Janice Hallett
Author Interview - Janice Hallett
Author of The Appeal
Two law students are given a bundle of evidence and a deadline. They must solve a baffling murder for which an innocent person was sent to prison. The Appeal is a puzzle that invites readers to delve between the lines and work out what happened and why. Through a series of emails, texts and letters between witnesses, we gradually discover what happened when the close-knit world of The Fairway Players drama society is thrown into disarray by new girl Sam. The action unfolds during rehearsals for a production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. The Appeal is a 21st Century epistolary novel
Author Interview - Janice Hallett
Author I draw inspiration from: There are many, but chief among them is Tony Parker, who published ‘oral histories’ from the 1960s to the 1990s. He was a contemporary of Studs Terkel who did the same in America. Parker would interview ordinary people, record their speech and, in transcribing those interviews, remove himself, allowing the subjects to speak. He managed to penetrate various disengaged communities, including prisoners, murderers and homeless people. His books gave a platform to people whose voices had never been heard before and whose points of view were not commonly sought at the time.
I don’t think anyone is doing the same thing today - arguably because documentary film making has taken over that niche, plus, thanks to social media we all have a voice. Still, Parker’s takeaway impression of his subjects is that everyone is extraordinary and everyone is worth listening to.
He is most certainly one inspiration behind my treatment of character on the page. My first novel, The Appeal is told in emails, texts and letters… documents in which people ‘speak’ freely and off-guard. It’s not so very different to those amazing oral histories made, what is now, so long ago.
Author Interview - Janice Hallett | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: In bed. I suffer from night terrors now and again, which probably says something about the dark books I read…
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Mma Precious Ramotswe from The No1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. She is such a great character bursting with charm, wit and wisdom. I’d ask about her latest case while we waited for the elevator to be repaired.
Author Interview - Janice Hallett | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I knew from the moment I worked out how words are put together on the page, at the age of about six, that I wanted to write. However, wanting to be ‘the author of books’ came later, probably while studying English at University College London. I had to read towering stacks of classic literature when all I wanted was to be a writer myself and to have my books in that pile! I was a student before universities offered courses in creative writing or I’d have chosen that as my major.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback as a treat or paperback as standard. I once flirted with an e-reader, but it was just a brief dalliance. Nothing beats a solid book in your hand and that therapeutic turn of the page.
The last book I read: Nasty Little Cuts by Tina Baker. It's an absolute shocker of a novel, very violent, but brilliantly written. It's out in Spring 2022 in the UK - I'm lucky in that nowadays I get to read books before they're published.
Author Interview - Janice Hallett | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Computer. I write on a desktop mac which is so much better for my spine than a laptop. Having said that, I always keep a pad and pen next to me, to jot down notes and thoughts as I go. They say writing with pen and paper connects your subconscious to childhood – a time when your imagination rad wild and free. I hope they’re right.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Bathsheba Everdene from Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd. Now there’s a woman ahead of her time. I’d be very interested to hear how she runs a farm with an all-male workforce and I’d give her some relationship advice. She’d never waste her time with Sergeant Troy or Mr Boldwood so long as I was her bestie.
Author Interview - Janice Hallett | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: An unemployed magazine editor. I worked in trade and business magazines for years, but magazines tend to be online now, with fewer staff. I doubt I’d make the cut.
Favorite decade in fashion history: The 1970s. Long hair, beads, beards, kipper ties, big collars, tank tops and flares. What’s not to love? I particularly admire how the 70s put together colours you should never, ever, see side by side. Orange, brown, green, yellow, beige. It was visual anarchy.
Place I’d most like to travel: I’ve travelled a lot, but there are still some places I’m hankering after. Easter Island, Fiji and Taiwan. All islands - which probably means I'm longing for isolation or something.
My signature drink: Filtered water with slices of fresh lime and cucumber, and a sprig of mint picked from the window box. Heaven on a warm day.
Favorite artist: Banksy. His is the only art I've ever really seen, let alone connected with. I'm always impressed by his work - its vision, skill and message.
Number one on my bucket list: Hmmm it’s either ‘see horseshoe crabs in the wild’ or ‘see a chambered nautilus in the wild’. Theoretically I could do both on the same trip as they live in similar regions, but I’d have to improve my diving to see the nautilus as they live quite deep.
Anything else you'd like to add: Just that I hope readers of The Appeal enjoy the experience. It’s a slightly different, active and immersive read.
Find more from the author:
Twitter @JaniceHallett
Instagram @janice.hallett
Author Bio: Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is her first novel.
