Beginner’s Pluck.
Interviewed by Sue Leonard.
Published in The Irish Examiner on March 2nd.
Beginner’s Pluck: Sarah Moore Fitzgerald.
Sarah has always written for pleasure, but she only started taking her writing seriously in recent times.
“Before that, life got in the way,” she says. “In the last five or six years I’ve made time for creative writing. I’ve been writing in the evenings, and at weekends.”
An academic by day, Sarah has published several non-fiction books on teaching, learning, and academic writing.
Who is Sarah Moore Fitzgerald?
Date of birth: 23rd August 1965, in New York. “We moved back to Dublin when I was young.”
Education: Holy Child, Killiney. University College Dublin. Manchester Business School. Then my PhD at Cranfield University.
Home: Limerick.
Family: Husband and three children Eoghan, 17, Stephanie, 14, Gabriella, 8.
The Day Job: University of Limerick. “Associate CP Academic; my role is to enhance teaching and learning.”
Interests: “I love writing and reading and children’s literature. I like to run; I did the Dublin marathon in 2008. I love cinema and theatre.”
Favourite Writers: John Irving: Primo Levi: Jane Austen: Jonathan Franzen: Jonathan Tropper.
Second Novel: “I have a well developed draft for a second children’s novel. I’m hoping to finish it soon.”
Top Writing Tip: “From Stephen King; you must write the first draft with the door closed, and the second draft with it open. In other words, don’t think of the audience too early.”
Web: no. Twitter: @smoorefitz
The Debut: Back to Blackbrick. Orion Children’s Books: €14.50. Kindle: €7.02.
After the death of Cosmo’s brother, Brian, his mother goes to Australia, leaving Cosmo with his grandparents. Then his grandfather’s memory starts to fade.
His grandfather persuade Cosmo to go to Blackbrick, where, in time travel, he meets his grandfather as a boy.
“My dad started to suffer from Alzheimer’s. My children, and I were close to him. I realised there aren’t good stories about memory loss. I wanted to write the kind of Children’s book I love; about a boy on his own trying to solve problems.”
Verdict: A compelling story which will pull at your heartstrings.
© Sue Leonard. 2013
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