Author Spotlight:
Kathryn Sharman
For this very first Author Spotlight in our series of interviews with creatives inspired by places and spaces, I am absolutely delighted to welcome Kathryn Sharman. Based in Harrogate, Yorkshire, Kathryn is a writer, photographer, journalist and blogger, with a keen eye for brilliant books and historic houses. Her current novel is informed by the British pop art movement, and is set in London during the 1960s and Yorkshire in the 1980s. She spoke to Manderley Press about the artists, books and buildings she draws inspiration from.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, and how you became a writer?
I’ve been a writer of sorts for most of my adult life. I worked as a journalist and copywriter during my twenties and then after having three children I became a blogger during my thirties. Now, in my forties I decided to undertake a MA in Creative Writing and finally devote my energies to writing novels. One day, I hope to be published but in the meantime I’m enjoying the process and taking time to learn my craft.
What are you reading right now?
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I’ve been in a bit of a reading fug but this short, sharp novel is snapping me out of it.
Can you remember a book whose location, or setting, made a deep impression on you as a reader? Location and setting is so important to me, as a reader and a writer. I love books that transport me to another time and place or where the location is a character in itself. Houses in particular are a favourite. Aside from the wonderful Manderley in Rebecca, examples such as Darlington Hall in The Remains of the Day, Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre and the titular Wuthering Heights spring to mind. One of my favourite novels is The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters and is an example of how a house, Hundreds Hall, can wield a power all of its own over
a story’s characters as well as the reader. More recently, I really enjoyed Claire Fuller’s novel Bitter Orange that also features a crumbling English estate called Lynton’s, which weaves a kind of madness over its inhabitants. I can’t get enough of ‘Big House’ stories.
What was your favourite book as a child?
My first reading experience was the Beatrix Potter stories. Whenever I revisit them I’m always surprised by how sinister and disturbing they are; kittens that end up in a pudding, squirrels that lose their tail to an owl, female mice that are harassed by a series of male intruders! Perhaps it’s no surprise that my interests sometimes lean towards the darker side.
Where do you like to write?
Before Covid and lockdown, I would write anywhere I could from my bedroom to the library or local coffee shop and I still miss the social buzz of a busy cafe. Then last summer, with a husband and three kids all working / studying at home, I needed some space. So we built a little garden shed where I now write when I can. I love it!
Do you draw inspiration from any places, buildings or houses in particular?
One of my favourite places to visit is Salts Mill in Saltaire, West Yorkshire. It’s filled with works by David Hockney who was born and lived nearby and has one of the best book shops in the world. A trip here always leaves me inspired, whether I’m stocking up on new reads, buying art materials or prints or just filling up in the cafe.
If you could meet a friend for a natter and a cake, where would you head to right now?
The Tiled Hall Cafe in Leeds is always a treat because the original Victorian surroundings are stunning and the city art gallery is just adjacent. But after a year of lockdown I’d like to go further afield and head to the William Morris cafe in the V&A followed by a saunter around the costume department.
Tell us about your favourite artists or illustrators?
Well, Hockney and Morris are up there as you can already tell, but I also like Klimt (more for the landscapes than portraits) and Matisse. Yes, I am a cliche and make no apology. I’m also interested in some of the more sidelined or forgotten female artists like the embroiderer Jane Morris or pop artist Pauline Boty, who was one of the inspirations for the novel I’m currently writing.
Inside with a cuppa or out for a muddy stomp?
I’m going to cheat and say both, because one is the perfect precursor to the other.
Finally, what are you working on at the moment (if you can tell us), and does it have any connections to a particular place?
I’m writing a dual timeline novel that spans Sixties London and Eighties Yorkshire. It takes in the British pop art movement as I mentioned but a lot of it is set on a farm in the Yorkshire Dales, so the surrounding countryside near my home has definitely provided an inspirational backdrop.
