by Rhiannon Lassiter
If you haven't heard the name Frances Hardinge yet, watch out! Shortly after having her first novel accepted, my friend and writing buddy was signed up to a massive six-figure contract to write three more books for Macmillan. While Frances herself was travelling the world, a trip planned before she had any inkling of what the future would hold, the news was reported in the Bookseller and the broadsheets. Now she's back in this country and I've persuaded her to talk to Armadillo's readers about where she's been and where she's going.
You were travelling the world when you were offered the three book contract. What was that like? Have you come back to earth yet?
No, is the short answer. For the simple reason that earth wasn't there any more when I got back. I'd reached about half way round the world when, as far as I can gather, England was removed and replaced with a surreal alternative where people wanted to sign me up for contracts. The first hint I received of the likely size of the new contract was in an email that I received on April Fool's Day. I still harbour a lurking suspicion that this will turn out to be an elaborate and cruel practical joke.
I know you're a very private person. But can you tell us anything about yourself? When did you start writing, for example?
To be honest I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing. Recently I discovered a tiny short story that must have been written when I was about five. To my surprise it involved conspiracy, an attempted poisoning and the death of one of the main characters.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes. Although I must admit I also always wanted to be an artist and, if possible, a professional spy. I suppose my work as a graphic designer counts for a certain extent towards the artist ambition. As regards being a spy I can't possibly comment.
Will writing be your main job from now on?
That is my plan. Although I'm already learning that it is far easier to write when one is supposed to be doing something else. I may even consider getting a small part time job so that I can pretend that's what I'm really meant to be doing.
What sort of writing did you do before Fly By Night?
Mostly short stories aimed at an adult market. Some of these were mainstream but a lot were slipstream, magical realism or out and out fantasy. There were also a couple of early and abortive attempts at novels, which will be left to the oblivion they so richly deserve.
How many short stories have you written? Are any of them published?
I guess about seventy, of which about six have been published in magazines in the UK, US and Canada. I also won a couple of short story competitions, the Sutton Writers Circle National Short Story Competition and Scribble Short Story Competition.
I already know part of the answer to the next question, but can you tell our readership what made you decide to move from short stories to writing your first novel, Fly By Night?
You did! Yoooooou!
For the sake of the readershipÄ Rhiannon and myself had both been contributing to the same online narrative project and Rhiannon suggested that we collaborate on a novel for children. We started meeting up every Wednesday to brainstorm but although we both generated large numbers of ideas they didn't seem to gel with one another. Instead we decided each to begin our own novel project and continue our meetings to compare notes and provide feedback.
Rhiannon persuaded me to attempt a children's novel. And when five chapters had been written, through a mixture of cunning and persistence she convinced me to let her kidnap my embryonic manuscript and show it to her then editor, Rebecca McNally of Pan Macmillan. To my astonishment, a short while later I had a contract.
Fly By Night is marketed as a young adult title but the heroine is quite young (twelve years old) and the book has some adult themes. Where do you think your audience will come from, can it be read by all ages and will it appeal to adults?
I would expect most of my readers to be 12+, at least this is the age I had in mind while I was writing it. However, I have a lot of faith in children's ability to take on board adult themes, complex ideas and unfamiliar language. I would certainly hope that it would appeal to adults as well and I believe that Macmillan are looking to the crossover market.
The plot of Fly By Night involves murder, arson, blackmail and all manner of perfidy. However, there's almost no romance and no sexual themes. Was that a deliberate decision?
One of the factors that made me treat this a little delicately is that eighteenth century attitudes towards sexuality and in particular the age of sexual maturity were rather different from ours. It also didn't seem integral to the story.
Will there be a sequel?
Probably. But not immediately.
You mentioned the eighteenth century parallels of the book. What sort of research did you do and how does the world of Fly By Night relate to our own history? Do you consider it to be alternative historical, alternative world fiction or somewhere between the two?
The best description is probably whimsical historical. I'm full of admiration for those who write books in meticulously researched historical environments. During my period of research I must confess that I had a lovely time foraging through historical accounts for the fun, quirky and interesting bits then playing with them to my heart's delight to fit them into my world. In my disclaimer at the back of the book I do state that this is not a historical novel, this is first and foremost a yarn.
Fly By Night is being very positively reviewed (see John McLay's review of Fly By Night in this Armadillo). Are you reading the reviews?
Yes, I must admit I am. In fact I have developed all sorts of shameful habits such as Google searching my own name, and the Fly By Night page on Amazon.co.uk is now bookmarked so that I can check my sales ranking.
You must be very pleased.
Yes, pleased and terrified.
The Harry Potter novels and A Series of Unfortunate events have been made into films. Are there any plans to make a film of Fly By Night?
If so no one's told me.
How would you feel about a film?
I wouldn't envy anyone who had to build the floating coffeehouses. And I'd like to have some say in the casting of Saracen [The goose ® Ed.].
You're currently under contract to write three books for Macmillan. Can you tell us more about them?
I'm currently working on a stand alone novel very different from Fly By Night concerning the nature of wishes. I have ideas for another five novels at least once of which will probably be a sequel to Fly By Night.
Are these likely to be whimsical historical or fantasy as well?
I'm considering a couple that will be set in alternative worlds but these would probably be considered fantasy rather than whimsical historical. Unlike the world of the Realm there would be some elements of the supernatural.
Travelling the world must have been a fantastic experience. How has it inspired you? Has it helped with your writing?
It's certainly filled my head with lots of ideas and experiences that I still need to process. I've returned with an enthusiasm for volcanoes: the bizarre landscape they generate and the legends they inspire. Learning to scuba dive allowed me to witness an utterly new landscape with its own hills, forests, crevasses and wildlife. There's nothing quite like seeing one's torch beam reflecting green in the eyes of a shark.
Eeek! You seem to be all in one piece thoughÄ
Yes, fortunately the shark showed not the slightest interest in me. We did have a little trouble with a two and half foot Triggerfish off the coast of Thailand. Although our group were doing our best to move out of its territory, the visibility was so poor that we could barely see our flippers, and we weren't quite sure where it was unless it was actively attacking us. I came away with a coin-sized hole bitten out of my flipper.
You said you've written adult short stories. Do you have any plans to write an adult novel?
No immediate plans. As a matter of fact my current project had its root in an adult short story I wrote a very long time ago. I don't actually make a hard and fast distinction between adult and children's literature and certainly I think a lot of stories and themes can be translated between the two.
I always like asking writers who their influences are and what they read themselves for pleasure. What are your favourites?
Difficult. Certainly when I was a child I very much enjoyed Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, Leon Garfield, Conan Doyle, T. H. White, Robert Louis Stevenson and Lewis Carroll. Treasure Island certainly made a considerable impression on me, not least because it was so psychological.
A little later I became very taken with Dickens and then discovered his friend Wilkie Collins, who I still find immensely entertaining and I think is rather under-rated. I've also always had a guilty addiction to detective stories and retain an affection for Raymond Chandler.
I notice that list doesn't include much modern fantasy, although Cooper, Garner and T. H. White certainly count as magical. Have you read any Pullman, Rowling or Diana Wynne Jones? What do you think of the current prominence of the children's fantasy market?
Yes, I've read them and very much enjoyed them. You're asking a fledgling to comment on three full-grown eagles!
I'm delighted by the development of a healthy crossover market for the most obvious and selfish of reasons.
You said you had ambitions to become an artist. Would illustrating your own books be something you'd be interested in?
That is something I've considered and at one point many years ago I toyed with the idea of creating a graphic novel. At the moment it seems unlikely that I will find myself illustrating any of my current projects since most of them will be aimed at an audience too old for picture books.
Among our group of friends you're well know for your horror of being photographed. How are you coping with all this media attention? Has your soul been sucked out yet?
I'm gradually becoming inured to people wanting to wave cameras at me although I do always patiently explain to them that I'm about as photogenic as a mousetrap. Fortunately in recent times people have been suggesting that they might want photos where my hat is pulled down rakishly so as to cover most of my face. Since my hat is my best feature I'm entirely happy with this.
Oh yes, the hat. Do you think there should be a public service announcement about the hat, just in case anyone is unwise enough to consider removing it?
Everyone should have something so sacred they'll defend it to the death. In my case it's less than a foot wide and made of black felt.
Photographs taken, cat and shed provided by Rhiannon Lassiter.
Visit Frances Hardinge's official website at www.franceshardinge.com.