Introducing… Milo Antrobus
Today’s new author is Milo Antrobus.
My love of stories began at school, escaping boring lessons through books and wild adventures of my own invention. Growing up in rural Worcestershire fuelled my imagination, surrounded by animals and an abandoned stately home. After many years teaching and writing plays, I studied the MA Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Now based in the West Country, I divide my time between teaching, writing, and retreating to my small house in France, still dreaming of one day playing Prospero at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford upon Avon.
What is your writing routine?
Oh, for a routine! I wish I had one! Procrastination is my routine. I have periods where there are a thousand things more appealing than writing but my inner nagging writer finally gets to me and once I sit down, I tend to write for two or three hours.
Who is your favourite author and how have they inspired you?
Currently it’s Luke Palmer and Matt Goodfellow with a dash of Phil Earle. Blimey, if I could write as well as any of them I would be over the moon! They write with such insight into the characters they portray. Luke Palmer gets to the heart of what it means to be a boy and that matters a great deal. Matt Goodfellow writes with an empathy that makes you feel glad to be in his world and Phil Earle is a master story teller, weaving incredible stories that grip you from the first page.
What was the inspiration for your manuscript?
I’ve asked myself the same question! It grew from an idea I had about a kid who likes to run and from that became a story where he literally and metaphorically runs away from himself. A bereavement in a family is so horrendous and I wanted to try and capture Lucas’s grief when his younger brother dies, but I also wanted him to believe he has to compete against his late brother’s legacy. Lucas is a kid who tries to manage everything by himself and come to terms with who he is at the same time. I wanted to try and ultimately show a boy who finds that he can become who is meant to be because of those who love him. Also I adore ghost stories so there had to be some of that as well - otherwise it might all be a bit dull!
Who is your favourite character in your book?
I suppose you always pick your protagonist; mine is called Lucas, but I also have a soft spot for Lucas’s grandfather, Hector. He is one cool dude and hugely important to Lucas accepting himself.
What inspires you first: character or plot?
Character, character, character . . . I am not a great plotter!
Describe your perfect day.
If I was able to pick my dream day - it would be a quick dash to Birmingham to watch Aston Villa then straight to London. Theatre and then dinner with friends and an indulgent stay at the Corinthia Hotel overnight. But more realistically, directing a cast of young actors as they prepare to take a show to the stage. Exhausting but unbelievably inspiring!