Understanding the Process – Presence on the Page


A great conversation with my French teacher this morning – she is also a writer – helped me understand what I do that is different. It’s all about Presence.

Presence is what J.K. Rowling brings to the world with Harry Potter. Presence is what speakers bring to the stage that is unique. Presence is what makes the difference between simply observing life and truly living it. Presence is what makes the work we do worthwhile.

Fairly early on in my career as a novelist, I asked myself what the difference was with Harry Potter. There are no Emporer’s New Clothes with children’s literature – if children love a book, it’s because it really has something wonderful. Straight away, I realised what it was – Joanne Rowling is right there, in the story, and she takes us there, too.

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