‘Being a mother and a writer are life’s most challenging roles’

Who is Emma Harcourt?

I’m a writer and a mother; the two things I’m most proud to be and the two things I find the most challenging.

I was a journalist for many years, working in London, Hong Kong and Sydney. I’ve travelled extensively, as a child with my family in the 70s and 80s and then as a young adult. I love the excitement of that first moment you set foot in a new country; the way the streets smell on a new morning to explore.

I have a very close group of girlfriends who got together when our sons were in kindergarten and formed a book club. We have been meeting for 20 years and they keep me grounded and lift me up. I’m a single mother so I need their support, along with that of a very close family of two sisters and my own mum. I have an adult son who lives in London and two primary school-age daughters.

What was your favourite book as a child and why?

I loved the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. I read them all in order and was very particular about having the set in my bookcase, and seeing the book numbers on the spine made me so happy! I remember the feeling of goodness snuggled in my bed with a Famous Five volume, and wanting to read as fast as I could to find out what happens.

What book made the most lasting impression on you?

When I was a young woman, married and 22, living in London, I read Virginia Woolf’s, A Room of One’s Own, and I stumbled upon all the questions I’d never asked myself. The book made me see what I needed and I felt very uncomfortable and yet inspired. It took me years to ignore other people’s wants and listen to my own voice.

Is there a book you think “I wish I had written that”?

Only one! I wish I had written The English Patient, by Michael Ondjaate. His sentences are achingly beautiful, and the love story is delicate and deep.

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading two books, which I don’t usually do, but one is research for my new novel and the other is for pleasure. I’m reading Be Like The Fox, by Erica Benner, which is a portrait of Machiavelli – this is for research and it’s a fascinating, very readable book. The other book I’m reading is The Good People, by Hannah Kent. I loved her debut novel Burial Rites, and I’m getting into this equally dense and evocative tale.

What are you writing at present?

I’m writing my second novel. It’s another historical fiction, set in Renaissance Italy. It’s about a young, independent woman, ahead of her times, and the way her intelligence and her heart come together to save the life of a brilliant astronomer.

Are you a planner or do your books form organically?

That’s an interesting question because my first book The Shanghai Wife was not planned. The plot developed organically as I wrote. But with my second book, I’ve taken a different approach and I’ve mapped out the plot entirely. This may be because I have a deadline for delivering it! I’m curious to see which works best for me. Many authors talk about their process, I’m still working mine out.

What was your first job?

My first career job was as an editorial assistant on a financial trade newspaper in London in the last 80s. It was a weekly paper and part of the Financial Times Group. We worked in a large open plan office in a nondescript building near the Smithfield meat markets, where animal carcasses still hung each morning. The news editor chain-smoked and I still remember the fat glass ashtrays that sat in the middle of the arrangement of our desks. They were constantly overflowing. For a day each week, I would run the old cobblestone streets between the office and the typesetters. It sounds like something from a historical novel!

When I’m not writing I’m …………….?

Either working to pay the bills or looking after my two daughters. I work part-time for a digital marketing firm as a content producer. I have two daughters, 10 and 11 years old, and I’m a single mum so raising them is a full-time occupation!

What is the most outrageous/bravest/silliest thing you have done in your life?

When I was 16 years old, still in high school, I travelled to Hong Kong, Taiwan and China with a girlfriend on our own for two weeks. I still can’t believe my parents let us go! I cleaned houses and babysat to make the money to pay for the holiday and somehow convinced my parents I was mature enough to look after myself. It was an absolutely amazing trip, but we did run out of money! We spent a day walking around Hong Kong, looking for dropped coins and managed to find enough to buy a bowl of soup.

What brings you joy?

My children, my friends, writing, music and reading.

Is there a book you keep re-reading; something that never gets old for you or where you still find nuances?

Two books actually: Geraldine Brooks’ Year of Wonders and The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. Both of these extraordinary writers have such a beautiful way of putting words together. The books immortalise moments in history with storylines of love and loss that arc above the most detailed and provocative sentences.

Is there a character you really identify with, either in one of your books or indeed another author’s work?

Annie Brand, my main character in The Shanghai Wife, is a headstrong and naive young woman who learns through her mistakes. I feel that’s been my journey too. She was courageous enough to travel alone and all the way to China, brave enough to be led by her heart. I have that independent streak and, like Annie, I struggled for many years to find where I belong and to find my voice.

Are you looking forward to ageing? Why/why not?

I’m looking forward to the next years of my life, which includes aging. I’m hopeful that my book will find readers who love it and I’m excited to write the next one, that makes me spring out of bed each morning. My daughters are fun, mischievous and loving and I’m so lucky to have them. I’m happier and lighter, more confident and more powerful than I’ve ever been. Hitting the half-century mark in my life feels about the right time to come into my own. So yes, I’m looking forward to growing some more.

*****

I thoroughly enjoyed this small glance into the life of Emma Harcourt whose first novel The Shanghai Wife was reviewed on Starts at 60 this week.

Read Jennifer Larmar’s review of The Shanghai Wife

On Wednesday 18 July, we’ll publish an extract of her book kindly provided the publisher HQ Fiction. Then on Sunday 22 July on The Book Club, Starts at 60 book lovers will discuss The Shanghai Wife – will you join us.

The Shanghai Wife, by Emma Harcourt, is available in printed or digital editions from the publisher, HQ Fiction.