Judith Kerr & Matthew Kneale @Edbookfest

    Subtitled "mother and son on creative inheritance", this afternoon's Edinburgh International Book Festival event featuring author and illustrator Judith Kerr and her son Matthew Kneale - novelist* and lately non-fiction writer - was billed as an exploration of creative heritage: "what travels with us from childhood to form the adults we become - a sense of self, memories, imagination, creativity?"

    As is the way of these things, the discussion ranged widely, but at its centre was the early life of both authors, Judith's as a refugee from Nazi Germany, and Matthew's in a house where writing was the family business. Fondly remembered and the subject of many charming anecdotes was Nigel Kneale, Matthew's father, renowned writer of science fiction and screenplays, who would work in his room at the top of the family's large home, his wife remembering the feeling that "there was always something being made", his son recalling both the background noise of typing, and his father's tendency to analyse television drama as the family watched, something which Matthew credits with developing in himself a strong sense of structure in fiction.

    Family influences work in both directions, for Judith said that she would never have become a writer and illustrator of picture books had she not had children - they provided much of the inspiration, and discussing her work-in-progress with her husband over lunch each day proved very helpful, while Matthew credited his father's gift for storytelling as a formative example, and his mother talked of her son's "instinctive respect for writers" when he was a young boy.

    Having writer parents made Matthew aware that "you could do that and get away with it", but witnessing the frustrations his father had with what he felt were poor treatments of his screenplays, he himself opted for writing novels. Given that both his parents wrote at home, Matthew was asked about his own preferred workplace, and he revealed that he gets more done away from his flat; walks around Rome (where he lives), time spent writing in longhand on a park bench, in cafés or the library is when he is most productive. Interestingly, on the subject of writing methods, Matthew said that he always works first in longhand as it induces the necessary calm state.

    Judith, who at a very sprightly 91 is still writing and whose latest book is Creatures: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Judith Kerr, described her modus operandi as beginning with the story and letting the illustrations grow out of it, complementing it rather than referring directly to it, but equally, she said, a detail in a picture can then produce a further idea for the text. Similarly, Matthew comes up with a situation and plot first and then finds the characters to "catch up" with it: "think of something inadequate," he said rather self-effacingly, "and make up the gaps". Sounds simple, doesn't it?

    Today's event was an hour spent in the company of two delightful, entertaining people; I'm so glad I was there.

    

*Author of one of my favourite books, the brilliant English Passengers.

Comments

[Freda]

Sounds like a wonderful event. I just love 'think of something inadequate and make up the gaps'!
(You have been missed.)

[Mary]

She is lovely, isn't she? I met her once, too.

[Martina]

What a marvellous conversation to share with us, Cornflower
And a treat to read your response. May I second Freda

[Cornflower]

Thank you, Freda!

[Cornflower]

She is super, and I could have listened to them both all day.

[Cornflower]

Many thanks, Martina - it was a lovely event.

[LizF]

I saw the TV programme about Judith Kerr which was on a few months ago and thought that she was absolutely wonderful, with a spirit and mindset of someone less than half her age.
All her books, from The Tiger who Came to Tea to the When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit trilogy have been required reading in our house (apart from Goodbye Mog which I can't bear to read!)and I am very much looking forward to introducing them to the next generation - though I might have to invest in the boardbook versions at first as 6 month old Iris is at that 'grabby' stage and our copies are rather old and fragile!
Very embarrassed to admit that I have had a copy of English Passengers on my shelf since it first came out in paperback but I still haven't got around to reading it!

[Cornflower]

That was a great programme, wasn't it?
Re. "Goodbye Mog", Judith Kerr simply said, "it was time".
As to Matthew's books, I think I'm right in saying that his mother said her favourite was "When We Were Romans".

[cath]

I hadn't heard of Judith Kerr and Matthew Kerr before so thank you for introducing them to me. I like to collect authors who are a role model when it comes to aging so Judith Kerr's latest is one for my wishlist. I hope your quiet time has been good and am happy to find you here again.

[Cornflower]

Thank you, Cath.
Judith Kerr is a marvellous example of living well later in life.

[MzTallulah]

They also featured in a recent Guardian Books Podcast (http://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2014/aug/08/edinburgh-book-festival-judith-kerr-matthew-kneale-podcast) talking about very similar subjects, I found it delightful but listening to them in person must have been a truly precious experience.

[Cornflower]

Thanks so much for the link, MzTallulah!

[callmemadam]

My daughter is also glad that she got the chance to meet Judith Kerr and say 'thank you' for the books which she's always loved so much. Judith Kerr was so nice, and signed all Alice's old books!

Elsewhere, the Goodbye Mog discussion is on again. I will never read it! I love that people *will* try to put dark interprtations on The Tiger who came to Tea and Judith Kerr always said, 'No, it's just about a tiger who came for tea.'