personality.

As you work in a school library, did you make the most of your access to teenagers and get them to read early drafts for feedback, or did you keep it to yourself? It may surprise you that I actually didn’t work in a secondary school at the time I wrote The Sound of Everything. I am just a word nerd, obsessed with London slang. I started studying it for a story some time back and became interested in the way it evolves and spreads out to the rest of the country (kids in Swindon often talk with what could be considered London slang, only with a Swindonish edge to it). I learned to imitate the language by listening to interviews and watching vlogs to see how young people talk in their comfort zones. I really, really enjoy the dialogue side of things, which you can probably tell.

Nobody really read early drafts before the competition. I don’t know that I would have had the confidence to convince a student to read the manuscript before it was published!

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to? I am currently reading Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatford and Harriet the Spy by Liz Fitzhugh. Ballet Shoes is a classic story about sisters and the struggle for money, and I think would appeal to little girls who like to read challenging. However, it would also still appeal to teenage girls too, if they like historical fiction.

Any plans for a 2nd novel?
Ooh . . . not at the moment. I have a lot going on, including scraps of other ideas, but nothing that could be called a plan for a second novel.  

THE SOUND OF EVERYTHING is out now! Huge thanks to Mikka at Everything With Words for sending me a review copy and organising the interview.

Allies

This book is for everyone. Because we can all be allies.

As an ally you use your power-no matter how big or small-to support others. You learn, and try, and mess up, and try harder. In this collection of true stories, 17 critically acclaimed and bestselling YA authors get real about being an ally, needing an ally, and showing up for friends and strangers.

From raw stories of racism and invisible disability to powerful moments of passing the mic, these authors share their truths. They invite you to think about your own experiences and choices and how to be a better ally.

There are no easy answers, but this book helps you ask better questions. Self-reflection prompts, resources, journaling ideas, and further reading suggestions help you find out what you can do. Because we’re all in this together. And we all need allies.

A donation of 5% net sales in the UK will be donated to The Black Curriculum

DK

By coincidence, I received a copy of this title in the same week as I read a post by Dr Muna Abdi about the term “allies” and its limitations, so had that in mind when I started reading…and the very first chapter, DANA’S ABSOLOUTELY PERFECT FAIL-SAFE NO MISTAKES GUARANTEED WAY TO BE AN ALLY by Dana Alison Levy addresses the same issues in brilliant fashion. The collection of essays is wide ranging, eye opening, and thought provoking, including contributions from Shakirah Bourne (co-editor alongside Dana Alison Levy), Derick Brooks, Sharan Dhaliwal, Naomi and Natalie Evans, I. W. Gregorio, Lizzie Huxley-Jones, Adiba Jaigirdar, Brendan Kiely, Dana Alison Levy, Cam Montgomery, Andrea L. Rogers, Aida Salazar, A. J. Sass, Eric Smith, Kayla Whaley, and Marietta B. Zacker. The stories they share are both personal and powerful and will encourage readers to think critically about what allyship means to them. The authors are from all across the globe, with uniquely personal essays, and include UK based Lizzie Huxley-Jones, to whom I put some questions!

What do you think of the term ‘ally’?

I think ally as a phrase is useful in terms of reminding people who aren’t part of marginalised groups that they should care about the struggles of people within those marginalisations, literally to ally their aims and work to the community’s own aims. As with all language, it evolves really quickly and we will drop certain words over time (and some people have suggested moving on from allyship to solidarity), but I think the overarching concept of allyship, or solidarity, is really important! We cannot be complacent within our role as supporters, and over identifying *as* something without doing the work to *be* something is always a danger when we’re talking about stepping out of our comfort and privileges. Every day must be a learning day.

Have you read the other contributions? If so, did any particularly strike you?

I was lucky enough to get a proof of the US edition this week which I just finished reading. Each essay was really brilliant and made me think a lot. Naomi & Natalie Evans’ essay about being an ally in a racist situation made me think a lot about how easy it is for people to be bystanders – this is something I touch upon in my essay – and Eric Smith’s piece about finding a chosen family and his culture was beautiful. I think Dana’s essay that sets the tone of the book is really great, and Adiba Jaigirdar’s piece about racism in feminist ‘safe spaces’ really resonated with me. Basically, everything is extremely well written, interesting and important. I’m so honoured to be a part of such a key activist text.

The essays are very personal, did you find it difficult to write yours or did it come easily *because* it is so personal?

I’ve had seizures for basically my entire adult life, and have been on Twitter pretty much since then. When I was having video telemetry (a fun process where you live in a tiny room wired up to scanners for a few days to see if you have any seizures) I turned to Twitter for comfort and friendship but to talk about my experiences – this was back in like 2008. I think because I’ve been openly and frankly speaking about  my seizures for a long time, that confessional aspect wasn’t too hard. It was strange to write about during the pandemic, though. And I really did start to worry about what it’d be like as things started opening up, whether people would help more or less. I think that was the hardest part, really.

You have edited your own anthology, Stim, of stories by autistic authors, what, do you think, is the appeal of anthologies?

I think there’s a few things – the opportunity to access a lot of different voices in a small book, plus the focus on a particular topic but from multiple viewpoints. I personally also love mixed anthologies, so you’ll read something, not entirely sure if it’s an essay or fiction – sometimes that blur can make it really interesting when, for instance, a selkie turns up like in Robert Shepherd’s story in Stim. They’re just a really great way to explore a topic, I think, and a good anthology can keep you interested for a long time. I also really like that you might not enjoy every part of an anthology, though I know not everyone feels that way, as to me that’s part of the process of coming across different voices. I also edited 3 anthologies at 3 of Cups Press, On Anxiety, On Bodies and On Relationships, so I’m a big antho fan, haha!

You’ve also written a non-fiction children’s title about David Attenborough. Do you favour any particular style of writing?

I’m really a fiction writer at heart! Nothing definite I can talk about now, but hopefully in the future you’ll see some fiction from me on the shelves. I do love essay writing though, so I think Allies has spurred me to think about writing more of those in the future.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I just finished All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue which is a The Craft esque modern witch tale about a girl who discovers a lost set of tarot cards. What struck me about it is that it’s also very much about modern Ireland and the pushback against queerness we are seeing all around us from fundamentalists and transphobes, particularly against trans people. The love interest, Roe, is a non-binary femme who I completely love. I’d recommend it to fans of Moira Fowley-Doyle and Deirdre Sullivan. The next YA book on my pile is Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, which I’m so excited about. It’s Gossip Girl meets Get Out. Outside of YA, I’m listening to a lot of memoirs that touch on disability and are laced with humour. I’ve really been loving Samantha Irby’s three books of essays, and right now I’m in love with Keah Brown’s The Pretty One.

What will we see from you next?

Hopefully, some fiction, but you’ll just have to wait and see!

Lizzie (Hux) Huxley-Jones is an autistic author and editor based in London. They are the editor of Stim, an anthology of autistic authors and artists, which was published by Unbound in April 2020 to coincide with World Autism Awareness Week. They are also the author of the children’s biography Sir David Attenborough: A Life Story (2020) and a contributor to the anthology Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again (2021). They are an editor at independent micropublisher 3 of Cups Press, and also advise writers as a freelance sensitivity reader and editorial consultant. In their past career lives, they have been a research diver, a children’s bookseller and digital communications specialist. They tweet too much at @littlehux, taking breaks to walk their dog Nerys. They are represented by Abi Fellows of The Good Literary Agency.

ALLIES was published in the UK on 29th July 2021. Thanks to DK for sending a review copy and Antonia Wilkinson for organising the interview.

When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle

Inspired by a true story. It’s 1940, and Joseph has been packed off to stay with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. To Joseph’s amazement, she owns the rundown city zoo where Joseph meets Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is ferociously strong and dangerous, but Joseph finds he has an affinity with the lonely beast. But when the bombs begin to fall, it is up to Joseph to guard Adonis’s cage should it be damaged by a blast. Will Joseph be ready to pull the trigger if it comes to it?

Andersen Press

Phil Earle has written such a range of books, for a range of readers, and I’ve read and enjoyed most of them. WHEN THE SKY FALLS is his latest and, in my opinion, his greatest novel. There are a few strands to the story, I was particularly taken with Joseph’s school problems, all of which tie together beautifully to make a gripping and poignant read. I enjoyed it so much (including the bits that made me sob) that I had to ask Phil a few questions:

From the first few pages we get a real feel for Joseph and Mrs F’s characters. Was that always the opening scene or did you consider joining Joseph before he got to the station?

I did initially have a prologue. I’m a BIG fan of a prologue, and this one started with the bombs falling and Joseph clutching a rifle…I thought it was terribly exciting. My editor Charlie thought it was superfluous and confusing. Charlie won. She’s usually right (ok, always).

I wasn’t ever tempted to show Joseph’s life up north at the start of the book. I wanted his backstory to unravel as the reader turns the page and the story goes on…

The afterward, sharing the detail that inspired WHEN THE SKY FALLS, of your friend’s dad having to keep his gun trained on a zoo’s lion during air raids, is really interesting. How did a lion turn into a gorilla in your mind?

It was out of necessity really. I KNEW I had to write this story, it gave me goosebumps every time I thought about it, but it felt key for the boy to have formed a relationship with whatever was in the cage, otherwise the drama wouldn’t have been pronounced enough when the bombs started to fall.

It didn’t feel realistic that a lion would protect a child if it were set free, but there are lots of examples in zoos of silverback’s doing exactly this. I’ve long been fascinated by apes, so I knew as soon as Adonis popped into my head, that this was the right direction.

You’ve written books for a wide age range, including more accessible novellas for Barrington Stoke, how much does your process vary with the target audience? Which type of writing do you find most satisfying?

Unless I’m collaborating, I tend to write the same way, as in I have an idea, then I do zero planning. All I do is write. I love how exciting that feels, like I’m the reader discovering the story for the first time. Sometimes I have a start and an ending, but where it goes in-between is largely a mystery to me when I begin.

In terms of satisfaction, I don’t think there’s any one age group or genre I favour. There is nothing more satisfying than when you discover a story for any age. Or as exciting. If I’m not excited as I write, then I know it’s not working.

Did you think about writing this story for a younger audience or as a shorter Barrington Stoke title, or was a longer MG+ novel the plan from first ideas?

I think I knew that the scale of the story dictated that it would be 60,000 words, which took it outside of Barrington Stokes remit. Writing for them is an absolute joy. And it’s brilliant to work in a shorter medium. It really sharpens your skills. Ensures that every word counts.

I know you enjoy talking to children and young people about your books, but do you prefer events with younger or older readers?

People think I’m odd, but yes, I LOVE doing events. As much as I do writing itself.

It’s a different energy when you speak to different ages. For the first five years I spoke exclusively in secondary schools, and you often have to work harder and give more to keep the students attention and elicit a response (and if they’re year 9, it’s all about survival!).

In junior schools it’s different as the students are largely enthusiastic and bouncy. This means it’s about harnessing their enthusiasm, rather than trying to gee them up. Both are hugely rewarding.

In an ideal world, what kind of events would you like to do with this book?

I’d like to be in a classroom with the students. Zoom events are great, and it’s been a financial lifeline, but nothing beats being there in person.

To do an event at the Imperial War Museum would be incredible. Imagine that. One for the bucket list…

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I am just finishing Tom Palmer’s Arctic Star, which is excellent. Tom is so vastly under-rated. A brilliant story-teller. I’m also reading Jonathan Stroud’s The Outlaws Scarlett & Brown. Jonathan’s ability to do fast-paced adventure AS WELL as beautifully written, is something else. I’m deep with envy.

Both these books would be perfect for upper end of junior as well as secondary (years 7,8 and 9)

What will we see from you next?

I’m staying in WW2 for the next novel, with a book called Noah’s Ark. Again, it’s inspired by real life events. In Sept 1939, as war broke out, the government told families to have all their pets put down, that it wasn’t safe to keep them alive. As a result, over 750,000 animals were killed in one month. Can you believe that?? So my story is about one rebellious boy who says no, and steals a boat in the hope of saving as many animals as he possibly can. I hope it’s a rollicking good yarn, though there may be some tears again…

Thanks Phil for your great answers, and to Andersen Press for sending a review copy.

WHEN THE SKY FALLS is out now!

The Lightning Catcher

Alfie has noticed a few things since his family moved to Folding Ford. He really misses life in the city. He and his sister don’t exactly fit in here. But the most interesting one is that the weather is BONKERS. One frost-covered branch on one tree in the middle of June? A tiny whirlwind in a bucket in the garden? Only in Folding Ford.

Armed with his bike, a notepad and his new best mate Sam, Alfie is going to investigate. His best clue is Nathaniel Clemm … the only thing in town weirder than the weather. When Alfie ‘investigates’ Mr Clemm’s garden, only SLIGHTLY illegally, he finds a strange box that freezes his trainers and makes his teeth tingle. And when he opens it, only SLIGHTLY deliberately, SOMETHING gets out. Something fast, fizzing and sparking with electricity and very, very much alive. But the creature from the box brings trouble of its own, and as barometers and tempers go haywire in Folding Ford, Alfie finds himself at the centre of a perfect storm.
Skellig meets Stranger Things in this funny, heartfelt adventure story perfect for fans of Ross Welford, Christopher Edge and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Bloomsbury
Cover illustration by Paddy Donnelly

I loved THE LIGHNTING CATCHER! An absolutely brilliant debut, really imaginative sci-fi for MG+ with brilliant characters and some unexpected turns. I asked Clare Weze some questions and her answers are wonderfully insightful, so I’m not going to say anything else (except that: if you have the opportunity to invite an author in to do a creative writing session, I love her idea and want to come along)!

What gave you the idea of creating living weather (basically) for a story?

This is such a lovely question, because from an early age I’ve loved weather, so I was probably waiting for an opportunity to use inspiration arising from our own increasingly bizarre weather. But the idea came to me in stages rather than all at once. The isolation of the setting (based on aspects of the house I live in now) encouraged wild and unpredictable weather, but it wasn’t until I had the character that things started to gel. Because he was a curious, intrepid and somewhat contrary character, he went trespassing. The plot couldn’t have unfolded in my mind without that event, because it set off a unique chain. When he opened that box and let something loose, it gave me the perfect opportunity to have a creature that created its own weather systems. So rather than reverse-engineer a situation that would suit a creature like that, everything grew organically from playing around with a character in a setting.

Did you always intend to write for a middle grade audience, or did Alfie and the plot evolve that way?

The middle grade age has always been my favourite, not only to write for but to engage with in all ways. I particularly enjoyed being with my own children at that age. Pre-teens have such clever and original ideas, and their language use is funny and inspiring. And of all the ages I’ve been myself, that age felt the most magical in terms of the possibilities of the world, and even the universe. You get glimpses of what certain aspects of the natural world and the world of people might mean, but you don’t always get the full facts, so your mind joins the dots and comes up with something new and fun (even if it’s sometimes completely wrong!). That’s why that age felt, to me, like really living your best life. Perhaps when we’re that age, we carry that sense of ‘living in the moment’ into the worlds we inhabit when we read a book, and that’s why middle grade books feel so real and plausible to their readers.  

I find middle grade writing very freeing in terms of what can be explored. As long as you clarify things and don’t let the plot hang around, the sky’s the limit. Ordinary things can be explored afresh, and when they’re put next to extraordinary things, something new and exciting arrives.

Which is your favourite of Clemm’s menagerie?

I need two favourites, please! Lysander the hornbill is curious and cheeky, and he taps into Lily’s mood so perfectly, but I also have a big soft spot for Julia, the accidentally hairless cat. I also love the fact that Clemm has sacrificed almost everything for his conservation cause. His farm is falling down around his ears because instead of working hard to build up his finances, he’s been abroad looking for animals in distress.

Towards the end it takes quite a dark turn, with Alfie having been mistrusted by the “locals” in the small village the family have moved to, without overtly telling the reader that he was stereotyped because of his race. What led you to not be explicit about tension being caused by racism?

A lot of racism these days is covert and consists of gaslighting, so I thinks it’s fitting for the suspicions circling Alfie to follow this zeitgeist. I didn’t want to centre this particular book around race explicitly – to give it top billing – because Alfie’s exciting adventure is the main event.

It’s always nice to leave a few gaps between the lines so readers can insert their own meaning, their own interpretations, as that can be a richer experience. So with Mr Lombard in particular, his motivations can be however you choose to interpret them, because in real life, we only get to see what people show us.

The book set ups many questions about Mr Lombard’s motives. I suspect he wouldn’t view himself as racist. He might even be one of those people who thinks racism’s gone extinct, and he’s going after Alfie purely because of his audacity and rule-breaking. He’s certainly a busybody. Race might be a convenient peg for him to hang his prejudices on, but there’s always the alternative viewpoint. He could have mistrusted any incomer who’d been trespassing. The book might have worked with a white character who acted in the way Alfie did, but would Lombard have made it into such a vendetta with any other child? It’s interesting to go back and forth in this way. There’s quite a philosophical conundrum there. When someone from an ethnic minority does something slightly wrong, are they targeted because they stand out more, or is there less leeway given?

As for the other people in the village, the rumour mill is fascinating, and it doesn’t take much to get it going in small places. Racism is so complex, and it’s only getting more so as time goes on. I doubt even the most dyed-in-the-wool racist really has a firm grasp on why they’re acting that way.

I was interested in Alfie’s learning curve regarding all this, because coming from the particular area of the city he used to live in, he’d never really experienced being quite so conspicuous before. His detective cover is ruined; basically, he has no cover! His attempts at covert surveillance are therefore quite funny and touching.

Alfie and his family have moved because of his sister’s eating disorder, triggered by bullying at her old school, almost a whole storyline in itself and the main reason his parents are distracted. Did you find it harder to write these realistic scenes or the fantastical adventure side?

Both had their tricky aspects. The fantastical side probably wins the hardest label, because although it made sense in my head, there’s always the worry that it won’t transfer. I was dedicated while writing Lily, though, because I don’t think that particular kind of eating disorder gets much attention. You’re upset and traumatised, so your appetite disappears – without an appetite, there isn’t enough saliva being made, and you’re trying to chew dry food. It’s fairly common after a trauma. I thought it would be interesting to look at the consequences of bullying, the ‘next chapter’ of the part of Lily’s story that began in their former home.

In a perfect world, what kind of events would you like to do with young readers to get them interested in science and literature?

I would like to do an event where I give young readers some of my notes for The Lightning Catcher, which contain additional details for the science, and get them to formulate their own questions about everything involved. I’d also be interested in talking about where Alfie goes from here and whether he pursues science or detective work in his later teenage years. There are always more notes and ideas than a book has room for, so it would be nice to talk over some of the aspects that didn’t find space, which would be an interesting combination of science and literature for the event.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I’ve just started Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant. It appealed to me because the opening promised quirky characters and a fast-paced adventure, and the writing style is lovely and lyrical. There are orphans, and people helping each other, and others chasing them, and lots of animals, which sounds like my perfect read!

Have you plans for any more children’s books?

Yes, I’m writing my second children’s book for Bloomsbury right now! It’s about a London girl sent to live with her grandparents by the sea after her family are evicted from their home. She’s traumatised by the separation from her parents and school friends, but sees a boy in the sea who is never seen on land. An adventure begins, and the way she feels about home starts to change.

After that, I have outlines and notes for five more children’s books.

Thank you so much, Teen Librarian! These have been lovely, thought-provoking questions.

Thank you, Clare, for your brilliant, thoughtful answers! THE LIGHNTING CATCHER is out now in the UK and I’m really looking forward to what comes next! Huge thanks to Bloomsbury for sending a review copy and to Beatrice Cross for facilitating this interview.

House of Hollow

The Hollow sisters – Vivi, Grey and Iris – are as seductively glamorous as they are mysterious.

They have black eyes and hair as white as milk. They share the same birthday, spaced exactly two years apart. The Hollow sisters don’t have friends – they don’t need them. They move through the corridors like sharks, the other little fish parting around them, whispering behind their backs.And everyone knows who the Hollow sisters are. Because one day the three Hollow sisters simply disappeared. And when they came back, one month later, with no memory of where they had been, it was as if nothing had changed.

Almost nothing, apart from, for example, the little scar that had appeared in the hollow of their throats … and a whispering sense that something is not quite right about them, despite (or maybe because of) the terrible passion to be with them that they can exert on anybody at will…

A thrilling, twisting, novel that is as seductive and glamorous as the Hollow sisters themselves….

Hot Key Books

I don’t really know how to describe this book…it is mysterious, creepy, glamorous, gross, fantastical and modern…Haunting & unsettling but totally gripping. I was so taken in I could nearly smell Grey’s perfume. I was thinking about it for a long time after finishing reading, and just had to ask the author some questions:

House of Hollow is an…unsettling novel, did you have any routines when writing to get yourself into the right mood?

I listened to the Annihilation soundtrack over and over and over again to keep me in an eerie headspace. I find music and movement to be particularly good gateways into a story. If I used to do this thing when I was a kid called “imagination time” where I would just walk around in the back yard for hours or jump on the trampoline and imagine my way through stories. It was my favourite hobby! Now I walk or drive or (in the Before Times) catch public transport while listening to music to get my imagination flowing.

What first idea sparked the story?

It’s a scrapbook of different ideas that eventually merged together. The first spark came to me when I was out hiking with my sister and I thought, “What if I turned around right now and she was just gone?” If there was no sound, no struggle, no one else around – it was such a horrifying thought.

The story really started to percolate after I visited Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka and saw “ghost doors” scattered around the forest – ruins where every part of a structure had fallen away except the doorframe. They felt at once inviting and dangerous, like fairy circles. I wanted to walk through one, but found myself afraid that if I did I might end up somewhere… else. Those two elements really drew me in and I started to build the story and characters and world around them.

Liminal spaces are such an interesting concept, did you read lots about them before writing the book?

I actually started an Honours thesis on liminal spaces while I was writing House of Hollow, so not only was I creating my own liminal space, I was researching other liminal spaces in literature at the same time.

Liminality feels particularly relevant to young adult stories. To borrow an idea from the Chemical Hearts movie, the teenage years really are like of limbo between childhood and adulthood. It’s very much an in-between time; you feel stuck halfway between no longer and not yet. I wanted to explore that in House of Hollow, albeit in a more overt way. 

Who is your favourite of the sisters?

Ugh! I love them all, don’t make me choose! I suppose I’m most like Iris, who’s quiet and studious and keeps her head down. Vivi and Grey were a lot more fun to write though. They’re dream girls, you know? They’re the women I wanted to be when I was growing up. Vivi is rough and wild and heavily tattooed. Honestly, is borderline feral, a ball of walking chaos. Grey is the opposite: The height of glamour and the embodiment of control. I think Grey is the most morally grey (and appropriately named) character in the book, so I’ll say she’s my favourite.

Was there anything your editors asked you to tone down?

Surprisingly, no. I’m always a little shocked by what I’m allowed to do! The director of Chemical Hearts was an early reader of House of Hollow and his feedback was something along the lines of, “How the hell did you get away with this?!” So far the reaction to the book has been hugely positive, but I was worried for a little while that I might have pushed things too far!

In an ideal world, what kind of events would you like to be doing with your readers?

In an alternate universe in which COVID didn’t exist, I’d love to host a House of Hollow fashion show. Everyone would get dressed up in their most eccentric, lavish, Alexander McQueen-esque outfit and we could all hang out looking glamourous and creepy. Sigh.

What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?

I’m reading The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold, who’s probably most well-known for Mosquitoland. It’s pitched as “Station Eleven meets The 5th Wave” which might not be everyone’s cup of tea at this particular moment in time, but I’ve found it full of hope.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on the first draft of my fourth YA book which, like House of Hollow, is set in a version of London that brushes up against the supernatural. In a world where only women can use magic and the men who know about it seek to eradicate them, three lonely teenage girls – one cursed, one hunted, one out for revenge – team up to track down and take out a brutal killer. It’s a lot of fun!

Huge thanks to Krystal for her great answers and to Hot Key Books for giving me a review copy and facilitating this interview!

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland is out now

(Hot Key Books, £7.99)