Meet S F Said
I first heard S F Said talk about his writing at CLPE Power of Reading meeting some years ago. Since then, I have been lucky enough to hear him on a number of occasions and am always fascinated by what he has to say. His latest book, ‘Tyger’, illustrated by Dave McKean, was published in October, but I had been able to read this in advance, having been lucky enough to receive a proof copy. The story had a profound effect on me and will, I imagine win many awards.
In my review, I call ‘Tyger’ a ‘masterpiece’ and I stand by this completely. The more I read it, the more I come to appreciate it which makes me very nervous about asking any questions, but here we go…
1. Where did the very first spark of an idea for this story come from?
It all started many years ago when I was at school, and we read William Blake's poem The Tyger. "Tyger Tyger burning bright" – I was mesmerised by those lines. That spark eventually led to me writing my own Tyger, so the story was growing inside me for almost half a century!
2. Blake has obviously been a great influence on your writing of this story- tyger, the lamb, Urizen, etc. What elements of his work do you return to time and again?
While I was writing my last book, Phoenix, I started to think about writing a book called Tyger. It was always called Tyger, with a y, and there was always a being called a tyger at the heart of it. I could see this tyger; I could even hear its voice. But what exactly was it?
To try to understand my idea, I went back to Blake's poem. I found all the magic and mystery not only intact, but heightened by everything else I could now bring to reading it. The poem had the power of a myth for me – and I love mythology as much as I love tigers!
It was only at this point that I went on to read Blake's other work. I discovered that he really did create his own mythology, and the more of his work I read, the more I felt that I might be able to do something like that, too. More than anything, it's this sense of the mythic that keeps me coming back to Blake. If I had to pick a label for the books I write, I'd pick 'mythic fiction'.
3. Set in an alternate England when the British Empire still exists and ‘foreigners’ live in the Soho Ghetto, there are many sections of the book which are painful to read, echoing events like Kristallnacht, showing ignorant attitudes towards those perceived as ‘different’, the brutality of hangings at Tyburn and the inhumanity of slavery. I feel you have managed to convey such horrors in a ‘responsible’ way, but how would you respond to those who might say these things have no place in children’s books?
The alternate world of Tyger evolved out of my historical research into Blake and his times. Many of the things described in the book are things that really did happen in places like London, not all that long ago. And the legacies of Empire and slavery are still very much with us today.
It's true that Tyger deals with some difficult things. But they're all things that felt essential to the story. And when I was a child, my favourite books were the ones that took me seriously as a reader; the books that were honest, and didn't try to soften or simplify the truth. So that's the kind of book I always want to write myself.
I do also think that Tyger has a lot of hope in it. It's a book that believes children have the power to make a better world, and it believes there are the adults who will help them – not least the heroic librarians, booksellers and teachers who help the children in the story to change their world!
4. ‘All human beings have sparks in their hearts,’ she [the Tyger] said.” What do you think is your spark and how do you ‘use it fearlessly’?
I'm not sure, but I do have a very deep belief in the power and importance of children's books. That's why I've dedicated my life to writing them, even though I find it difficult. Tyger took me 9 long, hard years to write, and there were times when it seemed it might never be finished. But I'm glad I persevered; all the hard work feels more than worth it now. Because children's books are too important to give it anything less than your very best, however hard that might be. And I feel sure Tyger is my best book so far.
5. If you could have written any book, which would it be- and why?
My favourite book as a child was Watership Down by Richard Adams. That was the book that made me want to be a writer. I remember thinking that if I could ever write something that was even half as good as Watership Down, that would be an amazing thing to do with my life.
I've re-read it many times since then, and every time, it only gets better. It's still my favourite book. I can't imagine having written it myself – but I really do think it's the best book I've ever read, and none of my books would exist without it.
6. Are you working on another book at the moment and are we going to have to (somehow!) wait another nine years before we can read it?
Thank you! And yes – although I was exhausted after the 9 years of writing Tyger, I had an idea I was excited about, and so I got to work on it not long after I finished Tyger. I hope this one doesn't take 9 years, but it takes as long as it takes to make a book as good as you can possibly make it, and that's always my aim with every book.
I know now that I will never write a lot of books. But what I can do is to make each and every one the very best it can be, so that whoever you are, however old you are, whatever kinds of books you think you like – you will find something to enjoy in my books.
7. And lastly- and most importantly according to my niece- what is your favourite cake?
Oh, chocolate cake, definitely! I would happily eat the cake Bruce Bogtrotter eats in Matilda!
Many thanks to S F for having taken the time to answer my questions- I know how busy you are at the moment. I can’t wait to read your next book, but know that I will return to ‘Tyger’ again and again. If you haven’t managed to get your hands on a copy of ‘Tyger’, make sure you do as it is one NOT to be missed!
You can read my review of ‘Tyger’ here.
