TAMSIN MORI | AUTHOR INTERVIEW
With early March enlivened by World Book Day, it’s a blessing to have an array of new and colourful fiction released at the same time. The Weather Weaver, by debut novelist Tamsin Mori, sees one girl face evils she thought were only found in the pages of myths and legends…
Entrusted into the care of her widowed grandpa on an island in Shetland, Stella is isolated and unamused – until Tamar, an interestingly erratic local woman, asks her, quite simply, to catch a cloud. Entertaining Tamar’s ridiculous instruction, Stella is mesmerised by her abilities to do just that… and bestows upon her new cloud companion the quaint name of Nimbus.
Going forward, Stella and her mischievous friend have magic to master and weathers to summon, but all is at risk of a bleak outcome when violent storms and an ominous dark figure is sighted at sea.
Will Stella, a novice in the art of weather weaving, be able to protect those she loves at the side of whimsical Tamar? Will the mysterious, dark figure that haunts them come ashore and take what it longs for?
All kinds of weathers burst from the pages of Stella’s adventure, then. But what is its author’s favourite weather and what does she prefer to be doing when it has been woven into the skies?
“That’s really tricky! Writing The Weather Weaver, I’ve come to find things that I love in every weather. My absolute favourite is bright, cold, and blustery, with a hint of spring in the air – the kind of weather that tempts you out of the house after months of hibernation. On a day like that, I’d prefer to be on top of a hill, letting the wind blow all the winter cobwebs away.”
Stella is rather scientifically minded and calculated when coming up with the name Nimbus. What would Tamsin call her own cloud if she managed to wrangle one?
“My first thought is Nimbus, but that’s already taken,” she says. “I would love a small feisty thundercloud though, so maybe Sparky!”
With coronavirus altering so much in so many lives, books are a vitally nourishing form of escapism. How has the pandemic challenged Tamsin as a writer?
“Trying to find a peaceful space to write has been a challenge. I find it easiest to write in silence, and what with home school, and my husband working from home too, peace and quiet has been in short supply! But I’ve adapted my writing schedule to find the rare peaceful hours and I’ve felt incredibly lucky overall – both reading and writing have provided a joyful escape during the pandemic.
“I’ve taken both inspiration and comfort from going on long walks and noticing everything – the shape of the clouds, the texture of the rain, the slow turning of the seasons. The whole family have been reading constantly – visiting other places, times, characters, even while staying at home. We’ve been making solid use of the click-and-collect service at the library!”
If Stella’s grandma had met Tamsin, what would she see in her future?
“Grandma’s predictions can be a bit cryptic,” Tamsin muses, “but I deeply hope that she’d see me visiting lots of schools and literature festivals in the future! Shetland Library have been a wonder and they’re already taking me on a virtual tour of Shetland schools, though I can’t wait to get back there in person! Bath Children’s Literature Festival is on my doorstep, so that’s long been a joyful annual fixture for our family. My dream would be to bring Shetland myths and stories to the magical Hay Festival – along with a full day of sunshine, of course.”
Will readers be seeing more of the wonderfully brave Stella and Nimbus? And what’s next for the imaginative storyweaver that is Tamsin Mori?
“You’ll certainly be seeing more of Stella and Nimbus. I’m busily editing the second Weather Weaver book in the series, so there are more adventures to come! I’ve also got another book quietly brewing, but that’s far too new to talk about yet…”
If you enjoy The Weather Weaver as much as we have, you’ll no doubt join us in watching the clouds for word of Stella’s next incredible adventure.
The Weather Weaver is published by UCLan. Price: £7.99. Info: here
words KARLA BRADING