You often hear the expression ‘tour de force’ used in the context of great novels, but not necessarily in the case of novelists. But author Sara Sheridan is definitely a tour de something, such is her irrepressible appetite for funny, and random, chat. She is also a one woman events machine, speaking as she does at some 80 events around the UK every year: at book festivals, bookshops, libraries and corporate gigs.
But, and this is the surprise part, she often consciously avoids speaking about the subject she is there to promote i.e the book; she’d much rather talk about the historical period in which it’s set. It’s an interesting approach, and in an era of aggressive marketing and the direct sell, refreshing.
“I think it’s a real limitation with author events if the author ends up speaking about themselves or the book; the audience might not have heard of your work, so it’s got to be interesting and engaging for everyone,” says Sheridan.
“So I’ll talk about the history of the British lady, or the golden age of exploration, in the early days of empire when adventurers set off to map the Niger with just an extra pair of socks and some sandwiches.”
Sheridan is a profilic writer; she’s the creator of the Mirabelle Bevan mysteries, which are just about to be launched in the American market, as well as contemporary and historical fiction. She is also impossibly busy. As well as the writing, there’s a fledgling luxury gifts business, Urban Reivers, which she is hoping to get off the ground later this year. And of course there’s the speaking engagements at events, which she clearly enjoys. But aren’t authors supposed to enjoy, you know, actually talking to people?
“A lot of writers find it really difficult to do events but I don’t get nervous at all. I’ve seen other authors throwing up before they go and do a talk. I understand that. Writing is an internal process and I think authors can struggle with communicating that.”
The theme of our discussion turns to audience engagement, because a successful event, no matter what it is, demands a good turn of phrase, something that can capture the imagination.
“Oh, it’s just got to be inspiring. People don’t come just to pass the time,” says Sheridan. “And you’ve got to be funny some of the time, give an audience what they want and try and make it about them. I’ve had a room full of women accountants in tears before, because the story I told resonated deeply with their personal, lived experiences. You’ve got to do your research before you go into a room like that, work out who your audience are. So I’ll work with events organisers, and say ‘tell me about your audience’. If you’re an historical novelist, you’ll be a swat anyway. But I want people to go away and think ‘that was amazing’.”
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