posted on 23 Mar 2023

An Interview with Michelle Briscombe

The Letterpress Project has asked authors and illustrators to think about what has inspired them as artists, what their favourite books are and how they relate to their audience - we've also asked them if they themselves are book collectors.

We are delighted to present an exclusive interview with author, Michelle Briscombe. Michelle told us:

"I went to primary school in Llandaff and moved to Barry when I was 13. Have lived in Barry ever since with husband and two grown up children. I like to walk, spend time in Llangenith and the Gower, (mentioned in the book) and obviously read and write.

I have worked part time at Gwenfo Primary School in the Vale of Glamorgan for past 22 years where I support learning and teach Creative Writing."

Books published by Candy Jar:

Silent Mountain, 2012

The House on March Lane, 2016 

and the newest book, The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle published on 2nd March 2023.

The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle is the sequel to children’s book, The House on March Lane with the same two characters, Flora and Archie. Set in two different periods of time and in a Welsh Castle, the two characters are enjoying a working holiday with their dad, when they have a ghostly encounter which takes them on a hunt for clues to solve a mystery. The main adult character, is an opera singer from Bilboa, the Basque region of Spain, from where my great grandfather originated. He came and settled in Cardiff Docks at the turn of the century, as a ship’s chandler. I have always wanted to incorporate my family heritage into a story and this book gave me that opportunity.

Currently working on a YA novel with a supernatural twist.

Awards:

Recipient of a Literature Wales Bursary in 2015 and took time from work to work on a Celtic YA story – as yet, unpublished.

Short listed in the Wells Festival of Literature for a Story for Children, 2017. 

Prize winner in Wells Festival of Literature, short story competition 2018 for an adult short story.

Shortlisted for several other short story competitions.

 

You can see how she answered our questions on this link to her interview:

Letterpress_einterviews_questions_MB.pdf