Darren Simpson- Narrative Interview

Below: Interview with Darren Simpson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT4qUo-BZoo

Below: Darren Simpson interview- Narrative Interview

Darren Simpson- “I was quite desperate to try anything, really.” 

The story of a Nottingham award-winning children’s author, who didn’t originally see himself going down the path that led to his success. 

By Ruby Hemsley 

Darren Simpson didn’t always aspire to be a famous writer. Rather, he saw himself as a rockstar: “I played drums. I loved being in bands, the social side of it, the instant creativity with mates. But after I got to my mid 20s, I got frustrated with relying on band mates to get things done. I thought, what kind of creative do I want to be?” An avid reader since childhood, he looked to books. “The very first night I sat down on this cheap laptop, I just started a story. I fell in love with it instantly. I couldn't believe all the possibilities you can explore with so little”.  

It was later that he wrote his first adult novel, ‘The Dust on the Moth’, published in 2015. The path of writing for adults was one that he had intended to stay on, but that changed thanks to his debut children’s novel, 2019’s Scavengers. “I wrote a book which became Scavengers in the end. That was for adults originally, the main character was the adult in the story raising a child in a wasteland scenario.” However, his agent had another idea. “She said, the kid is far more interesting. If you flipped the story around, we can pitch this to children's publishers. I never imagined doing that.” 

“I was quite desperate to try anything, really.” 

Getting into the writing world and finding a publisher is no easy feat. Darren is a prime example of this, finding his luck to be running out before his success with Scavengers. “It was about that time I'd written about four books with not much luck. I was quite desperate to try anything, really.” He says, deep in focus. 

This desperation inspired him to pursue the route his agent was thinking: taking a new perspective on Scavengers and proposing it to children’s publishers. The outcome wasn’t what he expected, but something he’d been hoping for: getting his first book deal. His new-found triumph had completely changed who he wanted to write for, and the joy it had brought him. “I'd never planned to write for children; it's a happy accident because it's a great audience to write for.” He smiles, his passion gleaming through every word. 

Darren’s adventure with Scavengers didn’t stop there: it became critically acclaimed, positive reviews flowing in for Simpson’s novel. One of the most notable: earning a Guardian Bestseller award in 2019, highly impressive for his debut. How did it make him feel? “Pretty good!” Darren responds, reminiscing on the success. “I was relieved that those years of no success had paid off. I was over the moon, just happy to have pulled it off. I felt lucky.” 

“Roald Dahl was a big deal for me” 

Every author has their own inspirations to fuel their imaginations and stories. This is a little different in Darren’s case. “I've never read just one author and thought this person makes me want to write.” He does reference those he enjoyed when he was younger, an eclectic mix. “Roald Dahl was a big deal for me. I remember reading The Twits; I couldn't believe how grotesque and funny it was; it was new to me then. I started devouring his books after that. And all the play with language...I think he was very formative regarding my writing.” Roald Dahl as an influence seems typical for a children’s writer, but the other author he talks about is unexpected. “My mum had Stephen King. I started reading a lot of adult horror. I revisit this stuff now still and find a lot more in it.” 

Darren’s journey as an author has come on leaps and bounds since Scavengers, with the release of 3 more children’s books since then including Thirst, his most recent, which was released this year. What has the reception been like towards it so far? “The responses have been very good. There's been lots of nice reviews online.” His love for horror has also seeped through with this. “People have been shocked by how scary some of this is. It’s been good to satisfy this childish part of me to shock them. It's gone down well.” 

“The main key is perseverance” 

As previously said, becoming an author is challenging. There will be mental obstacles, as well as people who try and diminish you. It’s important to push through, seek the best advice from those who have faced similar. Darren’s words really resonate with this. “Keep going and you will see yourself get better. It's a natural thing that will happen. The main key is perseverance. It can take a long time.” 

He also has some final words to conquer those setbacks and embody patience. “Don't be disheartened, enjoy yourself. Write what you care about, because then you're having a good time and that will show. It will mean a bit of luck. It’ll come together and help you out.”