By
Andrea Grigg
When
I think about it, it’s not surprising I ended up becoming a writer. Story-telling
has always been a big part of my life, and I’m not talking about creative
excuses, in case you were wondering!
From
the time I was little, I was entertained by stories. Mum and Dad read to me
every day – I cut my reading teeth on The Famous Five – but Dad was also a fabulous storyteller. He used to make up adventures on the spot about anything. My favourites were the
on-going bedtime ones about Wendy and Gary, a brother and sister who led very
exciting lives!
Dad
was, and still is at 88, a voracious reader, something he passed on to me. When
I was a child I read anywhere. In the back seat of the car, in the bath, (and
yes, on the toilet) but I was never allowed to read at the dining table,
although I tried. More than once.
We
used to go to the library every Friday night. I would come home with around ten
books and they’d be well and truly finished by the following Friday. I was
thrilled when the librarians allowed me to select books from the Young Adult
section way before I was officially old enough.
I
know what influenced me as a reader, but what about my dad? I thought it would
be interesting to find out. He was born waaaay back in 1927, and I was curious
to know the differences between the reading world then and the reading world now.
So, Dad, a.k.a. Ross Davison – what
gave you the reading bug?
I
suppose it was because my mum always encouraged me to read, and because I was
provided with books. I was given Winnie the Pooh and Wind in the Willows when I
was quite young. I used to read them over and over. I learned to read very
quickly from those.
Haha, Dad. They would’ve been
practically brand new back then! What else did you like to read growing up?
We
had a brilliant collection of children’s encyclopaedias. Big, fat volumes, with
information as well as children’s stories. I reckon I learned half my general
knowledge from those. I also loved the Just William books, by Richmal Crompton,
Dr Doolittle books, and boys magazines which had adventures about footballers,
boxers, cricketers and aviators. I read Lord Of The Rings about 50 years ago
before it became popular. I’ve read it many times since, along with The Hobbit.
Which genres are your favourites?
Mystery,
adventure, comedy, historical, and non-fiction concerning aircraft, golf and
cars.
Any favourite authors?
Not
especially, except for Clive Cussler. I quite like choosing authors I don’t
recognise. I discovered the Cadfael Chronicles, by Ellis Peters, an historical
murder mystery series set in the 1100s, and I really enjoyed them.
Have you noticed any changes in the
reading world over the years?
There
are more scenes containing explicit violence and sex these days.
Books
have become longer ie. 600-700 pages is common. They used to average around
300-400.
Covers
were more subdued back then, nothing like as bright.
Books
were hardbound rather than paperbacks.
Today,
the print is easier to read, better laid out. The quality of paper is better
too.
Comics
back then weren’t like the ones you see now. They used funny animals and
caricatures more than human beings. I had a first editon of Phantom. Wish I had
it now!
Children’s
books tended to have more story than pictures, unlike now.
To
sum it up, the quality of the story is still what matters. That hasn’t changed.
Totally agree, Dad. Thanks for your insights
– it was a fun interview!
About Andrea Grigg:
