Clairey Blanchard
The opening chapters of my first novel began as an assignment with The Open University. 4 years on, my enjoyment of history and writing has developed into a committed love of writing historical fiction. Discovering classic novels as an adult finds me travelling to Brontë country or D H Lawrence’s house, to experience their landscapes. Other writing has recently been selected, in an international playwriting competition. I’m a member of Chiltern Writers, attend a variety of writing master classes, workshops and received mentoring from author Jenny Ashcroft, as part of the Womentoring project.
- Star Sign: Taurus. Passionate, loves food and stubborn, all accurate!
- Inspirations: - Local history, social history, history and love.
- Favourite books: Wuthering Heights, Tess of the D’Urbevilles, Jane Eyre, Restless, The Cazalet Chronicles, Lady Chatterley's Lover.
- Favourite films:The Motorcycle Diaries
- Favourite car: A vintage blue Citroen bread van.
- Favourite food: Dark chocolate, Christmas pudding, honey and sunflower bread with butter-lethal but delicious!
- Favourite places: Home, Versailles, Menorca, Westminster Abbey, inside my head.
- Favourite things: Anything daughter produces, my family (sorry for putting them in the ’things’ category!), music, Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra.
- Challenge: Reading an extract from my book in public for the first time, in front of an agent and publishers. My voice was wobbling, palms were sweating and I couldn’t breathe!
- Thing I’ve learned: You can’t do everything on your own, all the time.
Quick bio