World Book Day: OMs discuss careers as authors

We have some wonderful authors within our Millfield community including Isabella Tree, who went on to work as a journalist and travel writer, Sheila Jeffries, best-selling author of Solomon’s Tale and seven other novels, Michael Ridpath, author of thrillers, and Sophie Dahl, who in 2003 wrote the Sunday Times bestseller ‘The Man with the Dancing Eyes.’ 

As part of World Book Day this year, we thought we would take the time to speak with Michael Ridpath (1973-1978; Mill House), and Sheila Jeffries (1959-1961; Day), on their careers as authors. 

Michael 

Michael’s first novel, Free to Trade, was written during evenings and weekends over a four-year period. The book was accepted for publication with a large advance. It was translated into over 30 languages and reached No 2 in the UK bestseller list. After this, Michael gave up working in the city to become a full-time writer. 

When speaking to Michael about his career as an Author, he said, “I attended Millfield in the 1970s, living in Mill House, which was then a house on a millstream by the river Brue. I went to university and then got a job at a bank in the city, but when I was 29 ¾ I decided to write a novel. It was a thriller about a bond trader i.e., me, and to my amazement, was published under the title Free to Trade.  

Since then, I have written seven more financial thrillers, six detective novels set in Iceland and a number of stand-alone thrillers, often involving spies in the 1930s. I’m currently writing a novel partly set in Iceland in 1940, when the British unaccountably invaded the country on the same day the Germans rolled into Luxembourg and Belgium.  

Millfield has never made it into any of my books, although Somerset does slide in occasionally. In one of them, there is a scene where a car plunges into the River Brue on the bus route into school.” 

Sheila 

Sheila’s made a considerable contribution to children's literature from a very young age, writing four full length children's novels which were published before she left school. 

She began writing full time in 1982, found herself an agent, and had eight more children's books published. A more recent project was a commissioned Mind Body Spirit book, Talking to Fairies, published by Element. 

“I was at Millfield in the 60s and spent most of my life as a teacher. I loved teaching, but still longed to become a full-time successful writer. After years of reject slips, I finally got my big break at the age of 70, with Solomon’s Tale, which was snapped up by Harper Collins and reached No 7 in The Sunday Times Best Seller List and is now in five languages. It led to more and more contracts for adult fiction. I am now aged 80 and have managed to write a further seven books.” - Sheila.