Sky Pirates - Alex English Blog Tour

It's no secret that I'm a BIG fan of Sky Pirates, Alex English's first MG novel, and have been since I read the proof copy that came my way in April.  You can read my original blog post here: https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/sky-pirates-alex-english-released-date.html?spref=bl).

When Year 6 came back to school after May half-term, there was no question about what I wanted to read to my bubble class (6Calm, affectionately known as 6Giggles).  Luckily they didn't take much persuasion so we headed in, and they were completely hooked from the beginning!  They asked me to read more whilst they ate their lunch, they groaned when I had to stop reading so they could go out to do sport and they have hung on every word!  There are a few cliff-hanging moments in the plot and it's been a joy to see their faces as I either leave them hanging or get to that moment where there's a big reveal, so you can imagine the excitement when I said I had the opportunity to interview Alex as part of the launch of the book and I wanted them to create the questions!

Below, you will find a mix of questions from them and also a smattering from me, along with Alex's answers.

Enjoy!

1. Where did the inspiration for Sky Pirates come from?

It’s hard to say really, as so many things influence me. I’ve always been a keen reader, and reading widely is very important to me. I also love watching films and TV – Studio Ghibli films are some of my favourites. The idea for the city shut off from the rest of the world originally came from Brexit though. I couldn’t have predicted the current situation with lockdown! 

2. If you could be any character from Sky Pirates, who would you be and why?

   

I would definitely be Echo, because she’s brave and daring. Plus I’d love a pet lizard like Gilbert.

3. Which character are you most like from the book?

I’m probably most like Lil, although sadly I don’t have a cutlass (yet).

4. If you had your own sky ship, what would it look like?

I’d have one with billowing sails and plenty of cannons, like the Scarlet Margaret. 

5. What do you hope readers will take away from Sky Pirates?

I hope they’ll take away a taste for adventure. That there is a world out there to explore and differentness isn’t something to be afraid of.

6. Echo spends the novel feeling very different to everyone else and also searching for her mother. How important to you was the difference between Echo and the other characters from Lockfort?

It was very important that Echo felt different as that is what drives her to find her family and the place she belongs. 

7. How did you come up with the names for the characters and the places?  (We especially like Professor Daggerwing!)

I have a special notebook where I collect juicy words whenever I see them. Mangrove and daggerwing were two words that happened to end up next to each other - I thought they sounded like an eccentric character’s name and the professor was born! I often use real words, for example I named Port Tourbillon after part of a watch mechanism.

8. How do you imagine the characters would sound if we could hear them talk?

I think Echo would be a fast talker and Horace would be a bit of a whinger. I’ve always imagined that Michael Sheen would play Professor Daggerwing, so he might have a Welsh accent.

9. What’s next for Echo, Gilbert and Horace?

I’m currently writing Echo, Gilbert and Horace’s next adventure, which involves dastardly rival sky pirate crews, a kidnap, an underwater library and dragon treasure! Today, Echo and Gilbert were dangling from a rope beneath an enemy pirate airship. Who knows what they’ll be up to tomorrow!

10. Did you read a lot as a child and who were your favourite authors?

Yes, I was an avid reader as a child. Some of my favourite authors were Joan Aiken, Eva Ibbotson and Enid Blyton.

11. What inspired you to write books?

I’ve always loved reading children’s books and had been writing as a hobby for a long time. When I was on maternity leave with my son I did a writing for children class at CityLit in London and that inspired me to try writing a whole book. After that, I just didn’t stop!

12. Were you good at writing at school and what advice would you give us?

I did really enjoy writing at school. I think the most important thing is to read lots and to read lots of different authors and styles of stories. Also, writing ideas down in a notebook whenever you think of them is really useful, as it means you have a bank of material to draw from when you need to write a story.

13. What made you make the leap from picture books to MG fiction and how did you find it?

I had always wanted to write middle-grade fiction, but it took me a little longer to learn the craft and get good enough at it to get something published! So I had been working on both at once, but my picture books were published first.

14. How do you find living in Paris? (asking because I’m a little bit envious!)

I really love living in Paris. There are loads of cool museums and art galleries, plus plenty of cafes to write in, and of course the food is great. It has been tricky learning the language, but I count myself very lucky to have the experience of living somewhere new. I only have one more year left here before returning to the UK, so I’m going to be making the most of it. It might even inspire another book, who knows!

Huge thanks to Alex for taking the time to answer these questions. Sky Pirates is officially out in the 23rd July but is available in some book stores already.