Today I'm interviewing the amazing Diana Hendry, who's written so many books it's untrue! Her latest book, The Seeing, comes out next month - it's amazing, so keep a look out for it! And for my review! :D Now, onto the interview...
Q&A With Diana Hendry
Hi Diana! It’s a pleasure to have
you here today!
Hello Megan!
Could you tell us a little about yourself
and your books?
I’ve been writing stories since I was about
12, but I didn’t get published for a long time. Now I’ve published more
than 40 books for children, three collections of poetry and a number of short
stories. I’ve worked as a typist, a journalist, a teacher and a creative
writing tutor. I’ve a son and a daughter and three grandchildren. I live
in Edinburgh.
The quote on the blurb of my proof of your
upcoming book is:
“I've
told you. Philip can see. He can see inside people. He can
see the swastikas on their hearts.”
It just instantly got my
attention and made me desperate about the rest if the book. Can you sum
up The Seeing in one sentence?
No. Why would I?
What gave you the idea for The Seeing?
As a child I used to have nightmares about
there being one Nazi left behind. He lived (I imagined) in the
air-raid shelter on the sandhills opposite my house.
How much research did you have to do
for The Seeing?
The Seeing took a long time to
write - many drafts. So although I did quite a lot of research it was
spread over several years.
What's the best bit about being an author
for you?
Being excited about a new poem or story.
Have any authors really inspired you?
Yes, a great many. Seamus Heaney
and the Israeli novelist, Amos Oz.
What’s the latest book you read that really
‘Wowed’ you?
A short story by Mark Haddon called ‘The
Gun’. It’s in the recent issue of Granta.
I know you write lots of different genres,
but which is your favourite to read and write?
Poetry every time!
If you could go into any fictional world,
where would you go?
I don’t think I want to go into a fictional
world. The delight of a fictional world in a book is that you can get
out!
If you could have your dream dinner party
with five fictional characters, who would you have?
I’d rather have real people - writers
perhaps. Seamus Heaney, Amos Oz (see above) Penelope Lively, Paul Durcan
and Ali Smith.
What's next for you?
I don’t know! I’m playing about with
ideas - hoping one will grab me and I’ll feel excited by it.
Hope you enjoy The Seeing.
all best wishes,
Diana
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Thank you so much for the interview, Diana! I hope everyone loves The Seeing as much as I did!
Everyone, if you liked this post, make sure you follow all the FoG
events on Twitter at #FortnightOfGuests
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Diana Hendry grew up by the sea and has worked as a journalist, English teacher and tutor in Creative Writing at the University of Bristol. Her poetry has won a number of awards including first prize in the 1996 Housman Society Competition. From 1997-1998 she was Writer in Residence at Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary. She lives in Edinburgh.
She has published more than thirty books for children, including Harvey Angell which won a Whitbread Award in 1991 and You Can't Kiss It Better, set in Edinburgh (2003). She also writes adult short stories, a number of which have been published in anthologies and read on Radio 4. Her collections of poetry for adults, Making Blue (1995) and Borderers (2001) are published by Peterloo, and Twelve Lilts: Psalms & Responses (2003) by Mariscat Press. With Tow Pow, in a series of poetic ‘challenges’ she has published Sparks! (2005, also Mariscat Press). A third full collection, Late love : and other whodunnits, was published in 2008. She has also published a collection of poems for children, No Homework Tomorrow (Glowworm, 2003)
1 comment:
Great interview. Sorry to be a pain but could you e-mail me re the guest posts you are doing for me?..Also I want to ask you something about the FOG so I will e-mail you. :D xxx
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