Helen Grant
Helen Grant, 44, is a novelist. She is looking for Flemish inspiration for a new novel
I love to interweave my stories with folklore. I’m learning Dutch at the moment so that I can research the local history and legends of the area around Duisburg, where I live. I’m hoping to find something interesting for my next story.
My family moved to Belgium last year, but before that we spent seven years living near Cologne in the beautiful medieval town of Bäd Munstereifel. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, with its castle, cobbled streets and 1,000-year-old city walls. I felt as though there had been a Helen Grant-shaped hole there, just waiting for me. Living there inspired my first novel, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden.
I was especially fascinated by the area’s rich folklore and worked hard to improve my knowledge of German so that I could read the local legends. It must be the most haunted place I’ve ever come across. There are all sorts of weird stories about eternal huntsmen, headless ghosts, witches, and, best of all, Unshockable Hans, the miller who was completely unfazed by supernatural beings and always came off best.
These legends feature in my first novel, where the heroine, a ten-year-old girl called Pia, believes there are supernatural forces involved in the disappearance of local children. My book has been described as a thriller – I certainly tried to write an interesting story with disappearances and murders in it. But it’s not just about the crimes. One of the main themes is about being an outsider – my experience of being an expat helped me to understand that. I’m also interested in the interaction of the characters and the way their lives are affected by the presence of a serial killer in the neighbourhood.
I always wanted to be a published author. I read Classics at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, then worked in marketing for ten years before having my two children, who are now aged 10 and eight.
When my youngest began kindergarten, I started writing. Now I write in the mornings while my children are at school. Sometimes it can be difficult having to stop halfway through the day, just when I’m getting into my stride. At least it means I stay eager. And being a writer is a great job for a mother because you are always there for your kids, if needed.
I’m a fairly fast writer and don’t tend to get writer’s block. If I ever feel stuck, I go out for a walk in Tervuren. My favourite walks are in quiet woodland, where ideas usually come to me.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden is being marketed as a novel for young adults in the UK. It’s also being translated and published in Germany, Romania, Spain and Italy. Although I’m British, seeing it published in Germany is most important to me. We still keep in touch with our friends in Bäd Munstereifel and we’re planning a big party there to celebrate the German publication in December.
I dedicated the book to my husband Gordon. The dedication was a secret – he didn’t know about it until he opened a copy of the book for the first time. When he saw it, he cried. He had more faith in my writing than I had because he always believed I would succeed.
Now I’m working on my second book. It’s not a sequel, but it is set in the same part of Germany with a character from the first book. Signing a two-book deal with the British publisher Puffin put some pressure on me, but it’s a good sort of pressure. It’s flattering to know they think I can do it.
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