The Last Fairy – Chapter Five

by Book Guild | May 15, 2020 | News

The Last Fairy is a beautiful story by Andrew Goss, for children and their carers everywhere during the lockdown. Here’s the final chapter of this magical story:

Illustration by Christina Scholz!

Chapter Five

 NOTHING ever seemed quite the same again. Strange things were happening. Reports were coming in from all over the world that people were seeing fairies. People were beginning to believe in fairies. And wishes. And dreams. Even grown-ups!

And Zayd became a celebrity. His picture was in every newspaper. Everyone wanted to come to his school to see the little wand which was kept in a special box in the head teacher’s office. And for a small amount of money, people could even hold the wand to make their wishes come true. At least that’s what they liked to believe. Because the wand was still not working. But it didn’t seem to matter. So the school could buy lots of new books. And there were school trips. And Zayd was a star. Ayesha wasn’t rough with him again. She told everyone how awesome he was and that he was her best friend.

But eventually, life returned to how it once had been. The City school became its usual chaotic self once more. Even Ayesha started to be rough again. And sometimes she would tease Zayd. It was about this time that Zayd discovered another tooth was beginning to wobble. And each day it became a little looser in his mouth until once more it seemed to cling to his gum by a single thread.

He twisted it from his mouth, wrapped it in tissue paper and carefully laid it beneath his pillow. And there he lay, perfectly quiet, waiting in the stillness of the night. He was just about to fall asleep when suddenly he heard a buzzing sound he knew, more like the rapid beating of a butterfly’s wings than a fly. And he realised his little friend was back.

In a flash of light, the little fairy dropped onto the pillow beside Zayd’s face.

“Hello, dear Zayd,” it said in a tiny voice.

“I heard people have started to believe in fairies again,” Zayd whispered.

The little creature smiled broadly and its light grew so bright it lit the bedroom.

“I want to say a special ‘thank you,” said the fairy. “For saving the fairy city. And for bringing my friends back to life again. You’re famous in fairyland, you know.”

“Oh,” Zayd replied. “A similar thing happened in my world. Was I on TV in fairyland too?”

The fairy chuckled. “We don’t have that. We’re much too busy collecting children’s teeth and granting wishes. Especially at the moment. There’s a bit of a rush on. Which reminds me… I have been sent to grant you a special wish this time for all your help.”

Zayd hesitated.

“Anything you like,” said the fairy. “A million pounds. A castle of your own?”

Zayd thought for a moment.

“I want my mama and papa to be happy – to laugh and joke like they used to.”

The fairy nodded. “I understand. I’ve seen how seriously they take life these days… Do you know their problem? They’ve forgotten their dreams. That’s what often happens to grown-ups.” And the fairy looked sad.

Then she lit up again: “But I can fix that with my new wand,” she said, taking the magic item from a fold in her skirt.

The fairy then waved her wand and disappeared into a puff of golden dust. And Zayd sank into a deep and satisfying sleep even before he had even finished whispering ‘goodbye’.

When he awoke the next morning he was sure he had dreamed the whole thing. Or had he? The first discovery he made was five silver coins beneath his pillow. Excitedly, he hurried downstairs to find his parents already sitting at the breakfast table. And they were smiling at each other.

“I thought you’d already be at the shop,” said Zayd to his Papa.

“I decided to take the day off to spend time with the family. Perhaps we could go to the park after school.”

Zayd could hardly believe his ears.

“And then,” his father said, barely able to contain his own boyish excitement, “…then I would like us all to plan our next family holiday. A sunshine holiday somewhere far away with golden beaches and palm trees. The sort of place I grew up in as a boy, where we can forget about school and work and rainy days for a while. A sort of magic place we will always remember.”

And as he smiled again Zayd was certain he saw the twinkle of fairy dust in his father’s eyes…

The end

Andrew Goss is the author of The Humanitarian, a novel set against the backdrop of a devastating natural disaster – the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, which killed 80,000 and left millions homeless. The paperback novel will be released in July this year, but Andrew has recently released a charity eBook edition of his novel to raise funds for “some of the most vulnerable in our society to help them come through this terrible time.” All the author’s proceeds from the eBook edition will be divided between Action Homeless in the UK and desperately poor communities in Pakistan, where he worked and drew inspiration for his book. Find out more about the charity eBook here.

Thank you for tuning in. If you’ve enjoyed reading this story, please do send feedback to Andrew via his website and be sure to pass it on for other children to enjoy!

The Last Fairy – Chapter Four

by Book Guild | May 14, 2020 | News

The Last Fairy is a beautiful story by Andrew Goss, for children and their carers everywhere during the lockdown. We’ll be posting a new chapter each day this week so tune in each day so see how this magical story will unfold:

Illustration by Christina Scholz!

Chapter Four

WHEN Zayd awoke the sky was already ablaze with the orange glow of the morning sun, peeping over the city rooftops. The familiar sound of the Blackbirds twittering outside his window nudged him from deep sleep into the new day. He raised himself in bed and stared bleary-eyed into the morning light which shone through the gap in the curtains. What a strange night it had been – and what a dream. It had seemed so real.

But wait. What about the tooth under the pillow? Had the tooth fairy really been? Quickly he tossed his pillow aside to look. His eyes widened. The tissue package in which it had been wrapped really was gone. He decided he had better go and see his mama and papa.

Zayd swung his legs out of bed but stopped as soon as he lowered his foot onto the carpet and felt a sharp little stab against his heel. And there it was, the tiny broken wand the fairy had left. Zayd could hardly contain his excitement. He’d show the wand to his parents and they would have to believe what had happened. That would surely mean another two fairies. And his sisters too. Another three fairies. That would be a good start to saving the fairy city above the clouds. He jumped out of bed to find his mama and papa. But their bed was empty. Must already be having breakfast, he thought and headed downstairs.

He found his mother in the kitchen preparing breakfast, as she always did, almost as soon as she got up every morning.
“Mama, Mama…” But before Zayd could say another word, his mother’s face was clouded by anger.

“What time do you call this? Your sisters have already had breakfast and are ready for school… and shouldn’t you be dressed?”
“But…” stammered Zayd.

“No ‘buts’… off you go…” and his mother had turned her attention back to the chapati on the pan.

Zayd’s bottom lip quivered in anger. Grown-ups never seemed to give you a chance to explain. They never listened. Zayd didn’t move. Instead, he asked, “Where’s Papa?”

“He’s had to go to the shop for an important customer… now go and get dressed Beta. Now please!”
Zayd ran upstairs, tears burning in his eyes. But he did not cry. He was too angry. Instead, he dressed quickly, ready for school, his throat so tight with emotion he could hardly breathe. It didn’t seem fair. No-one would listen to him. So, he hid the fairy’s wand in his school bag before returning to the kitchen, where his mother slapped another chapati onto the pan.

He would show Ayesha when he got to school. Ayesha was one of his friends and seemed very cool for a girl. Sometimes he even sat next to her, because, like Zayd, she was good at Maths. And she could read Arabic. Sometimes they even played together in the schoolyard, even though she could be quite rough. And sometimes she would tease him. But girls were like that. He knew from his own family and was quite tough, really, with three older sisters.

Yet if ever he was in big trouble and it really mattered, Ayesha was on his side. They stuck together, like peas in a pod. Zayd felt this was just such an occasion and could hardly wait to show her the little treasure the fairy had left with him. As soon as Ayesha saw the wand, she tried to grab it from him. But he pushed her away. And they began to fight. This was most unlike Zayd and Ayesha. The teacher quickly realised something was wrong.

“Now, now, what’s going on with you two this morning?” said Mrs. Parker in a voice that was firm, but kind, standing over the two children.

“Ayesha’s being horrible to me,” Zayd replied. “She’s taken something from me.”

The girl realised the game was up and dutifully handed the tiny wand to the teacher.

“What’s this, then?” said Mrs. Parker, squinting at the delicate object. “It’s beautiful.”

So Zayd told her all about the fairy’s visit the night before.

“That’s an incredible story,” she told Zayd. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

The teacher was so excited she nearly fell over herself in a rush to leave the classroom to call Zayd’s parents. There was something very important she wanted to talk to them about.

Later that morning Zayd had to go to Mrs. Wheat’s office. She was the headteacher in charge of the school and usually, it was only naughty children who found out what her office looked like.

So when Zayd stepped into the head teacher’s office, he thought he was in real trouble. Especially when he saw his mother already waiting there, sitting with Mrs. Wheat, looking worried.

“Please sit down Zayd and tell us exactly what happened last night please,” said Mrs. Wheat in a kindly voice. So Zayd told them the whole story.

“Isn’t it marvellous,” exclaimed Mrs. Wheat excitedly. “We must tell the world – we’ll all be famous. We should invite all the news reporters to the school at once. What wonderful publicity for the school. The story will be in all the newspapers and on TV too. Nobody has seen a fairy’s wand before. Ever. What a discovery,” she said. “Fairies discovered by Leicester pupil. Wonderful,” she repeated, dancing from her office to organise a news conference to show Zayd’s wand to reporters.

And indeed, it seemed as though all the reporters in the world did come. First the local newspaper. Then came the radio and TV people. And Zayd told his story over and over again.

Later that day the BBC carried an important announcement – a news flash – which interrupted all programmes: ‘Fairies found at city school’. And then everyone wanted to talk to Zayd. People who spoke in strange languages from far away places. Even a reporter from Algeria. And, of course, they all wanted to see the tiny fairy wand…

Stay tuned for the final chapter tomorrow!

Andrew Goss is the author of The Humanitarian, a novel set against the backdrop of a devastating natural disaster – the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, which killed 80,000 and left millions homeless. The paperback novel will be released in July this year, but Andrew has recently released a charity eBook edition of his novel to raise funds for “some of the most vulnerable in our society to help them come through this terrible time.” All the author’s proceeds from the eBook edition will be divided between Action Homeless in the UK and desperately poor communities in Pakistan, where he worked and drew inspiration for his book. Find out more about the charity eBook here.

The Last Fairy – Chapter Three

by Book Guild | May 13, 2020 | News

The Last Fairy is a beautiful story by Andrew Goss, for children and their carers everywhere during the lockdown. We’ll be posting a new chapter each day this week so tune in each day to see how this magical story will unfold:

Illustration by Christina Scholz!

Chapter Three

“WE’LL have to make our own magic,” Zayd whispered, gazing intently at the little fairy resting on the palm of his hand. The tiny creature stopped crying and looked into Zayd’s big brown eyes. Was a child capable of making magic? The fairy had heard such things were possible before children became too old and distracted to forget their dreams. The little figure rose to her feet and hugged one of Zayd’s fingers gratefully.

“Do you know any spells, then?” asked the fairy.

“Only spellings from school, I’m afraid. And I’m still learning those. But I have an idea to create a different sort of magic, which just might help. Starting with the tooth.”

The fairy wasn’t sure.

“You can have my tooth for nothing,” said Zayd simply.

The fairy shook her head. “Couldn’t possibly.”

“Take it,” Zayd insisted. “It will surely help to make the pearly city strong against the black clouds. You can have it. I don’t need it.”

But the fairy shook her little blonde head sadly.

“It’s not possible. If I can’t give you anything in return it makes me feel sad. And when I’m sad, I feel heavy. Then I’ll never get off the ground. Fairies beat their wings on a tide of happiness they create whenever they make a wish come true – like leaving silver coins under the pillow. That makes for a speedy flight!”

“Hmmm,” said Zayd thoughtfully. And then he had an idea. He carried the fairy over to his pillow.

“It would make me very happy if you just took the tooth,” he said.

“It won’t work,” said the fairy.

“Then why don’t you give me something in exchange?”
“But I can’t do the money magic with a broken wand.”

“Then give me the wand – it’s beautifully made and would make me very happy.”

The fairy thought for a moment. It was true she had a collection of many different wands back at the fairy city. But letting a child have a magic wand – even a broken one – might cause problems. Then again, it would create the necessary stream of happiness to allow the fairy to return to the city with the tooth. It was a tricky situation. But it might just work. And who would know? Yes, she convinced herself. It was the only way. She smiled and glowed so brightly the whole room was bathed in golden light.

“That would allow me to fly easily… if you’re sure it would make you happy.”

Zayd nodded. The fairy held out the tiny item, no bigger than a sewing needle and the little boy took it in his fingers, examining the delicate craftsmanship, as only fairies know-how. It was sparkling silver with little golden stars that glittered and still gave off a little magic dust.

“It’s a deal, then,” said Zayd and the fairy darted quickly beneath the pillow for the precious tooth.
“I must get this back to the city above the clouds immediately,” said the fairy, hovering in front of Zayd’s face with the tissue package wedge beneath her arm.

“Will I see you again?”

The little creature nodded.

“Next time you lose a tooth… as long as you still believe.” She sighed before continuing sadly: “If only there were more children like you. Then there would be more fairies and more magic in the world – and more teeth to make the fairy city safe against the darkest storm clouds.”

“More magic. What do you mean?”
The fairy sighed impatiently.

“Don’t you know anything? Fairies are responsible for granting wishes all over the world to help the Almighty. What do you think the pearly white city is for? It’s not just for show, you know; it’s the source of all fairy magic.”

Now Zayd began to understand.

“Wait,” he said. “You mean if the fairy city falls from the sky, no more wishes can come true?”

“No magic, no wishes,” replied the fairy. “At least not as quickly. He’s very busy these days, you know. This internet thing has made everything so much more difficult. People have to believe to create the magic that binds the universe together. Don’t you know anything?”

Zayd felt he did know quite a bit. But what the fairy said sounded sad.

“You see the problem,” the fairy added.

“So it all depends on people believing,” mumbled Zayd, echoing the fairy’s sadness. And he felt he knew it was true. The fairy nodded.

“Suppose somebody was able to make lots of people believe in fairies?”

“I’d grant them their fondest wish, that’s for sure,” said the fairy.

Then it reached out its tiny hand to shake Zayd’s little finger.

“I’ve got to fly now. But thanks for your help.”

The little fairy disappeared in a puff of golden smoke before Zayd even had time to utter the word ‘goodbye’ and suddenly found himself sitting in the dark. But he could still feel the tiny wand he held between his fingers. And Zayd had another idea. He smiled at the thought of what the next day would bring as he closed his eyes and fell into a deep and comfortable sleep…

Stay tuned for Chapter four tomorrow!

Andrew Goss is the author of The Humanitarian, a novel set against the backdrop of a devastating natural disaster – the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, which killed 80,000 and left millions homeless. The paperback novel will be released in July this year, but Andrew has recently released a charity eBook edition of his novel to raise funds for “some of the most vulnerable in our society to help them come through this terrible time.” All the author’s proceeds from the eBook edition will be divided between Action Homeless in the UK and desperately poor communities in Pakistan, where he worked and drew inspiration for his book. Find out more about the charity eBook here.

The Last Fairy – Chapter Two

by Book Guild | May 12, 2020 | News

The Last Fairy is a beautiful story by Andrew Goss, for children and their carers everywhere during the lockdown. We’ll be posting a new chapter each day this week so tune in each day to see how this magical story will unfold:

Illustration by Christina Scholz!

Chapter Two

UNDER the covers Zayd pinched a small fold of skin between his fingers and squeezed firmly. The clock downstairs suddenly stopped ticking. He watched as the light came closer. What if the fairy should see he was still awake? He shut his eyes and kept perfectly still.

The greyness of his closed eyes became red, then bright orange as the light came closer. The flutter of tiny wings grew louder. And suddenly, they stopped. In the same instant, he felt a little pat on the pillow beside his face, as if a tiny object had suddenly dropped beside him. He opened his eyes slightly and found himself squinting at a little figure no taller than a matchbox, surrounded by the brilliant light that lit the room like a candle. It had its back to Zayd and was much too busy looking for something to notice he was awake, as it struggled to slide its tiny arms underneath the pillow, tutting to itself like an angry bumble-bee.

It was quite the strangest creature Zayd had ever seen. It was dressed in sparkling yellow clothing which consisted of lycra mini-skirt, jacket, shiny golden tights and tiny heeled boots. The little head was a flame of blonde curls, through which Zayd could see pink pointed ears. And as it wriggled it threw out a cloud of golden dust from delicate wings upon its back, which began to fill the room like a cloud of glittering light. Zayd felt a tickle on his nose and before he could stop himself shattered the silence with an enormous sneeze, sending his little visitor shooting across the bedroom like a firework across the sky, and into the far wall, sending sparks in all directions.

Zayd gasped. The little creature had fallen to the floor and its light had become weak and dim. What had he done? Curiosity overcame his sense of fear and he swung his legs out of bed and tiptoed towards the glowing light. The dazed fairy rubbed her eyes in disbelief at the large child approaching. And pinched herself.

“You’re not allowed to see me. You’re supposed to be asleep,” she said angrily in a squeaky voice barely louder than the quietest whisper.

“Sorry,” said Zayd in reply and the fairy put her hands over her pointed ears.

“Shhhh! You’re hurting my ears!”

“Sorry again,” whispered Zayd. “Are you all right?”

The fairy nodded.
“But I’ll have to put you to sleep right away,” she said, whipping out a magic wand from a ruffle in her skirt. “Before you hurt me.”

“But I won’t hurt you and I don’t want to go to sleep.”

“I’m not risking it. I’ve seen what big people do to each other,” said the fairy and performed a strange weaving motion with her wand. Nothing happened. She tried again, with a delicate sweep of her arm. The tiny wand was broken.

“Oh dear,” said the fairy and tapped the little rod against the carpet, as if this might suddenly fix it.

“See what you’ve done,” she added unhappily. “Now I simply can’t do the magic.”

Zayd smiled. “Good, because I want to see what happens.”

“You don’t understand, stupid. Not the sleep thing. Changing your tooth into silver coins. I can’t take your great white tusk without performing the money magic. Now I’ll never get the tusk back and without it, I can’t save the fairy city. And I am certain to become the last fairy.”

Zayd was puzzled. “The last one?”

So, the fairy explained…

Once upon a time, when Zayd’s Papa was a boy, there were thousands of fairies and children’s teeth were plentiful enough to build strong castles in the sky, high above the fluffy clouds where the great fairy cities floated on the four winds. Even above Africa. And especially above Algeria.

But a great tragedy had befallen the fairy kingdom. People had stopped believing in fairies. Children began to lose the magic of belief and give their dreams to new computer worlds. And their imaginations were being dulled by mobile phones. And every time a person stopped believing, a fairy dropped down dead. Great pearly white cities had fallen into decay and black storm clouds smashed the magnificent fairy castles. And the fairies were disappearing fast.

“Even when your older sisters stopped believing there were still many thousands of us. But now I fear I may become the only one. I haven’t seen a fellow fairy for quite some time. And the city…” She began to cry. “The last city is falling into decay, threatened by the biggest, blackest clouds I have ever seen.”

“Perhaps I can help,” said Zayd and took the little fairy gently in his hand…

Stay tuned for Chapter three tomorrow!

Andrew Goss is the author of The Humanitarian, a novel set against the backdrop of a devastating natural disaster – the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, which killed 80,000 and left millions homeless. The paperback novel will be released in July this year, but Andrew has recently released a charity eBook edition of his novel to raise funds for “some of the most vulnerable in our society to help them come through this terrible time.” All the author’s proceeds from the eBook edition will be divided between Action Homeless in the UK and desperately poor communities in Pakistan, where he worked and drew inspiration for his book. Find out more about the charity eBook here.

The Last Fairy – Chapter One

by Book Guild | May 11, 2020 | News

The Last Fairy is a beautiful story by Andrew Goss, for children and their carers everywhere during the lockdown. We’ll be posting a new chapter each day this week so tune in each day to see how this magical story will unfold:

Illustration by Christina Scholz!

Chapter One

ZAYD lay perfectly still. He was waiting, listening in the semi-darkness, eyes wide open as he peeped over the covers into the shadows. Everyone was in bed and in the quiet of the night he could hear the sound of his own heart beating. Thumpity-thump, thumpity-thump…

Through the gap in the curtains, he could see the moon and the silvery light which shone into his room allowed him to see the shapes of his bedroom furniture. But the longer he lay there, the more sounds he heard. The ticking of the big clock downstairs grew louder and louder. And the quicker his heart began to beat. Some of the shadows in his room took on monster-like shapes so that he hardly dared look from beneath his covers. Yet he was determined to stay awake, on this night of all nights and pinched himself whenever he felt his eyes closing. Underneath his pillow lay the first tooth he had lost. It had ‘fallen out’ earlier that day and was now carefully wrapped in tissue paper, ready for the fairies to collect. He had first felt the tooth wobble several weeks ago.

“You’ll be getting a visit from the fairies soon,” his Papa Nabil told his son with a chuckle and had smiled to see the excitement fill the boy’s eyes.

“Do they really come out at night to fetch the tooth?”

“Of course,” his Papa had said with a smile. “But only when the children are asleep because they are frightened of big people.”

“Oh,” said Zayd. “Do you think I could see one if I stayed awake and was very still and quiet?”

“You could always try.”

And this is exactly what Zayd had decided to do. Particularly as his Papa had been unable to tell him exactly what happened when a fairy came. When he asked his father again about the fairies, he had barely looked up from the newspaper which he read from cover to cover in the evenings. He was especially looking for news of Algeria, a country very far away on the very northern rim of Africa, where his Papa had lived as a boy.

“About the fairies…” Zayd began to ask him.

His father sighed heavily. Suddenly he looked very tired.

“Well… erm… I think… I don’t really know. We can talk later. Run along. I’m busy right now, he had said with a furrowed brow.” He missed the country where he had grown up.

Zayd was surprised. His Papa usually knew everything. And he didn’t see him later. Instead, he frowned over the newspaper, sometimes sighing deeply and forgot all about the fairies. If he could only stay awake to see what happened when a fairy came, maybe his Papa would stop reading the newspaper. Perhaps he would stop working so long every day in the shop, where every day dozens of men and boys would come to have their hair cut. Perhaps he would stop looking troubled. Perhaps he would listen. And maybe he would smile. He used to smile much more. Now he often seemed sad and tired when he came home from the shop. His Mama was the same. But Zayd’s tooth was at the wobbling stage only. Perhaps his sisters could help. Sukaina was 13 and wouldn’t have anything to do with it.

“You’ll just have to wait until it falls out,” she said. She was already beginning to sound like a grown-up. His sister Hajer was more helpful.

“Stand still, Zayd and I’ll hit you in the mouth. I’ll do it quickly, so it won’t hurt.”

Zayd wasn’t sure about this idea but finally nodded in agreement.

Wham!!

“Ooouch!” Zayd screamed in pain and burst into a flood of tears. His Papa threw his newspaper down and stormed into the room.

“What is this?” he asked his children. He sent Hajer straight to bed without the usual supper. But Zayd thought the tooth was much looser after that and later smuggled a chocolate bar to his older sister. She was 11 and thought the idea of catching a fairy was pretty awesome. Only, she couldn’t be bothered herself. Besides, she was impatient to get back to her computer games. Worse still, she was beginning to show an interest in make-up.

Zayd, however, was determined and twisted the tooth a little more every day for a week until finally, it seemed to cling to his gum by a tiny thread. He went to find Hajer. One final twist and it was out! It hadn’t hurt. That had been this morning.

“Are you sure the fairies will come tonight?” Zayd asked his Papa as he wrapped the little tooth carefully in tissue paper.

“Hmmm?” his father replied as if he wasn’t really listening.

“Will the fairies come?”

“Sure they will. That’s what they say.”

And Zayd slipped the small package under his pillow and bounced into bed, watched by his parents.

“Goodnight Papa. Goodnight Mama.”

Then he yawned extra sleepily and turned onto his side, pretending to fall asleep immediately.

“Must be very tired,” he heard his mother mumble on her way out.

As soon as she had left the room, Zayd put his finger to his mouth, just to make sure it had happened. He was happy to feel the gap, rubbing his fingertip over the ragged gum where the tooth had been. It was still sore but had a reassuring numbness to it.

He wasn’t certain how long he lay there. He must have dozed off, for the next thing he knew all the lights were out and the house was in complete darkness. Everything was still, except for the ticking of the big clock downstairs and the thumping of his heart.

He poked his tongue into the gap in his teeth, just to make sure. Suddenly he stopped what he was doing and listened as hard as he could. He was certain he heard a humming sound, like the buzz of a fly. He listened harder. It wasn’t a fly. More like the quick flutter of a butterfly’s wings. His eyes opened wider, peering bravely from under the covers into the darkness.

And then he saw it. A tiny dot of golden light that seemed to hover in the corner of the room, like a little firefly. Zayd kept perfectly still, his gaze resting on the dazzling light, desperate to breathe as quietly as he could. He felt his heartbeat quicken with excitement…

Stay tuned for Chapter two tomorrow!

Andrew Goss is the author of The Humanitarian, a novel set against the backdrop of a devastating natural disaster – the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, which killed 80,000 and left millions homeless. The paperback novel will be released in July this year, but Andrew has recently released a charity eBook edition of his novel to raise funds for “some of the most vulnerable in our society to help them come through this terrible time”. All the author’s proceeds from the eBook edition will be divided between Action Homeless in the UK and desperately poor communities in Pakistan, where he worked and drew inspiration for his book. Find out more about the charity eBook here.

Staff Q&A: Joe Shillito

by Book Guild | Apr 30, 2020 | News

At Troubador, our team is made up of a mixture of talented individuals. We thought it would be interesting to share with you an insight into the lives of staff members who are writers and published authors. Today’s Q&A is with Joe Shillito, Senior Production Controller:

What do you write?

I primarily write fantasy. I’m currently working on the first in an epic fantasy series and completed my second draft last week, so I am currently knee-deep in pages as I work through the next edit!

How long have you been writing?

I have only really been disciplined with my writing since I started working at Troubador, around three and a half years ago. Surprisingly, once I had replaced my student lifestyle with a regular 9-5 routine, I actually found it easier to schedule a consistent time for writing. I did of course still write prior to working at Troubador, but less regularly and never with the end goal of finishing a book.

What is your writing routine?

Under normal circumstances, I have quite a busy life, trying to fit writing between work, playing in a local brass band (which takes a surprising number of evenings and weekends), exercise and, more recently, planning a wedding! This means I have to be disciplined with setting aside time for writing and sticking to it. I write every day at work during my lunch hour, and I try to fit another hour at the end of the day before cooking dinner, on days when we don’t need to rush out to a rehearsal.

What have been the challenges or advantages of lockdown for a writer, from your POV?

One big advantage is the lengthening of the day as a result of working from home and not needing to commute. For me, this means an extra hour of time which I can put towards the things that I want to achieve, and writing is high on that list. This can be a double-edged sword, though – with so much extra time during the day, it can be tempting to put off working on the book if I am not feeling ‘in the zone’. This is why it is so important to set a routine and stick to it (see below).

What is your one tip for writers during this situation?

The lockdown has the potential to play havoc with your normal writing routine, so it is important to set yourself a new one. For example, my fiancée starts work half an hour before I do, so I have committed to sitting at my desk and writing for that half hour before I start work. It may not sound like much, but those half hours add up. The important thing is to keep writing – it can be a nice break from the strange reality we find ourselves in!

Ending on a light note, can you tell us a literary-themed joke!

What would you find in Charles Dickens’s kitchen?

The best of thymes, the worst of thymes.

Staff Q&A: Sophie Morgan

by Book Guild | Apr 30, 2020 | News

At Troubador, our team is made up of a mixture of talented individuals. We thought it would be interesting to share with you an insight into the lives of staff members who are writers and published authors. First up is Sophie Morgan, Marketing Controller:

What do you write?

American romance – and yes, there’s a difference! English romances tend to focus on the heroine and her journey to the hero while American romances are more about the journey of the two as a couple. I have always written more paranormal romance but lately have been experimenting with contemporary romance as well.

How long have you been writing?

It’s the standard answer to say, ‘all my life’, but it’s true. I finished my first novel when I was sixteen and continued to write more, managing to get published when I was twenty-four. I am fortunate to have since had four books published. I always knew I wanted a career as a writer, but I never imagined how challenging it would be to juggle a full-time job with it!

What is your writing routine?

Because I commute 40/45 minutes to work every day, I have fallen into the habit of only writing at the weekends. I like to write in short bursts of time, setting myself a routine of an hour or so in the morning and the same in the afternoon, depending on what my weekend plans are. That way, it’s broken up, easier to approach, and doesn’t feel like a huge commitment when I might not be inspired to write.

What have been the challenges or advantages of lockdown for a writer, from your POV?

I think it’s very easy to think that because you work from home, it’s naturally going to mean you’ll have more opportunities to write. However, sitting in the same setting as where I do my writing then makes me feel keener to get away from the screen at the end of the day. I make sure to separate where I do my ‘home’ writing from my work so that I can close the workday. And because I am getting more time to spend time with my spaniel, watch TV and read in the evenings, I no longer see weekends as the sole time I can fit all of these things in. This makes me feel more energised to write and doesn’t make me feel like it is something I ‘should’ do. Rather, something I ‘want’ to do!

What is your one tip for writers during this situation?

I learned early on that you can’t sit on your laurels and expect the Muse to mosey along. Writing takes persistence, dedication and a little piece of your soul (joking…mostly). The most important thing is to write even if you’re not inspired to do so. Very often I will sit down, feeling like the prose I’m writing has a vivid hue of purple – then within the next paragraph, I’ll start getting my flow and it runs from there. In exercise, you warm-up, so I don’t see why it should be any different with writing. Don’t treat every word you write as if it can’t be erased. The most important thing is to write every day, warm up those muscles and remember it’s supposed to be fun!

Ending on a light note, can you tell us a literary-themed joke!

The Past, the Present and the Future walked into a bar. It was tense.

Check back again tomorrow for another Q&A.