Meeting Nikki Sheehan - 'Tender, funny, wise and just a little bit magical.'

Here are the answers author Nikki Sheehan gave to some of the questions Beaumont students asked during her recent visit to the Library:

What inspired you to write Swan Boy?
The painful feeling of knowing you're different and the joy of realising it doesn't matter.

What were your favourite books as a child?
Poetry, Roald Dahl and books that made me laugh. Also creepy Edwardian stories and books in the magical realism genre such as Tom's Midnight Garden.

What would you do if you were caught up in a zombie invasion?
Climb, get higher and distract them with fresh meat!

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I wanted to do other things first but have always enjoyed writing. All my jobs have involved writing.

What is you favourite CBeebies programme?
In the Night Garden.

What is the saddest book you've ever read?
One by Sarah Crossan . My next novel is about a boy locked in a kennel with a dog. It is sad, but not overly so.

Who was your idol when you were young?
Singers and songwriters rather than authors. Madonna!

Are any of your characters based on real people?
They contain elements of real people. I dissect people I know and put parts of them into the characters. Flea in Who Framed Klaris Cliff? is very like my youngest son, especially physically.

Thank you, Nikki!