Q&A with Caroline Wakeman

November 17th 2021

What inspired you to write these books?

I have been working in the publishing business for over 20 years and a few years ago I received a project from a client to rewrite classic fairy tales. It reminded me how much I loved fairy tales as a child, and how clever the structure of each storyline was. Every story was incredibly different, but the emphasis was always teaching the reader the difference between right and wrong. I liked the concept and the obvious, sometimes subliminal, messages and lessons they taught so I decided to try to give my own fresh spin on the fairy tales I loved.

Can you tell us why classic fairy tales resonate with you and why you felt they needed a bit of a twist? 

As much as I love fairy tales, I always felt there were some unresolved questions – such as why did the magic mirror tell the Wicked Queen that Snow White was the fairest? Even as a child, I thought it was strange: did the magic mirror not want to protect Snow White from such an evil tragedy? I couldn’t help but wonder if there was someone who kept making little mistakes and accidentally caused these problems. They would then try their hardest to make everything right again, ensuring that everyone lived happily ever after! I also thought it would be intriguing to have a fairy tale told from a fairy’s perspective. Almost as if we are experiencing a behind-the-scenes peek into what really happened, showing us how hard it must have been to keep the peace in this mysterious and enchanted world.

Who is Verity Fairy? What qualities does she possess? 

Verity Fairy is a fun-loving fairy who loves marshmallows and likes to tell the truth ALL the time! She’s a very relatable fairy who lives in the Fairy Tale Kingdom and has good intentions but makes mistakes. She and her best friend, Celeste, discover that it’s okay to get things wrong sometimes. They also learn Social Emotional skills such as friendship, kindness, conflict, and forgiveness. All the fairies in the Fairy Tale Kingdom are given tasks by the Queen of the Fairies, Tatiana. As Verity likes to tell the truth all the time, this does cause a few problems, but she overcomes these obstacles with a little humour and a lot of lessons learned - along with a happy ending, of course! 

What do you hope for young readers to learn from your series? 

I would hope that all young readers learn from Verity that nobody is perfect and that we all make mistakes, even as adults. I think children often see adults as perfect and subconsciously put themselves under unnecessary pressure to try and be the same. Social Emotional Learning is essential to children of this age group. Quite often this will be the first time they experience problems with friendship, consideration to others, and conflict. I hope Verity’s stories gently encourage children to talk about any similar problems they may be experiencing. 

In this digital age, why are books still so important for kids? 

I think books are still very important for children. Through reading, they can fully immerse themselves into the story and the world of imagination that the author has created. I think children can be easily distracted when reading on a digital appliance with buttons for volume, screen adjustment etc. These platforms are not allowing the child to concentrate fully on what’s happening in the story. 

What were some of your favourite books you read as a child? If you could be any character from a book, who would it be? 

I loved Winnie-The-Pooh when I was a child. My father would read the stories to me in such an animated way, which is probably why I felt a strong connection to the characters. My favourite character was Winnie-The-Pooh, but I didn’t aspire to be like him, I just wanted to give him a hug. I also really loved fairy tales when I was younger. The Ladybird Series ‘Well-loved Tales’ was by far my favourite series, but again, I didn’t want to be any of the characters. If I could be any character from a book, it would probably be Mary Poppins because of her ‘can do’ attitude and her magic skills. Like most mums, I seem to have a similar handbag which holds absolutely everything and anything! I can’t sing though, and it seems to be taking me a long time to learn any magic tricks!

Did you always want to be a writer? What piece of advice would you give to anyone who may aspire to write books of their own one day? 

I have always enjoyed the art of storytelling. One of my earliest memories is reciting the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears for my grandparents to record. I used to love reading aloud to anyone or anything that would listen (including my cat). My career has always been in Publishing and Marketing so writing has always been part of my job. When my children were born, I decided to write my own children’s books. I really enjoy writing and transporting myself into another world that I have invented (and can control). My advice to anyone interested in writing as a career, is to join societies or writing groups such as SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators). It’s a brilliant way to learn what publishers are looking for and great for building your confidence. Also, be open minded and don’t give up! 

Verity Fairy and Snow White and Verity Fairy and Sleeping Beauty are out now.