In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay. Will they ever meet again?
Tell us about your latest book
The Low Road is set in Georgian England, and moves between the early childhood of the main character, Hannah, in rural Norfolk, to the orphanage she is sent to in Hackney, East London, where she meets another inmate, Annie and forges a deep and loving relationship with her, before both being transported, separately, to Australia in the 1820s. For me this story is a way of connecting with a true story from my Norfolk hometown, but it is also a story from the roots up, of how an ordinary, working class girl fought to be herself, against all odds.
What is your preferred writing routine?
I prefer to write first thing in the morning for a few hours, before taking a break at lunchtime. I then find I often have another burst of energy towards the end of the day. I also find that it works for me to keep the routine going during the weekend, if possible, so I try and at least keep the thinking process about writing going then. I want my unconscious mind to do the work, so if I set myself a writing problem on Friday that feels intractable, sometimes by letting it sit over the weekend, it can be at least wrangled into shape on a Monday.
This pattern holds largely true for journalism as well, which is my day job, with one key difference. I write in the morning, take a break at lunchtime and try and walk to the local reservoir and back if there’s time. I then find it easier to edit, rather than write in the afternoon. The only difference is that I try to keep the weekends completely free if I’m writing an article, to give myself downtime. I think that’s because journalism is clearly paid, so I treat it as a job, with proper breaks and writing is a passion, so it’s for pleasure. So I don’t mind it creeping into the weekend.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
My advice is to find the routine that suits you best. I’ve found that writing and journalism seem to use the same part of my mind, so if I’m writing a long-read or an investigation it is too near to creative writing for me to hold the two at the same time. Instead, I write in blocks of time. My main source of income is journalism, so I embark on a project, earn what I can (whilst enjoying the process and collaborating with colleagues a lot, it’s no hardship) and then give myself time to write fiction. Other writers can segment their time and do jobs and write at the same time. Find your own rhythm and routine.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
I’m not sure there is just one way, because the publishing industry has become so large, and at the same time the space for book reviews has shrunk considerably. Where for previous books the publisher has taken on the lion’s share of the publicity, this time around has been different. I’ve had to be actively involved in seeking out awareness raising myself, doing podcasts, book blogs (which I love), asking for reviews and endorsements from other authors, and doing social media. Book bloggers are a really important part of the book industry landscape and it’s been a pleasure to discover this wonderful community of readers and writers committed to discussing fiction in such a positive and constructively engaged way.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
For me the most unexpected part of my research was finding that there were loving and long-lasting relationships in the female work factories in Australia, where one of my key characters was sent after she was transported. There were also deep friendships between girls at the Refuge for the Destitute in Hackney, London. This uncovered a hidden history for me in Georgian times and I hope I have done it justice in The Low Road.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
Two key characters die in The Low Road and writing about the bereavement and ongoing trauma that follows death was hard for me, not least because our family experienced multiple bereavements in 2017, one of the years in which I was researching the novel.
What are you planning to write next?
I have been lucky enough to be awarded an Arts Council England grant to develop a crime series, which I’m basing loosely on stories I have covered both in the UK and abroad. But I don’t want to stop writing historical fiction either - I’m in the early stages of reflecting on how I could write another novel about the Swing Rioters in Eastern England, where I grew up, and about how ordinary working people stood up to the injustices caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the effect on wages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Katharine Quarmby
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About the Author
She is an investigative journalist and editor, with particular interests in disability, the environment, race and ethnicity, and the care system. Her reporting has appeared in outlets including the Guardian, The Economist, The Atlantic, The Times of London, the Telegraph, New Statesman and The Spectator. Katharine lives in London. Katharine also works as an editor for investigative journalism outlets, including Investigative Reporting Denmark and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Find out more at Katherine's website: https://www.katharinequarmby.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter @KatharineQ
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