A fantasy tale about a 15-year-old boy who learns he has the power to make his dreams come true is the subject of writer Zeba Clarke’s first book aimed at young adults.
Zeba, who is head of English at King William’s College and helps organise Manx LitFest, turned to young adult fiction with her sixth published novel Dream Guy, published by Finch Books.
‘Between 2003 and 2006, I’d written a series of Regency romances, in homage to Georgette Heyer, using my grandmother’s maiden name, Madeleine Conway,’ she said.
‘My oldest son, Seb, was pretty scathing and told me it was time to write something a bit more exciting and suitable for younger readers.’
Dream Guy was the result, a fantasy following 15-year-old Joe Knightley.
When she finished writing it in 2006, she sent it out to a couple of publishers, but it wasn’t until she was established in the island that she found the manuscript on her hard drive, re-read it and decided to polish it up.
Zeba, who moved to the island in 2013, said: ‘I worked pretty hard on rewriting and reshaping the book last spring, and then I was just fortunate that an established publisher, Totally Entwined, was setting up a young adult imprint, Finch Books. They offered me a contract last summer.’
Zeba has just completed a second book about Joe, which is definitely shaped by the Isle of Man.
‘Heirs of Hypnos is set partly on an island which is a mash-up of the Isle of Man and Malta. Dream Guy has some dark moments, but I think Heirs of Hypnos is possibly more nightmarish,’ she said.
Next for Zeba is a third and final story about Joe.
She has also started researching the Rushen women’s internment camp for her next project.
‘I first heard about the internment camps from Judith Kerr’s series of books, starting with When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. Her father and brother were interned on the Isle of Man, but soon released. When I arrived here, I picked up Island of Barbed Wire, and that really intrigued me.’
Zeba has carried out research at the Imperial War Museum and the Manx Museum and is keen to hear any stories about this period.
