David Maybury | Blog

I met Ina from Semantic Bits on Saturday night. I was somewhat un-sober at the time so when she asked me what I blogged about I garbled an answer and hid at the bar. I think I told her that I write about books. And writing. (Apologies Ina)

Mostly I’d like to focus the blog on children’s’ writing, a genre that isn’t lacking in bloggers. I’m currently working on a childrens’ novel but my interest goes deeper than my own book. I work closely with the Writers In Schools Scheme and their Development Education project so my day is often spent talking about children’s’ lit or with children’s writers.

One of the writers I get to talk to is Siobhan Parkinson, who has been writing for/working with children for aeons. (I think Siobhan’s first book was published in 1992?) I picked up my old copy of her book The Moon King on Sunday and have been marvelling at it ever since. I have questions about some of it – approach/setting etc. – but overall it is a unique book that conjures a realistic view of a boy with aphasia.

The Moon King is easily comparable to Siobhan Dowd’s The London Eye Mystery or Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Aphasia isn’t autism but there are similarities in writing a character with communication/social difficulties. Siobhan introduces broken paragraphs/fragments of Ricky’s silent thoughts to overcome the aphasia and give her silent character a voice. The fragments read easily and don’t interfere with the main narrative of the story – in places you’re looking forward to reading his thoughts rather than the narrative. It’s an interesting book that deals with a specific disability and eight years later The Moon King is still top of my reading pile.

Happy World Book Day.