Northern Highlight - Josette Reeves

 NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT

Josette Reeves

Why did you become a children’s writer?

I remember writing a lot when I was little but I never really thought of writing as a job that I, an “ordinary” person, might be able to do. And aside from the occasional terrible poem at university, I didn’t really write until I was in my thirties. I fell in love with children’s books again while picking out presents for my little nephew, and decided to give it a go.

 

Once I started I found it quite addictive. The thought that you might be creating something which children are going to read, hopefully over and over again, is incredibly humbling and motivating. My first picture book, ‘Got to Dance’, illustrated by Annabel Tempest, was published earlier this year by Storyhouse, a fabulous new indie publisher based in Bath. People are now sending me photos of their children reading our book, which feels bizarre and completely wonderful. Those pictures really motivate me to keep going in those (numerous) moments when self-doubt creeps in.

Illustrated by Annabel Tempest, published by Storyhouse Publishing

Tell us about where you live.

 

In Ormskirk, a little town in West Lancashire. Previously I lived in Liverpool for a few years, and before that I was at university at Lancaster. Originally I’m from Bolton, so I’ve never actually lived outside the north west. Perhaps I’ve had a very sheltered life… or maybe I’ve just chosen a super awesome region to live in!

 

Where do you write?

 

I have a little office at home which looks out onto the back garden. It’s lovely, though can get noisy as it’s quite a built-up area. I’d love to live in a little cottage in the country to be honest! Maybe in the middle of a forest with a little stream idling by… totally realistic dream, right?

 

But it’s not all bad. There’s a dog bed by the desk, so when my greyhound Peggy decides I am worthy of her presence, she can be found there snoozing away. I’m so lucky to have a garden full of wildlife too. When not gazing fondly at the dog I spend quite a lot of time gazing out the window at the birds darting around the feeders. Sometimes I have to give myself a mental shove to get on with it and do some work.

 

What for you is the ‘spirit of the North’?

Community, having each other’s backs and of course dollops of humour.

 

Has this spirit influenced your work?

Definitely. Having humour and heart in my stories is really important.

 

Who for you are the great northern children’s writers/illustrators?

I’ve loved reading the fabulous books of fellow North West SCBWIs, including Susan Brownrigg, Dom Conlon and Marie Basting, over the past year or so. I also love anything by Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Woodfine and Caryl Hart.

 

I’m completely in awe of illustrators, I really am. When I first told people I was going to have a picture book published, a few said, ‘Ooh, so are you going to do the pictures?’, which made me howl with laughter. My main characters would be mere stick animals if so. I swear Annabel Tempest, the illustrator of ‘Got to Dance’, is some sort of magical being. But there are so many fantastic northern illustrators and writer/illustrators, like Meg McLaren, Chris Jevons, Kate Pankhurst and Lucy Fleming, to mention just a few.

 

If you could be transported to anywhere in the North/Scotland right now, where would it be?

I have a slight obsession with North Wales so it would probably be there! Maybe in a forest with a little stream, actually… or maybe tramping around the Lancashire moors, with no one else in sight.

 

What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North?

I think there is a growing awareness that London needn’t be the absolute centre of the book world. It’s great to see several northern publishers flourishing, and of course groups like Children’s Books North. But I’d love to see more publishers and more events up here. And to actually have more books explicitly set in the region – and not just Manchester or Liverpool either!

 

What's your favourite children's book set in the North?

Goggle-Eyes by Anne Fine (set in Scotland) was one of my favourite books when I was younger. I’m also going to sneak in Jane Eyre, which I know isn’t exactly a children’s book but I first read it as a teenager and it instantly became my favourite book. It still is. I must have read it dozens of times, and I think a large part of its appeal lies in its setting. I grew up near the West Pennine Moors and have always found moors so bleakly beautiful and gloriously dramatic. The perfect place for a story.

You can follow Josette Reeves on Twitter and Instagram