Talking to... Kirsty Murray

I had the good fortune a very weeks ago of chatting to local children and teenage author Kirsty Murray!

Some of her most notable books include Children of the Wind series, India Dark, The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie, The Year It All Ended and most recently, the collaborative anthology Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean. 

I believe I was running late to our appointment and so was feeling quite warm when we finally sat down for coffee and a hot chocolate (can you guess which was who's?). We discussed getting into writing (which included being in a new country) and writing opportunities for budding writers! It's lovely to talk to the people behind the books because so often you forget that someone is writing all of your favourite stories!

So here's a bit of a snapshot from our time...
What is the most influential book that you have read on your life?

There isn't one book that I could name without it being a lie, or a title I picked at random from the thousands of books that I've loved. As a voracious reader from when I was very small, I have been shaped and influenced by new books in every year of my life.  

Is there a book that has almost creepily related to your life?

Tove Jansson's 'Sculptor's Daughter' - her 1968 memoir of her childhood. My father was a sculptor too and though Jansson's and my worlds were completely different I related to her imaginative inner life. 

What was the best film adaptation of a book that you've watched?

The Wizard of Oz (the famous 1939 version). I love Baum's version but the film was an improvement on the original book  in many ways, especially in terms of structure.
  

And if you can think of one, what is the weirdest book title that you've seen

Insects Are Just Like You And Me Except Some Of Them Have Wings by Kuzhali Manickavel. Maybe it's not the weirdest title I've come across but but Manickavel definitely has a wild imagination and is one of the most startling writers I've come across in years. Her latest book, which I read last year and absolutely loved, is called Things We Found During the Autopsy. 

Thank you Kirsty for your time!