Passing Impermanence spoke to children’s author Gillian Cross about libraries, awards and why she loves writing books for kids.

 

PI: I think I’m right in saying that many of your books share a theme of the “ordinary”, real world intersecting with something more fantastic – wolves stalking the streets of London, spooky goings on at school, Britain after a massive financial collapse (well, perhaps the last one is not so far fetched). What draws you towards that really interesting place, rather than, say, something more realist or going the whole hog into space or other entirely fantasy realms?

GC: I love the way that stories enable us to explore the different layers of reality. It’s the real world that interests me – because that’s where we live – but we all construct it differently. In Wolf, the wolf in Cassy’s dreams is just as real as the wolves in the zoo; it’s a different layer of reality, but all the layers interact. The fact that my stories have largely realistic settings enables me to explore that. But it’s not a cold-blooded decision. I just write the kind of stories I like best.

 

PI: how do you think writing these kinds of fantastic scenarios differs for children and adults – and what made you choose to write primarily for young people?

GC: There’s a lot of common ground and all-out fantasy is one of the areas where books written for adults are also read by young people. But children and adults have different areas of knowledge and interest and that influences fantasy just as much as any other kind of fiction.

When I started writing, I felt that serious adult novels were less about telling stories than about demonstrating intellectual cleverness. I’ve always thought of myself primarily as a storyteller, so it seemed natural to start writing for young people instead, because they have always valued stories. Also, when I began, in the late 1970s, there were lots of wonderful writers pushing the boundaries of what it meant to write for young people. It was an exciting field – just as it is today. I think we’re in another great period of writing for young people.

 

PI: You won the Little Rebels children’s book award in 2014 for After Tomorrow. How important do you think prizes like this are?

GC: I think they’re important in two ways. First, they encourage authors. Writing is hard and it’s easy to get discouraged and wonder whether what you’re trying to do is really as important (or funny or moving or exciting) as you think it is. it’s wonderful to know that other people are on the same wave length and that they value your book enough to give it a prize. I was thrilled when After Tomorrow won the Little Rebels award.

Prizes are also important because they help readers to find books. There are thousands of new books published every year and it’s hard for anyone – especially young people – to navigate through the flood of new titles. Prizes draw attention to particular books and to books with particular characteristics and that’s very helpful, both for young people themselves and for adults who choose books for them.

 

PI: In After Tomorrow we see a social collapse in Britain and we follow a family who are forced to flee, becoming refugees. What drew you to the theme of the plight of refugees, something that is very much, tragically, in the news right now?

GC: I’ve always thought a lot about refugees, but I never felt that I knew enough to write about any of the situations I read about. Then I was involved in doing some work in this country for a peace-building charity called Cord. I learnt a lot about the Sudanese refugees in camps in Chad and I was very impressed by how they cope with their situation.

Suppose it was us, I thought one day. Would we manage as well as they do? At that moment, the character of Matt just jumped into my head and I knew I had to write about him. Since the book was published, it’s become even more topical. I wish that wasn’t true.

 

PI: You’ve been very involved with public libraries over the years in a number of different capacities. How do you feel about what’s happening under the current austerity policies?

GC: It’s appalling, especially as it affects children, who need libraries close to where they live and who benefit hugely from the guidance of trained children’s librarians. Neither schools nor libraries can afford to buy enough books, which means that children are increasingly dependent on what their parents do or don’t provide. It’s nonsense for the government to say it cares about literacy unless it makes it possible for all children to have access to books.

The destruction of libraries is not primarily the fault of local authorities, which are in an increasingly impossible situation. The Government has to make more money available. They must also make it compulsory for schools to have libraries – as it is already for prisons.

 

PI: What have you got next in the pipeline?

GC: I’ve just finished a book which will be coming out next year. I can’t tell you about it yet – but it’s very exciting!