INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR, CAROL LOVEKIN
 |
| © Janey Stevens |
Today, I’m thrilled to be
chatting to author, Carol Lovekin. Carol’s début novel, ‘Ghostbird’, was published by Honno last Thursday, the 17th
March, and I’m honoured to be part of her blog tour.
Carol, welcome. Please introduce yourself and tell us
a little about your writing.
Hello, Jan. Thank you for inviting me onto your
blog. It’s a pleasure to be here. I write contemporary fiction with an edge of
magic. My stories are informed by the legends and the landscape of my home in
West Wales. When I’m not writing, I’m a keen part-time swimmer and a committed flâneuse.
Can you tell us what inspired you to write ‘Ghostbird’?
The seeds of the story were sown years ago when I
moved to Wales and read The Mabinogion. In
particular, the strand dealing with
the myth of Blodeuwedd, a woman conjured from flowers by powerful men for their
political ends and ultimately cast aside and cursed. I was intrigued by the
idea that to be turned into an owl was a curse, because to be a bird suggested
freedom. I re-imagined the myth from Blodeuwedd’s point of view and it was only
years later that she re-emerged and I decided I wanted to write a book with her
reclaimed story at its heart. Cadi, the main protagonist, came as something of
a surprise. To this day I’m still unsure why I chose a teenager. Maybe she
chose me? Either way, one morning I woke up knowing who Cadi was: her name and
her story and how it linked to Blodeuwedd’s.
Perhaps, you'd like to tell us how you got the book published.
The long, hard way - like most writers! I always wanted it to go to Honno, partly because of its reputation as an independent press publishing writing exclusively by women and because it always felt like the right fit for the story. Three and a half years ago I submitted the first fifty pages of Ghostbird' in one of Honno's 'Meet the Editor' events and was fortunate enough to be read by Janet Thomas. She asked to see the rest of the manuscript and we began a process which unfolded over the next few years. It was never a given that Honno would take it - I understood this from the start. Janet liked the story enough to continue mentoring me and because there was no expectation on either side, I did submit elsewhere - to agents and publishers who either rejected me outright or teased me with the proverbial, 'we love the way you write but...'
Meanwhile, Janet eventually felt the manuscript was ready to submit to Honno. A nail-biting time followed and I was seriously considering giving up and self-publishing when I got the offer. The rest as they say...
I have to tell you straightaway that I loved Ghostbird and couldn’t put it down.
And I have to tell you, I am charmed by your
response! For someone who says she rarely reviews because she finds them hard to do, Jan, you have done me proud!
I was struck by the beautiful figurative language you
used. I have to know, do you write poetry, too?
I like this question. I think the majority of prose
writers are frustrated poets. So the answer is yes – I have a back-catalogue of
quite dreadful poetry to my name! I’ve always read poetry – from Yeats and his Cloths of Heaven to Adrienne Rich and
her glorious feminist poetry by way of Emily Dickinson, Dylan Thomas and Sylvia
Plath. I love poetic, imaginative language, which is why I was drawn, in my
early twenties, to Virginia Woolf and later to the American contemporary
novelist, Alice Hoffman. Some might call that the sublime to the ridiculous,
but for me, emblematic language attaches itself to your psyche and you never
know where it’s going to come from or what form it will take. It can be complex
or simple – what matters is that it has something to say that makes you hold
your breath for a moment longer than you might otherwise do.
Your characters are very credible and you explore a
whole range of human emotions through them. Can you say which came first, the
characters or the story you wanted to tell?
Thank you. The story – definitely, then Cadi, fully
formed and ready to lead me wherever we were meant to go. Once I had Cadi, her
family followed. I struggled with Violet - Cadi’s mother - finding her
unremittingly miserable, until I realised that was precisely why I had to learn
to love her. Some of the characters - Pomona for instance – introduced
themselves and one, I’m afraid, got unceremoniously ditched!
Are any of the characters based on people you know?
Writing a credible teenage character at my age was
a challenge. I had to get inside her head and I did refer to two young women in
particular to whom I am very close. I’m indebted to them for not minding that I
‘watched’ them - albeit mostly from afar - seeking out their idiosyncrasies and
asking myself how they might respond to the different challenges Cadi has to
deal with. None of my adult characters are based on anyone I know, although
there is a line, spoken by one of them that a good friend will instantly
recognise as shamelessly plagiarised
from her! And another friend has a penchant for bare feet… I stole that too.
You evoke the smell of meadowsweet very effectively throughout the book and plants and
nature play a prominent role in the story, Carol. Are you a gardener? If so,
which plants have a special meaning for you?
Meadowsweet is, of course, one of the nine flowers
the mythical Blodeuwedd is created from. In the past, yes, I have created
several gardens. I have a particular fondness for ‘old’ flowers – the ones we
associate with cottage gardens; the kind that might grow in a witch woman’s
garden. Herbs too and medicinal plants generally. (I now live in a flat with no
garden and tell myself I don’t miss all that weeding!)
As well as nature, you’ve drawn on witchcraft and the
tales of the Mabinogion to help you
tell your story. How much research did you have to do?
Not as much as you might imagine. By the time I
began writing the book I was very familiar with Blodeuwedd’s story and had my
own re-imagined version down too. The witchy stuff has been a part of my life
for more years than I care to recall; that was the easy bit! It was definitely
finding Cadi’s voice that exercised me more than any other aspect of the story.
Before I’d even read a word of your novel, I knew it
would be a book for me because of the wonderful cover design. Can you tell us
about that and the title ‘Ghostbird’?
The cover is the icing on the cake. The original
was black and white. It’s down to the designer and Caroline Oakley (Honno’s
Publisher/Editor) that it was transformed to such exquisite effect.
The book wasn't always called 'Ghostbird'. The original title included the name of the ghost. It's old-fashioned and although it suits the character perfectly, it could, as the eagle-eyed Janet pointed out, evoke a sense of a straightforward Victorian ghost story rather than the more quirky offering that it is. I recalled that the old name for a barn owl is 'ghostbird'. In fact, it's the name in several cultures. I have a map in my home illustrated with images from The Mabinogion and Blodeuwedd is clearly depicted as a barn owl. The alternative title has proved a winner and once again, I have Janet's expertise and foresight to be grateful for.
On a more general note, do you have a particular
writing routine?
Unlike an owl, I’m a lark and often write first
thing, in bed, accompanied by tea and the cat. Once I’m up, I like to be in my
study by ten o’clock and aim for a minimum of four hours on as many days as I
can wrangle. I don’t beat myself up though – if I can write five days a week,
I’m happy.
What is the biggest compliment a reader could pay you
after reading ‘Ghostbird’?
This is an unexpected and astute question. Thank
you for asking it. I am touched beyond measure by each and every kind word I’ve
been gifted but I guess it would have to be that they admire the quality of my
writing. That’s what every writer wants to hear. We all seek validation and I
am no exception; which is why securing a book deal with an influential press
means such a lot to me.
What are you currently working on?
Another ghost story. It’s darker and a bit more
complex but still rooted in Wales, in magic and mystery. This time has two young main protagonists: sisters. I
can’t seem to get away from them.
You must have been very excited about securing the
deal for ‘Ghostbird’. How did you celebrate?
After I picked myself up off the floor and stopped
squealing down the telephone into my best friend’s ear, you mean? The following
day, I had lunch with Janet, to celebrate getting a book deal instead of having
the proposed chat about self-publishing! And I realised: I was ‘having lunch
with my editor’ like a proper author!
The launch at Waterstones in Aberystwyth in a few days' time, will involve cake.
Thank you so much for taking time out of such
a busy week to chat to me, Carol. I wish you good luck with your wonderful book.
It’s been a genuine pleasure, Jan. Thank you for
having me and for asking such well-thought out, considered questions.
**A big thank you to Honno Press for sending me a copy of 'Ghostbird'.**
MY THOUGHTS AFTER READING ‘GHOSTBIRD’
This
is a magical tale that kept me spellbound until the end. I was able to marvel
at the figurative language and poetic nature of the prose without it detracting
from the pace of the story. The characters are very well drawn, displaying deep
emotions, and I was particularly fond of Cadi. Secrets unravelled and the
reader journeyed with all the characters to a satisfying conclusion. I loved
the interaction between Cadi and the ghost. ‘Ghostbird’
is a book I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading more novels
written by Carol.
'Charming, quirky, magical' Joanne Harris
'Lovekin's prose is full of beautifully strange poetry' Rebecca Mascull
'Drawing on nature, witchcraft, age-old fairytales and secrets....a powerful, spellbinding tale' Judith Kinghorn
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed hearing about Carol and her debut novel. I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks! :-)
** If you leave a comment on my blog by midnight on Saturday 26th March, you will have the chance to win your own copy of 'Ghostbird' as your name will be entered into a draw.**
If you wish to read other interviews and reviews about 'Ghostbird' on the blog tour, here are the dates:
A big thank you to those of you who commented on the interview with Carol Lovekin about the publication of her new book, 'Ghostbird', last week. Carol has had a busy week appearing on various blogs and she enjoyed a very successful launch of the book at Waterstones in Aberystwyth on Thursday.
