Last Friday, January 31st, award winning author Alex Wheatle visited EPHS to perform and inspire our Year 8 and 9 students. At the end of the day Alex very kindly agreed to be interviewed by our wonderful Year 9 Library helpers, Alex, Luc, Shenai and Yash.
Alex gave some brilliant, insightful and inspiring answers, the gist of which are given below. In addition, he recommended The Writers Yearbook, as a useful resource for any aspiring writers.
As in his talk, one of Alex's key messages to the students was to ‘find your talent’, whatever your background and beginnings. He also expressed a desire for readers to take a sense of empathy and understanding of the people behind the headlines from his books, which draw largely upon his own life experiences. When asked about receiving his MBE, Alex talked about his deliberations over accepting, as other authors have declined, but he explained that he was proud of his achievements and how far he has come and was pleased to be recognised for his contribution to literature.
What do you want your readers to gain whilst reading your books?
Empathy, an understanding of young people’s lives and the context of life behind the headlines and closed doors.
Are there any of your books which you are prouder of?
All of them, they’re like my babies.
What did it feel like to receive the MBE?
I was shocked, amazed, it felt so unreal and I was unsure about accepting it. For a long time, I debated about accepting my MBE but I was proud of my achievements and please to be recognised for my contribution.
Were there any books which you did not release for any reason?
I had started a few books, that are now in my cupboard, forgotten about, because they weren’t really going anywhere so I stopped writing them. And its fine, because it happens to the best of us. It's okay to create and not always like what you produce.
What did it feel like to publish your first book? Did you think that you were going to write so many good books?
It felt fantastic, I never expected it. It just goes to show, anybody with belief and who is dedicated to their craft can do anything.
Is it hard to write a book?
Yes, it’s very hard. The draft in my opinion is the easiest part, but then when you’re revising it and going over it, it gets harder.
What advice would you give to future authors?
It’s important to be disciplined. Use as much time as you want. Whether that’s half an hour a week or ten minutes. Just make sure you protect that time.
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