Penny Haw
Author Interview - Penny Haw
Author of The Wilderness Between Us
Two women are separated from their hiking group by floods in the Tsitsikamma mountains in South Africa. Faye has forgotten herself, surrendered her strength after years of bullying. Clare is diminished, acutely ashamed of the pain her eating disorder has caused. To survive, the women know they’ll have to overcome their fears, shame and wariness of one another. They’ll have to face the truth. What they don’t expect is what the wilderness will provide—and what it will take away.
Author Interview - Penny Haw
Author I draw inspiration from: The list is long and forever growing. Authors like Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett and Sarah Winman inspire me to write quiet but immersive and finely-etched stories about characters with infinite depth. Cheryl Strayed and Alexandra Fuller make me want to paint vivid locations and tell emotional tales. Rachel Joyce and Anne Griffin encourage me with their storytelling skills and wit. Oh, and then there's Lily King, Meg Mason, Frederik Backman...you see what I mean! There's something new to be learned from every book one reads. The trick is to learn and to be inspired, but to stay true to what comes naturally to oneself.
Author Interview - Penny Haw
Favorite place to read a book: In bed, before going to sleep and with a cup of coffee the next morning (still in bed). Then there are those delicious lazy times on holiday when I find a cosy, quiet spot and wile away the afternoon with a book.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Yikes! This question has me hyperventilating; not because I find it difficult to choose a character but rather because I am claustrophobic. That's a good reason to go for Olive Kitteridge from Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout. She would draw my attention away from the predicament. Olive's prickly candidness reminds me of my grandmother, who I loved greatly. I would like to try and draw some small talk from her while, of course, bracing myself for her incisive response. I have no doubt Olive would intimidate the panic out of me.
Author Interview - Penny Haw
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I don't remember an exact moment. I've certainly always loved stories and, even before I could read or write, I imagined characters, scenes and plots. For a long time, I enacted my tales out loud to my dogs as I walked around the farm where I grew up. When I went to boarding school, I wrote stories to entertain my friends. As I recall, a series about a family of ants was particularly popular. I went on to become a journalist, quietly dreaming about writing a novel for decades but only amassed the courage to do so about five years ago. Now, even with two books published, it still amuses and surprises me to think of myself as an author.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: I love the sight, feel and smell of paperbacks and hardcovers. However, with my eyesight not as good as it could be, reading on my Kindle—with the backlight and the ability to increase the size of the text—is much easier. I listen to audiobooks when I run on the treadmill, which is an excellent way of distracting myself from exhaustion and means I get through many books. The run-listen combination works very well for me on the machine, where it's not necessary to concentrate too hard on where I'm putting my feet and what's ahead of me. It's also a good motivator to exercise and I can't wait to get running.
The last book I read: Mrs Narwhal's Diary by S J Norbury. It's a delightful and entertaining story, told in diary format, about a family, their crumbling old home and the challenges that come with it. The book is funny, sad and very beautifully written. It reminded me that not all stories have to be big and dramatic to be moving and memorable.
Author Interview - Penny Haw
Pen & paper or computer: iMac but with piles of notebooks and an army of pens close at hand.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Can I have two, since I hate the idea of separating the pair and having to choose between them? I would love to have been with Margery Benson and Enid Pretty (from Mrs Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce) when they went to New Caledonia to search for the golden beetle. I loved the adventure in the jungle, the unlikely friendship and what they learned about themselves and each other. I wanted to be included and for the book never to end.
Author Interview - Penny Haw
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I always say writing is the only thing that I can do but that's not true. As my dogs will attest, I am a most excellent dog walker. If I weren't an author, I'd be a dog walker. The dogs, of course, would need to be superb listeners as I would most certainly regale them with stories and talk endlessly about books.
Favorite decade in fashion history: 1930s—for those simple, clean lines and smart suits, not to mention the old Hollywood-style evening dresses and high-waisted sailor pants.
Place I’d most like to travel: I am eager at the moment to travel to the northern parts of England, and Scotland and Ireland. I have been working on a piece of historical fiction that is set there and it's made me keen to visit again. On the other hand, it would also be fabulous to visit the United States and meet some of the wonderful people I have been working with on my books.
My signature drink: In the morning, a steaming mug of strong coffee. (My husband is Dutch and I have learned to love dark roast coffee.) in the evening, a glass of lightly-wooded South African Chenin Blanc.
Favorite artist: The late Peter Clarke, whose work depicts many different aspects of South African life. My favourites are his modernist landscape paintings, which capture the vivid colours of the African countryside and the endless expanse of land and sky that make this such an incredible continent.
Number one on my bucket list: I'd like to run through Central Park in New York in autumn. Yes, indeed, it's a dream influenced by the movies and television. I can't imagine living in a big city but I do love visiting them and, when I do, I always try to check out their parks. Central Park is on the list.
Anything else you'd like to add: Authors are people too. Don't be afraid to jot them a line, which is particularly easy in the time of social media. Writing can be lonely and that doesn't change when you're published. I've never met a writer who doesn't enjoy hearing from readers. I would love to hear from people who are interested in my writing.
Find more from the author:
https://twitter.com/PennyHaw
https://www.instagram.com/pennyhaw/
Author Bio: Long-time journalist and columnist, and latter-day author, Penny Haw has written for many leading South African newspapers and magazines for more than three decades. Her children’s book, Nicko, The Tale of a Vervet Monkey on an African Farm was published in 2017. The Wilderness Between Us is her debut novel for adults, which again expounds her love for animals and the outdoors.
