Nobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It’s a rule. But what would happen if they did? From the New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, a heartwarming novel about unexpected friendships and the joy of connecting.
We chat with author Clare Pooley about her new release Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
What inspired you to write Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting?
I spent many years commuting to work, by bus, rail, and London Underground. I’d often see the same people on my journey. I never spoke to them, obviously, but I’d give them little nicknames, and imagine what their lives were like away from our daily commute.
I never expected to miss those smelly, crowded journeys, but during the pandemic, I looked back on them with a sense of nostalgia, and I found myself wondering what magic might have happened if I’d ever had the nerve to chat to strangers on the train…
Did you find the writing process different from your first novel, The Authenticity Project?
Yes! Writing a second novel is, like the tricky second album, notoriously hard! I wrote The Authenticity Project primarily for myself, assuming that no one would want to publish it, but I found myself writing the second novel for other people – my publishers and my readers. I actually threw that novel away after a year of hard graft, and started again, writing this story – the one I really wanted to tell.
Throughout lockdown, many people have transitioned to WFH and said goodbye to their workday commutes. Are you ever nostalgic for that part of your day?
Yes, I am! I miss crowds of people, and I now realize how much of my energy and creativity comes from random everyday encounters and conversations. During the pandemic, I felt so physically and intellectually sluggish, and now, seeing the city come back to life, I’m feeling re-energized.
In keeping with traveling, everyone ends the book in a different place than they started– emotionally as well as physically. How did you approach each character’s journey?
The truth is, I wasn’t entirely sure when I started writing this story where each of the characters would end up! I gave each of them an issue to deal with then, as I started to get to know them better, I began to see how they might deal with that issue, and how it might be impacted by their interactions with their fellow commuters.
Iona Iverson is an iconic character, a woman who thinks she’s a “Past-It Girl” but ends up having a triumphant second act in your novel. What inspired Iona and all of her many wonderful quirks?
Emmie quotes a line from a poem: When I am old, I shall wear purple.
I have always wanted to be that type of older woman. An individual and an eccentric. So Iona is, in many ways, the woman I aspire to be. But she’s also inspired by her namesakes.
For many years, I had a wonderful friend called Iver. He was a farmer and a builder – strong, creative, and immensely kind. He loved people, threw the most extraordinary parties, and dressed in fabulous brightly colored velvet jackets. About four years ago he went to Tanzania with a charity, to help local people build affordable, practical housing. While he was there, he died of a massive heart attack.
Iver’s daughter, Iona, is my Goddaughter, and Iona Iverson was named after her and her father, who both inspired her character.
When the characters start to see beyond their first impressions of each other, they discover struggles, secrets, and even unexpected gifts. What surprises new friends when they get to know you?
What a wonderful question! I come across as extremely confident, I think, but I actually suffer from terrible imposter syndrome. I always assume that any success is just good luck and that sooner or later I’m going to be ‘found out.’
I just hope it’s not yet….
The new friends also discover unique ways to help each other through transitions and tough times. How do their abilities start to work together?
Generally, our closest friends tend to be around the same age as us and share similar views and life experiences, which means that the help and advice they give you in tough times is probably advice you’d give yourself. I’m fascinated by friendships that transcend age, background, and experience because I feel that they can add a whole new dimension to that relationship. That’s what I tried to demonstrate with this story.
One of the commuters that Iona becomes close to throughout the novel calls her “Magic Handbag Lady” because of the seeming unending provisions Iona carries with her each day on the train. What’s one item you never leave home without for your commute?
A notebook! I find that journeys are, along with 3 am, the time when inspiration is most likely to strike. I’ll suddenly see the answer to a plot-hole, discover a new character quirk or an entire story idea. Then I’ll grab my notebook and scribble these thoughts down. Often, I’ll revisit these scribbles and they’ll seem crazy but, just once in a while, they are little nuggets of magic.
