“All writing is travel writing because it takes you on a journey…”

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.

Teachers / book clubs may be interested in the Walker Books Classroom Ideas resource kits for Mal’s (and other people’s) books – here is the page for Secondary Fiction Classroom Ideas http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Teachers/Classroom-Ideas/Secondary-Fiction-Classroom-Ideas

Cheers, Jeannie