Author Interview — CONNECTING WITH HISTORY: Beverley McWilliams
Novel Insight on 22nd Oct 2023
In this interview on her book Spies in the Sky, Beverley McWilliams discusses the power of animal stories to teach sensitive topics to young readers.
What inspired you while writing Spies in the Sky?
I adopted a rescued pigeon around 10 years ago and while I was searching for a name, I came across a list of pigeons awarded the Dickin Medal for their service during World War Two. I knew pigeons had played a part in the war, but until then I was unaware of the National Pigeon Service or how many lives were saved by these remarkable birds. The more I looked into the history, the more fascinated I became. I wrote an article called ‘Feathered Heroes’ for The School Magazine, and I knew then that I would love to develop the ideas into a children’s book. So when my publisher asked for a follow-up book to The Reindeer and the Submarine, I suggested a story about World War Two pigeons. They loved the idea and Spies in the Sky was born.
How does this story match/relate to other stories you have written?
My first middle-grade novel, The Reindeer and the Submarine is the story of a reindeer who spent several weeks on board a World War Two Submarine. Like Spies in the Sky, this book is set during World War Two. The Reindeer and the Submarine is also inspired by true events and told from an animal’s point of view. Both stories are similar in style and provide information on true stories in the back matter.
I also write picture books, but these are very distinct in their style and subject matter. My first picture book Born to Fly is a non-fiction biography and I have a scientific picture book and a whimsical picture book due for release next year.
Royal Blue has very human emotions and yet is innocent to understanding the ways of war until he is thrust into it. What did you want to make readers think about in writing that?
Using a Royal Blue as the narrator, while giving him very human emotions, allowed me to introduce children to war and address sensitive and difficult issues through the innocence of an animal’s point of view. What Blue experiences—leaving behind loved ones, facing dangers, losing freedoms—are reflective of how the war affected people’s lives and, just like Blue, many people had no comprehension of the horrors of war until it was thrust upon them.
How long did it take you to research Racing Pigeons versus Pigeons in the military to come up with it?
I had already done a lot of background research for my article on war pigeons, but I still spent several months researching before starting the book and this continued throughout my writing process. Having adopted pigeons, I already had a good background knowledge of pigeons and their mannerisms, which was very helpful. From a racing pigeon point of view, I met up with someone from the South Australian Homing Pigeon Association. He answered many of my racing pigeon questions, and I observed birds returning from a race, which was really exciting. For the military aspect, I did a lot of background research online and a wonderful book called Secret Pigeon Service provided a fantastic insight into MI14.
One of my favourite parts of research is making connections with people and I was delighted to make contact with the great-granddaughter of Charlie Brewer, who owned Mary of Exeter, one of the main pigeon characters in my book. She kindly provided photos of Mary and Charlie, which are included in the back of the book as well as details of their lives.
What are your future plans? Animal or people stories?
The book I am currently writing is inspired by the true story of an elephant who led a rescue of refugees through former Burma during World War Two. I am really enjoying writing this book as I love elephants and it’s fascinating to write about a part of World War Two history of which I had little previous knowledge. I was very fortunate to be awarded an Arts SA grant to assist with a research trip for this book. In November, I am travelling to a mountainous region of Thailand near the Myanmar border to live with a Karen Community. It will be an amazing opportunity to absorb the culture of the indigenous people of this region and also observe elephants in their natural habitat.
After that book, I am hoping to write a picture book about a chicken, and I also have an idea for a chapter book series on a dog … so many ideas and never enough time! I really enjoy writing about animals in a historic context, so I think I will be sticking to that for the near future…although I have a medieval fantasy and a young adult book sitting in my drawer unfinished, so you never know!