Penny Joelson - Interview (December 2025)
Q: What was your best school visit, and why?
Q: When engaging with students during school visits, what was the funniest question?
As I speak at secondary schools I don't often get asked questions like the names of my cats, but I have been asked how old I am, my favourite food and whether I am rich...
Q: You live in Hertfordshire, what is the best thing about the county?
I love being so close to London (a fast train gets me to central London in 20 minutes) but also so close to beautiful countryside. I have good transport links from here by car and train and am happy to travel for school visits!
Q: You have worked as a primary school teacher, what is the worst thing about that job?
Managing 33 five year olds, many with special needs, was not easy. Doing P.E. with them was the hardest, especially as they had to get changed and then change back and some could barely dress themselves. I once ended up with one boy without trousers. There was one pair left that he said weren't his and they clearly were much too short for him. But everyone else seemed to have the right pair. He stayed in P.E. shorts and I felt awful and I was so apologetic to his mum. But she looked at the 'too short' pair and said they were his! He'd just had a growth spurt and she hadn't managed to get him new ones yet!
Q: If you were in charge of a school library, which book would you insist is on the shelves, and why?
That is a really hard question! I'm going to say 'Pomegranates for Peace' by Miriam Halahmy. I like writing and reading books that are good stories but also make readers think and give perspectives that readers may not be familiar with. This book does this.
Q: You grew-up in London, did the area impact what you write - either positively or negatively?
I think being in London had a positive impact as I grew up in a multicultural area and mixed with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. I had access to interesting opportunities for voluntary work with children with disabilities too.
Q: Why did you write about a character with cerebral palsy?
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on a new thriller. It is top secret so I can't say any more about it at the moment! (I do often read the first few pages of a work in progress at school visits though...)
Q: You spent time working at schools, what advice would you have to children that find being academic very difficult or even impossible?
If reading is hard I say listen to audio books or try graphic novels. Read non-fiction if you prefer. While schools focus on academic subjects there are many jobs that require more practical skills. I have written books for Pearson aimed at teenagers with lower reading ages. 'Things that Didn't Happen' is one of these, about a boy who does badly in exams but finds he loves care work. Then a care home resident confesses to a murder many years ago..
Q: You have worked near Covent Garden, which is an amazing part of London, what other parts of London do you like?
I like the South Bank, Borough Market, Camden, Highgate, Greenwich, anywhere on the Thames or near a canal. I like Regents Park and St James's Park. I've enjoyed travelling to different parts of London on school visits, areas I hadn't been to before.
Q: What is the worst job you have ever had?
I worked part time as a filing clerk for a firm of accountants when I was young and I was very bad at it. I often wasn't sure where to file things and I hated answering the phones. I once forgot to pass on a message about a cancelled appointment and the accountant went a long way for nothing. I felt terrible.
Q: Apart from reading and writing, what hobbies do you have?
I enjoy arts and crafts, country walks and nature photography.