Today on Meet the Author, we’re featuring Penny Reeve. Penny has written more than 30 books for children. She’s a versatile author, with work ranging from early childhood picture books to gritty YA. In 2018, Rhiza Edge released her book Out of the Cages, an upper YA novel about human trafficking. Her latest book is Honeysuckle Gold, a picture book that sensitively introduces similar themes, such as social justice and child labour, to young children without using those particular words. It contains an empowering message of hope, inspiring children and their families to be agents of realistic change.
What’s your favourite part of Honeysuckle Gold?
It’s the interplay between my text and Natasha Hagarty’s illustrations. On the surface, the text of this picture book tells the story of ‘a girl’, but the artwork emotively communicates a dual narrative about the lives of two different girls. It’s the space between words and pictures, the unexplained meanings and the ambiguity of what the story is really about, that I love the most.
Where did the inspiration for the story come from?
When I was researching my YA novel Out of the Cages, I learned about the many kinds of modern slavery that occur around the world. Almost every industry is affected by human trafficking or forced labour, and globalisation seems to connect us all to it in one way or another. I knew I wanted to write something for younger readers that educated them about these issues, showing them not only the impact of human trafficking on children, but also the power we have as consumers to push back and instigate change.
When I first started writing Honeysuckle Gold, Uzbekistan was one of the largest cotton suppliers in the world and its record of forced and child labour was terrible. While this situation was the initial inspiration for the story, it’s been really exciting in the years since those early drafts to see the real-life results of individuals and governments fighting for change. Uzbekistan’s cotton industry is no longer driven by forced labour! However, there are still many other places around the world where modern slavery exists. The message of Honeysuckle Gold is that we can instigate change. We just need to be courageous enough to believe it can happen.
What types of books do you write?
I write books for children and young adults, including picture books, junior fiction, non-fiction and novels. I also write under three pen names: Penny Reeve, Penny Jaye and Ella Shine.
It can be challenging writing across such a wide range of genres and age groups, but for me, it’s always about matching story with audience. That’s one of the most exciting parts of writing for me—trying to think through the best way to communicate a particular story or issue for a chosen audience.
Do personal experiences ever contribute to your stories?
Yes, very much so! The places I’ve lived and the people I’ve met have often influenced my stories, but it’s not always straightforward how those experiences feed into my creative life. Sometimes it’s an issue I’ve heard about that inspires me to research and write a story, as was the case with Honeysuckle Gold. Other times, it’s a memory, like the time I crashed my bike with no brakes when I was five! Add a talking hippo, a stripy-socked wallaby and you’ve got the picture book Can God See Me? As I say when doing school visits, I often take an experience from my real life, ask lots of questions, mix in a heap of imagination, and a story appears!
What do you love most about fiction and your genre in particular?
I love how fiction allows us to explore a world beyond our immediate experience!
We can learn about other places, understand how hard times shape us and be inspired to make a difference—all through fiction. Made-up stories can entertain but also talk to our heart about themes that matter. I love that!
Picture books take this a step further by inviting us into these experiences in a visual way too. The best picture books make us work, requiring us to think through the words and illustrations, and invite us to understand the story in a slightly different way. This means, as an author, I can tackle tricky issues with a narrative that allows different readers to access that content at different levels.
What were some of your favourite books growing up?
I loved the novels of Patricia St John when I was growing up. She was a Christian author who wove faith themes into her books in a way that felt real and relevant, not preachy or dull. Treasures of the Snow and Star of Light are some of my favourites still.
When it comes to picture books, one of my favourites from when I was a kid was a book called The Terrible, Wild, Grey Hairy Thing by Jean Chapman. It’s about a sausage that was accidentally dropped and squashed behind a big wooden chest until it went grey and mouldy. I loved this book because the words told one story (about a terrible monster behind the chest) while the illustrations showed you it was a rotting sausage all along! If you can find a copy of it, I’d recommend a read. It’s so fun!
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
I’d encourage emerging writers to learn as much as they can about the publishing industry, read lots (both in their preferred genre and beyond) and stay realistic.
Anyone can be a writer, but if we are writing to be published, we need to understand how the industry works both from the publishing side and the marketing side. This allows us to understand why publishers sometimes reject our work, why it can be hard to sell some ideas and what it takes to connect a book with readers. Writing a book is just the start of the journey! Having a realistic, long-term view of your writing life will help you weather the discouragements, learn from mistakes and keep improving your craft.
Have readers ever contacted you? If so, tell us the best thing they’ve said to you.
As a children’s and YA author, I don’t often hear from readers, but every now and then someone sends me an email or writes a review. I remember one reader emailing me all the way from the UK to tell me how one of my Tania Abbey novels inspired them to raise money for charity! Another time, a grandmother at my church complained that her granddaughter had to have my book read to them every single night! Complaint or not, I call that a win!
You can follow Penny via her websites:
Websites: www.pennyjaye.com and www.pennyreeve.com
Or via her social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pennyreevethepennydrops
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennyjayeauthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-reeve-author-penny-jaye/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PennyReeveauthor