Author Spotlight: Jacqueline Harvey
Jacqueline Harvey is known for creating strong, clever characters that readers adore — and now we’re giving you a peek behind the pages! From her writing habits to her love of pickleball, here’s what Jacqueline had to share…
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always loved to tell stories (even when I was very small) and as I got older I loved to write them too. As a young teacher I used to create a lot of plays and poems and stories for the children in my classes, but I always thought it would be wonderful to find a bigger audience. Writing for children just feels like something I was always meant to do.
Do you have any weird or funny writing habits (like needing a certain snack or only writing in your socks)?
I am a creature of habit. I like to have a clean desk when I start a new book (I usually spend a day procrastinating and doing a big tidy up), and I also like to have lovely notebooks to write my initial ideas in. I am very strict about the word count that I need to achieve each day to meet my deadlines too and if things aren’t working, I call my publisher, publicist, editor or husband and talk out the problems – or I do more housework!
What’s one fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
That’s tricky as I’m a pretty open book but maybe I haven’t shared my love of pickleball too widely yet. I’m a bit addicted and I love to play in the mornings before I start working. I also love golf but that’s well known.
If you could hang out with any author (alive or from the past), who would it be, and what would you do together?
I’d love to meet Jane Austen and find out how much of her work was based in truth. I’d take her to high tea at a very fancy hotel like The Ritz in Paris or The Savoy in London. She’d show me what being a lady really looked like. I think I could learn a lot from her. And it’s also research because Josephine Eloise Thomas (JET) in The Girl and the Ghost adores Jane Austen stories – so this would be a handy insight.
What’s one thing you hope readers remember about the Girl and the Ghost?
I suppose it’s as much about the feelings as the story – I want readers to remember (if they’re older) or understand and relate to what it’s like to be a young adolescent – with all of the scary and exciting times ahead of them – all the feelings, the hopes and the fears. I want readers to fall in love with Josephine, Louis, and Gabriel as much as I have.
Thanks, Jacqueline!
We loved hearing about your writing rituals and love of pickleball — and The Girl and the Ghost is such a beautiful reminder of the wild, wonderful world of growing up. So keep reading and keep imagining!