My ‘Night Zoo’ short story collection was officially launched at Gullivers Bookshop on the first Wednesday evening in August! Thank you, Gullivers! The place was crowded and buzzing so it was great fun. As well as my reading of the beginning of the story, ‘Great Barrier Reef’, there was also a q and a session, eg see below!
q: ‘Which is your favourite story?’
a: As with children, I don’t have a favourite – they are all equally special! However, I worked longest on ‘Great Barrier Reef’ as there were some sturutural issues to deal with and the early drafts were complicated and packed in enough for a novel so I had to pare things down! All the elements of the story remained but some sank more to the background and others became more focused.
q: Are the stories separate or do they link?
a: The stories are varied and individual and can be read as stand-alones. But there also links, for example – I wrote them all so they have that in common! A few characters reappear in other stories although the reader may not notice that (my secret)! The stories are linked by my concerns – the environment and climage change, respect for the differences among and between people, social justice, parents and children, kindness. Many other issues … too many to list here.
‘Night Zoo’ is widely available at Gullivers and other bookshops, from the publisher Lendal Press, and online at all the usual places including Waterstones.
Sarah Barr 