Sheila Hancock: ‘I’m used to getting inside the skin of a person I don’t know’
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Version 0 of 1. Sheila Hancock, 81, is an actress and author. She has directed and starred in numerous theatre productions, became the first woman artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in 2007 was awarded the Laurence Olivier award for her performance in Cabaret. She has previously written two best-selling non-fiction books about the loss of her husband, actor John Thaw, called The Two of Us and Just Me. Her new book, a novel, is called Miss Carter’s War. You’ve written non-fiction books before. Why write a novel now? Bloomsbury were quite keen for me to write another book, so they said: “What about a novel?” And I said: “Don’t be ridiculous, I can’t do that, that’s proper stuff.” But eventually, they persuaded me. Initially, I wanted the book to be called Aftermath, because I wanted to show how war affects generations of people. Unfortunately, lots of books are called that, including a porn book, so I thought that wasn’t the best idea. How did you come up with the book’s premise? Everybody has had a teacher who’s changed their life, so I wanted to write about teachers. Gradually the protagonist, Marguerite Carter, took shape, but I wanted her to be an idealist and to see what happens to idealism over a long life. She’s an ideal woman, I suppose, for me. Do you think it’s inevitable for people’s political beliefs to change over time? It happens. Some people change for selfish reasons, when they get a bit of money. Also, cynicism comes into it – you think: “Oh God, they’re all the same, nothing’s going to change,what’s the point?” Or just apathy – I suppose that’s the thing I suffer from the most. Do you have any memories of the second world war? Oh yes, I do. They’re not good ones. I remember our house being evacuated and going in the shelters with the raids going on above. I remember when people’s fathers were killed, and brothers, and I remember my next-door neighbour coming back from a Japanese war camp. But we did have a laugh, sometimes. Down the shelter we used to play so many games. And I vividly remember, when I was upset and terrified, seeing a pale, yellow field full of cowslips in the countryside. I thought it was wonderful. Do you prefer writing fiction or non-fiction? I don’t know that I enjoy one more than the other. I’ve enjoyed this because I like research: I spent hours digging around in the London Library, the Imperial War Museum. I just like having something in my brain that takes over. If you’re creating a story, it’s a lovely sort of secret thing going on in your head. Inventing characters is extraordinary: proper authors say so often that characters “just appear” and that does happen. These people keep leaping out and saying, why don’t you write about me? Were you inspired by any particular books while writing? No, I was put off by particular books, because they were so good. In the middle of it I did a documentary about the Brontës – oh God, Emily Brontë – and I couldn’t write for a long while after that because I thought, what is the point? They’re just genius writers. So while I was writing I didn’t read, because I found it really off-putting. What kind of books do you usually read? All sorts. I’m a member of a book club: we read everything from classics to the latest book out. Currently we’re reading Angel Pavement by JB Priestley. Recently, I’ve loved books by Penelope Lively, Dickens and Stoner by John Williams. Would you say your acting career has influenced how you write? I suppose it has, because I’m used to getting inside the skin and mindset of a person I don’t know. And that’s a bit what you have to do in fiction, isn’t it? I would wander around looking at people and thinking, those shoes would be good for that character, or that hat. You have to put yourself in their heads and build on what you’ve observed. What has literature meant to you over the years? A huge amount. When you are lonely, it gives you company; if you are unhappy, it can uplift you; it can teach you about human nature, about other countries, other cultures; it can open your eyes to things you haven’t realised and give you another slant on something you thought you knew about. I’m so sad that lots of people don’t have that pleasure. I’m actually involved with DigiSmart, a project to get nine-11-year-olds to love books. Prompting children to create imaginary worlds is hugely important. Miss Carter’s War is published by Bloomsbury (£12.99). Click here to buy it for £9.74 |