“An eight year old author?”, I hear you ask.
Yes, Indigo Haynes is eight years old and is a published author. She entered the Tick Tock Box short story competition last year and was one of five runners up. Her book of short stories “How Potatoes Saved the Queen”, was recently published, and tells fictional tales of the dog belonging to Sir Walter Raleigh.
Potatoes is a quirky and brave little dog, who saves his master and Queen Elisabeth I from certain death on several occasions. Indigo has a pleasant and fun writing style and the stories are very entertaining.
When did you start making up stories? When did you start writing them down?
I started making up ghost stories with my brothers, when I was about four or five, before we went to bed in the dark. I would start a ghost story, then Morris and Dylan would give me ideas for the rest of it. I started writing stories down in my literacy lessons at school. My teachers thought they were quite long for someone of my age.
Who is your favourite historical character?
My favourite historical character is Queen Elizabeth the first because she doesn’t have a husband and she has power over everybody.
Why did you decide to write about Sir Walter Raleigh?
I decided to write about Sir Walter Raleigh because he was trusted by Queen Elizabeth and he would be involved in lots of adventures, so this meant I could have Potatoes involved in saving him and the Queen.
Which famous person would you most like to meet, and why?
I would like to meet Michael Morpurgo because I love his books and have read many of them. “Casper, Prince of Cats” is still my favourite because it was the first story of his I read. I’ve also read “War Horse” and listened to “Private Peaceful” on audio, and they were both very sad.
Do you like potatoes? (the vegetable, not the dog!)
Yes, I like potatoes, especially mashed. (the vegetable not the dog!)
What is your favourite subject in school, and which subject do you dislike?
My favourite subjects in school are literacy and maths, I can’t choose between them. This because I am superb at maths (unlike my mom) and I am also excellent at literacy. My least favourite is (in spring when it is still cold!) PE outside.
wow