Books of the Week exclusive: Carnegie Medal Winner Tanya Landman on Midwinter Burning

November 30th 2022

About Tanya Landman Tanya Landman has written over 40 books for children and young people. She is most known for her young adult historical thrillers, including Buffalo Soldier, which won the Carnegie Medal in 2015. Born and raised in Kent, Tanya had no intention of becoming a writer until the idea for her first book, Waking Merlin, popped into her head!  DISCOVER BOOKS BY TANYA LANDMAN

One of the most recent additions to our Books of the Week selection is Midwinter Burning by Tanya Landman. Great for a class read, this fantastical novel follows WW2 evacuee Alfie as he befriends a strange boy named Smidge and saves him from the horrors of a Devonian local legend before it's too late. We caught up with Tanya to find out more about her writing process, while our expert reviewer Lucy reveals why this book is one of her top picks. 

Escaping the world through writing: Tanya's perspective

I wrote Midwinter Burning during lockdown.

Writers often write for the children they were. With my YA historical books, I was telling the stories I wished I’d been told when I was a teenager. Those books were extremely satisfying but emotionally draining to write. Yet at the end of a writing day, I could emerge from the past into a present that was relatively secure, safe and sane.

The covid pandemic was terrifying. Heart breaking. Exhausting. Suddenly I found didn’t want to write gritty, hard hitting historical fiction. I wanted to escape.

So, I returned to my early childhood, to that extraordinary sense of wonder and possibility, where anything at all might happen. I wanted to create a world where time could slip sideways on the walk home from school, and where magic could be found in muck and mud. I wanted to write a heart-stopping, thrilling adventure.

The opening chapter of Midnight Burning, including imagery of ancient monuments, the rubble of which can be found in Devon.

One morning, Alfie Wright walked into my head, with a magnifying glass in his pocket and a dreamy, faraway look on his face. Alfie was closely followed by Auntie Bell, a round-faced, warm-hearted, delightful chatterbox. And then Smidge entered, dressed in furs, not speaking English. A boy who has a very different life, but whose creation might, just possibly, have been inspired by Stig.

Midwinter Burning was an absolute joy to write. It helped keep me (almost) sane through those awful months of lockdown, so I am hugely grateful to Alfie and Smidge. The boys have a very special place in my heart, and I hope readers will love them as much as I do.

Landman has a deep connection to the two main characters, Alfie and Smidge, illustrated here by Tom Closohy Cole.

Books of the Week: Lucy's escape into Tanya's world

Each week we celebrate one or two recently-released titles, as selected by our librarians and curriculum specialists. Our schools team coordinator, Lucy McConnell, let us in on why Midwinter Burning is the perfect pick for classroom reading.  

It's hard to state how much I loved Midwinter Burning. The experience of reading it took me right back to my 10-year-old bookworm self, to that feeling I had at that age of being utterly absorbed and entranced by the atmosphere and sense of place that a really good book can create. It is my personal book of the year, and I really hope to see it on award shortlists.

There are many themes to explore in this book and it will make a fabulous shared reading experience in a classroom. The shadow of death and sacrifice is everywhere – the looming war, the rumours of ancient human sacrifices at the stone circles, the death of the old year and the beginning of the new. Even the death of the animals on the farm as they’re slaughtered for food. As Auntie Bell tells Alfie – “some things have to die so others can live”. This can be applied to many of the situations in this book. And, as is often the case with death, there are new beginnings, too.

Tanya's reaction to Books of the Week

Tanya Landman was delighted that her latest novel had been chosen as one of our Books of the Week. This is what she had to say:

"I am thrilled and honoured that Midwinter Burning was picked by teachers, librarians and curriculum specialists - my favourite kind of people.  THANK YOU!"

Midwinter Burning Alfie Wright is evacuated to kind old Aunt Bell's in rural Devon. Thrilled with his new life, Alfie befriends Smidge. But Smidge is not all that he appears, and the mystery surrounding him seems to be connected to the Midwinter Burning, an annual ritual held at the Standing Stones, high up on the cliffs. When Smidge goes missing, Alfie discovers the truth of his new friend, and must face the horrors of the local legend... Lucy describes this new release as an "absolutely spellbinding read" that "delivers a hefty emotional punch", making it perfect for dark winter days. DISCOVER

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