Author Interview: Natasha Farrant
Author of The Secret of Golden Island (see our review here)
Can you tell us a bit about your latest novel, The Secret of Golden Island?
It’s an action-packed adventure story set by the sea, in which two children, Yakov and Skylar, enter a competition together to win an island. Skylar believes that winning will help her very sick grandfather get better. Yakov, who has fled a warzone, wants it as a safe place for his family. Little do they know what danger they are putting themselves in…
What inspired you to write Skylar and Yakov’s story?
Three things: my dear father’s own illness; the beginning of the war in Ukraine; and a tiny, remote Breton island called Keller which I saw from afar when I was on holiday fifteen years ago. There is only one house on that island, and even then I wondered who lived there…
Later, quite by coincidence, I discovered that the island belonged to the family of the ex-girlfriend of one of my oldest friends!
What kind of discussions would you like The Secret of Golden Island to prompt in schools?
The importance of putting yourself in other people’s shoes. Yakov has had to leave his country because of a war. He’s lucky of course, compared to others: he holds a British passport and he is staying with relatives. It doesn’t mean he feels lucky: he has seen terrible things, he’s homesick, he’s lonely, his English isn’t as good as he thought it was. I think there’s a tendency to believe that displaced people should be grateful for the help they receive. Yakov is grateful, but he’s also lost and angry and resentful. There’s a discussion to be had about empathy and trauma, and understanding the way people present is not necessarily how they feel.
Then there’s Skylar, whose beloved grandfather has had a stroke: I’m not sure we talk enough with children about the fact that loved ones get older and frailer. Relationships change – before the book starts, Grandpa is the one who takes Skylar out in his boat. By the end, she is doing the same for him. Obviously, not every child is able to sail their ailing grandparent to a private island! But children have a role to play in the lives of the elderly, and vice versa – old age and infirmity don’t have to mean the end of everything!
Finally, as with all my books, there’s the wonder of the natural world. I’ve spoken to so many children for whom nature is something that happens somewhere else, or only when you go on holiday. All around me, I see how children from a tiny age are given screens to look at, where previous generations were shown the world around them. This isn’t a judgement, more of an observation, but it does make me worry for the wellbeing both of our children and of the planet. I’m always happy to encourage conversation about real, precious outside spaces.
What three items would you need to take to your own private island?
Assuming I have food, shelter, water and an excellent library, I would take pen, paper and a good pillow! I know, I cheated – that’s seven!
What’s your top writing tip for budding authors?
Read a lot. Be curious about the world around you – it’s where ideas come from. Write your first draft for yourself, without worrying about what other people might think of it. Then re-read what you’ve written and polish again and again until it’s as perfect as you can make it. I know, I know… I cheated again! That’s at least four top tips!
Thank you to Natasha for visiting our blog this week to tell us more about her newest book. The Secret of Golden Island is available from Amazon or Bookshop. Read our review panel’s review of the book here.
See Natasha’s other books across our topic and reading for pleasure booklists, such as The Girl Who Talked to Trees on our Plants and Trees Booklist and The Rescue of Ravenwood on our Year 5 Recommended Reading List.
Check out our reading for pleasure and curriculum booklists to find more books for children KS2.
Where next?
> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub.
> Browse our Topic Booklists.
> View our printable year group booklists.
> See our Books of the Month.