Prize-winning children’s author, Candy Gourlay visited St John’s Academy today, Thursday September 26th, as part of Marlborough LitFest 2024. Candy spoke to St John’s Year 7 pupils together with pupils from John of Gaunt School and Pewsey Vale School.
Candy is a London based author and journalist who was born and grew up in the Philippines. Her first book, Tall Story, won the National Children’s Book Award of the Philippines and was also short-listed for 13 other prizes. Her more recent books, Bone Talk and its sequel Wild Song have also been published to wide acclaim with Bone Talk becoming one of The Times Books of the Year.
Describing her journey to becoming an author, Candy explained that there were no publishers in the Philippines when she was growing up so she first became a journalist. After marriage and children she started to write books.
She had lots of tips to give budding writers in the audience. She explained how determined you have to be and not to be downhearted by rejections from publishers. It is, she explained, most important to write about what you know and who you are. Once she started writing about the Philippines her books started to be accepted by publishers.
Her two most recent novels are historical and look at the impact of colonialism on indigenous people. The main character in Bone Talk is a boy growing up in a village. The Americans arrive and then he realises that his life will be changed for ever. This is a period of history which Candy says is not really taught in schools in the Philippines.
Candy’s top tip to becoming an author is “to make sure you are somebody who notices things. It’s important that you are not on your phone the whole the time because then – you’re not seeing the world.”
Marlborough LitFest opens with song
