Alice Hemming - Interview (October 2025)
Q: What was your best school visit and why?
I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite school visit! That would be like picking a favourite book. But in general, the following things tend to help: - Having a timetable for my day well ahead of my visit, including rough numbers of children for each session so that I can plan resources.
- Knowing at an early stage if a book sale is required so that I can contact a local bookshop if necessary.
- Engaged teachers in classrooms, supporting the session and asking questions.
- Someone to greet me in the morning, a parking space reserved if necessary and someone to ask if I need lunch (I usually have a packed lunch, but just in case).
Q: What is something unexpected that has given you inspiration for writing one of your books?
I often get inspiration for my books in classrooms and on visits. In general, it’s useful for me to see what real life, contemporary classrooms actually look like for when schools appear in my books. Specifically, I was given a fantastic idea for a subject on a recent visit to a library but I can’t share what it was because the book’s not yet published. I’ll let them know, though!
Q: What do you hope children will feel after reading one of your books?
Entertained. Depending on the book, curious to explore the ideas in the book in more depth. Keen to read another book, by me or any other author.
Q: The Leaf Thief series highlights different seasons, what is your favourite and why?
Autumn’s hard to beat, isn’t it? Sunny but cold, beautiful colours… But the other seasons have their merits too.
Q: Did being a librarian in the past help you in any way in writing books?
I’m not sure it helped me to actually write books, as I never worked in a public library. I worked in academic libraries, and more behind the scenes, including cataloguing electronic journals. But it’s given me a better understanding of what librarians actually do, and what clever and talented people they are.
Q: Do you have any funny memories engaging with students on school visits?
Many. But my favourite is when I visited a school just before Christmas. When the teacher asked the Reception class what they thought I might do, one of the little boys wondered if I was an elf.
Q: The main theme of your books is friendship, what does it take for your characters to become likely friends?
Great friends can be quite different from one other and it’s great if each character brings their own unique qualities to the relationship.
Q: What is a recent book you’ve read that you would recommend?
Thinking about friendship, the Major and Mynah series by one of my author friends Karen Owen (and illustrated by Louise Forshaw) is a great example of good friendship. It also includes detective work, code-breaking and humour and is perfect for that in-betweeny reading age of around 7-9.
Q: What do you like most about being an author?
The variety. Some days are quiet, writing days with just me and my keyboard. Other days I might be out visiting a school, library or bookshop in the UK or elsewhere.
Q: What is a book that you think every child should read at least once in their life?
There isn’t one. We all like different books, don’t we? I am fairly certain that there is a book out there for every child, though. They just need to find it and might need a bit of help with that. Libraries are a good place to start.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, I’m working on another book in The Leaf Thief series, some non-fiction set in the natural world, and a longer book about animals.
Q: Where did you grow-up, how did the area impact what you write - either positively or negatively?
I grew up on the outskirts of Colchester, Essex UK. Having a good local library just around the corner was definitely a positive. Bit of a theme here in my answers!