Karla Brading interviewed by Katherine Roberts

Karla Brading

One of the best things about writing books for young readers is when a fan of your work starts writing books as well. From her very first letter to me, after she'd enjoyed my fantasy novel Spellfall, I knew Karla Brading was a born writer, possibly even a fellow fantasy author. Many letter exchanges later (and I mean real letters, written by hand on paper and posted into one of those shiny red letterboxes you see dotted around the place), and it became obvious she was highly creative too. Then one day a package dropped through my letterbox containing Karla's first novel. A vampire book, as I remember - it still sits proudly on my shelf among my signed copies.

A few more years passed, and Karla now has a book deal with the highly-respected Welsh press Gomer for her latest novel The Inn of Waking Shadows, which I had the privilege of reading at proof stage on my Kindle. This one is a ghost story for teens set in a haunted pub in Wales, and it'll send shivers down your spine, whatever your age... imagine if Stephen King lived in Wales and wrote for kids, and that should give you some idea of what to expect.

Inn of Waking Shadows

This summer I caught up with Karla, who kindly agreed to answer some questions about her writing and her artwork, a sample of which features on the cover of her new book.

What was the first story you ever wrote? And which was your first book?

KB: The first short story was written with my Mum’s help. She used to write down random story titles and I would go away to my room and come up with a story inspired by these titles, to proudly show her. I remember the first title clear as daylight: The Red Shoes. I envisioned a girl in a red coat with glossy Mary Janes that she wore to dance for her parents and for her friends at school, in the living room and at the park. The older I got, the more I wanted red shoes just like it!

Later, after a sudden move to South Wales from Southampton, I was that little bit older (9 years old) and capable of lengthier pieces. The first story I deemed as a ‘novel’ was called Beyond Imagination. It was about a girl who could imagine anything to be true. Adventures ensued with her school friend Richard, who was a real friend of mine at the time. It amounted to thirty A4 handwritten pages but to me, it felt like I’d created something in the same ambitious calibre as The Lord of the Rings!

My teacher used to let me read my earlier works out loud in class (junior school) and even allowed me to visit the nursery to read shorter pieces to the little ones. They were very encouraging.

They were lucky to have you! I understand The Inn of Waking Shadows is based on a real place... have you ever been there, and how did it inspire your book?

photo: Andy Dolman, CC wikimedia.org

KB: That’s right! The book is based on what is allegedly ‘the most haunted pub in Wales'. It featured on a popular ghost hunting programme called 'Most Haunted' and happens to be about forty minutes from my house. The Skirrid Inn is 900 years old and allows people to stay overnight in what was once an old court house. 182 people were hung there and the same wooden beam that the noose was tied to remains part of the furnishings.

Spooky... do people really pay to stay there?

KB: I have stayed overnight on two occasions now. Once for a friend’s 21st birthday, and the other time for my 30th birthday. The first time, I heard a bell ringing in the night. It deeply unsettled me but became a feature in my book. A 35 year old maid called Fanny Price died at the inn. I liked the idea of the bell summoning her, even in the afterlife.

Definitely the kind of place to inspire a ghost story! But you are also a talented artist. How does your artwork tie in with your writing, and which do you enjoy most?

KB: The artwork is something I find very therapeutic, whereas writing feels like my soul is desperately speaking out. It’s intoxicating – writing - creating people and worlds, knowing you’re the master of a character’s fate. Unfortunately, my past has been a very sad one and I put all my energy into creativity now, reminding myself that there’s a world of opportunity and colour.

With the artwork, I can put on music and sing to my heart’s content, quickly working a paint brush over the grooves of a crisp sheet of paper. Or focus intently on the neat, tiny pencil lines that create my fine-detailed works. People can follow the progress online and be inspired and it spurs me on to create more and more when they react so positively. A lot of my artwork depicts my daughter Willow in fantastical situations. We have quite a collection. It’s become a diary without words.

The writing is a different kind of art. I love the writing and painting equally, and with as much passion as my heart can bleed. I didn’t learn art in school. I knew from the age of six I wanted to be a writer no matter what, so it was all I practised and dreamed about. But delightfully, my latest novel has both my text and illustrations published in one edition. I feel truly accomplished at the moment.

It's a magical feeling, I agree. Do you enjoy meeting other writers? Any favourite conventions or book festivals?

KB: I LOVE meeting other writers! We all have this magic at our centres: I can sense it. We see the universe that little bit differently. The simplest of moments can be transformed into a deeply relevant scene in the pages of our work. Our emotions and sensitivity tend to be heightened (as is with a lot of creative careers).

I find a lot of writers hold on to the innocence and playfulness of their youth. I’ve seen a writer wave goodbye to me with loud and ridiculous gusto in the middle of London, making me laugh hysterically. I’ve stood bare foot in a cool river, balancing upon slippery rocks with a fellow writer I truly admire; swans staring curiously nearby. I’ve seen a writer jump bollards like a ten-year-old and tackle a tree swing for an adrenaline rush. And personally, I’m no stranger to behaving like a kid, dancing in the middle of the street, or putting on silly accents and voices to draw smiles from friends. 

innocence and playfulness

Writers just seem to know that life doesn’t have to be mundane if you turn it upside down and inside out and look at it from all angles. Writing is a special kind of gift to a world that can be difficult at times. The work can be a hard slog. The editing can be draining and invigorating all at once. But in my experience, writers are very supportive of each other. I absolutely adore going to festivals such as The Hay Literary Festival, to listen to how other authors' minds work and the process they go through when producing a novel. I always come away inspired and having made new friends and contacts. I don't know where I'd be without Hay and the opportunities it's presented me with.

Karla and Katherine paddling in the Wye at Hay

KR: I enjoy Hay, too, and still like to visit occasionally for a good root around in the secondhand bookshops, where you never know what you might find! Which brings me to my final question... what would you call your unicorn?

KB: Oooooh. Now there’s a question. It would have to be a she for a start, because I’m all about empowered females. And if I were to own something as exotic as a unicorn, she’d have to be a lady too. I’d probably go for something like ‘Moonlight,’ because I love a dark night when the moon is bright. Or maybe ‘Stormbringer,’ because I’m convinced I was a warrior in another life. Haha!

Lady Moonlight Stormbringer (everyone knows unicorns have three names) - sounds good to me. Thank you very much, Karla Brading!

You can order Karla's new book from amazon or visit Gomer Press to order direct.

Follow Karla for all her latest news on Twitter https://twitter.com/KarlaJMBrading

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Karla Brading was interviewed by Katherine Roberts, who has some Welsh blood herself, which might be why she enjoys writing fantasy and historical/legendary fiction for young readers. Find out more about Spellfall and Katherine's other books at www.katherineroberts.co.uk