Award-winning poet and novelist Adele Geras is one of the most versatile and prolific writers currently living in the United Kingdom. Over the past 30 years she has written more than 90 books for children, nine novels for young adults, and three novels for adults. Her novel Troy was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children’s Book Award in 2000 and was highly commended for the Library Association Carnegie Medal in 2001. The novel was also a Boston Globe Honor Book.
Geras has published one poetry collection, Voices from the Dolls’ House (Rockingham Press) and has won several awards for her poetry. Facing the Light, her first adult novel, was published by Orion in March 2003 and sold rights in 22 countries. Her second adult novel, Hester’s Story, came out in 2005 and her third, Made in Heaven, in 2006.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I came to writing by accident. I went in for a story competition in 1973 and enjoyed writing my piece so much that I decided to try and write some more… [The piece] was a ghost story called “Rose” and it went on to be included in a collection of short stories called Apricots at Midnight, still available from Barn Owl books.
Who would you say influenced you the most?
Probably my wonderful English teachers at school and my dad, who always read to me and directed me to many wonderful books. Miss Godfray used to cut out my extra and redundant adjectives. I was addicted to adjectives and purple prose as a child. They all combined great intelligence and critical acumen with the best sort of encouragement.
What are your main concerns as a writer?
Only one concern: to give pleasure to readers and enjoy myself while I’m doing it.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
I suppose so… for example, I’m an only child and so I love writing (and reading!) about big families. Little Women was my favorite book as a child.
Which other books did you read as a child? Do you still enjoy them as much now?
All books about the theater that I could get my hands on: Noel Streatfield’s Ballet Shoes, and Pamela Brown’s books. Also the whole of Enid Blyton and things like Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books. Also by Andrew Lang, a book called Tales of Troy which I still have and which I knew by heart… it’s all about the Trojan war etc.
What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?
There’s only one challenge: to write the best book you can and then try not to fret too much about what happens to it when it goes out into the world.
How do you deal with these?
I try to think of Chekhov’s motto: 'Write without hope and without despair.' That’s it… I try and write each day when I’m in the middle of a book.
What are your latest books about?
My latest adult book, Made in Heaven is about a big wedding and my latest teenage book Ithaka is about Penelope waiting for Odysseus to come home from the Trojan war.
Article comments
1 - L. Diane Wolfe
Adele's trick of starting every day by correcting the previous day's work is great advice! If inspiration isn't hitting at the time, editing previous work gets it going. And there is always editing to do! I have three stages I work in - handwriting the initial story, putting it into the computer, and editing a printed hard copy - so I have options for getting my creative juices going in the morning!