I got my inspiration for my book, The Coal Boat from my grandmother, who travelled alone on a coal boat from the North East to London aged just fourteen to become a housemaid for a wealthy London family. I didn't actually hear the story until after her death, but hearing how she travelled sparked a wave of colourful and imaginative ideas for a story. Both the main character Nancy and the wider story are completely fictional but the idea came from my own family history. I wish I could go back and ask my grandmother how she felt; she must have been quite terrified.
Sam Kirk
The Coal Boat had a fifteen-year gestation period in my mind before I decided to stop making excuses and crack on and write the book. Even then, I didn't fully know the plot or character for the bohemian London second half. I would get up at 4-5am and write for a couple of hours before heading into London for work. I went to ground at weekends for a couple of years but completing the work had become a now or never moment for me. My editor Cally Worden was also a huge help, and kept the book on track when it was veering off in the wrong direction. I hope my second novel won't take quite so long!
I am left handed, extremely clumsy and not particularly domesticated, which is the source of great amusement in our household. But because I keep trying to fight against nature, the average weekend will consist of several minor explosions, splashes and crashes followed by lots of clearing up. I like to point out that I have other skills...
I have been inspired by authors like Donna Tart, Lionel Shriver and Rose Tremain. I love their boldness and depth, but they also write with sincerity that I was very conscious I wanted to give to my main character, Nancy. I am also a huge fan of Jonathan Franzen and Jeffrey Eugenedes; I like a wide range of writing and I am definitely drawn to books that have a dry or wicked sense of humour. Being a business analyst, I try to absorb what I think works well and apply it in a fairly empirical way.
I strongly believe it is an author's job to entertain the reader. I gave The Coal Boat a traditional structure; a beginning, middle, and an end, with a strong storyline and plenty of twists and turns along the way. But I also subscribe to what Lionel Shriver said recently: If a book can't offend, then it's the end of books. I don't want The Coal Boat to offend, but I do want it to be thought provoking.
Growing up I was almost pathologically independent, and this led to me wanting to go to university and pursue a high-pressured career. Looking back I was deeply affected by family stories of ambition and talent thwarted by circumstance. I'm not sure I have the balance right myself, and certainly my two teenage sons certainly have very different views on this subject!
I am a very reluctant social media user. I am always fighting temptation to write something darkly sarcastic or unbelievably mundane rather than uplifting; it's just how my brain works.
In my twenties I took off to Australia by myself and lived and worked there for two years. I had an absolute blast; though my lack of common sense and dexterity was a not a good mix with Australian extreme sports. I had several near misses. With the passing of time, these tales have acquired a sort of folklore status amongst my friends and still get a nostalgic airing (which usually involve several people crying with laughter) over a glass of Aussie Sauvignon Blanc now and again.
People are already asking me about a sequel to The Coal Boat. My favourite character is Queenie, and at the moment I am rolling around ideas for an Oscar Wilde-style prequel called Quentin.
I am fascinated by hoarding. I am also thinking about a novel about a hoarder. If I wasn't doing my current job I would be like Kim and Aggie, in there with my hair in a bun and my marigolds on, with a skip waiting outside. Hmnnnn...Satisfying.
The Coal Boat by Sam Kirk is out now and available on Amazon.