Sarah Winman

Author Interview: Sarah Winman

Sarah WinmanSarah Winman is the author of  the brilliant When God Was A Rabbit. Her latest novel, A Year of Marvellous Ways was released by Tinder Press at the beginning of the summer and I am very pleased to be welcoming her to Novel Kicks today. Hi Sarah, thank you so much for joining us. Can you tell us a little about your latest novel,  A Year of Marvellous Ways.

A Year of Marvellous Ways is set in 1947, in Cornwall. At the start of the book, old Marvellous is in her 90th year and coming to the end of her life. She has one last thing to do before she dies, but she doesn’t know what it is yet, because the message came to her in a dream, and the dream said, Wait, for it’s coming. So she waits, sitting on the bank of her creek.

When a young soldier, Drake, broken by war, washes up in her creek, Marvellous realises that she has been waiting for him. And the last thing she has to do is to re-ignite the flame of hope in this young man’s heart. And she does this by telling him the story of her life. The book is about the redemptive power of storytelling.

 

Do you cast your characters and if so, did you have someone specific in mind for Marvellous and Drake?

Marvellous would have to be the wonderful Judi Dench – playing older, of course. She would be terrific and heartbreaking in the role. In fact, I can totally see her doing it right now! I would cast an unknown alongside her, though.

 

Do you have any writing rituals (writing in silence, writing longhand, a cup of tea etc.)

I do write in silence – never any music playing as that can influence me emotionally. I write on a laptop at home, breaking for copious amounts of tea! When I go out I always carry a notebook and therefore write in longhand. I wrote a lot of Marvellous in bed, strangely enough, as cocooned as possible, with a candle burning.

 

Who is your favourite fictional character and what’s the one thing you would ask him/her if you were to ever meet?

I would ask Owen Meany to tell me a secret.

 

Are you much of a planner and are you the type of writer that edits as you go?

No, I edit as I go. But, most importantly, I always start knowing the ending, knowing where I need to get to. I will not start without an ending.

 

Do you have a favourite word?

For this book, it would probably be ‘nonsense’.

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