It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Hazel Prior onto the website today. Hazel is author of the number 1 bestseller Away with the Penguins, which was a Richard and Judy pick, and was described by the Daily Express as "This year's Eleanor Oliphant... Funny, bittersweet and wholly original."
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Hazel. Your background; where you were brought up; when you first began writing; your interests and so on.
Hazel: I was born in Oxford but I did most of my growing up in Herefordshire, on the Welsh borders. I seem to have lived in a lot of other places, too: Scotland, Dorset, Italy (Ferrara and Verona), Devon, Bath and now Exmoor. I’ve had a funny old mixture of jobs that included waitressing, kennel-maid-ing, teaching English as a foreign language, acting and tour-organising for an arts company, working for the National Trust and performing as a freelance Celtic harpist.
I’ve always loved writing and decided at an early age that I’d write a novel one day… but I never dreamed I’d earn a living from it and become a bestselling author. In fact I only started writing seriously a few years ago, when I won a short story competition and the prize was a free week’s course at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School. This gave me an inkling that it might be worth writing some more. I’ve now written three novels, Ellie and the Harp Maker, Away with the Penguins (USA title - How the Penguins Saved Veronica) and Call of the Penguins and I’m on my fourth. I am still feeling surprised – in a good way!
Here are the links to my books: Ellie and the Harp Maker, Away with the Penguins, Call of the Penguins.
As for my interests aside from writing, I love wildlife and country walks, eating good food, doing cryptic crosswords, reading in bed, playing the Celtic harp and making up songs (especially silly ones).
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Hazel. Your background; where you were brought up; when you first began writing; your interests and so on.
Hazel: I was born in Oxford but I did most of my growing up in Herefordshire, on the Welsh borders. I seem to have lived in a lot of other places, too: Scotland, Dorset, Italy (Ferrara and Verona), Devon, Bath and now Exmoor. I’ve had a funny old mixture of jobs that included waitressing, kennel-maid-ing, teaching English as a foreign language, acting and tour-organising for an arts company, working for the National Trust and performing as a freelance Celtic harpist.
I’ve always loved writing and decided at an early age that I’d write a novel one day… but I never dreamed I’d earn a living from it and become a bestselling author. In fact I only started writing seriously a few years ago, when I won a short story competition and the prize was a free week’s course at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School. This gave me an inkling that it might be worth writing some more. I’ve now written three novels, Ellie and the Harp Maker, Away with the Penguins (USA title - How the Penguins Saved Veronica) and Call of the Penguins and I’m on my fourth. I am still feeling surprised – in a good way!
Here are the links to my books: Ellie and the Harp Maker, Away with the Penguins, Call of the Penguins.
As for my interests aside from writing, I love wildlife and country walks, eating good food, doing cryptic crosswords, reading in bed, playing the Celtic harp and making up songs (especially silly ones).
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Hazel: My books don’t fit into any particular genre except perhaps ‘book club’. They include elements of romcom, psychological suspense and literary fiction. They are all character-driven and have been described as quirky, charming, original and uplifting. Settings are very important in my writing and my characters tend to be eccentric. The books include a lot of thought-provoking elements such as environmental issues, ageing, loneliness, emotional abuse and society’s twisted values, but I strive never to get too heavy about these. Having spent many years in intense physical pain myself, I’m very aware that readers often turn to books to escape from life’s problems. So it’s important to me to create stories that will make them come away feeling more positive. There are moments of emotional intensity but my aim is to put a smile on your face.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Hazel: I’m still trying to work this one out! For each book I’ve needed at least some idea where I’m heading otherwise the plot would just drift around. But I’m hopeless at planning. I’ve tried different approaches and none of them seems very efficient. If I write out a detailed synopsis or chapter outlines I end up abandoning them because I keep having other (hopefully better) ideas as I go along. If I follow my nose I do get a story but the structure is a real mess and I have to pull everything around many, many times before it feels right. For book 4 I’m trying to spend longer on the thinking/planning stage to save myself time on the editing stage. We’ll see if it works…
Hazel: My books don’t fit into any particular genre except perhaps ‘book club’. They include elements of romcom, psychological suspense and literary fiction. They are all character-driven and have been described as quirky, charming, original and uplifting. Settings are very important in my writing and my characters tend to be eccentric. The books include a lot of thought-provoking elements such as environmental issues, ageing, loneliness, emotional abuse and society’s twisted values, but I strive never to get too heavy about these. Having spent many years in intense physical pain myself, I’m very aware that readers often turn to books to escape from life’s problems. So it’s important to me to create stories that will make them come away feeling more positive. There are moments of emotional intensity but my aim is to put a smile on your face.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Hazel: I’m still trying to work this one out! For each book I’ve needed at least some idea where I’m heading otherwise the plot would just drift around. But I’m hopeless at planning. I’ve tried different approaches and none of them seems very efficient. If I write out a detailed synopsis or chapter outlines I end up abandoning them because I keep having other (hopefully better) ideas as I go along. If I follow my nose I do get a story but the structure is a real mess and I have to pull everything around many, many times before it feels right. For book 4 I’m trying to spend longer on the thinking/planning stage to save myself time on the editing stage. We’ll see if it works…
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Hazel: The one I’ve just finished is Call of the Penguins, which will be out this November. A lot of readers contacted me to ask for a sequel to my second book, Away with the Penguins, but my agent advised me that sequels don’t normally sell well. We decided it would be best if I wrote a new story about the same character, a very feisty octogenarian millionairess called Veronica McCreedy. You don’t need to know anything about what went on in Away with the Penguins to read this.
In Call of the Penguins Veronica is offered the chance to co-present a TV wildlife documentary that takes her across the planet, filming her beloved penguins. Meanwhile she is struggling with an issue about her wayward grandson, Patrick. While she is in the spotlight, there is a revelation about her family that completely throws her. Luckily a small child and a lot of penguins are there to help get her back on track.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Hazel: I do masses of research, as much as I possibly can, given the tight deadlines I now have. For the last two books this was mainly centred around penguins and the scientists who study them, especially in Antarctica. I spent happy hours watching penguins on Youtube. I read several books and scoured many, many websites for information. The British Antarctic Survey website was particularly useful because it includes blogs from environmental scientists. I also met some penguins myself at a sea-life centre in Torquay and quizzed the staff there who’d had experience of hand-rearing a baby penguin.
Veronica’s backstory is set during wartime Britain so there was historical research to do, too. I remembered some details my mother had told me about her school being evacuated to a huge country house, travelling in the horse-drawn milk float and seeing prisoners-of-war working in the fields. I also asked residents in a local care home about their memories and devoured books about the period.
My first novel involved a very different sort of research: I needed details about the process of harp-making. For this I visited a harp-maker in Cornwall, Tim Hampson, who was incredibly generous with his time and answered a great list of questions as well as letting me take photos of his workshop.
As for book 4, that is going to take more research than the other three put together. It terrifies me but also fascinates me so I’m up for it!
Hazel: The one I’ve just finished is Call of the Penguins, which will be out this November. A lot of readers contacted me to ask for a sequel to my second book, Away with the Penguins, but my agent advised me that sequels don’t normally sell well. We decided it would be best if I wrote a new story about the same character, a very feisty octogenarian millionairess called Veronica McCreedy. You don’t need to know anything about what went on in Away with the Penguins to read this.
In Call of the Penguins Veronica is offered the chance to co-present a TV wildlife documentary that takes her across the planet, filming her beloved penguins. Meanwhile she is struggling with an issue about her wayward grandson, Patrick. While she is in the spotlight, there is a revelation about her family that completely throws her. Luckily a small child and a lot of penguins are there to help get her back on track.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Hazel: I do masses of research, as much as I possibly can, given the tight deadlines I now have. For the last two books this was mainly centred around penguins and the scientists who study them, especially in Antarctica. I spent happy hours watching penguins on Youtube. I read several books and scoured many, many websites for information. The British Antarctic Survey website was particularly useful because it includes blogs from environmental scientists. I also met some penguins myself at a sea-life centre in Torquay and quizzed the staff there who’d had experience of hand-rearing a baby penguin.
Veronica’s backstory is set during wartime Britain so there was historical research to do, too. I remembered some details my mother had told me about her school being evacuated to a huge country house, travelling in the horse-drawn milk float and seeing prisoners-of-war working in the fields. I also asked residents in a local care home about their memories and devoured books about the period.
My first novel involved a very different sort of research: I needed details about the process of harp-making. For this I visited a harp-maker in Cornwall, Tim Hampson, who was incredibly generous with his time and answered a great list of questions as well as letting me take photos of his workshop.
As for book 4, that is going to take more research than the other three put together. It terrifies me but also fascinates me so I’m up for it!
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Hazel: Not at all. Readers often tell me they know characters who are like Veronica or Dan, the charming harp-maker, but in fact these two are complete figments of my imagination. It’s possible I’ve incorporated a few general traits from acquaintances, like Veronica’s tea-drinking and her interest in wildlife documentaries, but I don’t know anyone with her more unusual characteristics e.g. her litter-picking on the Ayrshire coast and her obsession with keeping doors closed. My main characters seem to just appear out of nowhere. I’m very grateful and hope they never stop doing it!
Alex: How do you market your books?
Hazel: When I started out I was completely ignorant and assumed I didn’t have to do anything. I had a huge publisher – wasn’t that their remit? But now of course I know that, although I’m allocated publicists and they do a wonderful job, readers like to see something from the actual author. So social media has become big in my life. I’m on Twitter and Instagram where I try to balance the book-promo with interesting little snippets of my own life and photos of my cat, Purrsy, who is much more photogenic than I am. And of course I have an author website. I’ve recently written my first ever newsletter, so do sign up!
(Link to website: https://www.hazelprior.co.uk/home
Link to Twitter: https://twitter.com/HazelPriorBooks
Link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazelpriorbooks/)
Live events have been impossible over all the lockdowns but I have a few booked in again. I’m giving talks at Taunton, Yeovil and Exeter literary festivals, which will be fun. I have an unusual device to help me: my harp! I took it to all the events about my debut novel, Ellie And The Harp Maker, because it was relevant and I could explain where my inspiration came from. People loved it so much I thought I’d use it for the other books too. So I accompany readings with a bit of harp ambience. I have even written a song about penguins with harp accompaniment. Somebody had to do it!
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Hazel: Music is the big one. Because writing is now the greater money-earner, harp-playing has been relegated to hobby status, but it’s still one of the major loves of my life. I play in a group, Foxwillow Trio and I also sing in a female a cappella quartet, The Hummingbirds. There are few things I enjoy more than making music with friends.
To unwind, of course, there is reading. I absolutely love wrapping myself in a big fluffy dressing-gown and immersing myself in an exciting novel. Walking in the countryside is the other life-saver for me. I’m lucky to live on Exmoor where there is always so much wild beauty around. I find walks in nature absolutely necessary and always come back rejuvenated. They usually produce an idea or two as well.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Hazel: Oh there are a lot! I love Thomas Hardy for his descriptions, Jane Austen for her wisdom and insights into human nature, Dickens for his marvellous, unconventional characters who are so memorable. Looking at living authors, I think Joanne Harris is a magnificent story-teller across many genres. I admire Nick Hornby for his wittily truthful depiction of human foibles. I keep discovering new authors as well, who astonish me with the brilliance of their debuts; for example Marianne Cronin for The One Hundred Years Of Lenni and Margot and Nita Prose for The Maid. There is a lot of extraordinary talent out there and I only wish I could read faster.
Alex: Thank you so much for sharing your writing journey with us, Hazel. It's been fascinating to hear. And best of luck with the next book - though I'm sure you won't need it.
Hazel: Thank you so much for inviting me, Alex. It’s a pleasure to be featured on your website.
Hazel: Not at all. Readers often tell me they know characters who are like Veronica or Dan, the charming harp-maker, but in fact these two are complete figments of my imagination. It’s possible I’ve incorporated a few general traits from acquaintances, like Veronica’s tea-drinking and her interest in wildlife documentaries, but I don’t know anyone with her more unusual characteristics e.g. her litter-picking on the Ayrshire coast and her obsession with keeping doors closed. My main characters seem to just appear out of nowhere. I’m very grateful and hope they never stop doing it!
Alex: How do you market your books?
Hazel: When I started out I was completely ignorant and assumed I didn’t have to do anything. I had a huge publisher – wasn’t that their remit? But now of course I know that, although I’m allocated publicists and they do a wonderful job, readers like to see something from the actual author. So social media has become big in my life. I’m on Twitter and Instagram where I try to balance the book-promo with interesting little snippets of my own life and photos of my cat, Purrsy, who is much more photogenic than I am. And of course I have an author website. I’ve recently written my first ever newsletter, so do sign up!
(Link to website: https://www.hazelprior.co.uk/home
Link to Twitter: https://twitter.com/HazelPriorBooks
Link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazelpriorbooks/)
Live events have been impossible over all the lockdowns but I have a few booked in again. I’m giving talks at Taunton, Yeovil and Exeter literary festivals, which will be fun. I have an unusual device to help me: my harp! I took it to all the events about my debut novel, Ellie And The Harp Maker, because it was relevant and I could explain where my inspiration came from. People loved it so much I thought I’d use it for the other books too. So I accompany readings with a bit of harp ambience. I have even written a song about penguins with harp accompaniment. Somebody had to do it!
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Hazel: Music is the big one. Because writing is now the greater money-earner, harp-playing has been relegated to hobby status, but it’s still one of the major loves of my life. I play in a group, Foxwillow Trio and I also sing in a female a cappella quartet, The Hummingbirds. There are few things I enjoy more than making music with friends.
To unwind, of course, there is reading. I absolutely love wrapping myself in a big fluffy dressing-gown and immersing myself in an exciting novel. Walking in the countryside is the other life-saver for me. I’m lucky to live on Exmoor where there is always so much wild beauty around. I find walks in nature absolutely necessary and always come back rejuvenated. They usually produce an idea or two as well.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Hazel: Oh there are a lot! I love Thomas Hardy for his descriptions, Jane Austen for her wisdom and insights into human nature, Dickens for his marvellous, unconventional characters who are so memorable. Looking at living authors, I think Joanne Harris is a magnificent story-teller across many genres. I admire Nick Hornby for his wittily truthful depiction of human foibles. I keep discovering new authors as well, who astonish me with the brilliance of their debuts; for example Marianne Cronin for The One Hundred Years Of Lenni and Margot and Nita Prose for The Maid. There is a lot of extraordinary talent out there and I only wish I could read faster.
Alex: Thank you so much for sharing your writing journey with us, Hazel. It's been fascinating to hear. And best of luck with the next book - though I'm sure you won't need it.
Hazel: Thank you so much for inviting me, Alex. It’s a pleasure to be featured on your website.
