IN the run-up to the St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature, best-selling author AF Steadman has given an insight into her approach to writing and what inspires her.
The novelist, patron of the festival which will run in the town on June 28 to 30, is the author of the Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling Skandar series.
I asked AF Steadman a series of questions, beginning with: What were your favourite books when you were a child?
The author replied: The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin was a favourite of mine, as was His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman.
Q. Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what prompted you to change course?
A. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember – I wrote two books as a teenager – but I ended up training as a lawyer instead. However, nine years ago, walking home, an image of a boy and a unicorn flying ahead of me soared into my mind. I’m a visual writer and often play out scenes in my imagination and I remember very clearly thinking: ‘This unicorn doesn’t look like it belongs in a fairytale. This creature belongs in nightmares.’ Those two characters became Skandar Smith and Scoundrel’s Luck and my first published book in the series.”
Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A. Reading books always helps me to create my own stories, but just because I’m writing fantasy that doesn’t mean I only read fantasy when I’m drafting a new novel. Ideas can come from all kinds of places, so I read as much and as widely as I can. For the Skandar books, I’ve had ideas when reading poems, comics, plays, graphic novels, memoirs, listening to song lyrics and everything in between.
Q. What’s the best thing about attending a children’s literature festival?
A. Seeing young people getting excited about books! With its £1 entry fee for each event, the St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature aims to spread the joy of reading to as many children as possible. I can’t wait to see their excitement when they meet authors and discover new books to enjoy! It’s a real honour to be their patron.
Q. What’s the best thing about being a successful author?
A. The opportunity to meet my readers! It is such a privilege to be able to go into schools and bookshops and talk to children about the Skandar series and try to inspire them to read for pleasure. A special mention has to go out to World Book Day too, because seeing young people dressed as characters from the Skandar books really has been incredibly special.
Q. What one bit of advice would you give to aspiring authors, especially those who are still youngsters?
A. Don’t give up! Some days you won’t like your idea - there were many times when I almost gave up on Skandar altogether because I told myself nobody would want to read about bloodthirsty unicorns. The truth is you never know whether anyone is going to want to read what you write, so all you can do is make it the best that you can, write it for yourself, don’t worry about anyone else and just keep going.
Q. How do you see the future for children’s literature in a digital age?
A. I meet children all the time who love reading books, but there are many others who haven’t quite found a book that connects with them. Because that’s what igniting a love of reading is – it’s creating that initial spark with the right book at the right time. I think a key to that is focusing on reading for pleasure and allowing children to try out many different types of stories – something that attending a children’s literature festival can really help with! It is also key for us authors and our publishers to create a diverse range of books so young people can find something that chimes with them.
Festival director Simon Pollard said: “We are extremely grateful that AF Steadman has agreed to be patron of our festival. The Skandar series captivates readers of all ages.
“Her appearance at our first festival is still talked about by many, and the time and encouragement she gives to her readers is wonderful.”
The festival will welcome more than 25 children’s authors and illustrators over its three days.
A dedicated schools day, on Friday, June 28, will host events for more than 2,000 pupils. Then two public days will be held on the weekend of June 29 to 30.
The festival programme is available to view online at www.staustellfestivalofchildrensliterature.com
There is also information on Instagram - @st.alitfest - and X (formerly Twitter) - @StLiterature
Tickets can be booked through the Cornish Riviera Box Office, www.crbo.co.uk