Author MA Bennett is half Venetian, born in England and raised in the Yorkshire Dales. She studied history at Oxford University and the University of Venice, where she specialised in the study of Shakespeare’s plays as a historical source, before going on to study art. She has since worked as an illustrator, an actress, and a film reviewer. She has also designed tour visuals for rock bands, including U2 and the Rolling Stones. [related]
You have had many different careers; what made you turn to writing books?
Funnily enough, it was the birth of my son. I think having children makes you think about where you came from, and while I was on maternity leave from my job in the music business I began to look into my Venetian heritage a bit more. I discovered that there was a type of Venetian glass called fiorato (my maiden name) and heard a fascinating story about Venetian glassblowers who had been stolen away to Paris during the 17th century to make the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. I started to turn this idea into a short story, which then grew into my first novel, The Glassblower of Murano. Luckily I was able to secure an agent and a book deaI and I never went back to my ‘proper’ job!
Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind your hugely successful St. Adian the Great (STAGS) boarding school series?
I was brought up in the grounds of a stately home in the Yorkshire Dales, where my grandmother was the housekeeper. My mum was a working single parent so I was looked after by my gran, and the ‘big house’ became my playground. Gran used to work at the weekend hunting parties the family hosted, and the inspiration for STAGS was to imagine what would happen if a cohort of privileged teens planned a hunting weekend at one of their stately homes with no adults present. And then, what would happen if they brought three misfits from their elite private school, and hunted them over the weekend instead of animals?
What impact, if any, has your Venetian heritage had on your writing?
A huge influence. My father was a professor of Renaissance Literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. My first novel was inspired by my heritage, and the following six novels were all about the Italian Renaissance. I’ve always felt a strong connection to Venice: I went to university there, I was married on the Grand Canal, our family spend a lot of the year there and several of my books are set in the city. It has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth – it has to be seen to be believed.
Your STAGS books are now being developed for film. Can you tell us about that?
I’ve been very fortunate in that STAGS has been optioned a couple of times and is now with a fantastic team, Annapurna Pictures in the U.S. and Urban Myth Films in the U.K. They are developing the first three books (STAGS, DOGS and FOXES) for streamers with a wonderful writer, Ava Pickett, who has produced a fabulous pilot. Of course, everything has been halted due to the strikes, but I’m hoping once they are resolved it will be full steam ahead!
Are there any authors that you particularly admire, or who you feel have influenced your story telling?
Evelyn Waugh. I grew up on Brideshead Revisited (just like Charlie Spring in Heartstopper!). The theme of an outsider entering the world of a stately home, with a bit of Venice thrown in, really chimed with me. I would say that is the one book which had the biggest influence on STAGS.
Have you been to Sharjah before? What are you hoping to gain from your visit to the book fair this year?
I’ve never been, and I’m thrilled to be going! I’ve heard very good things about the book fair, but I’m excited to experience the wider culture too—the best thing about travelling is immersing yourself in food, art and architecture. I’m doing some school and university events but I’m sure I’ll be the one doing the learning!
