ALL ABOUT KATE DARBISHIRE AND HER LOVE OF READING, WRITING AND STORIES...
her very own library
Kate Darbishire claims to have a chronic memory problem – she often has to have others remind her what has happened to her in the past! But she does have some childhood memories that remain strong. Since she was very small, she has loved stories. Books were always highly regarded at home.
She and her younger sister kept a small ‘library’. All books were ordered alphabetically (by the author’s last name) on the bedroom shelves. Each book had a little card token which was used to ‘sign’ it out. The tokens were marked with the date ‘borrowed’ and kept in a special locked tin box.
Slugs, snails and a magic carpet
Kate’s father was a tall Scotsman with salt and pepper hair and a whiskery beard. When he wanted to look smart he wore a silk cravat about his neck.
One day, when Kate was 4 or 5, he came home with a Persian carpet rolled up under his arm. With great care, he unrolled it on the playroom floor, in front of the fireplace. He flamboyantly informed his assembled children that this was an actual, real magic carpet.
The four of them were to sit on the carpet and tell each other stories. Each child was assigned the type of story to tell: Kate’s sister was to tell tales about princes and princesses, her brother was to come up with the adventures of knights and dragons and Kate was assigned slugs and snails. To be fair, she always had a passion for snails and used to catch them and keep them in a special snail sanctuary in the garden. The youngest brother was too small to tell his own stories but always loved to listen.
If she is totally honest, however good the stories told, the carpet never lifted off the ground as expected. The ‘magic carpet’ may have performed the magic of keeping four unruly children in one place for spells of time – but no lift off and fly for the kids!
Hedgehogs, a blade of grass and the benefits of being bald
Kate continued to tell stories and soon to write them down as well. She wrote a whole series about a talking hedgehog in the lane behind the vegetable patch – now, due to her amnesia (and probable thankfully), lost forever in the mists of time.
Kate as a teenager, never without a book in her hand…
Or is it Alice?
As a teenager, revising for her ‘O’ levels (the equivalent of G.C.S.E.s taken in the good old days by people who are now over 50), Kate was set writing challenges by her aunt to practice her skills.
She loved these – in particular, ‘The Blade of Grass’ and “The World Would be a Better Place if Everyone was Bald. Discuss.’ These kinds of exercises left Kate with a love of writing in all genres – non-fiction, poetry and fiction.
university and writing for young people
In 2003 – 2006, with four young children at home, Kate attended Bath Spa University, studying Creative Writing and Education. Her only regret is not opting for just Writing as it soon became apparent that Education as a future career was no fairytale! Near the end of her degree course, she decided that writing for children and young adults could indeed be a fairytale job.
a real book at last!
Kate is thrilled to be able to announce the arrival of ‘Speechless’, her first story for children aged 10+ (available at Amazon).
She can’t walk. She can’t even talk. But she has so much to tell you…
Eleven year old Harriet has Cerebral Palsy. At her new Secondary School, she is bullied and ridiculed every day and she doesn’t know how to make friends.
Charlotte tries – but how do you talk to someone who won’t talk back?
When Harriet’s mum is rushed into hospital, her grandmother Gloria has more important things to worry about than Harriet. Like whether her nail polish matches her outfit.
Jake, Harriet’s brother starts skipping school and acting weird. Harriet can see he’s in danger, but what can she do?
Harriet is plucky and resilient but is she brave enough to face up to her challenges?
is it any good?
See what readers think here…