Karen Owen

 
Karen Owen has been partially deaf since childhood, and wrote the character Callie in Major and Mynah to reflect who she wanted to be when she was younger – funny, clever and with a special gift to hear something that other people cannot. Karen currently lives in London.
 
The fourth and final Major and Mynah adventure will be out on February 6th. SPUD – the Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives – are in a race to solve a new mystery. When they discover puffins coated in waste oil that has been dumped in the sea, they must find out who is to blame. Can our intrepid trio crack the case before more damage is caused to precious sea life and the Welsh coastline? Project Puffin is published by Firefly Press, illustrated by Louise Forshaw, and perfect for readers age 6+.
 
 
Major and Mynah Project Puffin

Thank you Karen for answering a few questions for Libraries Wales. Tell us a little about your background…

I grew up in a village in the heart of rural Kent which had four pubs, three churches, a butcher’s, a baker’s, a grocer’s, and a library. There was a small village primary school which I attended, and then went onto a secondary school on the outskirts of the closest town, Maidstone.

I was born with congenital hearing loss and a cleft palate, which meant that listening and talking were a challenge for me. I had years of speech therapy and various surgeries. What this meant for me as a kid was that I immersed myself in a world of written words. I read everything I could get my hands on, both fiction and non-fiction, so it was no surprise that I went on to study journalism and ended up working for news agencies in London.

What influences and memories stand out from your childhood?

My village was surrounded by apple orchards and hop fields. It resembled a TV period drama, with lots of history attached to it, and I loved the stories that were passed down. One included author Charles Dickens, who had a brush with death when a train he was on crashed off a bridge outside the village. He was said to have spent three hours assisting in the rescue effort. I loved finding out about the 10th century parish church, how my village got its name, and so on, so I spent a large amount of time in the library.

As a young person, who or what influenced you?

My influences were predominantly children’s authors, especially Enid Blyton. Even now, when I’m hiking through the countryside, I still dream of finding the magic Faraway Tree, where fantastical creatures live and there’s a portal at the top of the tree into magical lands. I was your classic reading-with-a-torch-under-the-bedclothes kid!

I loved watching cartoons and animation: Bagpuss, Bod, Ivor the Engine, Trumpton, Chigley, Camberwick Green. All had brilliant little stories in them that I soaked up.

What are your influences now?

I still read a huge amount, mostly contemporary fiction. Much of my own writing is about self-identity and, living in one of the largest multicultural cities in the world, I like to read stories that reflect this, to consider what it is to be human, to consider why we behave as we do. Favourite authors include Elif Shafak, Monica Ali, and Hanif Kureishi.  

When did you become aware of wanting to write, did any particular factors play a part?

I was super sensitive to any stories which featured disability because my lovely mum had multiple sclerosis and by the time I was ten, she was unable to walk. I veered away from most stories involving characters in wheelchairs because it seemed that inevitably that their disability was the plot point, the drama, and something very bad would happen. Real life was hard enough. I read books to understand – but mostly to escape.

One of the things I hated was being left out of things or singled out because I was ‘different’. I remember my primary school was lucky enough to have its own swimming pool. My whole class splashed around and had fun learning to swim but I wasn’t allowed in because of the danger of getting water in my ears (this was the 1970s so ear plugs weren’t so efficient and advanced). I was only allowed in for a few minutes to have a careful paddle once my classmates had got out. So I used to sit there in a huge huff and imagine I had a superpower, an ability to hear something that no-one else could. It was the spark for the idea that years later became Major and Mynah.

Tell us a little about Major and Mynah: Project Puffin. Where did the inspiration come from, and what do you hope readers will take from the story…

Major and Mynah: Project Puffin is the fourth instalment in my junior detective series for readers aged 7+. . SPUD – the Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives – are on holiday but find themselves in a race to solve a new mystery. When they discover puffins coated in waste oil that has been dumped in the sea, they must find out who is to blame before more damage is caused to precious sea life and the Welsh coastline.

Walking is my salvation and it’s my ambition to walk the coastline of the UK. I’ve made a start but there’s still a long way to go! While hiking, I’ve become very conscious of the urgent need to protect our planet, and I was keen to write a story for children that highlights this, without being didactic. I love walking in Pembrokeshire and was lucky enough to see the puffins on Skomer Island last year. They were so cute and vulnerable at the same time, and my urge to protect them lead me to creating a story about them.

Karen Owen

What are your favourite reading genres, and what books are you reading at the moment?

I read a lot of children’s fiction and I love stories that help kids explore who they are and how to express themselves in what can be a noisy and confusing world. As a writer of ‘humour with a heart’ fiction, I’m naturally drawn to this genre. I’m enjoying books by Cath Howe, Mo O’Hara, Terri Chilvers, Loretta Schauer, to name but a few.

What experiences of libraries have influenced you during your lifetime?

As a child, librarians fed my insatiable appetite for words. My parents couldn’t afford to buy many new books so the village library was a lifeline. They fuelled my burgeoning imagination and opened my eyes to other worlds and cultures beyond my very white and very conservative one.

As an author, I regularly run events at community and school libraries. I was part of the Summer of Fun events in libraries across South Wales and loved sharing stories and creating new ones with the children who attended.

What suggestions do you have to encourage children and young people to read more for pleasure?

Let children choose their own books. If they’re 12 and choose a picture book, that’s absolutely fine. Reading isn’t just about education. It’s about pleasure, it’s about finding your own place, and it’s about safety. Audio books are fabulous, too. Having a narrator read a story just for me is one of my pleasures in life.

Give us a quote that is at the heart of your life…

Enjoy today.

 

Thank you Karen.

Major and Mynah: Project Puffin will be published on 6th February by Firefly Press.

More about Karen on her website 

Read our Get to Know the Author flyer and take a look at our previous Authors of the Month writing in English.

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