A Q&A interview with author Jessica Mary Ellis

When the Birds Wake Up won the David Fickling Books Search for a Storyteller competition and is Jessica Mary Ellis’ debut. It is a moving and tender verse novel about a young girl whose much-loved grandma is developing Alzheimer’s. Jessica Mary Ellis answered our questions about her book.

Can you introduce When the Birds Wake Up in your own words?

It’s really a love story. The love between a girl and her grandma, the love she has for her dog and her friends, and ultimately, the love she learns to have for herself.

When the Birds Wake Up is your debut novel. What was your route into writing?

I’ve always loved creative writing, but becoming a mum brought me back to it. My life changed hugely, and writing became a way of making sense of that new chapter. It started with my experiences of motherhood, grew into poetry about life, and eventually I began sharing my work online.

When the Birds Wake Up is a verse novel. What do you like about the format and why did you choose it for your book?

I adore verse novels. They’re such a unique form of storytelling. They can move at a faster pace, create vivid imagery, and the words themselves can become part of the art. For this book, verse never really felt like a choice. It felt like the only way this story could be told.

You’ve said that the story is likely to make readers cry. Which scene affected you the most and why?

It’s hard to choose just one, but two scenes really affected me. Pear watching her family pack up the car to take Grandma to her new care home, worrying that Grandma might think they’re just going to the bakery for an iced bun, and Pear watching Piglet leave with Farmer Pete. Both were incredibly emotional to write.

Pear, your central character, plays the violin. How important is music to you and why did you make it such a key strand in the book?

I wish I could say I played an instrument as well as Pear does! My daughter is hugely into music, songwriting and piano, and I’ve seen how much it helps her make sense of her world. I wanted Pear to have that same way of understanding and expressing hers.

How much is When the Birds Wake Up a story about story telling?

There’s a real thread about the magic of storytelling throughout the book. Stories can hold our memories, keep moments alive and connect us to the people we love, even as things change. The Moon Girl storyline in the book is very much about that.

Which are the children’s books that have most influenced your writing?

I’m hugely inspired by verse novels and by the way they use language, rhythm and fragmented thoughts to tell a story in such a distinctive way. Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog was the first middle-grade novel in free verse I read, and it made me fall in love with the form. I also love the work of Matt Goodfellow and Sarah Crossan, and how their books explore big feelings and difficult subjects while still leaving room for hope.

Are you working on a new book?

Yes! I’ve completed the first draft of a new manuscript and I’m now going back through it to edit and shape it. It’s still early days, but I’m really excited about it.

When the Birds Wake Up by Jessica Mary Ellis, illustrated by Sophie Burrows is published by David Fickling Books, 978-1788454100, £7.99 pbk.