Two authors I’ve recently been gripped by – Suzanne Collins and Rosemary Sutcliffe. Decades apart in their lifetimes, I’m rejoicing in their similarities; apart from a wealth of material that results in luxurious trilogies that make perfect long holiday reading, both have an intense imaginative identification with their entire created worlds -their rules, their codes, their savageries and courtesies, trusts and betrayals, and their day to day engagement with struggles for life and death against overwhelming odds.
And deep in the middle of these worlds, it is unimportant whether you are a young adult, a gifted child reader, or simply an adult who loves two writers of passion with extraordinary descriptive powers that pull you into the middle of a scene, its smells, tastes, sights and emotions, and hold you there by the force of a sensual connection. Nothing is simplified, no easy solutions, no achievement that does not require some sacrifice.
This is writing at its finest, and I rejoice that it is laid at the feet of young adults. Writing for children and young adults is a vocation that demands humility, imaginative recollection, willingness to listen, and a pragmatism that understands how quality in this field is so often not matched by any financial reward. In her lifetime, Rosemary Sutcliffe, who spent much of her childhood and adult life as an invalid in a wheelchair, was recognised with prizes and awards and a loyal, slowly growing readership. Suzanne Collins has already attracted notice from reviewers and adults who, like me, read books because they are good, not because they are written for a group I fall into [not sure how that group would be categorised, anyway].
I was led to Rosemary Sutcliffe when I was young by a serialisation of Eagle of the Ninth on Children’s Hour. I then read it and her other books and recommended them to pupils when I was a teacher.
That history leaves me with something of a dilema. I find the constant wish to make film and television versions of books very odd. A book is a book – if the author had wanted to write a play or a film that’s what he or she would have done and yet I owe Rosemary Sutcliffe in my life to a radio serialisation.
How do you feel about that as an author? I can see nothing that a television or film version of Mika could add to your work but would it introduce others to it?
I’m still recovering from reading the book – after 3 days I find myself unable yet to start a new novel and I won’t until I have absorbed the power of Mika.
Thank you for writing it
Tony – your dilemma is shared! I was introduced to ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’, ‘The Box of Delights’ and many other classics through listening to those excellent adaptations on Children’s Hour. But there’s a huge difference, I think, between radio versions which stimulate imaginative responses in their audience – making us visualise the appearance of characters and landscapes, for instance – and the often reductive and simplistic versions of books as films. There are exceptions, however. I find Patrick O’Brien hard to read and enjoy, but, according to friends who are fans of his writing, the film ‘Master and Commander’ was faithful to the spirit and atmosphere of the books, even though two stories were made into one. And if anyone has been inspired to read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ after seeing Peter Jackson’s films, I am sure this is a good thing for books and reading generally.
I struggle with the idea of ‘Micka’ being filmed, not least because it would involve some appalling scenes for the child actors. It is written in a deceptively simple style which could make for a sensationalist, one-dimensional film. But I think it would make a fine audio book, even if it had to be read by adult voices.
I’m glad you were gripped by the book – it’s always a compliment to hear from people who know and work with children.
I have recently stumbled upon your post. (Perhaps I missed it because you spelled Rosemary Sutcliff (sic) with an E…). May I reproduce it in full (with acknowledgement and link) at http://www.rosemarysutcliff.com ?
I note that Rosemary used to say she wrote for children aged 8 to 88. And when interviewed about the time of the BBC TV adaptation of The Eagle of the Ninth she was quoted as saying, a props writing for children: ” “Very occasionally a subject is verboten. And one may have to simplify – no, not that, uncomplicate a very complex emotion. But usually I just write as I want to write”. ( see http://wp.me/p42Yg-zS )