Florence Knapp is a bestselling author whose debut novel The Names took the reading world by storm. The subject of a 13-way bidding war before it was published, The Names has since topped all the literary lists here and abroad, and has been translated into more than 20 languages.
As for where this relative unknown came from, Florence had been living with her husband, their children and dog Nell on the outskirts of London, with her only other published book a non- fiction volume about a centuries-old method of quilt-making called Flossie Teacakes’ Guid to English Paper Piecing.
The Names is quite a departure from that first work and it tells the story of Cora, a young mum who sets off on foot in the aftermath of a great storm to register the birth of her son. With the baby in his pram, and accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter, Cora’s doctor husband expects the boy to be named for him, but Cora fears her baby boy might then grow up to be like all those generations
of domineering Gordons who came before.
As the story of their lives spans decades, the power of three possible names pans out: Gordon, Julian or Bear? As gripping as it is imaginative, The Names explores the power of a name and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark.
Tell us a bit about your early reading and when the spark of creativity was lit.
The summer I was four, my mum read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web to me and my older sister. I don’t recall much of the story, only that my mum was unable to go on reading through her tears. When a relative took over, after just a few pages, she too had to pass the book on, this time to my father to try and finish dry-eyed. That afternoon, at a subconscious, cellular level, I absorbed something about the emotional impact a well-told story can have on both children and adults, and how it can gather everyone to the same imagined space.
Did you think you could be an author on the back of that experience?
My mum continued to read to us throughout our childhood and she inspired in me a profound love of books, which almost certainly left me wanting to write my own. After leaving university, I began writing fiction, although it wasn’t until many years later, with The Names, that I finally saw a novel I’d written published, aged 48.
With so many copies sold, have you seen people reading The Names in the wild?
And do you shyly say, “I wrote that,” or just quietly marvel? I’ve never actually witnessed someone reading my novel in the wild, although it’s been lovely to hear from friends who have. If I were to spot someone, I think I’d probably just be quietly delighted and leave them to their reading.
How did you segue from sewing and quilting to writing about it, and who taught you to quilt?
My maternal grandmother taught me the basics of sewing and embroidery. But I learned to make quilts through trial and error, picking up tips from the online quilting community. In the early days of blogging, I’d write about whatever I was making, and my fellow stitchers were generous in offering both cheerleading and advice. Over the years, I honed my skills and gradually started producing sewing patterns, and contributing to magazines and books. Although with quilting, as with writing, there’s so much still to learn and I love that about it.
Do you think there are any similarities between writing and quilting?
Yes, both involve piecing together fragments to gradually reveal a whole.
Where do you write? Will your space and process change for your next book?
I wrote The Names curled up on the sofa with a notebook and pen, but a new habit seems to form around each book and so far, my current novel is coming to life at my desk.
Domestic abuse is such a delicate and harrowing topic. What did you do to not feel weighed down while writing?
I wrote in very intensive bursts and, during those periods, I often felt the weight of what my characters were going through. But the book’s structure, which visits three versions of a family’s life in turn, offered some respite – if writing a particular narrative came with an emotional toll, I was able to balance that out by focusing on more heartening scenes in whichever storyline came next. I hope that feeling carries through for the reader too – that the darker moments will be offset by hope and joy.
Florence Knapp will appear at the Auckland Writers Festival, 12-17 May. For more information and tickets, visit writersfestival.co.nz
