Dominique Valente
About Author
Born in South Africa, Dominique Valente now lives in Felixstowe, Suffolk, with her husband and their English Bulldog, Fudge.
She writes bestselling women's fiction under her pseudonym, Lily Graham, and is a former journalist for publications like Business Day and Woman and Home.
Interview
STARFELL
HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S BOOKS
MAY 2019
STARFELL is a magical story for 8+ readers about a lost day, an underrated talent for 'finding things', and a journey to put things right.
Willow Moss is the youngest child in a family of witches, each of whom has a magical ability. For Willow, this is a talent for finding things; useful when you've lost a sock, but not very exciting.
So Willow is surprised to be asked by a powerful witch to help her find a lost day, Tuesday, without which the universe could unravel. Willow doubts her talents, but it turns out that her gift for finding things could help save everything.
We asked author DOMINIQUE VALENTE to tell us more about STARFELL:
Q: You already write for adults - what brought you into writing for children?
A: I wrote for children first - it's always been my biggest passion. I tried to get an agent for Starfell eight years ago, but had little success as the market was very YA-focused.
When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, I wrote a novel that dealt with my fears around what would happen to her, which I self-published on Amazon. This eventually led to a three-book deal with a publisher, which turned into a full-time author career six books later.
It was all by accident, really, as I always meant to write children's fantasy. Now I'm lucky enough to do both.
Q: And why are you drawn to writing about magic and spells? Is that what you enjoyed reading as a child?
A: Absolutely. I was about six years old when a teacher read me The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, and I remember feeling as if I'd been hit by an electric current. I hadn't known till then that stories could be so wondrous and magical.
I've never lost my love for magic since. One of the best colouring books I ever got, not long after, was filled with witches on really funny brooms. I still remember one had an engine, so when the time came to introduce broomsticks to Starfell I knew one of them would have an engine.
Q: In Starfell, Willow - a girl with the ability to find lost things - sets out to find a missing day, Tuesday. Was there one thing that inspired the idea of a missing day?
A: It was a happy accident. One day while I was driving home from work Willow came along fully formed with her rather humdrum power - the ability to find lost things. My best friend read an early draft, and I had included a comma in the wrong place so it looked like Tuesday had gone missing. She asked if that was what I intended, and at first I was like, 'Of course not!' - only to have an epiphany three years later while on holiday in France: that would be the plot!
Q: How long did it take to develop the world of Starfell - in which magic is being pushed to the fringes - and what was your starting point? Did any real place help inspire it?
A: I've been writing in this world since I was in my early 20's. I always liked the idea of creating my own quirky world, and I suppose on some level I was very conscious that though it is a magical world, it would still feature some of the prejudices and very human foibles of our own.
At first it was just pure silliness, I suppose, but it grew as I did, and in many ways it is a product of the changing world around me - there's a bit of Brexit in there and other current issues. I also think apartheid South Africa (I grew up post-apartheid) was an influence on the segregating of communities and how divisive, and ultimately hurtful and pointless, this can be.
In some ways, too, the magic is a metaphor for being different in a world that doesn't really know how to handle that difference - driven largely by my experiences of growing up with a disability and learning to come to terms with it.
Q: You describe a wonderful relationship between Willow and her rather muddled grandmother. Why did you decide to make their relationship so central to your story?
A: I think it was inspired a little by my own childhood. My grandmother moved next-door to us when I was about 11, and I spent a lot of time with just her after school. I think it is a special bond, and in Willow's world her granny is the only one who understands what it is like to feel a bit different or left out, and she lets her be herself.
My grandmother moved to Australia when I was in my twenties, but really helped shape the person I am today - encouraging my love of books and reading! I also vividly remember her showing me a picture of myself - after some family members were commenting on the beauty of my very pretty cousins - and telling me that she thought this girl (in the photo) was rather lovely too, which was so kind. So she's a bit like my Granny Flossy, minus the green hair and madness - though, like her, she's decidedly quirky too.
Q: If you could meet one of the characters from Starfell, who would it be?
A: Probably Granny Flossy and Oswin! Though I'd love to meet them all.
Q: Those who are magic in Starfell tend to have one magical ability; Willow's is to find lost things. If you had a magical ability, what would it be (rather than what would you want it to be . . .)?
A: Great question. I think it would probably be something like being able to spell or define any word. I was Dom-gle long before Google came around! Not that I am actually as great at it as people seem to think I am, but I do get it right more often than not so it's kind of my thing.
If I could choose my power, though, it would be the ability to eat anything without putting on weight! Sad, but this would genuinely be the ultimate superpower for me as I am such a foodie.
Q: And if you could have one of Starfell's spells, which would you bring back with you?
A: Probably Willow's sister Camille's - the ability to move things with my mind - as I can be quite lazy, and this would really help when I don't want to leave the couch and the coffee is calling my name . . .
Q: Do you have a favourite line or section of text or speech from Starfell?
A: 'Maybe you don't need big magic to save the world? Maybe you've just got to be willing to try?'
Q: How many more books are you planning for Starfell and can you give us a glimpse into what
comes next?
A: There are four planned for now. In the next book, Willow has a bit of a problem with her magic, which is a concern as one of her friends has gone missing . . .
Q: Where is your favourite place to write? What would your dream writer's shed look like?
A: Bed, probably, if I'm being honest. Though a cafe with a cappuccino and some jazz in the background is up there.
I do dream of a writing shed, and it's definitely something I want to do now that I've bought my first house. It would be blue, that I know for sure, and it would have a couch or a daybed for naps and probably a shelf with lots of plants . . . and possibly an espresso machine.
Q: How does your writing day go?
A: Ideally, I write first thing in the morning, getting in a few hours. I like to write before my brain wakes up and all the self-doubt kicks in. Afternoons are for admin and other things.
Q: What career would you love to do if you weren't an author?
A: I'd like to think I'd be a florist or a bookseller (which I have been at various times throughout my life), though I'd most likely have just stuck to being a journalist.
Q: What are your favourite escapes from writing?
A: Reading is probably my biggest escape. I also love getting outside and going for long walks with my friends and my husband. We often go exploring the coastal regions around us or cycling . . . though I am not the best cyclist. I also enjoy sketching, and watching gardening shows and pretending that I inherited my mother's green thumb (I did not). I suffer from lots of sudden wild enthusiasms and start lots of hobbies, like felting and furniture painting . . . which are fun while they last.
STARFELL is published by HarperCollins Children's Books. Copies are now available.
Starfell: Willow Moss and the Lost Day (Starfell, Book 1)
