Author Q&A - where I write, what I’m reading…

A US book club sent over a Q&A and I thought I’d add it here, in case it’s useful or interesting for other book groups or readers. I hope you enjoy…

Where do you do your writing day to day?

I usually work in a back bedroom, which has a view over a row of terraced back gardens. If the wather is good, I head for what I fancifully call my work shed, but is actually half of a concrete garage. On the outside it’s an unglamorous Eighties concrete block, but inside it’s now divided in half and my portion is lined with timber planks. I work best in here as there’s no internet. The other half is a complete mess of all the ‘stuff’ you put in a shed or loft, but I try not to think about that chaos!

What was the inspiration behind your latest novel?

A few years ago, when I was visiting my mother in a cancer hospital, I ended up spending a lot of time in the hospital café. As the days passed, I started to recognise people, both patients and visitors, and I started wondering what kind of lives these people had lived. It made me realise how we all have stories to tell – and that some of those stories, for those with terminal diagnoses, might never be heard.

I thought, how brilliant it would be if people had a chance to share their stories. Then, I thought, what would happen if someone started telling their life story, but couldn’t finish it because there was an unsolved crime in their past? This was how the plot of Tell Me How This Ends began to take shape.

I wanted to show how we all carry life stories and how sharing them can be a way to connect us and tap into our deepest emotions. It’s a book about grief, but it also has plenty of hope – and a dash of humour.

Tell us about Henrietta?

Henrietta is one of those people who observes life from the sidelines. In terms of plot, this means that she can act as the centre point for other people’s life stories, but I’ve always been fascinated by people who seem to slip through the cracks of life and might be easily dismissed, but have hidden depths. I originally pitched my book as ‘Eleanor Oliphant meets Elizabeth is Missing’ but a reader also said she was reminded of Eleanor Rigby, which is spot on.

My hope was that, as the book progresses, we get to know Henrietta better – and maybe look twice at the people who fade into the background: that person in a duffle coat on the top deck of a bus or walking their dog along deserted back streets, keeping in the shadows.

And what about Annie?

I have a huge fondness for Annie – I love how she’s making the most of the time she has left by wearing all the brilliant fashions that passed her by in the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties and I had a lot of fun imagining all her great outfits. But she also has a sad story and represents many working class women who didn’t get to participate in the Women’s Lib movement of the Seventies. Because for a lot of women who didn’t have the right education or opportunities, that era wasn’t in the least bit liberating. Annie’s story is far from unique and I wanted to give a voice to her and many women like her.

How would you describe your writing style in three words?

Emotional, accessible, wry.

What do you enjoy the most about being a published author?

I’ve been blown away by the number of readers who have got in touch to privately share their own experiences of grief, especially people who have said that my book expressed things they had felt but had not been able to put into words. I wasn’t expecting that kind of feedback, but it’s been amazing and really touching.

What was your favourite book as a child?

A Dog So Small by Philippa Pearce. It’s about a boy called Ben who longs for a dog but can’t have one because he lives in a flat in London. I grew up in a first-floor flat in London and longed for a dog. Well, really I wanted a miniature pony – unbelievably, WH Smith used to run a competition to win one! – but even I could see that wasn’t realistic. Every time I see the front cover of A Dog So Small it squeezes my heart a little. It’s a picture of Ben sitting at his school desk daydreaming about his miniature dog and I also spent long stretches of my days at school daydreaming…

Who is your go-to author?

I’d say Maggie O’Farrell or Claire Fuller for superb writing and characters, but if I want a real page-turner, Lisa Jewell always delivers.

What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished Soldier, Sailor by Claire Kilroy – a raw, unflinching account of the early stages of motherhood.

What is your one tip for any budding authors out there?

Keep writing because you enjoy it. Book publishing can be an unpredictable and fickle business, but if you still get those flashes of ‘Yes, this is flowing’ then it’s always worth it. If readers get to enjoy it one day too, that’s fantastic – but in the end, your stories need to matter to you.