Northern Highlight - Melissa Welliver

Northern Highlight 
Melissa Welliver

Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words?

I’m based in High Peak, in a small town called Whaley Bridge. In three words I’d say it was bucolic, friendly, and creative.

What is special to you about writing children's books, and what is your favourite thing about it?

I love writing for teens because YA is where my love of reading really took off, when I was the target age group myself. Plus teens are WAY smarter than us adults, so I enjoy the challenge! YA books have to be fast paced and get straight to the point to compete with all the other distractions teens have in day to day life, so you really have to up your game when writing for young people.

Tell us about the most recent book you've worked on.

I’ve just wrapped up a very early draft of a top secret project, that we are hoping to get contracted soon. For stuff I can talk about, I’m in full swing promoting my upcoming international print debut, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, which will be out on 13th April with Chicken House books. It’s an uplifting rom-com/post-apocalyptic sci-fi mashup about the last girl on earth falling in love with the last android on earth. There’s a road trip and a quest to save humanity, and I hope it’s got lots of fun there to balance out the bigger themes!

Chicken House, 2023

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

St Andrews. I’ve been going there almost every year since I was little because my Dad did his masters degree there and fell in love with the place so much, he moved there from his hometown of LA. I really love the bookish atmosphere, plus it has two great beaches for walking my dogs. The post-apocalyptic prepper in me also loves visiting the Secret Bunker, an ex-military bunker for the Scottish government in case the cold war turned hot. It’s now a museum and an absolutely fascinating place to go. Plus it’s licensed!

What literary events have you attended or been involved with recently in the North/Scotland?

I hosted an event at Waterstones Deansgate in January for the launch of two excellent Mancunian books, The Midnight Game by Cynthia Murphy and Game Over Girl by Naomi Gibson. They are close friends of mine so it was a really fun and honest chat, and the crown made it a great night. I’m also appearing in a panel myself back at Waterstones Deansgate on April 12th , alongside Laura Wood and Anika Hussain, where we will be discussing romance in YA. I’m really looking forward to it!

Name your favourite children’s book set in the North/Scotland.

Both of Danielle Jawando’s books, And The Stars were Burning Brightly and When Our Worlds Collided are set in and around Manchester, with specific references to the Arndale centre, Withington, all sorts of areas in central and south Manchester, which is an old stomping ground of mine. Not only are they set in a fantastic place, but the books themselves are hard hitting and tackle an incredible range of issues, and should be a must read on every school reading list for teens. Plus Danielle is lovely, too!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors living in the North and Scotland?

I’d say not to worry that you don’t live in London. The world was already shrinking and the internet has a lot to do with that, but especially in a post-covid world, you really can do anything from your doorstep. If you want to write that book, because you know you’re the only one that can do it justice, write it. The right agent and publisher will help to make it the best thing it can be, no matter where you live.

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

It would be good to see more publishers move up north, like we have seen in the last couple of years, but honestly as I say, proximity is no longer an issue. What is a larger battle is making sure there are more Northern, Scottish, and generally localised accents within books, to better reflect the world around us. Children are incredibly accepting and want to experience new things, so it isn’t as much of a barrier as some publishing professionals may have thought it was a few years ago. We’re moving in the right direction, but we’re not quite there yet.

Who are your favourite Northern/Scottish children’s writers?

I’ve already mentioned Danielle, Cynthia, and Naomi, who are all wonderful human being and

brilliant authors to boot. 

What’s next on your TBR pile by a Northern/Scottish creative?

I finally got my copy of the newly released Ghosts of Mars, an indie book recently published by Stuart White. Stuart founded Writementor, the online community dedicated to bringing children’s writers together and proving that writing doesn’t have to be lonely, and was born and raised in Glasgow. With a Type 1 Diabetic main character, Ghosts of Mars explores how life beyond Earth, and the fame and scrutiny that come with it, affects the young people involved, who didn't sign up for life on another planet. Ten percent of author profits go to Diabetes UK.

You can find Melissa Welliver on:

Twitter, Instagram: @melliver

TikTok: @MelissaWelliver