The Runaways of Haddington Hall by Vivian French

November 12th 2021

Vivian writes stories for picture books, fiction and non-fiction, poetry and plays (she was first published in 1990). She collaborates with many different illustrators from all over the world, enjoys working with editors, and loves meeting her readers in schools and libraries and at festivals all over the world. She is the co-founder of the acclaimed Picture Hooks mentoring scheme, teaches illustration to students at the Edinburgh College of Art and is a sought-after lecturer on the importance of picture books.

The Runaways of Haddington Hall is a Peters recommended read.

I’ve always adored Dickens. He’s been my Author Hero for as long as I can remember, and I owe him a lot; The Steam Whistle Theatre Company (Walker Books, 2019) was my unofficial tribute to him. The Runaways of Haddington Hall is another; I do hope he isn’t squirming in his grave. A ghostly nod of approval would be much appreciated…

The Runaways began with a re-read of Dickens’ Bleak House. I was intrigued by his portrait of Mrs Jellyby - a female philanthropist who spends her time writing letters and raising money for a charity in Africa, whilst totally ignoring her own family. I wanted to find out more, and was shocked to find that it wasn’t entirely unusual for Victorian ladies to form charitable societies that were designed for their own benefit rather than for those they claimed to be helping. Orphans were a useful source of income; they brought in substantial donations, but had few opportunities to complain about their treatment. Ideal! So I decided to invent Honoria Haddington, a widow with a large house and servants, but who aspired to be a great deal richer.

After some thought I decided that I didn’t want an orphan to be Honoria’s nemesis. I wanted there to be a warm family background that would contrast with her greed and selfishness - so Minnie O’Sullivan, my heroine, has a loving mother and little brother. I also wanted to point out the contrast between the lives of the rich and the poor, so I created Edith Lavingley, the daughter of Lady Lavingley. Edith is the same age as Minnie, but their lives couldn’t be more different … as is Edith’s relationship with her mother.

Making Mam O’Sullivan a washerwoman was easy. I used to have an old Victorian mangle, and had already researched the lives of the many many women who made their living washing for others. It was back-breaking work that paid very little - but it was work that women could do at home. Incidentally, there are some fabulous advertisements for mangles in contemporary newspapers and periodicals … they were an essential item of equipment, as they squeezed the water out of the sheets and shirts and other garments so it was easier to get them dry. No washing machines or tumble dryers in those days!

It’s always fun writing evil characters; both Olio Sleevery (in Steam Whistle) and Obadiah Marpike in The Runaways owe a great deal to the deeply unpleasant Uriah Heep in Dickens’ David Copperfield… not least because Dickens taught me the importance of giving characters names that suggest their personality. (That’s fun. I really enjoy inventing names; it’s so very satisfactory when you find the right one.) Obadiah is based on a real Victorian swindler who preyed on rich women who came to take the waters in Bath … one of very many swindlers, cheats and pickpockets who made the most of their opportunities.

I’ve tried to make the detail as authentic as possible, although Middleminster isn’t a real town. (It saves a lot of geographical research if you make your own street plan!) If you had to pin me down to an actual date for the story it would be 1887, the year my grandmother was born. I like the idea that she might have seen a Minnie, or an Edith, or an Enry when she was out with her family …

and I do hope you enjoy the story!

The Runaways of Haddington Hall is available now.