It is a joy to welcome my friend Sophie Masson, author of the new historical middle-grade novel BOLD BEN HALL (published by Walker Books), to my blog. Sophie stopped by to tell us about her experience in writing and researching the novel, what she's working on next, and her reflections on her joyous writing career! Find Sophie on Facebook, Instagram and her website. Thank you for joining us, Sophie Masson! 1. Congratulations on your latest fantastic historical novel Bold Ben Hall! What prompted you to write this book? SM: Thank you, Brenton! Ever since I was a kid I have always been fascinated by the bushranger era, and the larger than life characters who inhabited it, especially those with an interesting backstory, like Ned Kelly (who features in two of my earlier novels, The Hunt for Ned Kelly and Ned Kelly's Secret) and Ben Hall. Both men were not 'common criminals' but complex figures with both 'the dark and the bright' in them (to quote something Ned Kelly once said). And it struck me that I could tell the story of Ben Hall in a way that would highlight that, through the differing viewpoints of two young people of his time. 2. You did a great deal of research for the story and visited several locations too. What are some key takeaways from your research? What did you learn in writing and researching the book that surprised you or excited you the most? SM: Yes, I did a lot of research into primary and secondary sources and as I like to really have a feel for the places I'm writing about, we went for a trip into Ben Hall country--Canowindra, Forbes, Carcoar, Bathurst, Eugowra and more as well as into the Central West countryside where he once had a farm and places where he and his gang had hiding places. It was a wonderful trip and really gave me a feel for the background of the novel, as well as opening up new lines for the story, such as that Ben and co had actually paid for the three day slap-up party they had at the Canowindra hotel, no matter if their guests hadn't been exactly willing to participate at first :-) I was also fascinated when I delved more into 'Sir Fred's' history: he was an extraordinary man too, a kind of mirror image of Ben. Later, by chance when I was visiting Toowoomba for a different book event, I happened to go to the Cobb and Co museum there--Cobb and Co was a company that had a huge impact on life in the bush in those days, and back then it had a major base in Bathurst. It really helped me flesh out Sam's background as well as make me very much aware of just how enormous and how fast those coaches were! A key takeaway was just how conflicting opinions about Ben and Sir Fred were in their day--and how much still they continue to be. And that made me sure I'd had the right idea, with Lily and Sam. 3. The story is told from the perspectives of both Lily and Sam, with Ben Hall as a character that looms large in the book even when he is 'off-stage'. How did you settle on the structure and point of view that you used to tell this story? SM: It felt like the best way to present the complex story of Ben Hall was in a way that would be both engaging and fun but also thought-provoking. Lily and Sam are both sympathetic and lively characters in their own right, and so to have them have different, strong opinions about Ben and 'Sir Fred', made it feel that much more immersive and interesting. 4. Why is it important to write about the past for children today? SM: The past informs the present, and helps to make us what we are today and into the future--and knowing the stories of your country, and what has shaped it, helps you to understand it better. But it's not just about education--it's about discovering that stories of the past can be just as exciting and fun as stories set now. I read a lot of historical fiction as a kid and through it not only did I get swept away into amazing tales of adventure, but also I came to realise that although the old times were different from mine, and many things had changed, people in the past were still very much like us now, in their feelings and hopes and dreams. And that was a really important thing to discover. I think that it is the same for young readers today. 5. 2025 is 35 years since your first novels were published. Do you ever take stock of your writing career? How do you feel, looking back, and looking forward at what is to come? What comes to mind? Have you changed your style or process of writing over time? SM: Thirty-five years seems long doesn't it--and when I look at that number, I think, oh wow, is that really so? But it's also gone by in a flash and yet it also feels like a long time...I don't often look back at it but when I do, I can see that my career has grown organically, that I've developed as a writer in different ways over the years--I have always been an eclectic reader and so I am an eclectic writer too!--but that the voice has stayed the same, even while it's expressed in varied genres and for a diversity of ages, from babies to adults. My main feeling when I look back on my career so far is a sense of immense gratitude--for all the fantastic people who have given me opportunities over the years, supported me and believed in my work, enabling it to be out there: publishers, my wonderful agent, booksellers, librarians, reviewers; for the lovely creative friendships I have made over the years with fellow authors and illustrators; and for the many lovely readers of two generations now (!) who have taken my stories to their hearts. And of course my darling family who have encouraged, supported me at every turn and who have put up with my being away with the fairies quite a bit of the time :-) I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been able to earn my living doing the thing I love so much, the thing I was born to do. Yes, I have worked hard at it, and there have been many challenges to overcome along the way, but that too has been part of the learning, and overall I just feel immensely grateful for what I've been able to do. As to the future--well I've never been one to look into it--I just allow the present to develop as it were :-) but although it may hold big challenges for us creators, such as how to best cope with the impact of AI (my optimistic nature says we will learn how to best manage that whilst also valuing our human creativity even more than before--fingers crossed!), I feel happy about what's happening for me personally and look forward to keeping on writing books that people want to read, for as long as it is possible. 6. What is in the pipeline? Can you share anything you are working on next? SM: Coming up, I have two picture books soon to be released: The Giant, with Lorena Carrington, coming out in August with MidnightSun Publishing; and The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef, with Cheryl Orsini, coming in late November with Hardie Grant. And then there's my new adult novel (written under the pen name of Sophie Beaumont), In The Paris Fashion, coming out with Ultimo Press in early November. I am so looking forward to them all! As to works in progress, I have just finished writing the first draft of a new middle grade adventure novel, which is set in 1966 and starts off on an ocean liner going from Australia to France. It's about a family of four kids and their parents--who work for a secret spy organisation--and what happens when their parents vanish at Madeira, one of the ports where they stop and they have to go on to their grandmother's place in Marseille whilst also trying to solve the mystery of their parents' disappearance. The setting is partly based on a real, long sea voyage from Australia to France I went on with my family when I was seven, and though I have never forgotten it and I even made a little video recently out of the Super 8 films my father took on that sea voyage, I'd never written it into a book before. And doing so was a lot of fun! I'm also thinking about other possibilities--watch this space! 7. Anything else at all you'd like to add? SM: Just thank you, for all your warm support and interest in my work. Thank you Sophie for stopping by - like readers of this interview, I am keenly awaiting THE GIANT, THE FISHMONGER AND THE PASTRY CHEF and IN THE PARIS FASHION.
But in the meantime, don't miss out on Sophie's historical novel for young readers.... BOLD BEN HALL by Sophie Masson is available now from Walker Books.
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