Capturing the imagination of kids

Francesca Simon feels passionately about literacy and books. She supports efforts to encourage publishing and reading.

Francesca Simon, an American who lives in London, is the author of the popular children's books series, Horrid Henry. She is excited to participate at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. "It is an amazing festival, both for the range of authors who attend, and the diversity of readers who travel hundreds of miles to take part. I feel passionately about literacy and books, and want to support the festival's efforts to encourage publishing and local writers throughout the UAE. I also want to meet more Middle Eastern writers," she says in an interview with Khaleej Times.
Speaking about her inspiration behind writing the Horrid Henry series, she says, "I wanted to write about families and sibling rivalry. I think families are great sources of comedy, and that it would be fun to write, without apology, about fighting to the death over who controls the TV remote and playing tricks on younger siblings."
What was her writing process like going from The Lost Gods to The Monstrous Child? She replies, "I do know that storytelling is exactly the same no matter the audience. Every book asks its readers the same questions: 'Do I want to be with these characters? Do I care what happens? Am I intrigued and inspired?'"
She admits that The Lost Gods came entirely from her imagination, whereas The Monstrous Child had the outline of a myth, so in some way she was filling in the blanks. The main difference is that The Monstrous Child is older, and has a first-person narrator: an angry, funny, resentful teenage girl who just happens to be Queen of the Dead.
Simon's advice to budding writers, "Read. Read. Read. And always carry a notebook to write your ideas in. Remember to ask yourself lots of questions about your characters and figure out the ending early on."
Speaking about projects in the pipeline, she says, "I am currently writing the libretto for an opera to be premiered at London's Royal Opera House in 2018."
The Monstrous Child was shortlisted for the Costa Book Prize and is Francesca Simon's favourite book! "I hope anyone who loves myths and legends, or who loved Horrid Henry, will pick it up," she says.
INFO: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, March 3 to 11, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, www.emirateslitfest.com 
-suchitra@khaleejtimes.com