WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE
Interview with Amanda Hodgkinson
By Vanessa Couchman
Amanda Hodgkinson is the award-winning, international
bestselling author of two novels, 22 Britannia Road and
Spilt Milk (Penguin Books). Her novels have been
translated into more than 15 languages. She has
recently published a novella in a collection entitled
Grand
Central
(Berkeley,
Penguin
US).
www.amandahodgkinson.com
Vanessa Couchman: How long have you been writing?
Amanda Hodgkinson: I have always loved writing. As a child, I collected individual
words that took my fancy from magazines and books and made long lists of my
favourites. At university I joined a creative writing group and wrote poetry and short
stories. Finally I summoned up enough courage to send a short story to a literary
magazine. The editor published it and told me she wanted to see more. Often, I think
writers need encouragement like that to carry on. That's when I realised that writing
was what I wanted to do. After my degree, I took a Masters in Creative Writing at the
University of East Anglia. Later, I moved to France with the idea of writing a novel.
VC: Do you have a standard writing routine?
AH: I write every day and keep to the 500 words a day plan. Once I have a first draft
of a novel I can spend hours writing and rewriting. I find first drafts absolute torture,
so I have to make myself sit down and write. I prefer writing first thing in the morning
when it seems easy to go from a sleepy, dreamy state straight into writing. I also like
writing late at night. Perhaps it is because everybody else is asleep and the
quietness helps me concentrate.
VC: What influence has living in France had on your writing?
AH: Living away from the UK has given me a certain freedom in writing about my
home country. Britain has become a place of memories and dreams, so it's a fertile
land for the imagination. Sometimes, though, it is challenging to live so far from
certain things, such as English libraries and bookshops. The internet is great for
research, but I still go back to the UK for libraries and research rooms.
VC: Do you have a favourite and/or a least favourite character in your books?
In 22 Britannia Road, I adored Aurek, the little boy who has been brought up during
wartime, hiding in a Polish forest. He is a brave, slightly mysterious child and I loved
the way that he finally brings his family together again.
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