Elaine Bickell was born and grew up in the UK. Her love of books led to her studying English Literature at Bristol University. After moving to New Zealand in 2005 she worked in advertising. Her first book with Scholastic, The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! was the recipient of the 2018 Storylines Joy Cowley Award and a 2020 Storylines Notable Book Award. Elaine talks to NZ Booklovers.
What inspired you to write this book?
My first book, The Little Ghost who lost her Boo, did very well overseas (thank you Halloween!) so there had been an appetite for a sequel for a while. I’d already had two goes at writing one and after a bit of a yes, no rollercoaster it was decided that neither were quite right.
That’s when the US publishers gave me a brief and told me exactly what they were looking for. The team at Scholastic here in NZ were very supportive and gave me confidence that I could write it. So, after stamping my feet a bit just like the Little Witch and getting a pep talk from my agent, and my family, I put my frustration aside and got on with the job.
It was quite a challenging brief. I loved the idea of the little feisty witch character, but the real challenge was making the book feel like a true companion to the “Little Ghost who lost her Boo.” I felt like the books needed to mirror each other structurally and that the Little Witch must therefore include an interactive element at the end without it seeming forced. I also needed to find something to rhyme with broom (and let’s face it, it couldn’t be room!).
What research was involved?
Very little. I knew I had to keep American readers in mind, so I had to be careful not to be too much of a Londoner or too much of a Kiwi with my language. Sometimes suppressing the ‘Londonisms’ is hard enough, but it made me realise I am also very much a New Zealander these days too. The book has the word “closets” for example, and that’s not a word I would ever use in London or Wellington and I had the word “roundabout” in there originally but that got edited out along the way.
What was your routine or process when writing this book?
Writing this book was different from any other manuscript I have written. We were down south walking the Paparoa track when I found out what was required and that I needed to get it written within 6 weeks or so. I composed it mostly in my head (and using notes on my mobile phone) as we walked the track. Interestingly the book has a very urban setting without a hint of the stunning South Island scenery I was walking through when it was written!
How did you work with the illustrator Raymond McGrath?
I know Raymond now after working with him before, he’s such a thoughtful and talented person. We make a good team and we both really wanted this sequel to happen. We had no direct contact over the illustrations for this book other than me sending him a supportive email or two as I knew he was under the pump with extremely tight US deadlines. I trust him completely anyway so felt no need to get involved. I have no doubt it was his breathtaking illustrations that made Little Ghost the success it was.
If a soundtrack were made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include.
I love this question. I can’t just name one or two sorry, how about five?
I think it would open with Ava Max’s “Sweet but Psycho” as the crazy Little Witch starts her hunt for her missing broom. Then “Searching” by China Black followed by a bar or two from “Bicycle Race” by Queen and “Paper Planes” by M.I.A and finishing up with “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Top Loader. I’m going to make this into a playlist now because I think it will keep me chuckling for days.
What did you enjoy the most about The Little Witch Who Lost Her Broom?
I enjoyed it when I finally solved the issue of what to rhyme with Broom. Once I had decided Little Witch had a cat called Gloom then writing the book became a pleasure. I knew I had essentially cracked it and could just have fun with it. I also really enjoyed working to a brief, this is probably a hangover from all my years working in advertising. Having a clear brief took out all the second guessing myself and gave me a clear starting point and a really juicy carrot – I knew if I got it right and met the brief I’d get a book at the end of it. Everyone wanted it to happen I just had to write it. Quite different from writing something off your own bat and sending it out into the abyss.
What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?
Nothing much at the time apart from punching the air a few times while sitting in my car outside school when Scholastic told me everyone loved it – 3rd time lucky and all that. The celebrating comes now with the book launch at Unity Books in Wellington and a mini Halloween tour in October.
I have realised though that it’s always worth celebrating as you never know if and when it will happen again. Could be my last book, could be number 3 of 50! It’s anyone’s guess so celebrating it fully is the way to go, I think.
What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?
I’m bad at picking favourites. I loved “Lioness” but who didn’t? I am also loving “Ōkiwi Brown” at the moment. I was excitedly waiting for publication day to buy my copy and get straight into it. I’m drawn to historical fiction, and I love Wellington, Ōkiwi Brown gives me both in the same book. I chew through Cristina Sanders’ books at pace, they are exciting and engrossing with just the right level of unease and suspense for me.
“Dazzlehands” is a triumph. I love lively picture books, and this one just feels like a riot! It’s almost exhausting to read and impossible not to feel upbeat afterwards. I did a story tour with Josh Morgan, what a great person who so deserves his success.
Next on my to read pile is “Lifting Off”, a memoir by my darling friend Karen McLeod about her time as an air hostess with British Airways. I have been saving it for when I have the time and space to completely lose myself in it. Check it out, she is an incredibly funny and insightful writer.
What’s next on the agenda for you?
So many exciting things. I’ve recently had a very productive writing period, so I have some decent manuscripts ready to go and I feel hopeful that something else will come along. I’ve been working a lot on my craft. I stubbornly stick to writing in rhyme and I know that continuously working on being better at this is important for me.
We are also all off to New York in the next school holidays and I will do some Witch events while we are there. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the Halloween craziness and meeting some of my young American readers! At the end of October, I’m going on a mini Halloween tour in NZ taking in Wardini Books in Havelock North, Schrödinger’s Books in Petone and The Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop in Auckland.
I have also written a third book in this series so you never know there might be another little someone looking for a lost something coming along soon. Is that the pitter patter of spooky little feet I hear…?
Scholastic New Zealand