Greenwild Q&A with Pari Thompson
Q & A’s allow us the opportunity to “meet” an author or illustrator and hear the background to their work, the inspirations and sometimes the challenges. It also allows us to hear their hopes for their books. Recently, we asked debut author, Pari Thomson about her book, Greenwild.
Tell us about Greenwild!
Greenwild is the story of eleven-year-old Daisy Thistledown, whose glamorous journalist mother goes missing in the Amazon rainforest. Daisy, who has been left behind at a horrible boarding school, knows that it’s up to her to escape and find her mother. In the process, she finds her way through a hidden silver door in Kew Gardens that leads her to the Greenwild: a miraculous place where plant magic is real, where Botanists work to safeguard the plants in their care – and where Daisy might just find out what has happened to her missing mother.
How have you found the journey to publication?
Like many journeys, it has been full of unexpected and interesting things. Most of all, though, I have felt incredibly lucky through the whole process – lucky with my wonderful agent, my brilliant publishers, and of course, with the book’s amazing illustrator, Elisa Paganelli, who brought the world to life in her art and created the most beautiful map I’ve ever seen.
What did you love most about Greenwild and your characters?
I’ve always thought that nature is a little bit magical – so I loved the chance to explore this idea in writing. I had a wonderful time creating a world full of magical plants, from milk chocolate trees and giant lily pad boats to snake-headed vines and invisibility seeds.
Greenwild is also a story about finding a home and finding your people. My main character, Daisy, has spent her life moving from place to place – and I really enjoyed the way that discovering the Greenwild brings her friendship and the sense of belonging she’s been looking for.
Was there anything you wish you’d known about writing and publishing?
I work in publishing as Editorial Director for picture books at Bloomsbury – which means that I knew a little bit about what to expect. At the same time, I didn’t expect how exciting and challenging it would be to work with editors to make the book the best version of itself.
What do you hope readers will take from Greenwild?
The Greenwild is under threat in ways that mirror the threats to nature in our own world – but what I’ve tried to show in the book is that there are things we can do to fight back. So I hope readers take away a hopeful message – one that tells them that they can make a difference.
Above all, though, I hope readers find comfort, joy, escapism and adventure in the writing – which is what I always looked for in my favourite stories as a child, whether it was in Narnia, Redwall or The Hobbit.
There is a lot of love for Greenwild – what is it about your book that draws everyone in – do you think?
That’s incredibly kind! It’s lovely to think of people enjoying the book. I think people have responded most to the mother/daughter relationship between Daisy and her Ma, as well as to the detailed magical elements of the world, and to the (hopefully!) page-turning way that the story comes together at the end.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
The best advice I was ever given was to read – a lot! It fuels imagination and empathy, and allows you to get a sense of how the best stories work.
Greenwild by Pari Thomson is published by Macmillan and is available now.