An Interview with Alex Cotter

Author Alex Cotter has worked hard all her life at daydreaming while making a living from words: from bookselling at WHSmith and publicising the Booker Prize to copywriting and teaching creative writing. Raised in the North, Alex now lives near Bath with her family and one very chatty kitten.

After being mesmerised by Alex's debut novel, The House at the Edge, and her latest book for middle-grade readers, The Mermaid Call, it was so exciting to chat to Alex about her work. Discover what it means to 'Be your own mermaid', learn where Alex gets her ideas, meet her favourite fictional females and find out what Alex's next book is about...

Both of your books feature bodies of water – are you drawn to oceans and lakes yourself?

Very much so! Lakes, rivers, the sea … any kind of water is my favourite place. I love to sit and watch, swim, boat and board! Water stirs something in me: both serene and exciting.

Do you enjoy hot chocolate as much as Vivien and do you have a favourite place to drink it?

I’m more a maker of hot chocolates rather than a drinker these days (it’s my children’s after-school tipple). Mine is a cup of tea – and at the moment my very best place is in the garden with my cat. But if we’re talking a flask then I’ll take it up a hillside with a view of any of the above bodies of water, please!

The statement, ‘Be your own mermaid’ and the question, ‘Whose mirror are you looking in?’ are so powerful and inspiring. Was encouraging readers to embrace who they are a big motivation in writing this book?

Thank you – and yes, it was very much the driver for writing the story. When I was growing up I spent far too much time defining myself by other people’s judgements and opinions of me. I saw my reflection based on what they said, rather than my own true view. It’s like trying to flatten yourself to fit through other people’s narrow vision of you, rather than being a fully-fledged individual! So, yes, if there’s one message I’d love readers to take away it’s this one: to look in your own mirror and embrace your individuality.

Two of Alex's favourite books featuring strong female characters

You write incredibly strong female characters. Who were your own favourite female protagonists in the books you read when growing up?

There were many, but Jo March in Little Women and Anne from Anne of Green Gables were two of my absolute idols. I loved their passion to be true to themselves despite many obstacles and their kind natures that led them to fight for change. All of this I cherished, as someone who never quite fitted in – and I think, without them, and other characters like them, I would have taken much longer to find my own voice. I owe Jo and Anne a lot!

Mermaids and suffragettes are an interesting combination! Were they always there together from the start and or did you set out to tell a story about one and found the other creeping in?

It started with mermaids and then suffragettes soon followed once the story grew. I have always adored tales and folklore about mermaids; they are such fascinating creatures. And yet at the same time, they are often the product of a patriarchal society – of men’s views about how a woman should look and men’s fears of women’s power over them. So it didn’t take me long to leap from a mermaid mystery towards a feminist narrative!

The suffragette movement is one of the inspirations behind The Mermaid Call

Where do you get your ideas? Do you enjoy creepy books and movies?

I collect ideas from everywhere, from conversations to museums. I always have a notebook with me and I jot down everything, from the big to the banal. I never know what might be the spark that sets an idea spinning in my head. And oooh, yes, I’ve loved thrillers and horrors from a young age – both in books and films. I also like to collect ghost stories – if you have any ...?

Are you working on anything at the moment and if so, can you tell us about it?

I’m working on my next children’s book! It’s very much in the early stages but I can say it involves ice skating and it’s set in my hometown of Sheffield!

Thanks so much for chatting to us, Alex! Your collection of real-life ghost stories sounds fascinating and I am intrigued by the upcoming skating-themed story. I love to watch ice skating and this sounds amazing already - can't wait to read it! The Mermaid Call was published by Nosy Crow on 7th July 2022 and is available everywhere books are sold – read our review. Read our review of The House at the Edge by Alex Cotter Visit Alex Cotter's author website See Alex's books on the Nosy Crow website