Like Dee in the
previous post, I was taken by this quote from Mal Peet at the SLANZA Te Tai
Tokerau event on Saturday. It captured
my imagination, and reflected the journeys that Mal and Elspeth took us on as
they spoke, and through their books set in different lands and times.
Elspeth spoke about finding the germ of an idea
through her research and then the process of spinning the story through walking
and talking about it and playing it out until Mal could take it and put it into
words to make it come alive. Their recently published book, Mysterious Traveller, exquisitely
illustrated by PJ Lynch, came from hearing about Timbuktu in Mali, Africa,
being at the intersection of trade routes, where a kilo of salt and a kilo of
gold were of equal value, and where there was a renowned guide who was blind
but could lead people through shifting sands using his knowledge as signposts.
I thought the idea of crafting the story initially in
an oral way was interesting – how maybe we need to have time to talk about a
story, tease out the threads and connections, before we launch straight into
writing it down…
Mal writes up in the attic room, Elspeth’s office is
downstairs, and there is a cow bell which Elspeth rings if she wants Mal to
come down… Someone suggested that it was
shades of Downton Abbey, but Mal replied, more like Pavlov’s dog – never
knowing if the summons was about a sandwich or hoovering!
There was a question about the classification of books
– teen, adult etc and Mal suggested it is adults who buy the books for children
and so the classifications are for them – the children will read what they
will… He spoke about reading to
children, and the ability then to read to them at their understanding level rather than their reading level which is sometimes lower.
Mal was entertaining as he spoke about his boyhood
ambitions (to captain England's football team and failing that, draw cartoons for Beano), his writing process, relationships with publishers and illustrators,
and the travel which has enriched his writing. He talked about having a novel in his head
being like playing three dimensional chess, with transparent pieces, against
yourself – carrying it around in your head like a glass bowl of water…
Luckily for us, Mal’s self-professed speech impediment
– ‘I can’t pronounce the word “no”’, meant that he and Elspeth
fitted in the session in their last few days in New Zealand while on holiday in
Northland, and it was an enjoyable and interesting afternoon for the 30 – 40
people gathered there.
Thanks to Kerikeri
High School for the venue
and hospitality, Di for afternoon tea, Books on Hobson for providing books for
sale, and to Lisa Salter, Kevin from Books on Hobson and Clare Giesbers who
provided books for the successful raffle won by many happy ticket holders. Congratulations also to Ahipara School
who brought along a group of students who asked interesting questions.
Cheers, Jeannie
