Name: Rachael Goddard
Date of birth: Two days after Christmas at the end of the 1960’s
Place of birth: West Yorkshire, England
Now living in: The coastal village of Raglan (west of Hamilton)
What is your favourite food?
Kumara, peas, Thai food, Indian food.
Do you have a nickname and if so what is it?
At school it was ‘Horse’ and ‘Ratty’. Now it is ‘Gorgy’.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Having a running race with my mother (when I was a child) and her wrap-around skirt blew off and down the beach. She didn’t notice and carried on running in her knickers.
How do you relax?
Walking on the wild and windy black sand beach at Raglan.
Who inspired you when you were little?
The singer Katie Bush and Wonder Woman.
What were you like at school?
Talkative and giggly. I got the strap for both of those things at primary school.
What was your favourite/most hated subject at school?
Loved English and Biology. Loathed Mathematics.
What was the book you most loved as a child?
All of C.S. Lewis.
Which person from the past would you most like to meet?
Too many people perhaps Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and Jane Goodall.
Who is your favourite author/children’s author?
Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl.
Why did you want to be a writer?
Because it is fun and enjoyable. As an adult writing children’s books I can get away with being silly and naughty.
Do you have a special place where you write your books?
Usually in my office at home, or sat in the garden.
What’s the best thing and worst thing about being a writer?
It’s easy and enjoyable, however you don’t make much income from it. You need another job to support writing normally.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you like to be?
I already have another job as an environmental consultant. If I wasn’t doing that I would lecture at University.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Send your material to several publishers. It is common to get rejected. Keep trying.
Read some books written by Rachael Goddard
This interview is from 2008.
