An Interview With Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo is an award-winning writer, known for books such as ‘War Horse’ and ‘Private Peaceful’ His new book, Boy Giant: Son of Gulliver is out now and the film adaptation of his book ‘Waiting for Anya’ is released soon. I got the chance to interview him earlier this year.

Michael Morpurgo (Photo by Phil Crow)

How much were you involved with the making of the War Horse play?

I have played a small part in the making of the play and mostly when the National Theatre asked me for advice. At the beginning I suggested they contact the Kings Troop at the Royal Horse Artillery in St Johns Wood, London, where there were still army horses used for parades and state occasions. The National Theatre team came down to Devon to see the landscape of the story and to watch horses working the land and have been down a few times since. And I always try and go and talk to the new casts for the tours when I can. At the very beginning there were some tense moments when the play wasn't quite working, but they got it all together somehow. There were five-star reviews almost everywhere and the ‘War Horse’ journey began. It has now been playing for 12 years and all over the world including New York, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Germany. This year it will be performed in Paris. I’m really looking forward to that.

What books did you like to read when you were a child and what was your favourite book and author?

I loved being read to as a child and it’s the stories that my mother read to my brother and I that have stayed with me. I was lucky, she loved the music in the words and passed on her love of stories to me. One of these was ‘The Elephant’s Child’ by Rudyard Kipling. My mother was an actor and she could do all the voices and make the stories come alive for us. Treasure Island was the first book that I read myself where I felt utterly swept along in the story - I was Jim Hawkins in that barrel of apples on board the ‘Hispaniola’ on my way to Treasure Island.

I also love the poetry of Ted Hughes and Sean Rafferty. My favourite book would have to be ‘The Man who Planted Trees’ by the French writer Jean Giono.

When did you first realise that you wanted to be an author and what job did you want to do before wanting to become an author?

I wanted to play rugby for England but when that didn’t happen, I became a teacher. At the end of the day we used to read to the children. I could see that the story I was reading my Year 6 class was really boring them –they were falling asleep and looking out the window. I went home that night and my wife suggested that I tell them one of my own stories that I used to make up for my own children at bedtime. So, I went in the next day and started to tell them my story and they seemed to love it. It was a great feeling. Soon the headmistress of the school got to hear about Mr Morpurgo’s stories and suggested that I write them down. She had a friend in publishing and I sent my story off. I received a letter saying that they would publish my story and pay me!

How long does it take you to write a book?

The actual writing takes between three and six months depending on the book but that doesn’t include the dreaming time when I am weaving the story together in my head. That really depends how much ‘dream time’ I have. I try to take off a few months every year to write when I tend to go to my room and sit on my bed with lots of cushions supporting my back and my notebook on my knees. I always write by hand.

Who was your greatest inspiration as an author?

There are many people who influenced me over the years. The poets Sean Rafferty and Ted Hughes were great friends and mentors and my wife Clare who founded Farms for City Children and was the reason that we came to Devon.

Are there any new adaptations of your books coming soon?

There is a film due to be screened later this year of my book Waiting for Anya. It is set in the Pyrenees and was filmed there about a young shepherd boy played by the star of ‘Stranger Things’, Noah Schnapp, who helps smuggle Jewish children across the border with Spain during the Second World War.

Facts About Michael:

· In 1999, he co-founded the children’s laureate award with poet Ted Hughes, author of ‘The Iron Giant’, so far it has been awarded to authors such as Malorie Blackman, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen, the current children’s laureate is Lauren Child, author of the ‘Charlie and Lola’ series, she will be taken over in 2020 by Cressida Cowell author of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’

· His book ‘War Horse’ has sold over 1 million copies worldwide

· The stage adaptation of his book ‘War Horse’ has won several awards around the world including in the US and Canada and it has been seen by over 2 million people worldwide including in cities such as Hong Kong and Germany

· He has written over 100 books, with more to come