Objects from Breathing Underwater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many real points of reference to the islands in the archipelago – like Freya, I love the sound of that word – known as the Isles of Scilly. I have been to the islands, walked over the downs and round the maze, swum off the beaches, watched the gig races. I have maps and drawings and notes, which helped me when I was back at home, writing the novel. I redrew my own maps in my notebook, and gave my islands their own names using Celtic words I found on the internet. My sister Sue drew the illustrations which form part of Freya’s blue notebook and which are reproduced at the beginning of the ‘This Summer’ chapters. In the museum on St Mary’s Island, I saw the real ancient beads which have been found at Beady Pool but they were small and plain compared to the one in my imagination, so Sue searched for a glass bead that might be the model for the one she drew for the book. The shells and starfish and pebbles were real ones we collected from the beach. In my attic, I surrounded my writing desk with photographs my son took, to help me keep the flavour of this beautiful place as I wrote my story.