World Book Day – An Interview with Sophie Allan
- 7th Mar 2024
- Author: Elliott Langley - Marketing Administrator
This week we are celebrating World Book Day at the National Space Centre! It was my pleasure to catch up with our very own Sophie Allan, Head of Teaching and Learning at the National Space Academy and first-time author, to discuss her brand-new book The Solar System.
Thank you for joining me Sophie! So, let’s start off with an easy one: is this your first book or have you written one before?
Yes, this is the first full-length book I’ve ever written. I’ve written bits and pieces for space books and publications before, such as guest spots and Q&As in magazines, but this is my first proper book.
And for any newcomers, what is the book about?
So, it’s an exploration of the Solar System, predominantly through the eyes of the spacecraft that have actually gone out and done the exploring. It’s also from the points of view of the scientists and thinkers throughout history, people like Copernicus and Kepler, and cultures that first started thinking about where we came from. We’ve tried to make it accessible and keep the illustrations bright and colourful, it’s a bit more interpretative and includes elements and titbits from the space industry that don’t always get talked about.
How did the book come about?
I was approached by Dorling Kindersley directly and they asked if I would be interested in writing a book about the Solar System. It was an instant “yes” from me, as I talk about the Solar System all the time and teach lessons on it, so it made complete sense. I’d been consulting for them before and they had asked me to do things like fact-checking, so we already had worked together in the past.
Where did the ideas come from for that would go into the book?
The book is part of a series that takes an element of space and looks at it more closely. The previous books had been on the Moon and Mars, and I was given the subject of the Solar System. I was given quite a lot of freedom on what I would put in the book. I had several meetings with the editors at DK where we talked through potential topics that I could focus on. It made sense to start at the Sun and work our way out. I really wanted to include information about different cultural and historical views of the Solar System and look at how different cultures view the formation of the Solar System. At the same time, I wanted to include lots of information about current space missions. So, I took all of these ideas to DK and we worked through them and out of that came a contents list.
So you were doing this on top of your job in the National Space Academy? Was that a challenge?
Yes I was! I find that I work quite well in chunks, so I would set aside a Saturday and write quite a few spreads in one go. I had a document that was always to hand, so that if I did get an idea then I could write it down before it got away and to inform my writing as it went along. But yes, it was mostly a case of using the evening and weekends to get the bulk of the writing done.
Was it hard to stay motivated?
Honestly, not for me, but I think that’s because I enjoy talking about space so much, it’s why I do the job that I do. It was more a case of finding the time and making sure that what I was writing was coherent. I could just sit and write for 20 minutes, but it was important to put that structure in place first. And the editors at DK were really helpful with that, they were able to give me structure to work towards.
Did you have any writer’s rituals whilst you were putting the book together?
Coffee is always a must for me! If it’s the first draft and I’m just getting the ideas down, then I like to do that in a quiet room. When I’m on to the editing process I tend to listen to 8D binaural concentration music, it helps me focus.
I’ll have to try it some time! Do you have any advice for aspiring writers or people who are looking to get back into writing?
In terms of how to get into it, my advice is to take every opportunity that comes to you. I started out answering Q&As in magazines, through the National Space Centre, and any time that someone has asked me to write an article then I always said yes. I also have a friend who wrote a book, and they talked me up to editors, which I’m now paying forward by recommending other aspiring writers I work with to publishers wherever I can. So I think it’s taking every opportunity that you can, as even something small can lead to bigger things.
And any words of wisdom for how to deal with writer’s block?
For things like writer’s block, this kind of book format is really helpful; for example, if I was stuck in one area then I could close that document and move over to writing about a different planet for a while until the ideas came. What helped for me was starting early and having it on the go, so that way if I was teaching or having an interaction with a student and it triggered a thought for the book, I’d be able to include it. It gives you more time to bring other ideas.
How involved were you with the illustrations?
Dawn Cooper was pre-selected as the illustrator. The way it would work was I would send Dawn the brief for what I was envisioning and which part of the text it would correspond with along with some reference images, and then she would send me a mock-up which I would then compare with the text. I’d then check the illustrations and diagrams all lined up and that we’d got the balance right between interpretive art and scientific accuracy. It was a lovely process of pitching ideas to one another and building it together, and I absolutely love the artwork that came out of it.
Were there any challenges that you faced when writing the book or any stumbling blocks?
I think trying to condense down what I was trying to say was the hardest part. It’s a children’s book and is generally aimed at children aged 7-9, although it works for children at either side of that. It’s always a fun challenge to get the language right for those ages, and within a word count; for example, explaining the formation of stars in a way that’s appropriate for young children and in a set number of words can be tricky. My pages of notes ended up being much longer than the actual book!
Did you have a word count to work towards?
Yes absolutely, we agreed what would be on each of the pages and then we would have a word count for each section; for example, here you can talk about the Moon in 80 words, here you can talk about Artemis in 3 blocks of 40 words.
And did you have an editor to help with that?
Oh yes! I would send through first drafts to her, and she would have a look, then we would come up with tweaks and suggestions between us. Thankfully I got the hang of it fairly quickly so I didn’t have to do too much tweaking, but it was a really interesting process – and I actually think it was really helpful for my teaching, as I can waffle on sometimes!
How did it feel to hold the book once it was finished?
It’s definitely surreal to hold it and look at it and think that this is something I had been working on for over a year! To have seen all the different points of the map, from the initial meetings to seeing the first draft of the artwork, to seeing this beautiful book with the stunning illustrations and foil on the front, and to see my name on the front of the book… it was amazing.
Have you been bragging about it to the others on the Academy team?
No! Well, kind of! I’m terrible at bragging and talking myself up anyway, so I should probably start shouting about it more. It’s definitely something I’m very proud of and I’m excited about people seeing it; I’ve done some very exciting things in my job, but this was special.
Are you a big reader?
When I have time! I do love to read and was a voracious reader as a kid and teenager. I struggle to find the time these days, but I do still love to read when I can. I love Science Fiction, no surprises there! Especially novels that have real science in them, but I loved Fantasy as well growing up. I also love reading about space and science history as well.
Any book recommendations for this year’s World Book Week?
Ooh.. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was brilliant, and the Wool trilogy was fantastic. And if you want something more philosophical and to get you thinking, then The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which is one to get you emotional. And for a bit of space biography, try Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins.
As well as it being World Book Week, it’s also International Women’s Day this week. As a woman working in STEM yourself, do you have any advice to young women and girls looking to get into this field?
Don’t let anything put you off science, especially if you’re a young girl in school. Science is for everyone, please don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise. Science is about asking questions, solving problems, and improving the world around us, and I think that resonates with most women! My main advice is to challenge yourself, go out there and take opportunities and always stick with science if it interests you. I spend my working life in a state of constant awe as I learn, and then get to explain, more and more about our Universe. So stay excited by learning, and you will never get bored!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve just finished a book that I’m co-writing with my colleague Josh, which is called Amazing Space and is another DK book. That’s just getting finished up and should be released in 6 months. And I have just started another project which I can’t talk about yet!
Huge thanks to Sophie for taking the time to speak to me and offer her thoughts on being a writer. The Solar System was published in November by Dorling Kindersley and is available to purchase in the National Space Centre gift shop and in your local book shop.
