Writing has always been Cate’s “thing”. She loved writing stories and essays at school and has always been a bit of a grammar geek. She thinks that’s why she loves languages – impressively, she speaks fluent French and Spanish, and some Italian and Portuguese!
Cate has always written for a living, as a radio and TV journalist in the UK and France, as well as copywriting. Journalism took her to France to work for a multi-lingual European news channel called Euronews. She only intended to stay for a year or two, but that was over 20 years ago!
She has three daughters – two in their 20’s who live in Paris, and a teenager who is still at hom – and two cats.
Meet Cate Green
Questions on Writing
What was the hardest part of writing The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W?
Probably working out whose point of view I wanted to tell the story from and the impact that had on ensuring Nora was still the main character. I knew that I didn’t want it to be told from Nora’s point of view (with the exception of her flashbacks), partly because I felt that writing from the head of a 122 year old wheelchair user would be restrictive in terms of place and the setting for many themes and partly because I wanted the novel to be about life after war and not about war itself. I wanted it to be a story very much informed by the tragedy of the Holocaust, but not about the Holocaust itself.
I quickly knew that I wanted to tell the story from the POV of one of Nora’s dearest family members, Debs, but it took a while to realise that the other POV should be Arifa. Once I did, though, it felt just right. And both women were close enough to Nora, emotionally and physically, to enable me to keep Nora centre-stage.
What have you learnt about yourself when writing?
I have learned that I am definitely a pantser, not a planner but also that I find it very hard to just throw words on the page in a rough first draft and then go back and restructure, refine and hone what I’ve written into something more polished. I find I have to edit as I go along and feel happy with the scene or chapter before moving on to the next part, and build the structure as I go. That doesn’t mean that I don’t edit or make changes once I’ve finished the first draft, simply that my first draft is probably closer to the final version than for a lot of writers. And it means that the first draft takes a long time!
Do you make yourself write everyday/regularly, or only when inspiration strikes?
I wish I could make myself write regularly or whenever inspiration strikes, but with children and a day job involving very irregular hours, I find it impossible. I’m also not one of those people who can just write for half an hour in a café or similar. I need quiet and at least a couple of hours ahead of me. So I just write when I can and try not to beat myself up too much – or read all those tweets about people’s daily word counts and routines. Luckily, my editor is very understanding!
What does literary success look like to you?
That’s a tough one. Honestly, I really feel that for me it’s a success to have a published first novel, by Harper Collins no less. But in my wildest dreams, I’m waiting for Spielberg to come and make Nora W into a movie!
How much planning/world building do you do before writing, and how much comes along as you write?
See my answer to question 2! Having said that, I do spend some time building my characters and trying to find the right structure for the story – in the case of Nora W, an 18-day countdown to her becoming the oldest person in the history of the world. And pretty much no world-building at all as I write contemporary fiction about the real world, so it’s more about researching place and possibly historical features.
Did you find that you liked (or disliked) anything in particular about the character of Nora as you wrote her?
I loved her sense of humour and her hooting laugh – like the honk of a goose – as Arifa puts it. I also love her resilience and huge, generous heart. I’m not sure I like her stubbornness, but her resilience probably couldn’t be so strong without it.
How do you celebrate when a book is published?
I live in France, where champagne is readily available and fairly inexpensive, so there’s definitely a bottle or two of that. A dinner with family and a few close friends and then a launch event or two. And a lot of grinning from ear to ear!
Questions on Books and About You
Firstly, the most important question, what books are currently ‘on your bedside table’?
I’ve just started Love by Toni Morrison, who is such an immense, important, but still readable author. There’s also a book of poetry written by one of my closest friends that I am and dipping in and out of. And a copy of my own book, to remind me that I actually did it.
What children’s book would you suggest every adult read?
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory before you see any of the films. A fairy tale, a fantasy, a kind of Dickens feel and such clever, funny writing. Get your kids to let you read it with them!
What does your writing space look like?
It’s basically a desk – a lovely one with a tooled leather top – and a laptop in my home office/spare bedroom, with a door that shuts. And sometimes a cat.
How many books do you think you own?
Hard to say since most of them are still in boxes from my recent move. I’m about to build some bookshelves so I’ll count when I put them up.
Who is your literary icon?
Bridget Jones. She reminds me of so many people I knew when I was living in London and working in journalism. Such a brilliant comedy creation – she drives you mad one minute, makes your heart melt the next and has you howling with laughter throughout.
If you could own one rare/1st edition copy of a book, which would it be?
Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Tess is my other literary icon. I first read this in my teens when I was first realising what it was to be a feminist. It made me so angry and so sad, but it’s such a beautiful book and Tess is such a beautiful heroine.
Is there an author who you always read?
There’ve been a few over the years. Right now it’s Ann Patchett, after discovering Bel Canto, which I absolutely loved and am now listening to as an audiobook. I can’t wait to read her latest novel, Tom Lake.
And finally, are there any plans for any new books? If so, what teasers can you give us?
I’m just getting started on my next book. It’s set in France, not too far from where I live and will definitely play on memory and identity. There will be some local wine. Sorry, but I can’t say much more than that for now.
Thank you Cate😊You speak 5 languages?? Wow…and here’s me trying to build on my secondary school-level French.
Cate Green’s Books
Books By Your Bedside 