Elka Evalds

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write and illustrate children’s books. I think it started as soon as I knew what a book was. It wasn’t just that I wanted to. Until I was fourteen or fifteen I was sure I was going to. But the longer I was at school, the more thoroughly I lost my nerve. I ended up studying art history, and then became a university lecturer. I kept thinking that I’d be able to write stories in my spare time, only I didn’t have any! When I got any writing time at all, I was supposed to write about art history. Now, don’t get me wrong: I like art history. I feel wildly lucky to have lived in Venice, and studied Latin in Rome, and been to all of the medieval abbeys I’ve visited. I loved teaching art history, too. I’m miserable trying to write about it, though, especially if I have to do it every waking hour. Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer. I left my job, took every penny of my savings, and came to England to study creative writing for children at Bath Spa University. I still like looking at old churches and paintings and tapestries, but I’m happy just looking. Meanwhile, I wake up delighted to face a day of writing when I’m working on a children’s book.

The waiting was terrible. It just went on and on. I got through it because I have an amazing writing group. They kept my focus on writing, and encouraged me to work on new projects. It prevented me from feeling alone, and reminded me that for most writers it’s part of the process.

The best feedback I’ve had so far has been from my friend Finn, who was 10 when he read Granny Magic and said, ‘It’s brilliant! As good as The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Nomes!’

 I had many, many favourite books as a child. Some I remember most are The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden; The Court of Stone Children by Eleanor Cameron; From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Koningsburg; A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett; and, of course, The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.

We did a lot of reading aloud in my family. My mum read us The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books, the Earthsea trilogy, Swallows and Amazons, Edward Eager, and loads of E. Nesbit, all of which we loved. Reading times were the only times we weren’t all trying to clobber one another, so I have very peaceful memories of these books.

My sisters and I loved to read spooky stories, together with my very young aunt. We completely terrified ourselves reading a book called A Candle In Her Room, and another called The Witch’s Sister.

I didn’t stop reading children’s books as I got older, and kept discovering new favourites, like Penelope Lively’s The Revenge Of Samuel Stokes and Jane Langton’s The Fledgling. Then I went through a bleak decade when I didn’t read any fiction at all, because I was just too busy with art history. This wasn’t good for my soul. I began to wilt. Just before I withered entirely, I stumbled into the children’s department of the public library in Lawrence, Kansas. (What a great library!) I was revived by the Menyms, the Penderwicks, Coraline and Arabella’s Raven, among others. Since then I haven’t stopped reading children’s fiction. My recent favourites include Cathrynne Valente, Sally Gardiner and Francis Hardinge.

John Truby: The Anatomy of Story. It makes every step more clear. Take a course if you can possibly afford it. It’s great to have structure and community. If you don’t get any response to your first manuscript, put it aside and start something new. That way, when your moment comes, you’ll have two or three up your sleeve.

I’d like Michael Whitehall to play my villain. He has just the right face. If I could go back in time, I’d like to have Margaret Rutherford play Matilda. The other Grans might include Imelda Staunton, Julie Walters, Harriet Walter, or Olivia Coleman. I’d hope they’d just be so charmed by Granny Magic that they’d want to do it!