We spoke to Katie Buckley (OC 2014, Harcourt) about the release of her first novel, Hero, and shared some memories of her time at Cokethorpe.
Congratulations on the imminent release of your first novel. Can you tell us about it?
The book, which comes out in January, is called Hero. The book is named after the protagonist and follows the story of a young waitress called Hero. She lives in a tiny apartment with her boyfriend, who then proposes to her. Hero struggles with this, as she is a very ambitious person, and is fairly sure that she never wants to be anybody’s wife. He gives her a week to decide whether she wants to marry him, so she writes him a story, which is what we then read.
The book is inspired and based on a lot of myths, well-known myths like The Odyssey, and more cultural myths about women and what women want. It looks at how women play a lot of roles in their lives, and it can be very difficult to find yourself within the margins of all those different roles.
What inspired you to write the book in the first place?
I think some of it was from coming of age in my early twenties and feeling the image of myself change against societal expectations of what women are like. I really love myths and folk tales and was inspired by my work at university looking at myths and archetypes of femininity, which I think I, in my life, have felt constrained by.
Where did your passion for writing come from?
When I was growing up my mum was a librarian and later worked at Waterstones bookshop, so I grew up in a house filled with books. The greatest joy in my life is reading, which is definitely because of my mum.
Did any Cokethorpe teachers have a significant impact on your time at the School?
Lots of them! I had one particular moment at Cokethorpe which still stands out to me. I was in the Sixth Form, and we were asked to write a short story, Miss Jackson held me back after class and said ‘this is very good, you could really do this’. That was so encouraging and empowering. Miss Ringham and Mr Walwyn were also both very supportive to me. The English and Drama Departments were such happy and safe spaces for me to be in, which for a young person, is such a gift.
Can you share any favourite and happy memories from School?
I loved School, and I think that because of that and because I had such great teachers, it turned me into someone who loved university and loved doing a Master’s degree. I view learning environments as happy places to be, and that is absolutely because of the experience that I had at Cokethorpe.
One vivid memory I have is when I was studying for my A Levels. We were allowed to self-direct our studies, so we could study where we wanted. It was a beautiful summer’s day, and I remember getting a coffee from the coffee shop and sitting quietly in the grass studying, it was blissful. It was a great way to prepare us for university as we learnt to manage our own work.
What advice would you give to any of our current pupils who are interested in a writing or creative writing career?
Read and practise. Read as much as you can. We can think of writers as being prodigies, that they just sit there and the words come to them. I believe writing is a lot more like carpentry, you need the right tools, and you learn from seeing and doing. Writing is a skill, the more you do it, the better you get. Practise writing. I have written every day since I was 20 years old. Those early years my writing was appalling but if I had not gone through those years, I would not have learnt what I have to be able to write Hero.
Can you offer any career advice that helped you on your journey from School to where you are now?
This might sound crazy but get a job when you are at university! It is demanding work to balance a job whilst studying but I learnt skills that I could use later in life, such as task management and talking to lots of different people. When I then started applying for jobs after my degree, I was able to call on my experiences and demonstrate that. Talking to people teaches you a lot and gives you ‘real world’ experiences that can be invaluable in later life.
How long did it take for you to write Hero and what has surprised you the most about the process of publishing a book?
It took me nine months to write the first draft, then three years to edit it! So aside from how long it has taken, how much it matters to me whether people love it. It also feels a little surreal to me that the book is now an object in itself which someone could be reading in a room without me there, rather than just existing in my head.
What are your future plans?
Now Hero is out there, she is living her life, I will write another book but that’s under wraps for now. I will keep writing and hope to get better and better. I am looking forward to starting a new novel, the first draft is the fun bit.
When can we buy our copy of Hero?
Hero is published by Tinderpress, Hachette UK. It will be released on Thursday, January 30 2025. Available in all good bookshops!
