An Interview with How to Train Your Dragon’s Cressida Cowell- Nellie N and Eri S
Just this past Monday, two editors from The Bubble had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Cressida Cowell, best known for writing the How to Train Your Dragon book series—soon to be adapted into a live-action movie coming out this summer. As she walked in, her bubbly and talkative energy filled the room, and it seemed destined to be a great interview.
Since World Book Day had just passed (March 6th), our first question was about her dream outfit for the occasion. She shared that she loves a challenge, so she would attempt to dress as her character Horizabel—who has both a robot hand and a tree hand- making the costume quite difficult to bring to life. She also mentioned how heartwarming it is to see people cosplaying her characters and the unique ways they bring them to life.
We then asked a question to reflect how Cressida, as an author, goes about with her own reading, curating her own engaging reading list. When asked how she ensures a compelling list of books to read, Cressida shared her personal strategies. She relies heavily on recommendations from friends, often seeking out what others are enjoying. For her, independent bookshops serve as an invaluable resource, offering curated displays and hidden gems that might otherwise go unnoticed. Despite the dwindling review space for books, especially children’s literature, her passion for discovering unique titles persists through this mix of social recommendations and bookstore exploration.
Reading can be challenging, especially for those struggling with reading stamina, so we asked Cressida for her top tip on maintaining a love of reading. Her answer? Staying curious. She emphasises exploring diverse mediums, encouraging readers to abandon the idea of limiting themselves to a single book genre, reading from poetry to action novels. Also mentioning how using your interests to find thought-provoking books is a great idea, and will help your brain to create new links between different ideas, which she explains through the example of Shakespeare.
As a writer herself, Nellie asked what advice she would give to young writers inspired by her stories, Cressida emphasized the importance of reading widely across genres like graphic novels, classics, crime, non fiction, and even watching films and television. She believes diverse storytelling mediums enrich a writer’s understanding of narrative techniques. Cressida advised young writers not to rush but to take their time, citing her own journey of publishing her first book at 30. Encouraging creativity, she recommended writing what you love to read, challenging yourself with impossible scenarios, and conducting in-depth research to add authenticity. Through curiosity and patience, she defined that young writers can build captivating worlds of their own.
Cressida studied English literature so as a fellow English Literature student, Eri was curious about which books Cressida would add to the A-Level syllabus. Her answer: Middlemarch by Mary Ann Evans (who wrote under the pen name George Eliot). The novel follows a town’s individuals as they navigate issues of class, education, and religion. She also expressed a desire to see more female writers included in the curriculum. Unfortunately, we want to note that the current Year 13 class has only studied two female writers- Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Annie Proulx’s Close Range. Hopefully, this will change in the future and Middlemarch is a wonderful suggestion for OCR to take on.
So how does a widely recognised author like Cressida herself go about writing her wonderous tales? When asked about the role of her writing shed, she highlighted the value of having “a room of your own”—a quiet retreat from the bustle of everyday life. Her shed, nestled in vegetation and adorned with inspiring photographs and books, serves as a sanctuary where she can dive into her internal world. This seclusion allows her to focus, create, and even laugh privately at her own jokes, fostering the creativity and solitude that many writers, including Roald Dahl, have cherished.
We had to wrap up quickly, though it felt like we could have kept talking forever, but not before getting a signature and some photos. As long-time fans, this was a truly full-circle moment—an experience we will not soon forget, so thank you to Mrs Burns and everyone else that helped to to facilitate this interview.
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