Interview with Alex Atkinson: Author of the Spooksmiths Investigate Series
With Halloween just around the corner, what better time to catch up with Alex Atkinson - author of the Spooksmiths Investigate series, a collection of spooky, funny, and heart-filled adventures for young readers. Her brand-new book, Spooksmiths Investigate: Circus of Shadows, is out now, following last year’s hit, Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman.
The series follows twins Indigo and Rusty Spooksmith as they uncover mysteries packed with ghosts, ghouls and giggles - all set against the wild, atmospheric backdrop of the North Yorkshire coast.
We caught up with Alex to talk about spooky storytelling, seaside inspiration and her advice for young writers.
1. Your books mix spooky chills with humour and heart - what draws you to that balance between scary and funny?
The spooky and funny combination is something that I love and that I grew up with. My dad was brilliant at making up the most hilarious and terrifying bedtime stories for my brother and me involving exploding volcanoes, zombies and monsters. We’d be hiding under the covers one minute and then laughing our heads off the next.
I’ve tried to recreate this in the stories that I write. Both Spooksmiths Investigate books feature scary villains, but I’m hoping that my main characters, Indigo and Rusty, and their animal sidekicks will make readers laugh too.
2. The Spooksmiths Investigate stories are inspired by the North Yorkshire coast - what is it about that landscape that makes it the perfect backdrop for your mysteries?
The town of Greyscar is loosely based on my favourite place in the world: Saltburn-by-the-Sea. It’s a seaside town in North Yorkshire, not far from where I grew up. It has a huge beach looking onto the North Sea. It’s very wild and beautiful, but further down the coast you used to be able to see the steelworks in Redcar and the industrial buildings of Teesside. I loved the contrast between the two.
The second book sees the Spooksmith twins, Indigo and Rusty, visit London where they end up on a ghost train. The spooky invitation they receive lures them to 121 Westminster Bridge Road where the real-life railway for the dead, the London Necropolis and National Mausoleum Company, used to be based. It’s worth looking it up.
3. You’ve said you want to inspire children to tell their own stories - what advice would you give a young writer who’s just starting out?
- Don’t wait to get good at it! If you want to be a writer, start now. The first stories you write might not be great, but you’ll get better with practice.
- Embrace the things that make you different. It’s important to add your own individual quirks, experiences and ideas.
- Get comfortable with the word ‘no’. When you do something creative like writing or drawing, not everyone is going to like what you produce - and that’s okay. Everyone has different tastes. If it’s what you love to do, you need to find the confidence to carry on.
Bonus: My favourite spooky joke:
Why didn’t the zombie go to school? He felt rotten.
🎃 Instagram Giveaway!
We’re celebrating the release of Circus of Shadows with a spooky book giveaway over on our Instagram page! Head there now for your chance to win a copy. The winner will be chosen on 23rd October - just in time for Halloween reading!
