Anouska Knight

Since securing the top prize in a widely-publicized UK writing contest, Anouska Knight has become an international sensation with her debut novel, ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’, hitting both The Bookseller and Heatseekers bestseller lists and securing praise from the likes of Jackie Collins and Jenny Colgan. A former bakery owner, she has gone on to wide acclaim in her native England and now writes full-time, currently on her next novel for Harlequin Mira. Anouska lives in Staffordshire close to the countryside where she grew up, with husband Jamie, her childhood sweetheart, their two growing boys and new baby son. When she’s not writing or wrestling small children, she can still often be found baking and will whip up a cake at the drop of a hat if asked nicely. ‘Letting You Go’ is her latest novel.

1. Can you tell us about your new book ‘Letting You Go’?
   Letting You Go is a story about family bonds, the secrets people hold onto to protect those they love and the seemingly less significant decisions we all make that can go on to have awful consequences.

   After her kid brother’s tragic accident a decade earlier, Alex is keeping a low profile, bumbling through her uneventful life, quietly dealing with the burden of her guilt. Alex can’t get past the part she played in what happened down by the river that day. She’s feels responsible for irreparably fracturing her own family and has major problems when she has to return to her home town and the fragile family she’s been trying not to inflict herself upon.

   As old ghosts resurface, Alex starts to realise that she doesn’t know all there is to know about the people she loves, or the people she left behind who still love her.

2. To the readers of the website, tell us about yourself and how you got into writing.
   I’ve always enjoyed writing I think… frenzied diary entries (the dreary self-indulgent kind) daft poems, lyrics for songs I’d never learn how to put music to because I was too busy hanging out with the teenagers I was writing frenzied diary entries about. But my first chance at writing for publication, well that really was the strangest thing.

   By chance, I stumbled across a writing competition on ITV’s Lorraine back in 2013. The competition promised the tidy little prize of a jaunt to Beverly Hills for lunch with the Jackie Collins, AND a real-life bonafide book deal.

   I rattled off my 1k word entry that afternoon and emailed it in. A few wonderful stints on national television later and, much to my amazement, I flipping won it! On live TV! (A thought that still makes me guffaw in disbelief, even now.) I was lucky enough to land two further book deals before my debut novel ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ was released.

   Life is pretty hectic these days. When I’m not writing I’m usually wrestling my sons into some form of organisational routine we all know I won’t maintain, nagging the husband or trying to salvage a vaguely respectable style from my unruly hair.

3. I always thought the opening lines to “The Lovely Bones” was quite memorable, are there any opening lines to books that stuck out to you?
   ‘I believe in miracles.
   Not just the simple wonders of creation, like my new son at home nursing in my wife’s arms, or the majesties of nature, like the sun setting in the sky. I’m talking about real miracles, like turning water into wine or bringing the living back from the dead.’
   The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud
4. The cover of the book is very striking. Do you have much involvement in the design of it and do find yourself judging books by their covers?
   Thank you! For an author, that’s a lot like being told your child is gorgeous. I don’t have any involvement in the covers myself though, which on the one hand is a bit of a shame because I love sticking my beak into anything arty but ultimately it’s probably a good thing for a few reasons. Firstly, I like everything. Secondly, despite liking everything, I over-critique everything. Thirdly, I am chronically indecisive. I’d still be playing with fonts as pub day rolled on by. As for judging a book by its cover, my mother always told me not to do that. Literally, or metaphorically. So of course I don’t. Eugh, okay… sometimes I dooo! I totally do. Sometimes, I am a great big, book cover judger.
5. What was the first story you ever wrote?
   Hmm… well I was forcibly made to write loads of stories by my lovely English teachers Mr Baker and Miss Waters, obviously. But I was too daft back then to realise that there could be pleasure in producing anything over a few hundred words in length.

   I started writing a fantasy novel though a few years back, I suppose in the wake of Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ success. After JK Rowling, I was taken by Meyers’ similar backstory of frazzled-mother-comes-good and thought that as a frazzled mother myself, I was halfway there already! (A long shot is still a shot.) I was also reading a lot of Laurell K Hamilton at the time and that really jettisoned me into writing with gusto. I hope to revisit that manuscript at some point.

6. What’s been your favourite book of 2015?
   Can you ask me that in a few months when I’ve got through my reading pile? 2015 has pin-balled me straight from finishing ‘Letting You Go’ to entertaining the kids through the summer hols. Did I mention I have a baby too? Reading? Sigh.
7. Who’s your favourite hero/heroine?
   Scout Finch is right up there. Children can make for the biggest heroes.
8. If you were to start your own book club, what authors would you ask to join?
   Ooh, Liane Moriarty, Dan Brown, Jodi Picoult, JoJo Moyes. And then I’d promptly hide under the coffee table and try to think of something worthwhile to contribute amidst their greatness. Maybe the biscuits or something?
9. What area do you suggest a budding writer should concentrate on to further their abilities?
   Knowing your characters is key. You can’t just offer up paper characters, they need to have life, a pulse, fatal flaws and idiosyncrasies. Knowing what makes your characters tick is crucial before an author plonks them into a situation. Breathe enough life into them and they’ll lead your writing.
10. If you were stranded on a desert island, which 3 books would you bring with you to pass the time?
    Umm… I’d probably take something like ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain’, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ and (this is a cheat) the complete works of ‘Charles Dickens’. I often feel that I’m short-changing my children having not read more Dickens.
11. When sitting down to write, what is the one item you need beside you?
    A securely shut door.
12. And finally, do you have any projects or releases on the horizon that you would like to share with the readers of the website?
    Well I’m currently basking in the sunshine of having just released ‘Letting You Go’, my third (!) novel! But since having had a breather over the summer I’m starting to feel the itch again so I’m quite eager now to get going on my fourth novel. I’ve only very recently accepted an offer for two further books with Harlequin/Harper Collins so my head’s still pretty much spinning from that. I’ve been a very lucky gal so far. Hopefully, I’ll keep having the chance to work with a fantastic publishing team, honing my style, writing stories people enjoy reading.

Follow Anouska Knight on Twitter Anouska Knight for updates.