My Dog is about a boy's relationship with a dog. What drew you to write about this subject?
I've always loved dogs. I'm one of those annoying people who will always stop and say hello to any dog – so they were always going to end up in my book! Dogs give so much, they just accept you as you are, and that's what my main character, Rhys, is desperate for. He's going through a lot of big changes and he needs someone who doesn't judge, who is there for him, who makes everything seem a bit less scary… enter Worthington…
In the story, Rhys has to move from Wales to London to live with his dad. Are these two places ones you know well?
To me, settings are characters and they need to be clear in my head because I'm a visual writer. I’m from Wales originally and in Cardiff Rhys lives in the same house I grew up in. He also goes to the same school that I went to. And when he moves to London he moves to where I live now. Because I was writing about grief and the immediacy of that, whilst also dealing with my own grief, it made sense to make it as real as possible because for me, in a lot of ways, it was. There are moments where I've had to use a little bit of creative license to make the story work but, as a reader, I love it when you’re reading a book and there’s little details about the area that you recognise.
Rhys is a big fan of TV show The Dog Rescuers – is this a programme you would like to see?
I'm a sucker for an animal rescue programme especially if it'll make me cry – which they usually do. I'm always watching videos online about these poor dogs who have had horrible things happen to them but have made some sort of miraculous recovery and end up living long, happy lives. I definitely would have been a Junior Dog Rescuer as
a child.
Dr Jimmy’s catchphrase is 'All dogs are good dogs'. What is your favourite breed of dog?
I love all dogs, honestly, it’s a problem! But if I had to pick, it would be a Labrador. My granny had a Lab when I was little, I adored her and always wanted one. Finally at the age of 34, I got my own. He’s called Obi and I drew so much inspiration from him for the character of Worthington. They are very similar aside from the fact that they are different colours and Worthington is more enthusiastic, Obi's a very chilled out little guy. He’s the best.
Rhys keeps secrets and sometimes lies, which has repercussions. Do you think that his lying comes from his grief and his struggles to fit in?
You've hit the nail on the head there. Rhys isn’t deceitful by nature, he’s just in denial about his Mum's death and the fact that his life has changed so suddenly. The lies and secrets come from him trying to protect Worthington and himself, because if he doesn’t, it means accepting the reality of the situation. He’s an emotionally complex character because grief is a complicated emotion, which encompasses so many others.
Kayla has cerebral palsy, and is frustrated by her overprotective mother. Do you think it's important for children to have a degree of independence?
With Kayla's mum, her overprotectiveness comes from a good place but independence and choice helps you learn who you are and what you like and I think it’s really important for children to have that. Children are always desperate to grow up, to have a little more responsibility, but I feel like as an adult you'd do anything to have someone make all your decisions for you, just for a day!
Did you work closely with the illustrator David Litchfield?
So, I've actually never met David! My publisher paired us together and any feedback was been done through them, but honestly, he got the book straight away so very little input was needed from me. It's funny because the Christmas before I found out David was going to illustrate My Dog, I was looking for a present for my nephew and picked up The Bear and The Piano. I stood in a very big bookshop in Central London, with tears in my eyes because it was so moving. I was over the moon to find out he was going to illustrate My Dog. Hopefully we will meet soon and I'll be able to tell him in real life how much I love his work.
Which other authors inspire you in your work?
I'm pretty much inspired by everything I read, whether it's a character that I connect with on an emotional level, a beautifully constructed sentence, an evocative setting, there are so many incredible children's authors out there. I love Lesley Parr’s books for their depiction of historical Welsh life, Kiran Millwood Hargrave's writing is beautifully poetic, I adored I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery because it summed up the pureness of a dog/human relationship. I also love Carlos Ruiz Zafon's YA books. His use of gothic imagery has really stayed with me even though I read the books years ago. I would love to write a gothic book one day.
What do independent bookshops mean to you?
There's something magical about independent bookshops and I think that comes from the deep knowledge and passion for books that the indie booksellers have. In a time where it feels like the world is becoming more insular, indie bookshops provide a real community hub and a sense of connection – we need to support that.
