Author Interview: Ashley Thorpe

We had an opportunity to chat with Ashley Thorpe, author of The Boy to Beat the Gods! Read our interview with him, below:

1. When did you decide that you wanted to become an author?

I’ve written stories since childhood, but I was 19 when I really decided I wanted to see my work published someday. I read Richard Wright’s autobiographical book Black Boy, and his life story inspired me so much I thought it was possible I could be an author for real rather than just posting web stories and fanfics.

2. Did you read lots as a child - if you did, where did you mainly read? If you didn't, what was the reason?

I was an avid reader, and read more than I can remember at my local library – taking most of those books home with me. But I was also a comics kid – subscribing to The Beano in particular, but also Sonic the Comic. At secondary school I was more into Manga, probably because I couldn’t find much that I could relate to in those years. I didn’t really come back to fiction in a big way until sixth form college, which had a library. I read Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses, and His Dark Materials Trilogy, which reignited the passion.

3. What was your favourite book as a child and why?

It’s very difficult to pinpoint one! I can point to Malorie Blackman’s books because they were the only ones in the 90s where I saw main characters who looked like me. Roald Dahl’s stories were really funny to me and had heroes I could root for. I enjoyed being thrilled by the Goosebumps books, and Animorphs with its high stakes, dark tone and relatable heroes. I also loved the Usborne Puzzle Adventures because I liked games and puzzles – so combining that with a narrative was a winner for me.

4. How does it feel to see your books in shops and being sold?

It feels amazing, and still a bit surreal to realise a long-held dream. I hope it’s something I never get used to, but I don’t think I will because this isn’t an industry where you can ever take things for granted.

5. What is the best part about being an author?

The writing of a story – creating something from nothing – but also interacting with the very children the stories are there to serve. The enthusiasm of kids on school visits is infectious, and it makes me so happy to see I’ve reached them or created something they are really into.

6. What are the "not so fun bits" in being an author?

I’m still trying to balance the creative side of my job with the business side. I don’t necessarily enjoy the business of books, but I’m pragmatic and know I must, to have a chance at career longevity.

7. Why do you think it is important for children to read?

I can say from personal experience that your life chances improve significantly with literacy. I really do think reading makes people more empathetic as well, which is sorely needed right now. Also from personal experience, I didn’t greatly fit in to the small world I knew in my hometown as a child and then teenager. But even if I couldn’t escape that world back then, books showed me that there were other places, other perspectives, and that made me want to eventually discover more for myself.

8. What is the inspiration for your books and writing?

More than anything I want to give young readers the same sense of wonder, adventure and drama I felt when reading books as a child. The books you read as a kid can be foundational. They can shape who you are and create precious memories that last a lifetime. I don’t take that for granted at all. I keep writing because I still have that sense of wonder and creativity, but now I also have the lived experience to share with it in the stores I tell.

9. Who gives you feedback on your drafts and how do you act on the feedback?

With The Boy to Beat the Gods, my agent gave me initial tweaks before we went out on submission. But since being under contract with a publisher, it’s my editor who sees the drafts and sends me notes. I count myself as very fortunate to have an editor who understands my voice and is on the same wavelength. When I receive edits I usually start with an initial read-through and fix of the easiest things. By the time I come to a second read-through, I’ll have reminded myself of the story, settled back into the world, and thought about the larger points my editor mentioned, as well as my own ideas about how to take the story development further. Then the third, and sometimes even fourth, read-through is for finessing, and checking I haven’t introduced errors.

10. Finally, if you could read for an hour, on your own, anywhere in the world - where would it be?

Great question. I’d pick a beach on an island in the Caribbean any day!