Meet Emily Kenny!
When you read a book that you really enjoy, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to ask the author some questions so I was delighted when Emily Kenny, author of ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ agreed to take part in a little Q and A!
You can read my review of ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ here and I really recommend it. Alice is Autistic and it is so satisfying to see a neurodivergent lead character, who feels both authentic and relatable, shine through the pages of a book which is a very satisfying and enjoyable adventure. Add to this a cast of fabulous talking animals and some great friends and you have a winning story!
There were so many things I wanted to ask Emily- many on behalf of some enthusiastic and inquisitive young readers I know!- that I had to whittle down a very long list to just five that pleased us all!
Here we go…
1. The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks is your debut novel. Was this the first idea for a story that you have had or did you have lots to choose from?
The idea for Alice was the first one that really "stuck" for me. I've played around and tinkered with lots of ideas over the years but there was something compelling about Alice that meant I had to stick with it!
2. Animals are a significant part of your story. Which of your animal characters was the most fun to write?
Constance the bossy library cat was a lot of fun! She's really sassy with bags of attitude but a heart of gold. I also enjoyed Agent T the seagull just because I could really picture him and hear his voice (or squawk!)
3. If I was able to talk to just one animal, I would choose one of the wild ducks who come to visit our garden. Which animal would you choose and what do you think you'd talk about?
That's really hard to pick. Maybe one of my pet rabbits as they could tell me all the gossip from my garden. We have badgers, foxes, squirrels and lots of birds visit daily and the rabbits can see it all from their hutch so could give me the downlow!
4. Being true to yourself is a very important theme in the book. If you could give anyone one piece of advice on this, what would it be?
Celebrate who you are. It is harder said than done and is very much a process but once you move past accepting yourself to really embracing and celebrating, it is very freeing.
5. Alice, your main character, is Autistic, but whilst important, this is not the main focus of the story which is an excellent adventure/ mystery. Do you plan to write more stories about Alice and her friends or will you introduce us to someone else?
Yes, I am writing a sequel right now actually which is due out in 2023!
A huge thank you to Emily for answering these questions so brilliantly! I cannot wait to read Alice’s next adventure (2023 is FAR too long to have to wait!) and look forward to introducing as many readers as possible to ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ in the meantime!
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks
Emily Kenny
Rock the Boat ISBN: 978-0861542055