Festivals

Michael, who has published more than 100 children’s books, comes to Bath Forum (Bath City Church) on Saturday, 20 September to talk about some of these, along with his newest work, Kaspar, the illustrated story he created during his time as Writer in Residence at London’s Savoy Hotel.

BBC Radio Bristol's Richard Lewis spoke to the author ahead of his visit to Bath and asked him about his new novel, Kaspar, Prince of Cats, and how he carries out the task of writing.

Michael explained: "When I sit down I've already spent months or years of dreaming it and weeding it in my head. When I sit down I write very fast... if I haven't finished a book in two or three months then I think it's not going well."

He admits that despite his early confidence as a writer, thinking he'd be the next Roald Dahl, some of his earlier works still lie, unpublished, in a drawer.

"When I read them now I see that all I was doing was telling tales... but the characters were plastic and didn't live through the page," he told Richard.

"Characters are the key to a good book. It took me several novels to comprehend that."

Michael said he tries to set himself a new writing challenge in each new work and really enjoys the research he carries out.

"It's the research really for me that sparks the story and moves the story along."

His latest book was inspired by his time living at London's Savoy Hotel as Writer in Residence, where he got an insiders view of both the customers and those working behind the scenes.

It's also where he met the Savoy's mascot Kaspar, the black cat who rounds up unlucky parties of 13 dinner guests, and was inspired by the hotel's dining room which reminded him of the dining salon on the Titanic.

From this he concocted the story of Kaspar, Prince of Cats, who is looked after by a bellboy at the Savoy. The young bellboy befriends a wealthy American girl and the cat and the youngsters then voyage on the ill-fated Titanic.

Bath festival

Michael told Richard he was looking forward to meeting youngsters at the Bath festival and to the questions they might ask.

"Strange questions are the more interesting ones. Children by and large don't try to trip you up .., they want to find out how you do this funny thing that you do....  if they've loved a story they love to know how it started, " he said.

"They are questions you need to think about quite hard sometimes, because they get under the skin...in a way you have to justify your existence in front of them.

"Something I learn every time I stand in front of a bunch of children, I learn never, never to underestimate them or patronise them.

"They will come out with questions which are just as perceptive or difficult as adults...they don't try to manipulate you or uncover something that is very private, but they do want to know, they do want to find things out."

Michael told Richard  that he saw the world of adult literature and children's literature  becoming more blurred, with youngsters wanting to act older than they were and older people, younger.

But, he admitted, anyone writing for modern children needed to make sure they gripped their audience from the start.

"It means you have to get at your story quick and keep it rolling along. It's important there is some sense of moving on and character development. It's critical because you will lose an audience of children," he said.

"They do a lot of watching, they are very visual and are used to quick-fire stimuli. Literature can't do that because it is by its nature more contemplative, but none the less you have to somehow engage their sense of excitement ..you mustn't disappoint them early in the book otherwise they won't stay with you."

And despite worries to the contrary, Michael said he was sure that books would be just as important to children in 100 years time, as they were now.

"There are millions of children who don't read enough, but those who do read, read avidly, " he said, adding that television often provided a way into the world of books, with novels that were associated with children's favourite programme.

"I think the two can exist in a complimentary way."

The Bath Festival of Children's Literature runs from Friday, 19 to Sunday, 28 September 2008. More details at the link below.