Ask the Author: Julia Nobel
Answered Questions (6)
Julia Nobel
I chose North Norfolk because it of its remoteness--it isn't really 'on the way' to anywhere. Norfolk is part of a larger region called East Anglia, which is the part of England that sticks out like a boot in the North Sea. As I started researching Norfolk and its history, that research started shaping the history of the school and of The Order of Black Hollow Lane. I got a chance to visit Norfolk about six years ago, and even though I only spent a day there, all that wind and dense sea air really shaped what the school feels like!
Julia Nobel
Thanks Lillian! I love Middle Grade because it is so imaginative and empowering. I used to fascilitate literacy workshops, and I would always ask people, what was the first book that really impacted you and turned you into a reader? The vast majority of the time, it was a middle grade book. Middle Grade books are incredibly formative for young readers, and really make an impact on kids' lives.
Julia Nobel
Oh gosh, well, I first got the idea over 9 years ago, so I've been writing it for almost a decade! I had no idea how to take an idea and turn it into a novel, so I took a lot of classes and did a lot of research about how to actually craft a novel. I rewrote it multiple times, along with tons of revision over the years!
Julia Nobel
You know, I never even considered setting it anywhere else. I started with the premise, 'British boarding school', and went from there, asking myself who might go there and why. As for why I chose Norfolk specifically, I wanted a setting that was really out of the way, but hadn't been seen a lot in books. As I learned more about the history of the region, that research started shaping the history of the school and of The Order of Black Hollow Lane.
Julia Nobel
Thanks Lisa! My favourite book set in a boarding school is still Harry Potter (I know, not the most creative answer, but it's still true!) I definitely wanted to go to a boarding school as a kid, but the reality is I'm a huge homebody, so I don't think I actually could have done it!
Julia Nobel
I have been crazy about boarding schools since I was a kid, but I never attended one. I read fiction books set in boarding schools, but I also read a lot of non-fiction about boarding schools as research. I also spent a TON of time learning everything I could online about elite boarding schools in the UK.
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