The big day is almost here and I’ve still got presents to buy (and wrap). But there are more important things to spend my time on – like interviewing authors for your entertainment. Today, I’m talking to author Claire Wade about her novel, The Choice, and her future writing plans.
Hi Claire. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?
Hi, I’m Claire Wade, I won the Good Housekeeping Novel Competition in 2018 with my debut novel The Choice and I went on to win the East Anglian Book Award for Fiction.
I have severe ME and as a result I co-founded the group Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (ADCI). I wanted to bring disabled authors together to find support and share experiences. We are campaigning for better accessibility and inclusion within the publishing industry.
Wow, that sounds like an admirable and much-needed campaign.
Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?
The Choice is about a world where sugar is illegal and baking is a crime, it’s basically “The Great British Bake Off” meets “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
It’s set in the near future where Britain is ruled by a matriarchal society and led by the domineering Mother Mason; she wants health and happiness for all but achieves this by enforcing strict food rationing, supermarket weigh-ins and legally-required exercise classes. The Choice follows Olivia, who was forced to quit her successful baking business when the sugar ban came into place. She has two young children and is scared of the extremes the government is willing to go to ensure people remain healthy.
My inspiration came from hearing news stories about the potentially addictive qualities of sugar, I wondered what would happen if this was true and the government made it illegal, like other Class A drugs. I wanted to explore how the world would change and what people like me would do if we were no longer allowed to bake. Food is such an essential part of our celebrations and how we interact with each other, take that away and what is left?
Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?
As a result of my ME, I was bedbound for six years, my only escape was through my imagination. I want to write stories to help other people escape too. I write about people trying to break free from the constraints of their lives, a subject I’m deeply familiar with.
Food plays an important part in all my stories, because it’s a universal language; sharing a meal brings people together in a way that few other things do and it helps us to connect.
Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
I would love to have Christmas dinner with Molly from “The Secrets Of Hawthorn Place” by Jenni Keer, mainly because I want to go to Hawthorn Place, a quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast. It’s a truly magical place and would make the perfect setting for Christmas. I’d have to insist on doing the cooking though, because Molly is a nightmare in the kitchen, but that’s okay with me.
Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?
I’m currently working on my next novel. My disability means that writing is a slow process but even a few words a day is progress and a page a day is a novel by the end of the year.
I am also doing a virtual Guest Reading Session for Arvon on Wednesday 26th January at 19:15 GMT via Zoom.
I will be reading from The Choice, talking about my inspiration, my creative process and how I manage my disability with my writing. I’m really looking forward to it.
That sounds like a brilliant way to begin the new year. Thanks for joining me today, Claire. Wishing you a wonderful festive holiday.
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For all the information you might wish for, here are the links to find out more about Claire and her writing: