Katherine was captivating, and we loved the book - no surprise that it has gone on to win some very well-deserved awards. Here's just a little extract from our chat:
Mercedes: Did
you ever think of joining a circus?
KR: Yes!
I never thought I’d be a writer, so for a time I had the more realistic
ambition of joining a circus. I went to clown school. I always wanted to learn
trapeze, but there is no trapeze in Zimbabwe.
Alice: How
do you write?
KR: I
try to write a thousand words a day. I also teach about Shakespeare during the
day, so I get up at 4am to write before I go to work.
Scarlett: It’s
amazing to hear about your childhood in Africa. You really liked it there. Do
you like it better here or there?
KR: I
like them both the same. My mother is still in Zimbabwe, so Africa is home. The
world is more wild there. People in England are much better dressed. In
Zimbabwe they only wear shorts and sandals, which is wonderful. I’d love to go
back.
Rafferty: I
can’t decide whether to be a vet or a writer.
KR: Read
James Herriot and you’ll see that maybe you can be both!
Maia: If
you could live on a rooftop in Paris for a week, what would you take?
KR: How
many things am I allowed? Matches, definitely. And my brother. He’s a jazz
musician, and very calm. He’s such a cool human being.
Kes the monkey (he could have a tiny
backpack and help me carry things). A rain hat and an umbrella, because I used
to live in Paris so I know that although when you think of Paris you think of
sunlight and stars, actually it rains a lot there, just as much as in London.
Oh, and sausages and a saucepan. Comfort
food. Treacle tart. What other comfort food? Yes – sticky toffee pudding, and
spaghetti Bolognese and malteser cake.
Alice: Why
did you choose a cello?
KR: When
I was your age I’d never heard a cello. Then, when I was ten, I was taken to
hear Bach played by the best cello player in Zimbabwe. He was a most beautiful
human being, a black Zimbabwean man. And I vowed then I’d marry a cello player.
Only maybe that won’t happen now because my boyfriend doesn’t play the cello!
It
was also a practical decision, because Sophie is found in a cello case, so it
had to be big enough to hold her: either a cello or a double bass, and a double
bass is less soulful; and a harp is too difficult to carry around …
Mercedes: How
did you choose the names for your characters? They’re so unusual
KR: Vivienne
is named after my aunt. Matteo I named because I had a distinct picture in my
mind of a boy who could fend for himself. It sounded like a tough name.
Anastasia
and Saffire – my two cousins wanted to be in the book, so that was easy.
Sophie
I thought was a good name for a stubborn, practical person.
Charles
is sort of like one of the Fellows I work with at Oxford, who is one of my
favourite people in all the world. When I first wrote it, I used his name, but
I had to change it so people couldn’t tell who it was!
And I chose his surname because Maxim means
a saying, a famous phrase. And I wanted it to be like maximum, because he’s an
extravagant human being.
Scarlett: My
favourite bit was when Sophie was learning to walk on the roof.
When
I’m reading a book, it’s like watching a little film in your head, and I didn’t
want it to end.
Mercedes: My
favourite bit was when she got the package and ate all the food. And my most
favourite bit was when she heard her mother’s music. That was …
KR: I
love writing about food! And reading about it. I always remember the food in LITTLE
HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: when they make toffee out of snow, and DANNY THE CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD and jam sandwiches.
My agent always says that books need to
answer the two most important questions: What’s for dinner? And Are we there
yet?
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