Interview with Author Penny Haw
Welcome Readers toanother installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasureof chatting with Penny, author of two historical fiction books.
JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Penny. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?
PH-Thank you, Jeanie.It’s pleasure to be here! I live in a fishing village called Hout Bay, which islittle over 20 kilometers from Cape Town on the southern tip of South Africa.It’s a gorgeous spot where the Atlantic Ocean crashes against the mountains,except where it’s tamed by sandy, white beaches. Every morning my husband and Iwalk our three dogs along the track above the sea. The views never get tired.I’m a lover of the outdoors and animals so my days are incomplete without ahike with my hounds. Sometimes we head down the mountain to allow the dogs toromp on the beach. I also run—neither fast nor far, but regularly—to try andcounterbalance the many hours I spend upon my butt at my desk. I enjoy cookingand, of course, like most writers, I am a great reader. The perfect day? A runin the cool of the morning, a dog walk, a swim (in summer) and then anuninterrupted day of writing in my office followed by a good meal and a fewhours with a book.
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JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?
PH-My books are set inthe late 19th Century and early 20th Century. I’mfascinated by the true lives of relatively unknown women who thrived duringthese years despite the odds stacked against by the patriarchy, church, andreligion. The main characters in my novels—Aleen Cust, Britain and Ireland’sfirst female veterinary surgeon, and Bertha Benz, one of the world’s earliest motoringentrepreneurs—were trailblazers in professions dominated by men. Their livesare inspirational, and I absolutely loved researching and writing about them.
JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?
PH-Because I loveanimals and once dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, Aleen Cust is my favorite.My novel, The Invincible Miss Cust describes the extent of her passionand determination to live a life of purpose in the Victorian era and to workwith animals. She was extraordinary. If I could ask her anything it would be toconfirm the source of her determination. In my version of her life, I reasonthat she was driven by her love for animals and her desire to do more with herlife than be an aristocratic wife and mother. I’d love to know if I was right.What did I get wrong? What don’t I know? Of course, Bertha Benz—the focus of mynovel, The Woman at the Wheel—is also a favorite. I’d ask her how shemanaged to juggle the roles of wife and mother of five with her deepinvolvement with the invention and business of the Benz motorwagen.
JMR- How did you cometo be a writer of historical fiction?
PH-It happened bychance! I’d written contemporary fiction and was planning another, which Ithought I’d set in a veterinary practice. This led me to researching when womenfirst became veterinary surgeons. That’s how I came across Aleen Cust. Herstory was gripping. I couldn’t believe that no one had written historicalfiction about her. I couldn’t resist and one thing led to another.
JMR- You worked as ajournalist and columnist for newspapers and magazines, how did this impact or helpform your writing style?
PH-Having had a longcareer as a writer means that I am disciplined about my work. I’m accustomed toworking to deadlines and, even when they’re self-imposed, have great respectfor them. It seems like the luckiest thing to me that I love writing. I can’timagine doing anything else. However, as much as I enjoy it, I don’tromanticize writing and wait for the muse to appear. I’m pragmatic andbusinesslike about the process. Also, my work as a journalist prepared me forthe process of research. I enjoy it but have learned not to allow it to takeover the job. On the other hand, I’ve had to learn to adjust certain thingsabout my style since trying my hand at fiction. As a journalist, one doesn’tleave readers guessing. I’m still learning not to over-explain in my fiction.But isn’t that one of the joys of writer? The fact that we’re always learningand can always improve?
JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?
PH-I’ve visited severalplaces in Ireland, Scotland, and England (where The Invincible Miss Custis set) and Germany (where The Woman at the Wheel is set). Iparticularly love the Irish countryside and can imagine Aleen Cust riding herwhite Arabian stallion, Nasser across the green fields. The Black Forest areain Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, where Bertha lived, is alsomagnificent. It was easy to picture her and Carl there, particularly in thepicnic scene, when they meet.
JMR- Penny, tell usabout your new book, The Woman at the Wheel.
PH- TheWoman at the Wheel is based on the true story of BerthaBenz, who was the wife of the man known as the “Father of the Automobile”, CarlBenz. Bertha lived largely in Carl’s shadow but when, while working as ajournalist, I read about a journey Bertha and her teenage sons made in the Benzmotorwagen in 1888, I realized that there was more to her than most accountslet on. My research proved as much. She was inventive, entrepreneurial,adventurous, astute, and as much an extraordinary visionary as Carl was. TheWoman at the Wheel celebrates Bertha’s foresight, wisdom, and manycontributions to the development of the world’s first commercially producedmotor vehicle. It is also a story of perseverance, resilience, family,friendship, and love.
JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?
PH-I am joyfullycontracted to write two more works of biographical historical fiction for mypublisher, Sourcebooks. I’m busy with the edits on the first of the two now. Itis about archaeologist and paleoanthropologist, Mary Leakey and is setprimarily in East Africa. It’ll be published early in 2025. The next—also basedon the life of a woman from history—will be published in 2026.
JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.
https://www.instagram.com/pennyhaw/
https://www.threads.net/@pennyhaw
https://www.facebook.com/PennyHawAuthor
JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?
PH-Oh, I love thisquestion and my response is based on something I’ve been thinking about a greatdeal recently as I recognize how challenging the book publishing business is.The question one might ask is: “What motivates you to write?” My answer? I doit for the enjoyment I get from storytelling and the process of writing, andthe fact that I will never stop learning as long as I write. As others havesaid, books are the closest thing to magic we have. As authors, we createsomething out of nothing and that something takes readers on journeys to placesin the world and in their minds that they might otherwise never visit. That’swhat motivates me to write.
JMR- Thank you, Penny,for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link toPenny’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.
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