Jun 03 2014.
views 970Claire O’Brien, the author of popular children’s book series Cordelia Codd is a British author. Growing up in the middle of England, playing in abandoned allotment gardens and riding her bicycle, Claire immersed herself in books from a young age. Claire first started writing when her year four teacher sat her in a corner for talking too much and told her to get on with some handwriting. Although her stories came much later, it was then that Claire realized that that she was the happiest sitting alone with a pencil and her thoughts.
First book you remember reading?
It was a Ladybird book. There were two characters, Peter and Jane. Jane never got to do anything interesting, just stay clean and tidy and watch Peter. It was very old–fashioned but the sun was always shining in the pictures, which doesn’t happen every day in England, and I did teach myself to read with it. I remember clearly when I first began to pick out the words and showed my Mum, very proudly, that I could read.
What are you currently reading?
The Story: Love, Loss and the Lives of Women chosen by Victoria Hislop and There for the Picking by Mary Cockett.
How do you decide on what book to read?
Sometimes I start a project, like my current hunt for children’s authors from a certain era.
One book you regret having read.
None, but there are several authors who I won’t be returning to.
Who is your favourite author?
Michael Morpurgo, William Trevor and Jennifer Johnston but Hilary Mantel is also on my list.
If you could ask him/her one question what would it be?
How do you find the energy to write so much that is so consistently brilliant?
Three newly published books you would recommend?
A Girl is a Half–Formed Thing by Elimear McBride. Although it came out a couple of years ago I would say Artichoke Hearts by Sita Bramachari and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher.
What is your absolute favourite non–fiction book of all time? And why?
A good dictionary will give you something new every day for the rest of your life.
What is more important to you in a book, the writing the plot or the conclusion?
The writing, every time. I want sentences that sing, that amaze me in their insight and ability to conjure images. Few writers achieve this but the favourites I mentioned and also Anne Enright and Arundhati Roy have a genius for it.
If you do re-read books what book have you re-read more than others?
I rarely re–read, unless it is to work out how an author managed to construct a brilliant sentence or a dazzling plot twist.
As a literary enthusiast what have you gained from the books you have read?
There were few books in the house where I grew up. I sought them out at school and the library. They took me on travels and introduced me to characters and situations I would never otherwise have met. They let me experience debate, discourse, conflict and dialogue in a home where conversation was rare. Through books, I observed people’s minds at work and learned what bravery and cowardice are. They taught me about empathy, and what it means to have friends, to betray friends, to lose friends and to love and be loved.
In your opinion the best movie adaptation of a book is?
The film of Roald Dahl’s Matilda is pretty good.
A character in a book you would like to bring back to life and why?
Jean Sorel in Scarlet and Black.
A book or a series that you would love to be adapted into a movie or TV show?
My own Cordelia Codd series! And Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass.
A memorable book from your childhood?
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillippa Pearce.
How would you encourage the younger generation to read?
If you want to change this world for yourself and others then feed your imagination with good books.
By Tina Edward Gunawardhana
0 Comments
Claire O'Brien says:
Dec 04, 2014 at 12:00 amHi Just to add that I would only recommend A Girl is a Half Formed Thing to adults, it is definitely not for children or even young teens. Hope that didn't offend anyone. Claire