Please relate the story of how you came to write the Poirot mysteries
It came about completely by chance. My agent was in a meeting with HarperCollins and the subject of these Jane Austen continuations came up and my agent remembered at that point that HarperCollins were Agatha’s publishers and that I was an Agatha fan. He told the editor this, and he said, ‘Why don't you ask my author, Sophie Hannah, to write a new Christie-brand novel?' The editor said, 'We’ve been trying to persuade the Christie family for decades. They will not hear of any new books.’ So that was that.
It came about completely by chance. My agent was in a meeting with HarperCollins and the subject of these Jane Austen continuations came up and my agent remembered at that point that HarperCollins were Agatha’s publishers and that I was an Agatha fan. He told the editor this, and he said, ‘Why don't you ask my author, Sophie Hannah, to write a new Christie-brand novel?' The editor said, 'We’ve been trying to persuade the Christie family for decades. They will not hear of any new books.’ So that was that.
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| Sophie Hannah, (right) speakers with Patricia Skalka, Chicago Chapter of Sisters in Crime |
But it turned out that the day after the meeting with my agent, HarperCollins had a meeting with the Christies who said, ‘You'll never believe this, but we’ve decided that now is the time to commission a new novel, some kind of Christie continuation.’ At which point the editor said, ‘I know an agent who’s got the perfect author.’ So then I met the Christies and they asked if I had an idea for a book. I hadn’t, because I hadn’t ever thought I would do it, but I immediately realized that an idea I’d had for years, but never used, would be perfect for Poirot. They really liked it, and it all just went from there.
Do you have plans to write more than the four Poirot mysteries written? If so how many more are you planning?
I've only written and published three so far: The Monogram Murders (2014), Closed Casket (2016) and The Mystery of Three Quarters (2018). I’m currently writing the fourth which will be published in August next year. After that, I don't know – I haven't made plans beyond 2021.
How have readers responded to your Poirot?
I've been sent hundreds of emails, tweets and messages from people who have absolutely loved my Poirot novels. Quite a few people said they weren’t sure at first whether anyone but Agatha would be able to do justice to Poirot, but that they ended up loving the books, which is obviously always very gratifying to hear!
What do you enjoy about the author’s lifestyle? What do you not enjoy?
I enjoy creating stories that I love and hope readers will too and I enjoy the freedom of the lifestyle. Until recently, I did not enjoy the stress and pressure, but then I realized those aren't external, unavoidable things - those are things I create for myself by thinking in the wrong way. I’ve found that in changing the way I think about my working life, I’ve been able to eliminate the stress. In order to help other writers address this very issue I’ve created a coaching program called DREAM AUTHOR which will launch in September 2019. The program is aimed at writers of any genre, at any stage in their career and aims to equip them with the mental and emotional tools they need in order to thrive as a writer. Anyone interested can get further details by emailing sophie@sophiehannah.com.
How do you get yourself out of a writing rut?
See above! By learning to think about my writing in the correct, most helpful way – which is exactly what my DREAM AUTHOR program will be teaching. I’ve discovered that there’s no need for ruts, blocks, feeling stuck or procrastinating: all these obstacles are a choice which we can avoid with the right mindset!
What books did you read growing up?
I was hooked on mysteries from a young age, I loved Enid Blyton’s The Secret Seven, The Famous Five and The Find-Outers and the McGurk Mysteries by E W Hildick.
Who is your favorite author?
Agatha Christie for crime and Iris Murdoch for general fiction.
If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
Well, first of all I'd meet them at a restaurant and take them out for dinner because cooking is something I've stopped doing in order to create more time for things I enjoy. Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Iris Murdoch, Daphne Du Maurier and Edna St Vincent Millay (brilliant American poet).
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
I’d be a Life Coach (which I'm doing already, via DREAM AUTHOR, my coaching program for writers, and I also coach teenagers at a local school in Cambridge, where I live). Or, a Songwriter – which I’m also doing already having written the songs for two musicals: The Mystery of Mr. E - a murder mystery musical - and Work Experience – a locked room mystery musical. The Mystery of Mr. E was staged at Sancton Wood School, Cambridge in 2017, and then at three literary festivals in 2018, and hopefully more this year starting with Southwold's ‘Slaughter in Southwold’s Crime Fiction Festival on 8 June, Work Experience was performed for the first time in March this year.
Do you have plans to write more than the four Poirot mysteries written? If so how many more are you planning?
I've only written and published three so far: The Monogram Murders (2014), Closed Casket (2016) and The Mystery of Three Quarters (2018). I’m currently writing the fourth which will be published in August next year. After that, I don't know – I haven't made plans beyond 2021.
How have readers responded to your Poirot?
I've been sent hundreds of emails, tweets and messages from people who have absolutely loved my Poirot novels. Quite a few people said they weren’t sure at first whether anyone but Agatha would be able to do justice to Poirot, but that they ended up loving the books, which is obviously always very gratifying to hear!
What do you enjoy about the author’s lifestyle? What do you not enjoy?
I enjoy creating stories that I love and hope readers will too and I enjoy the freedom of the lifestyle. Until recently, I did not enjoy the stress and pressure, but then I realized those aren't external, unavoidable things - those are things I create for myself by thinking in the wrong way. I’ve found that in changing the way I think about my working life, I’ve been able to eliminate the stress. In order to help other writers address this very issue I’ve created a coaching program called DREAM AUTHOR which will launch in September 2019. The program is aimed at writers of any genre, at any stage in their career and aims to equip them with the mental and emotional tools they need in order to thrive as a writer. Anyone interested can get further details by emailing sophie@sophiehannah.com.
How do you get yourself out of a writing rut?
See above! By learning to think about my writing in the correct, most helpful way – which is exactly what my DREAM AUTHOR program will be teaching. I’ve discovered that there’s no need for ruts, blocks, feeling stuck or procrastinating: all these obstacles are a choice which we can avoid with the right mindset!
What books did you read growing up?
I was hooked on mysteries from a young age, I loved Enid Blyton’s The Secret Seven, The Famous Five and The Find-Outers and the McGurk Mysteries by E W Hildick.
Who is your favorite author?
Agatha Christie for crime and Iris Murdoch for general fiction.
If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
Well, first of all I'd meet them at a restaurant and take them out for dinner because cooking is something I've stopped doing in order to create more time for things I enjoy. Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Iris Murdoch, Daphne Du Maurier and Edna St Vincent Millay (brilliant American poet).
If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
I’d be a Life Coach (which I'm doing already, via DREAM AUTHOR, my coaching program for writers, and I also coach teenagers at a local school in Cambridge, where I live). Or, a Songwriter – which I’m also doing already having written the songs for two musicals: The Mystery of Mr. E - a murder mystery musical - and Work Experience – a locked room mystery musical. The Mystery of Mr. E was staged at Sancton Wood School, Cambridge in 2017, and then at three literary festivals in 2018, and hopefully more this year starting with Southwold's ‘Slaughter in Southwold’s Crime Fiction Festival on 8 June, Work Experience was performed for the first time in March this year.
To find out more about Sophie, visit her website www.sophiehannah.com. To hear more about Sophie's DREAM AUTHOR coaching programme, email sophie@sophiehannah.com with 'DREAM AUTHOR' in the subject line, and the DREAM AUTHOR team will send you more information.
1 comment:
I have enjoyed hearing two of the updated poirot by Hannah & I truely enjoyed them.
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