Featured Interview With Judy Darley
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town north of Bristol, in southwest England. I’ve lived in quite a few place, including the west coast of America, but returned to Bristol a few years ago. It’s a great, vibrant city to live in – very laid-back, creative and full of interesting people.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I loved books from an early age, and made up stories to accompany pictures long before i could read the words. I remember being given a notebook one Christmas when I was seven or so, and filling the pages with terrible plagiarised fairytales with occasional original twists.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I adore short story and literary fiction. Recent joys have been Kate Atkinson’s ingenious Life After Life and Katherine Mansfield’s Bliss. I also love poetry – Alice Oswald and Claire Trévien are particular favourites. The first childhood book I recall losing myself in was A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley. I grew up in a house that reminded me of the one in the novel, and could imagine meeting ghosts on the stairs and slipping in and out of time as the protagonist, Penelope, did.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My short story collection, Remember Me To The Bees, contains twenty of my short stories, and reveals, I think, my fascinations with fractured families and minds – which I didn’t realise myself until I strung them all together. Children overhear and misunderstand things, adults face fears, take risks, lose things (including people). A bee or something bee-related appears in each story – one reviewer mentioned enjoying ‘the game of spot the bee’. It’s a perfect collection to dip in and out of when commuting, or with your morning coffee, though be warned – readers have mentioned some of the stories haunt the remainder of their day. Each story is accompanied by artwork by Louise Boulter, who also designed the cover image.
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