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Revision as of 18:11, 26 October 2009
, 18:11, 26 October 2009Created page with '{{infoboxinterviews |title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Hilary McKay |reviewer=Keith Dudhnath |summary=Bookbag really enjoyed Hilary McKay's [[Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary M…'
{{infoboxinterviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Hilary McKay
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|summary=Bookbag really enjoyed Hilary McKay's [[Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary McKay|Wishing For Tomorrow]] (the sequel to [[A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett]] and couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340956534</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0340956534</amazonus>
|date=26 October 2009
}}
{{adsense4}}
Bookbag really enjoyed Hilary McKay's [[Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary McKay|Wishing For Tomorrow]] (the sequel to [[A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett]] and couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
* '''Bookbag: When you close your eyes and imagine your readers, who do you see?'''
Hilary McKay: Oh, dear, I have never done that. But (anything to oblige) I tried it just now. And what did I see? Not readers anyway. A glimpse of landscape, a flicker of a character passing by, but no readers. A pity; they would have been an interesting sight.
In the further interests of research I asked a musician (not having a writer handy) what he saw when he closed his eyes and imagined his audience. ''I am loading up the dishwasher,'' he replied. ''Or is it a trick question?''
So he was no help.
* '''BB: What was the motivation for writing a sequel to ''A Little Princess''?'''
HM: I wrote ''Wishing For Tomorrow'' for several reasons. To answer the unanswered questions of what happened to the characters whose fates were left unresolved in ''A Little Princess''. As a break from those blessed [[Forever Rose (Casson Family) by Hilary McKay|Cassons]]. Most of all, for fun. I loved writing it - I loved the minute, detailed world of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary and the people who lived in it.
* '''BB: Were you nervous about the response from the public, given how much of a favourite the original is to so many people?'''
HM: Not nervous. That is too shivery a word. Slightly trepidatious (my spellcheck tells me that is not a word but I think it is too useful not to be). I did wonder. But then I thought, Oh well, they need not read it if they don't want to. And I need not take their opinions too much to heart. After all (let's keep this in perspective) it is only a rather short, rather frivolous little story. In the end.
* '''BB: If you had to write a sequel to another classic, which would it be and why?'''
HM: [[The Lord of the Rings]]. And I would write it in order to sell the film rights.
* '''BB: Do you miss the [[Forever Rose (Casson Family) by Hilary McKay|Casson family]] as much as we do?'''
HM: No, I do not miss them at all, and the reason I do not miss them is that I am at present engaged in writing a sixth book about that scatty crowd: ''Caddy's World''.
* '''BB: Is it hard for children's authors to get the same recognition as authors for adults?'''
HM: I suppose we do not get reviewed very much in comparison. But that is a great generalisation. [[:Category:J K Rowling|J K Rowling]] and [[:Category:Philip Pullman|Philip Pullman]] don't do so badly. Perhaps we get the recognition we deserve.
* '''BB: Which three books should every child read?'''
HM: That depends of course, entirely on the child. The closest I can come to a reply is three books that I am very glad that I read as a child. TH White's [[The Sword in the Stone by T H White|The Once and Future King]]. [[:Category:Eleanor Farjeon|Eleanor Farjeon's]] ''The Little Book Room''. [[:Category:Jane Gardam|Jane Gardam’s]] ''The Hollow Land'' (except for the last chapter).
* '''BB: What are you reading at the moment?'''
HM: At the moment I am reading: Graham Swift's ''Waterland'', Gilbert White's ''The Natural History of Selborne'', Jilly Cooper's ''The Common Years''.
* '''BB: Which book has most influenced you, and do you still have a copy?'''
HM: There is no book that I have read and loved that I do not own. So how lucky am I?!
* '''BB: What's next for Hilary McKay'''
HM: A three book series for Scholastic about a little girl called Lulu, a friend of Charlie's. ''Caddy's World'' (see above). And of course, to fill in the odd moments, the ''Lord of the Rings'' sequel...
* '''BB: Haha! Excellent. We can't wait to read all of those. Thanks a lot!'''
{{commentfeature}}
[[Category:Interviews|McKay, Hilary]] [[Category:Hilary McKay]]
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Hilary McKay
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|summary=Bookbag really enjoyed Hilary McKay's [[Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary McKay|Wishing For Tomorrow]] (the sequel to [[A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett]] and couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340956534</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0340956534</amazonus>
|date=26 October 2009
}}
{{adsense4}}
Bookbag really enjoyed Hilary McKay's [[Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary McKay|Wishing For Tomorrow]] (the sequel to [[A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett]] and couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
* '''Bookbag: When you close your eyes and imagine your readers, who do you see?'''
Hilary McKay: Oh, dear, I have never done that. But (anything to oblige) I tried it just now. And what did I see? Not readers anyway. A glimpse of landscape, a flicker of a character passing by, but no readers. A pity; they would have been an interesting sight.
In the further interests of research I asked a musician (not having a writer handy) what he saw when he closed his eyes and imagined his audience. ''I am loading up the dishwasher,'' he replied. ''Or is it a trick question?''
So he was no help.
* '''BB: What was the motivation for writing a sequel to ''A Little Princess''?'''
HM: I wrote ''Wishing For Tomorrow'' for several reasons. To answer the unanswered questions of what happened to the characters whose fates were left unresolved in ''A Little Princess''. As a break from those blessed [[Forever Rose (Casson Family) by Hilary McKay|Cassons]]. Most of all, for fun. I loved writing it - I loved the minute, detailed world of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary and the people who lived in it.
* '''BB: Were you nervous about the response from the public, given how much of a favourite the original is to so many people?'''
HM: Not nervous. That is too shivery a word. Slightly trepidatious (my spellcheck tells me that is not a word but I think it is too useful not to be). I did wonder. But then I thought, Oh well, they need not read it if they don't want to. And I need not take their opinions too much to heart. After all (let's keep this in perspective) it is only a rather short, rather frivolous little story. In the end.
* '''BB: If you had to write a sequel to another classic, which would it be and why?'''
HM: [[The Lord of the Rings]]. And I would write it in order to sell the film rights.
* '''BB: Do you miss the [[Forever Rose (Casson Family) by Hilary McKay|Casson family]] as much as we do?'''
HM: No, I do not miss them at all, and the reason I do not miss them is that I am at present engaged in writing a sixth book about that scatty crowd: ''Caddy's World''.
* '''BB: Is it hard for children's authors to get the same recognition as authors for adults?'''
HM: I suppose we do not get reviewed very much in comparison. But that is a great generalisation. [[:Category:J K Rowling|J K Rowling]] and [[:Category:Philip Pullman|Philip Pullman]] don't do so badly. Perhaps we get the recognition we deserve.
* '''BB: Which three books should every child read?'''
HM: That depends of course, entirely on the child. The closest I can come to a reply is three books that I am very glad that I read as a child. TH White's [[The Sword in the Stone by T H White|The Once and Future King]]. [[:Category:Eleanor Farjeon|Eleanor Farjeon's]] ''The Little Book Room''. [[:Category:Jane Gardam|Jane Gardam’s]] ''The Hollow Land'' (except for the last chapter).
* '''BB: What are you reading at the moment?'''
HM: At the moment I am reading: Graham Swift's ''Waterland'', Gilbert White's ''The Natural History of Selborne'', Jilly Cooper's ''The Common Years''.
* '''BB: Which book has most influenced you, and do you still have a copy?'''
HM: There is no book that I have read and loved that I do not own. So how lucky am I?!
* '''BB: What's next for Hilary McKay'''
HM: A three book series for Scholastic about a little girl called Lulu, a friend of Charlie's. ''Caddy's World'' (see above). And of course, to fill in the odd moments, the ''Lord of the Rings'' sequel...
* '''BB: Haha! Excellent. We can't wait to read all of those. Thanks a lot!'''
{{commentfeature}}
[[Category:Interviews|McKay, Hilary]] [[Category:Hilary McKay]]
