IN THE WRITER’S CHAIR – JACQUELINE MORLEY
We’re kickstarting regular blog feature ‘In The Writer’s Chair’, a series of interviews with Salariya authors, with Jacqueline Morley, author of the newly released addition to the Cherished Library canon, ‘William Shakespeare, A Very Peculiar History’.
1. Who is your favourite author? P.G. Wodehouse – his early period, when the dew was still on him. Pure poetry, every word a winner. Bertie Wooster is my favourite hero – he can make anyone feel they’re a genius.
2. Who is the person who has influenced you the most? My husband. He was an ideas man, though I wouldn’t let him dip the curtains in plaster of Paris to hang in swags on the outside of the house.
3. If you weren’t an author, what would you be doing? Having no other outstanding talents it’s difficult to say. In my ideal world I’d be a fantastically successful opera singer – I love the sound of applause!
4. What is the biggest obstacle you face when writing? Getting what needs to be said into the mean quota of words that illustrated books allow.
5. Do you listen to anything when working? My cat purring.
6. What is the best thing about being an author? True answer: It’s the only thing apart from teaching that anyone will pay me to do. Politically correct answer: I usually write ‘information’ books and I really enjoy the ‘finding out’ stage of the work. In fact it’s a treat to be asked to write on a subject I don’t know a lot about. I learn so much!
7. What’s your favourite book? Children’s book: Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding – read it and you’ll see why. For adults: anything by Thomas Love Peacock – you may not see why.
8. What’s your favourite film? It has to be Ivan the Terrible, part 1. Sends shivers down my spine (It’s not a horror film!)
9. What’s your guiltiest pleasure? See my answer to Question 18.
10. What do you do when you are stuck for inspiration? Make myself a cup of coffee.
11. What’s your favourite holiday destination? Anywhere with good ruins - that mostly means North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. I’ve still got South America to do.
12. Who / what makes you laugh? It’s almost always verbal humour, by which I mean puns, etc. And it’s true the best ones really are the worst. That’s why I’m such a fan of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. I’ve also just been given three DVD’s of Dad’s Army – I love it to death.
13. Which of the books you have worked on is your favourite? Across America with Lewis and Clark – a great story and I think we did it well.
14. What time of day are you most productive? Latish, though being at the computer after 11.45 pm makes my head suddenly feel funny.
15. Do you have a motto? If so, what is it? ‘I must go to bed earlier.’
16. Where do you do most of your work? At home, in libraries, or in book shops snooping.
17. What’s your proudest accomplishment? Three daughters, all clever and beautiful.
18. What’s the one thing you would take to a desert island? Coffee… No, whiskey… No, Toblerone!
You’ll soon be able to purchase Jacqueline’s books through the Salariya Online Shop, which will offer absolutely NO P&P for UK customers (!), but in the meantime you’ll find them wherever books are sold.
Buy William Shakespeare, A Very Peculiar History
