I’m reading your book, Greek Myths: Folk Tales and Legends, with my 10-year-old son at the moment. We are both loving it. Where did the idea come from?
The idea landed on my lap from the Greek gods and goddesses themselves I reckon (ha) and in the form of a modern day Hermes in my literary agent, Jo Bell, whom Scholastic had contacted to see if she represented anyone of Greek origin who might like to write the book as part of their Classic series. I submitted a draft retelling Medusa and another as the first was a little too mature for 8-12s and was commissioned to retell 20 myths. What followed was a period of immersive and meticulous research prior to allowing myself creative licence to retell these famous and some rare stories too, for a modern audience. It was a joy to reconnect with my ancestry and culture, the process provided intellectual stimulation and by the end I’d felt like I’d crammed a Classic MA into a year!
What is your writing process? I would submit 3 stories at a time to my diligent editor Bella and enjoyed working in batches, writing a minimum of two drafts of each story, before sending on for feedback and then rewriting. Writing is all in the rewriting after all. I had several months to write each batch and would aim to write 500 words a day as a minimum. I shed characters that didn’t drive the stories forward and invented poems and songs within the plots so these stories are very much my own interpretations, based and inspired on the original myths written over 2500 years ago. I used my experience as a screenwriter to create what I hope are memorable, cinematic stories children could imagine with ease. I wanted history to come to life for the reader.
This is your second book. Does writing them get any easier? I think when you’re passionate about a project, in my case anyway, I tend to hyper fixate on it and write, and write and write. I loved the research required here and returning to the earliest versions of these myths I could find, and then working from there, in many cases righting some of my ancestors’ wrongs in the process.
I find you inspirational. You are a mum-of-three, an influencer, broadcaster, and writer. How do you manage to juggle it all? I think I often fail, freak out, feel burnt out and struggle with imposter syndrome as much as I experience career milestones and highs, just like everyone else. In terms of the practical infrastructure in place, my youngest is at pre school and my parents help out in the holidays. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to raise a working mum.
Emotionally, I oscillate between feeling confident and content and completely unworthy and sometimes in a single day. Sleep deprivation doesn’t help. My 4 year old has never been a great sleeper so that hasn’t helped with regulating emotions but I take each day as it comes, it’s the only way. Creative pursuits feel healing and give me purpose.
What advice do you have for other working mothers? Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. That applies to every area of motherhood, careers, friendships and relationships. If you want to write, try to commit to 200 words a day or 500, whatever feels possible. Know that each phase passes, the best of phases and the worst.
You interviewed Keir Starmer. Tell us about the experience. It was a surprise to receive an invitation from No 10 asking if I’d like to interview Sir Keir Starmer during a school visit in Reading so we could discuss the success of the first 500 Breakfast Clubs rolled out across the country. 1 in 3 parents sadly struggle to provide breakfast for their children so these clubs are helping the most vulnerable, with many more planned. They will also serve working parents who are time-short on a morning, providing additional free childcare along with breakfast for children. The PM shared that he was committed to help improve the workplace for working parents. I’ve spoken in Parliament on several occasions, collaborated with the Department of Education and helped encourage the Online Safety Bill to be passed onto The House Lords (which it was and is now the Online Safety Act 2023). Politics is an area I’m interested and invested in although I couldn’t stand as an MP currently with a young child and two teenagers but I’d like to work more in this sector, continuing to advocate for working parents in particular.
Who else would you like to interview? I think Jacinda Ardern, the former PM of NZ would be top of my list. The way she led from the heart and during the pandemic under such unprecedented times, turned everything on its head that we’ve been led to believe about leadership. She’s an inspiration.
You’re incredibly supportive of other women. As well as being open and honest. What can women do to support each other? I think working on yourself is number 1, accessing therapy if you can or working on meditation/ yoga/ self improvement because operating from a healed place makes us the best and most calm and in control version of ourselves and in turn better friends, parents and allies to others. Ascertaining what your triggers are, if you are holding onto trauma or internalised misogyny for eg allows you to work through learnt behaviours and patterns and bad experiences, that might be harmful or destructive to yourself and others. I’ve had years of therapy and have found them to be life changing. There are a lot of women professing to support others when in truth, they haven’t done the work to fully champion those they profess to be behind. I am lucky to have a supportive community around me and have always enjoyed championing others, there’s a genuine ‘helper’s high’ from seeing others shine. I know myself deeply and I know there’s room for us all to thrive but only when we work side by side.
Tell us an interesting fact about you. I came 4th in the North in Junior Masterchef at 11 in the regional heats. My Dad was gutted I didn’t make the TV show as they only needed 3 contestants. My caterpillar brows at the time are forever thankful I didn’t. Another plus is that I learnt to cook well like high end fare and I wasn’t even a teen. My first week at uni was cooking 3 course meals for the other students in my halls. My Mum still laughs that I asked for a dinner set before I left home!!
I would also say as a bonus fun fact, that many don’t know I had what feels like another lifetime of a career as a screenwriter and filmmaker before pivoting into the digital world. My dream is to return to that industry one day.
You have had an amazing year. What’s next for you? Ooh, I’m not sure, a novel or screenplay perhaps, I relish a challenge and have a few ideas which I believe ‘have legs’ as they say in the film industry!
Greek Myths, Folktales & Legends for 8-12 year olds, published by Scholastic UK is OUT NOW in all good books shops and on Amazon.
