We chat with author Tessa Bickers about The Book Swap, which is a story of second chances and new beginnings, this is a love letter to books—and a love letter to life.
Hi, Tessa! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I absolutely can. I live in the UK in the beautiful city of Bristol and since moving here two years ago from London, I have become the local I never knew I wanted to be. I walk down the street waving through the window to the butcher, picking up fresh bread from the lady at the bakery who I’m still working on getting a smile from and grab a coffee from the local café so regularly that the barista is coming to my book launch! I’d fit right into an Emily Henry novel! I’ve written songs or books since as far back as I can remember. Words make sense to me and often it’s through writing lyrics or scenes that I get in touch with my own emotions and how I feel about things (apparently that’s being called repressed, but whatever works, right?!) I love to laugh, I’m fascinated by human behaviour and I’m a very proud Swiftie.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I don’t have an initial memory, but when I look back I’ve always loved it. I have a copy of a children’s book I wrote at aged 11 in my writing room. My mum’s an artist and I’d left blank pages for her to illustrate, which I’m still waiting on her to finish! My grandad was also an author and as a child I used to go and sit in his living room and he had a bookcase completely full of his own novels. He had such a passion for writing that even with his beloved (!) grandchild over to visit, he’d sit me in front of the TV and go to his typewriter and later his wordprocessor and start typing. One time I asked him what he was working on and he told me it was a new idea about a man who’s hiding a very dark secret. I asked him what the secret was and his eyes lit up with pure joy and he said ‘I don’t know, I haven’t written it yet.’ I always remember the expression on his face and how excited he was by his own idea and I decided making up stories looked pretty fun. That plus, obviously, obsessively reading Sweet Valley High growing up!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it because I loved it SO much.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Watermelon by Marian Keyes. I had no idea, until then, you were allowed to add humour to books about serious matters. Once I figured that out it was all I wanted to try and do.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason. It is a masterclass in writing.
Your debut novel, The Book Swap, is out September 3rd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Laugh, cry and feel things.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to go on a journey with Erin and James as they learn and grow through meeting each other. The Book Swap isn’t just a romance but about all the different ways we love, from family to friends to, most importantly, ourselves. Not only does it celebrate our love of people, but also how lucky we are to be able to love books and reading. To escape into different worlds whenever we want to. Honestly I thought I was writing a rom-com but it turned into something much deeper! That said, my favourite type of book is one that causes both laughter and tears, so if that happens for a reader of my novel then I’m happy.
Where did the inspiration for The Book Swap come from?
When my daughter was a toddler and I was living in Brixton, I would walk her to the playground every day and every day I would pass a Little Free Library in this dark and gloomy corner of our neighbourhood. I became quite obsessed with it and would stop at it every time I walked by. I started to get excited about visiting it on those walks and in the early months of motherhood when you can feel incredibly lonely, it became like a friend to me. I began imagining other reasons why someone might get excited to stop at that library and The Book Swap was formed.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I grew up with a brother and have always been fascinated by the dynamic of sisters (which is probably one of the many reasons I love Sorrow & Bliss so much!) I gained two step-sisters in my late teens and I noticed immediately how different the bond is. I always knew that Erin would have a sister in The Book Swap, but creating Georgia and exploring their relationship became such a joy for me. I love the brutal honesty they have with each other, which is only acceptable because of the depths of their love. Erin is a complex character and it’s only around Georgia that we really learn who she is. That we see her playful side and her insecurities. Georgia brings out something in her that no one else does and whenever I sat down to write a scene between the two of them I would get so excited, because I never knew what I was about to learn about Erin, but I knew it would help shape the rest of the book.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s been a journey I would re-live over and over. There was a lot of heartbreak and a lot of disappointment along the way, but amongst it all were the tiny moments where I just knew I had to keep going and I had to keep improving and working on my writing if it was what I really wanted to do. It’s cliché but I learned so much through each of those failures that I honestly don’t believe The Book Swap would exist without them.
What’s next for you?
I hope I get to write books for the rest of my life, but one step at a time! Right now I’m working on my second novel (watch this space!) while harassing my mum to appear in more of my Instagram posts because she always gets the most likes!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I was late to Emily Henry so I’m reading and loving everything she’s written. Aside from that, the books I’ve absolutely loved this year are: Green Dot, Greta & Valdin, Talking at Night, You are Here and Maame.
