We chat with author Heather Davey about The Ghosts of Merry Hall, which sees the ghost of a girl who performed in Victorian freak shows haunts this chilling gothic ghost story.
Hi, Heather! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a school librarian of eighteen years and currently a judge for the Carnegie Writing and Illustration Medals. Beyond all things bookish, I sing, run excessive distances and am a keen vegan cook! I was also on the BBC TV series of Uncanny, which was one of the more extraordinary things I’ve done to date.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t surrounded by words. I’m fortunate enough to have parents who love books and they read to me before I could even really understand language. I began to write my own stories at a very young age and haven’t really stopped. In the days before there were computers in most homes, I spent many hours in my bedroom writing my ‘novels’ on lined paper. My sister also wrote and we would frequently share our creations. This hasn’t stopped either. Although these days, we tend to email our novels to each other.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat by Ursula Moray Williams.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Glass Painter’s Daughter by Rachel Hore.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Dark Matter by Michelle Paver.
Your debut novel, The Ghosts of Merry Hall, is out September 16th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Spookiness. Isolation. History. Relationships. Snow.
What can readers expect?
The Ghosts of Merry Hall is a dark novel. I wanted readers to feel what it’s like to live in a potentially haunted environment and to experience some of the fear and sense of isolation that comes with that. I was also keen to explore the idea of unwritten and subjective history together with the importance of exposing and rewriting it, where possible. Relationships are also key – love, control and authenticity are just some of the aspects that are addressed.
Where did the inspiration for The Ghosts of Merry Hall come from?
In my local churchyard, there’s a large tombstone with a rather curious inscription: In Memory of Elizabeth Edwards, a Travelling Dwarf… who was unfortunately seduced and died in childbirth, aged nineteen, 1820. It’s such an unusual and tragic story, told in so few words, and the strange thing is that the history of the area tells us nothing more about it. It got me thinking, and soon, with a few tweaks to the circumstances, I had a whole storyline begging to be written. And so, I wrote it!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I have a particular fondness for Dolly Dove, one of the ghosts in the novel. She came to me fully formed and I found it easy to find her voice and tell her story. I enjoyed researching her world and watching what she’d do in it.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
A common problem for many of us – that of time! Work, family commitments and finding downtime all juggled for my attention, and sometimes it was hard to see a sensible way through. I absolutely love writing and can quite easily place all my attention in this place and completely forget about the rest of the world. But I’ve realised that it’s not a particularly healthy or practical approach. I’ve always been an early riser, so will quite often write before work when the house is dark and silent. It’s all about balance – I’m still learning but I know I write best if I have a fresh mind and a well-rounded lifestyle.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
This particular journey has had many twists and turns. After writing for years, I did an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Because I work with young people, I’d presumed that this should be my audience. However, after finishing the course, I realised that I actually wanted to write adult fiction. This was quite hard because I had put so much time, effort and emotional energy into my writing on the MA. Deep down though, I knew I had to take the leap and so enrolled on a Curtis Brown Creative course to help focus my attention as I took this new direction. Shortly after finishing, I found my agent and ended up being taken on by Titan Books. I’ve learned that listening to your inner voice is so important, but at the same time, nothing is ever wasted. I’ve grown as a writer and I think every single thing I’ve written has helped push me forwards.
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m working on my second novel, The Memory Tree, which comes out next September, also published by Titan. In addition I’m sketching out a third book but I’m still in the preliminary stages with that one!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
As a judge for the Carnegies, I have read a crazy amount of books this year and have enjoyed so many of them. The winner of this year’s writing award, Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald was a favourite and I’ve also enjoyed We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough, To the Women by Donna Ashworth and Barrowbeck by Andrew Michael Hurley. I’m now looking forward to getting my hands on The Last Witch by CJ Cooke, The Infirmary by Carly Reagon and Rainforest by Michelle Paver.
