To celebrate the amazing Giant, we caught up with its author, Judith McQuoid.
TPP: What inspired you to base a story on the childhood of the author C.S. Lewis (famous for writing the Narnia series)?
JM: My dad read the Narnia stories to me when I was about seven. We were living in America at the time, and I think they reminded us of home back in Ireland. Later on in life, when I was researching my dad’s family, I realised that my grandfather had grown up in the same part of Belfast as CS Lewis. Then my imagination ran riot!
TPP: Do you have a favourite Narnia story?
JM: Definitely Prince Caspian. I remember how excited I was that the Narnia stories hadn’t finished with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
TPP: Did Giant involve much research?
JM: Yes! I had to be accurate about Jacks, the young CS Lewis, and his life. And then I had to make sure that Belfast and the shipyard were right too.
TPP: What was the biggest challenge when writing Giant?
JM: Getting all the different elements together. Davy at the shipyard, Jacks’ life, the books they read, the historical settings – that all had to be worked in as part of the story.
TPP: Have you always been a writer?
JM: Only in the last fifteen years. But I’ve always been a big reader.
TPP: What words of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
JM: Read, read, read! Doesn’t matter what you read but read lots. And get used to other people reading your writing and giving you feedback.
TPP: If you weren’t an author, what would you like to be?
JM: absolutely rubbish at drawing so I couldn’t be an illustrator. But I think I’d like to still be involved in kid’s books in the publishing industry. Editor, maybe?
TPP: What was your favourite book as a child?
JM: As well as the Narnia stories, I also loved The Lord of the Rings. [And CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien were writing buddies – so cool!]
TPP: Which authors have inspired you?
JM: Although I love Lewis and Tolkien, they are too scarily amazing to be inspiring. I find LM Montgomery, who wrote the Anne of Green Gables books, an inspiration though. Her stories are wonderful and feel more achievable to me.
TPP: Do you write every day?
JM: I don’t! I’m a busy mum too, so I have to balance writing with all the other things I’m doing. Sadly, most writers still have to do the washing up!
TPP: Do you have a specific writing routine?
JM: I’m a morning person, so I try and write for a couple of hours a few mornings a week. Once I get going, I find it hard to stop. And I have to be completely on my own to write stories. My imagination just doesn’t work the same if there are other people about.
TPP: What is your favourite part about being a children’s author?
JM: Definitely going into schools to chat about writing. I was a teacher for quite a long time, and I miss hanging out with big groups of kids in a classroom. I always learn lots!
