A conversation with sonya hartnett author of the Children of the King HC: 978-0-7636-6735-1 • E-book: 978-0-7636-7042-9 272 pages • Age 10 and up Q: You start with a scary opening scene. If I hadn’t been told that this was a “mild ghost story,” I might not have gotten past it. Some of your other writing can be very unsettling. What made you decide that this story would be more mild? A: Questionsofmildnessnevercameintoit.Anideacomestoyou,anditbringswithititsown spirit—someareeerie,somearequiet,someareloud,someareslinky,somearestrange.Iknew thiswouldbeastoryforchildrensetduringthewar.Theagegroupcreatescertainlimitsaround whatyoucanandcan’twrite.IneverthoughtofitasbeingaghoststoryasIwroteit,soIdidn’t spendanytimemakingtheboysscary.Iwantedthemtobeabletobemistakenforrealchildren bythereader,soIkeptalidontheirscariness.Theopeningsceneis,I’mtold,alittlescary.Ithink abookshouldstartwithabang,andsothesceneisakindofbang.IusedtoplayMurderinthe Darkasakid;itterrifiedme.Iplayitwithmydogsometimes;itstillterrifiesme. Q: What inspired you to write the story-within-the story, weaving the tale of a family evacuating from London to a country estate during World War II with the mystery of the missing princes, nephews of King Richard? How do those two elements, World War II and the mystery of the princes, resonate for you, if they do? A: I’vealwaysbeeninterestedinthestoryofRichardandtheprinces,andI’vealludedtoitafew timesinvariousnovels,butIalwayswantedtowritesomethingmoresubstantialaboutit—to reallylookinsidethecharacters’heads.I’vealsoalwaysfoundthewholeevacuationsagatobe fascinating—howbravethosechildrenmusthavebeen,howwretcheditmusthavebeenfor theparents,howfrightenedanduncertaineveryonemusthavefelt.Thosechildrenwerereally goingintotheunknown,withnoideaoftheirfate.IstartedthenovelknowingIwouldcombine Candlewick Press www.candlewick.com A conversation with sonya hartnett page 2 thetwostories—theprincesandtheevacuees—butIwasunsurehowwelltheywouldknit.In theend,theyworkedeasilytogether,Ithinkperhapsbecauseunderneathallthehistoryandthe dramayouhavechildrenwhoarehelplessandnotincontroloftheirdestiny.Achildisachild, regardlessoftheeratheyarelivingthrough.Irealizedthattheprincesandtheevacueeswould havemuchincommon,andsowouldtheirstories. Q: There are a lot of references to Cecily’s not being smart, but she is very astute at summing up people. Her comment about her mother — “She’s always nice, but always cross. She lets me do whatever I want, but everything I do annoys her”(page 67) — really seems to capture that parental conflict. As you created the character of Cecily, did you intentionally make her smart in this way? A: Cecilywasagreatcharactertowrite—sheprovedtohavemoresparkthanIexpectedherto.I hadthoughtIwouldlikeMaybest,butCecilyeasilybecamemyfavoritecharacter.Ididn’tmean tomakeheraccidentallyastute—shemadeherselfthatway.Somecharacterswritethemselves, andshecertainlydidthat.Sometimesshesurprisedanddelightedmewiththestrengthofherlife. Shecarriedthebookforme,andI’mgratefultoherfordoingso.Itcausesmesomepainwhen peoplesay—andtheysayitoften—thattheydon’tlikeher.Itisimportanttorememberthatshe hasagoodheart. Q: Heron Hall is so beautifully and vividly described that you feel as if you could walk through the doors and know just where to find things. Was there a particular place you drew on to create this home, or was it all created in your mind? A: IbasedHeronHalllooselyonahouseinKentcalledRoadHillHouse—itwasthesceneof afamousmurderin1860,andthehouseismuch-documented—aswellasonByron’shouse, Newstead,throughwhichIwasoncegivenaprivatetour.Alotofit,however,existsonlyin mymindandhasnorealshapeorlayoutbutismorejustacollectionofimagesthatIalteredas required.Youcan’tgettoospecific,Ifind,witharchitectureandlandscape,becauseyounever knowwhenyou’regoingtoneed,say,atree,wheretherewasnotreebefore.Itendtousesmall detailstodefineaspaceorplace—aflockofsheep,apurplyweed,aspaciousfireplace,acandle drippingwaxonamahoganysidetable—andleavetheassemblingofthewholetothereader’s imagination. Q: Peregrine warns his audience that his story “is not a pleasant one” and that “the world was very different then — yet also, underneath, much the same” (pages 98–99). Did you set out to express this message, that war remains the same over time, or did it grow from a desire to write a historical ghost story? A: Ithinkthethemedevelopeditselftoagreatdegree—Irememberworrying,whenIstartedthe book,abouthowIwasgoingtodrawthetwotimeframestogether,butinfacttheymeshed insistently,andIguessthatwasbecausetheybothrevolvedaroundtheideasofpowerandthe Candlewick Press www.candlewick.com A conversation with sonya hartnett page 3 wastagethatiswar.It’snotjustwarthatremainsthesameovertime:itistheworld,oratleastthe peopleinit.Humanshavealwaysbeendrivenbygreed,selfishness,jealousy,allthenastykindsof things.Theyaretheunderlyingcausesofwar,andalwayswillbe.OftenIwassurprisedandreally pleasedbyhowthetwotimeframesknitted.Itwasasifthefivehundredyearsseparatingthem werejustablink—thatalltheprotagonistsandtheirexcusesforbesiegingeachotherwerealmost interchangeable. Q: This is one of your three books about war, the other two being The Silver Donkey and The Midnight Zoo. Do you see them working together to convey a common message? A: I’mnotagreatfanoftryingtoinstillany“message”inmywork—Idon’tsubscribetothatidea ofauthor-as-wise-one.Ifmybookssayanything,Ihopetheysaythatweshouldloveandrespect animalsandthenaturalworld.Isupposethethreenovelstogethersuggestthatwaraffectsthe innocentinagrindinglybrutal,unforgivableway,butnooneneededmetotellthemthat,didthey? Q: Do you think that Peregrine felt something of the same way for his nephew Jeremy as King Richard felt for his? A: IthinkPeregrineadmiresandlikesJeremy,andseeshimselfinhim,andhasgreathopesfor Jeremy’sfuture.Idon’tthinkRichardfeltthiswaytowardhisnephews.Infact,Iwouldn’tbe surprisedifRichardfeltsomewhatindifferenttothem.Hedoesn’tseemtohaveknownthemwell, anditwasatimewhenyoucouldhardlyaffordtogettooattachedtoanyone.Therewasalotof unexpecteddeathgoingaround. Q: What did you think when King Richard’s bones were discovered beneath the parking lot? It generated a lot of attention about a man immortalized by Shakespeare as evil, but it also brought out his protectors who pointed out (as you do in your book) the many good things he did for his people. A: Ihaveabitofahardtimebelievingthebonesarehis,buteveryonesaystheyare,soIguessthey’re right.I’mconfusedaboutthehunchbackquestion:it’slongbeenacceptedthatShakespeare madeupthephysicaldeformity,andcertainlynoneofRichard’scontemporariesmentionany physicaldeformity—andyetthebonesaresaidtoshowacurvatureofthespine,andsuddenly Richardissupposedtohavehadaproblemafterall,thusmakingthebonesdefinitelyhis.It doesn’tquitemakesensetome.Bonesaside,IthinkRichardhasbeenprettyunlucky:hewasa productofhisratherfiercetime,andnoworsethananyoneelse—inmanyways,hewasalot better.Dispatchingtheprinceswasnevergoingtolookgoodonhisrésumé,though.Ifhehad beenlivinginaslightlydifferenttime,hemighthavegotawaywithit,buthewaslivingon thecuspofhistoricalchange,anditwasachangethatwentagainsthim.Ithinkthathewas, ironically,quiteamoralman,buthewasalsoa(rightly)frightenedandcorneredman,andhis circumstancesdrovehimtodesperateandimmoralacts.AndIthinkheregrettedthis,butcould seenoalternative. Candlewick Press www.candlewick.com A conversation with sonya hartnett page 4 Sonya Hartnett istheinternationallyacclaimedauthorofseveralnovels andtherecipientofnumerousawards,includingtheAstridLindgren MemorialAwardandaGuardianChildren’sFictionPrize.Shelivesnear Melbourne,Australia. Photo by RedFiveStudio by Photo More titles by sonya hartnett The Silver Donkey Sadie and Ratz HC: 978-0-7636-7211-9 • PB: 978-0-7636-7314-7 HC: 978-0-7636-5315-6 • PB: 978-0-7636-6461-9 E-book: 978-0-7636-5990-5 ★Delicatelytoldanddeeplyresonant.... A U.S. Board on Books for Young People Outstanding Thistenderfableofpeacewilllinger International Book withbothyoungerandolderreaders.” — Publishers Weekly (starredreview) A National Council of Teachers of English Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts The Midnight Zoo ★“Hartnettadeptlyconveysthepainandlonelinessof HC: 978-0-7636-5339-2 • E-book: 978-0-7636-5632-4 anoldersiblingfacingamonumentalmomentofchange Children’s Book Council of Australia andcaptureswhatgrowingupreallymeanstoachild. Book of the Year Winner Thisjoyfulchoiceforreadingaloudservesasadiscussion Short-listed for the Carnegie Medal starteroncoping,acceptance,andmaturity,andasan instructionmanualonpersonalnarratives.Thereare “Anevocativestoryaboutunusualwar myriadwaystoappreciatethispitch-perfectstory.” victimswhoseenduringbeliefingoodnessbringstrue — School Library Journal (starredreview) freedom.”—Kirkus Reviews Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf “Ariveting,edgyread,leavingoneexaminingthewhole HC: 978-0-7636-2644-0 • PB: 978-0-7636-3416-2 notionofcivilizationversuswildness.” — The Horn Book An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Butterfly HC: 978-0-7636-4760-5 • PB: 978-0-7636-6334-6 E-book: 978-0-7636-5193-0 Surrender ★“Thedeliberatepacing,insightintoteen angst,andmasterfulwordchoicemake PB: 978-0-7636-3423-0 • E-book: 978-0-7636-6005-5 thisacaptivatingreadtosavor.”— School A Michael L. Printz Honor Book Library Journal (starredreview) An American Library Association Best Book ★“TheportraitofPlumisexquisitelywritten;thethird- For Young Adults personpointofviewissteepedinemotionalclairvoyance andexpressedinpoignantlyage-appropriatephraseology.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starredreview) What the Birds See PB: 978-0-7636-3680-7 The Ghost’s Child HC: 978-0-7636-3964-8 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Winner Candlewick Press www.candlewick.com.