Author Interview – Kathryn Holme – Captain Kit

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, children’s book author Kathryn Holme shares what inspired the story of Captain Kit, and her creative writing process.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Kathryn Holme about her life and career, the story of her new children’s book Captain Kit, and the creative work that went into it.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

I live in St Andrews, having moved here from Leeds in 2019.

I’ve had many different jobs, including being a childminder for seven years.

Captain Kit is my first children’s picture book. Captain Kit loves snacking. Shipmates Joy and Pedro hide the food one day with a surprising outcome. A rhythmically-told story for 3 to 5 year olds featuring pirate adventures and cake.

When did you take a step to start writing?

I attended various creative writing courses in Leeds and still keep in touch with the Scribblers based at Swarthmore Education Centre. Since moving to St Andrews, I have been involved with the Byre Writers and Fife Writes focusing on writing monologues and short scripts. I also write flash fiction and I have won competitions run by Scottish Book Trust and Friday Flash Fiction.

What made you want to write Captain Kit?

I wrote a version of this story for my youngest son in 2015 as we couldn’t find many books with characters called Kit.

I entered the current version of the story into the 2023 Scottish Association of Writers conference competition, where it was commended. Maggie Bolton was the adjudicator for the competition and we have since collaborated on this book.

My son Kit is now 14. He is currently designing a combat robot, which is an expensive hobby, so proceeds from book sales will help fund his project.

Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Captain Kit need?

I’ve had great advice from my two mentors: Sophie Hannah (bestselling author and creator of the Dream Author programme) and Pauline Tait (award-winning children’s author).

What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?

Believe that you are a great writer as only you can write this particular story.

Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?

I am currently working on a series of picture books involving eight octopuses.

I’m also working on my first full-length play and a novella-in-flash.

And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

I’ve found the process of creating a picture book both enjoyable and challenging. I’ve learned lots of skills regarding layout of text and images in order to capture the essence of the story. I’ve been lucky to have the support of my family with this project and hope it raises funds for replacement robot parts.

Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3YO31bZ

For more information please visit Kit’s Combat Robots (kitscombatrobots.blogspot.com)

Captain Kit by Kathryn Holme, Maggie Bolton | Waterstones

kathrynholme | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | Linktree