An Interview with… Andy Seed
We are delighted that the author of a whole host of fantastic factual books is opening our programme of guest blogs for National Non-Fiction November with this top notch interview!
Since I am best known for my interview books, I thought it would be appropriate to interview myself for this blog post! Let’s see how it goes…
What sort of non-fiction books do you write?
Can I just stop you there, Andy, because I don’t call them non-fiction. For me that term is a bit dreary and negative. I prefer the label factual books. I write mainly about wildlife and history for ages 6-11. My books are quirky, with dashes of humour added to spice up the info.
What do you enjoy about writing non-, I mean, factual books?
Good question. Everything! It’s interesting because I learn so much when doing research; it’s challenging because you have to think of new ways to bring facts alive and appeal to all kinds of readers; and it’s fun because I’m doing something I love.
What kind of feedback have you had about your Welbeck ‘animal Q&A’ series?
Wow, as soon as Interview with a Tiger (with spectacular illustrations by Nick East) hit the bookshelves I’ve been getting lots of letters, emails, tweets and more from children, parents and teachers saying how much they love the series. It has inspired so many kids to write their own animal interviews – I often get sent these and typically they are HILARIOUS.
You also seem very excited about your new Q&A history series, why’s that?
Well, I mean it’s not every day as an author that you get to TRAVEL BACK IN TIME and interview famous people from the past like Cleopatra and Boudicca, is it? These books have been HUGE fun to write! I had to imagine what questions I would ask Alexander the Great and Elizabeth I and what they would say, working in lots of interesting facts. Plus these books are aimed more at ages 9-11, in contrast with the animal interview series which are mainly for ages 6-8.
What is the value of factual books for reluctant readers?
This is a topic that means a lot to me! As an ex-teacher I’ve worked with lots of reluctant readers, and I still work with huge numbers of them today as I tour the UK doing author visits. In fact, one of the reasons I started as an author was to create books which would appeal to KS2 children who are just not engaged with reading. I found that a lot of these children preferred facts to fiction and all of them responded well to humour, which is why I began to write the sort of titles like the ‘Interview’ series.
Can factual books launch children into reading, then?
Of course! It happened with me when I was young. Typically a child will get hooked through reading factual books which match their interests (animals, football, dinosaurs etc) and then broaden their reading horizons into fiction and other areas as they become more able readers. A big factor is that factual books tend to be highly visual, with lots of great photos, illustrations, diagrams, maps and more. But also the text is typically presented in chunks so is easier to digest for less confident readers – they can dip in and out, share bits and look at the pictures.
What about keen readers – should they be including factual books in their reading diet too?
Yes.
Er, would you care to elaborate?
Sorry Andy, I was just a bit disappointed by your closed question… Right, I strongly believe that good factual books should be available (and advocated) to all children much more often. Here are some of the reasons that they have special value:
· Unlike the internet, they are a trusted and reliable source of information
· They can keep children’s knowledge up to date
· They give space to underrepresented voices
· They can easily be matched to children’s interests
· They present the wonder, magic and strangeness of the world (and beyond) with exciting, bold, rich visual design
· They encourage inquisitiveness and exploration, and inspire awe
· They allow independent learning and stimulate conversations
· They broaden young people’s horizons and reveal the diversity of the world
· Who doesn’t love a good fact?
Thank you, Andy!
My pleasure – top notch interview.
To find out how to get involved in our brilliant competition inspired by Andy’s Interview with series and supported by his publisher Welbeck Children’s Books, head over to https://fcbg.org.uk/national-non-fiction-november-2022-competition/