To kickstart this season’s TPP Book Club, we were delighted to meet with Arabella Pepper’s creator, E.R. Murray.
TPP: Who or what inspired the character Arabella Pepper?
E.R.M: My characters are always a mixture: a sprinkle of me (an inquisitive child who loved nature), a splash of people I know (friends, family, and readers I meet during events), with a dash of extra bravery.
TPP: How did you set about creating Arabella’s world, specifically Greytown?
E.R.M: Nature is always around us, even in built-up environments – we just need to look! I wanted to highlight this so I made Greytown into a typical suburban town that readers could identify with.
TPP: What made you decide to make nature a strong theme in the story?
E.R.M: I’ve always loved nature, even though I grew up in terraced housing and concrete. Nature is so important to our sense of self and belonging to the world, and I wanted to help revive that for readers everywhere, wherever they live.
TPP: Blue, the crow, is Arabella’s best friend – do you have any best pet friends?
E.R.M: I have three cats – Sinbad (the thief!), Flint (super smart) and The Morrigan (loves snuggles). I spend lots of time outdoors and love all wild creatures – especially bugs and spiders.
TPP: Who was your favourite character to write?
E.R.M: Blue was so much fun. For research, I watched lots of videos about the wacky world of crows; they’re so comical and clever!
TPP: Do you have any words of advice for aspiring writers?
E.R.M: Write as much as you can, as often as you can, about the people, places and things you care about. Also read, read, READ!
TPP: Did you enjoy reading and writing at school?
E.R.M: I loved both. I would read everything I could get my hands, from poetry books to history magazines, novels to cereal boxes! My favourite game on a rainy day was to sit under a blanket with friends, our feet sticking out. We would take turns to tell ghost stories and the last one to pull their feet in with fright, won!
TPP: Do you have a special writing routine?
E.R.M: I try to avoid routine because it makes me sluggish and demotivated. However, I write a lot; as much as I can, whenever I can. But to have a clear head and write well, I combine the time at the desk with lots of time walking and being outdoors, also travelling to new places to experience new things. I’ll try anything once! I also grow my own veg and catch my own fish – I think we need to lead full lives to write good stories.
TPP: What have you learned since becoming a published author?
E.R.M: I have learned… that every book is different to write. That I get too many ideas and lots of them are rubbish (so it’s important to keep hold of the good ones in notebooks). That meeting readers is wonderful. That doing things other than writing is important too.
TPP: Which authors inspired you?
E.R.M: Roald Dahl – especially The Witches, with its gross and graphic details – made me want to write fun but gruesome stories. And myths and legends from around the world inspired my own supernatural tales.
As I got older, Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden, A Little Princess) inspired me to include historical elements in my stories, while C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), and Mary Norton (The Borrowers) gave me the freedom to explore fantasy.
I also strongly remember what didn’t inspire me – the Peter and Jane reading scheme we had to read in school. They were so boring and repetitive, they made me want to write and read stories that were not like them!
These days, fellow Irish writers inspire me to keep writing! There are too many to mention but some of my favourites are Nicola Pierce, Patricia Forde, Eve McDonnell, Sinead O’Hart and Alan Nolan.
TPP: What is your favourite children’s book?
E.R.M: I can’t pick. It’s impossible! I love too many books. If you asked me to pick my top 100, it would still be too difficult to choose! But the book that probably surprised me the most in my lifetime was Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines; it was the first time I read a book that reflected where I came from and it felt good to feel seen and understood.
TPP: If you weren’t an author, what would you like to be?
E.R.M: An explorer! I love travelling to new places and being on my own, and I’m not scared of bugs!
