Alex Nye
Home address:
6 Kinnoull Avenue, Dunblane, Perthshire, FK15 9JG, ScotlandTelephone:
01786 825114Email:
alex.nye1@btinternet.comBRAW network:
yesLL funded:
yesBiography:
I was born in Leicester in 1964, and grew up near the sea in King's Lynn, Norfolk. As a child I read constantly and became aware of loving books and writing from a very early age. I wrote countless first chapters of unfinished novels which ended up under the bed in cardboard boxes. At the age of sixteen I entered the W H Smith Young Writers Award, and was one of the top ten winners out of 33,000 entrants. At nineteen I went to King's College, London, and as soon as I finished my degree I took part-time jobs in bookshops/libraries and wrote the rest of the time. In Edinburgh I took on some free-lance work as a Reader for a literary agent, and then continued to work free-lance and part-time in order to 'fund the habit' of writing. In 1995 I moved from London up to Dunblane with my son who was a year old at the time. We lived on Sheriffmuir in a remote cottage, and this provided the inspiration for Chill. I wrote the book when my children were still quite young, and snatched time in between school and nursery hours, or wrote in the evenings after they were in bed. I still live in Dunblane with my son and daughter who are now 10 and 13.About writer's work:
'He stared up at the dark mass of the house. Then he thought he saw movement in the library window to the right of the drawing room. A shadow moving, backwards and forwards... then it was gone.'Samuel is trapped by huge snowdrifts in an old remote house. And that's not the only thing causing a cold shiver to creep down his spine. He feels like the ghostly figure in the locked library has a message... but who is it for?
Chill is a ghost story or supernatural thriller for 9-12 years plus, set on Sheriffmuir near Stirling. It is also an adventure/mystery novel. Chill was shortlisted for and won the Royal Mail Awards in 2007 for the 8-12 age category.
Atmosphere is very important to me in a book, and it's my aim to try and convey this as effectively as possible. I wrote the book out of a strong sense of longing and nostalgia, after having lived in the cottage on Sheriffmuir where the book is set. This comes across in the novel. I'm interested in historical themes, the way in which the past affects and influences us; ghost stories appeal to me because of the way in which they can illustrate a character's inner conflict or personal history. I'm also interested in themes of bereavement, loss, fear of change, powerlessness, and the way in which children often feel that their lives are out of control - or in someone else's control instead of their own. I have just finished writing a sequel to Chill, and am presently writing another fairly tragic ghost story set on Mull. The aim of the ghost story for myself is that it shows that the main protagonist is wrestling with some personal problem of their own, whether of loss or bereavement or any other disruption to normal life, and the connection with the ghost allows the main character to come to terms with or perhaps face up to their own sorrow. My aim in writing for children is to write about the struggles of being young and unable to make decisions about your own life, having to tolerate and put up with whatever happens. Fear of death and change are big modern taboos, but are subjects I wish to tackle in as cheerful and positive a manner as possible, and also in a way which offers some escapism.
About writer's events and projects:
I am available to do sessions and talks throughout Scotland, at either schools, libraries or other events, to Primary and High School level, and am prepared to travel, even at fairly short notice. A one hour session includes the reading out of certain passages, ending on a sinister cliffhanger, and I then go on to tell the children about the circumstances and the inspiration behind the writing of the book, why I wrote it. I also encourage them to think about their own creative writing or self-expression, and give them plenty of time for interactive question-time, where they are free to ask either about books and writing in general, about the world of publishing, about what it was like for me as a child who loved books, and what it is like for them, the practical problems that are presented by writing a narrative for themselves. I also talk about my life as a writer, the practicalities, when I write, how I write etc. The children are always very responsive, and ask very interesting questions about why they might privately write themselves. I am always amazed by how much they have taken in and absorbed, and my aim is to inspire and encourage young people to write in a manner which is outside the usual curriculum, so that they feel free to express themselves in ways they might not have considered.I have visited schools and libraries throughout the Glasgow and Central Belt region, also Aberdeen, Largs, Millport and Stirlingshire, and often schools and libraries in areas which are deprived of cultural activities, where the children are particularly appreciative and responsive. I have mainly visited P6s and 7s but would be very interested to do sessions for young teenagers as well, particularly S1s and 2s, to encourage them in their own creative writing.
Language:
EnglishAge groups:
9-12, TeensBooks written
"He stared up at the dark mass of the house. Then he thought he saw movement in the library window to the right of the drawing room. A shadow moving, backwards and forwards ...then it was ...
