We were very saddened to hear about the passing of our talented author, Vera Hemsley. She was such a light to our team, always sending us heartwarming and often hilarious stories to keep our spirits high. Our PR team were lucky enough to interview Vera before her passing, so we’re honoured to share it here.

Hold old were you when you first wrote something substantial?

I have never written anything substantial prior to writing my book, I have done a few very short ‘essays’ but nothing like this!

Did you ever have aspirations to become a writer?

I have never thought of myself as a writer, not even when I was putting pen to paper for my book – it was all very surreal when I started to believe someone would be interested in reading the stories.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?

I trawled the internet for ideas and advice, but in the end, I really just wrote the stories as I remembered them.

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

The writing was the easy bit, it was the setting out of it and the way it is ‘done’ in the book world!

What did you find easiest and hardest about writing?

It was much faster writing the book it took me about 6 months, but I had broken in between.

Was it faster to write your book or to have it published?

As with most of my memories, as I write I live through them again, so I really felt that ‘creative skills’ was a memory that will linger forever, and the look on the Doctor’s face when he thought I had eaten someone’s poo!

Do you have any plans to publish more work?

I am already jotting down ideas for my next book, and intend to start writing this week!