Liz Flanagan is an award-winning author based in West Yorkshire, best known for the charming, dragon-packed Wildsmith and Legends of the Sky children’s book series. At the upcoming York Literature Festival, Liz will be appearing at The Wildsmith Workshop and unveiling her debut offering for adults, When We Were Divided. Ahead of the festival, Liz kindly agreed to have a chat with Your Local Link, to let our readers know what’s in store…
Hello, Liz! We’re thrilled to see you’ll be appearing at this year’s York Literature Festival. As a Yorkshire lass, do you have any fond memories of the city?
I grew up in Hebden Bridge, so York was definitely a destination for a special day out when I was a child – something I repeated when I had my own children. We always bring visitors here when we are showing off Yorkshire! More recently, I did some teaching at York St John University and loved getting to know the city a bit more.
This month, you’ll be teaching children some tricks of the trade. What can budding young writers expect to take away from the Wildsmith Writing Workshop?
I believe that we are all full of ideas, so I’ll take young writers through a series of accessible writing prompts and ask them to start a story of their own. I’ll invite children to take inspiration from their own lives, to build characters who are a bit like them, add a wonderful location and a mythical beast, then add a sprinkling of magic to set the story in motion…
You’ll also be showcasing your debut for grown-ups, When We Were Divided, a historical novel set during the English Civil Wars. What is it about this period in history that you find so appealing?
When you start researching this turbulent era, it’s impossible to ignore the parallels with our own times. I found comfort in imagining how the women of my area survived the conflict, in spite of everything. Yes, there was terrible division, yes, there were awful plague outbreaks, but there were also incredible stories of courage and action and communities working together, and Yorkshire was such a key region in that conflict. I hope readers will find this novel immersive, exciting and emotionally satisfying.
Your debut YA novel, Eden Summer, was nominated for multiple awards. Do you find that the process of writing fiction for adults, young adults, and little ones differs?
The process is the same, even if the content is different. A writer is still trying to create a story that will delight a reader, no matter their age. Each project brings its own challenges and satisfactions so, perhaps strangely, I don’t think it gets easier with practice! Each time you start a new book, you have to learn how to write that particular book. Having said that, children’s books are of course shorter, so each round of editing is quicker, and sometimes you get the wonderful privilege of working with an illustrator and seeing your characters brought to life – what a joy that is!
You previously ran Lumb Bank, The Ted Hughes Arvon Centre, working to support new and emerging writers. What advice would you have for any local writers in the making, looking to master their craft?
· Start small. Find little chunks of time to write that you can slot into your day, even five minutes at a time. It can be in a notebook or on your phone, while you’re sitting on a bus or waiting for the kettle to boil – it doesn’t have to be a huge stretch of time. Just keep going, keep building it, and over time, your writing will develop.
· It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to exist. Try not to compare your work in progress to someone else’s finished book, but also, remember that you can change anything in the next draft, and hopefully, that takes the pressure off.
· Write like you. Write about what interests you, in your own voice. That’s where the magic is…
Visit www.lizflanagan.co.uk to get in touch with Liz or browse her work. Visit www.yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk to book tickets for York Literature Festival 2026, or scan the QR code to see the full events programme.
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