We put a series of questions to Kate and Becky for an in-depth Q&A to get to know them better, to hear about their school days, what inspires them and the advice they would give to future generations of Tiffin girls.

About your time at Tiffin Girls' School.....

Were there any teachers or lessons that particularly inspired you?

Kate Francis: Definitely art. One day, I was feeling really upset and took my worst feelings out on a still-life of a bunch of radishes. I was mortified to show the art teacher, but she took one look at my violently angry, red mess and told me, ‘Now that is art, dear.’ 

The next day, I saw my radishes framed on her wall. I don’t remember her name, but I will always remember what she taught me that day. It’s okay to put your emotions out there into the universe; you don’t need to hide them away – live by them. It’s all just art.

Did you always know what career path you wanted to follow while at school?

Ha, no! If I’d stuck with my plan A I would have been an astronaut. I’ve come to realize that careers are over-rated. I think it takes a lifetime to know yourself, and your most important job is to take the time and space you need to do just that. One of my favorite quotes is by Ethan Hawke: “There is no path until you walk it.” So, maybe just keep walking, and see where life takes you?

If you could give one piece of advice to your teenage self at Tiffin Girls, what would it be?

Hang in there. It gets better. I was in the trenches at high school. I had the holy trifecta of bad skin, bad hair and bad teeth, and was just discovering that I had the ability to be invisible in any room, whether I wanted to or not. I was totally miserable. So, I would love to tell my younger self that the things that mattered so much back then, might not define me forever. That there’s a big old world out there, full of giggles and starry nights, beautiful strangers and so much LOVE. I just have to hang in there and hold that space – it does get better.

Becky Walker: About your time at Tiffin Girls' School...

What are your fondest memories of Tiffin Girls’ School?

A plethora! The annual School Birthday will always stick in my mind as a particular highlight. And, though it might not have seemed extraordinary at the time and isn’t tied to a particular year or specific memory, that summertime period post-exams – of school life slowing down, sitting with bare legs on the grass outside, the smell of hot asphalt, those zip-up school summer dresses and too-hot feet in socks and shoes, idly chatting – has always remained very viscerally in my mind. 

Were there any teachers or lessons that particularly inspired you?

So many! Mrs Armstrong – the calm that she brought to her art room, her patience, her ability to hone in on exactly what you were trying to say and help you say it – has been a keen inspiration ever since. The brilliant, hilarious triumvirate that was Mr Walls, Mr Nichols and Mr Kelsted. And the wonderful PE department: Ms O’Callaghan, Ms Stapleton and Miss Geoghan. All luminaries in different ways!

Did you always know what career path you wanted to follow while at school?

Not at all. I knew that I enjoyed English and loved reading, but I didn’t really understand publishing as a career option. I had instead been looking at law or journalism – careers that felt knowable. I didn’t start looking at publishing until the end of university, where I realized I wanted to find a career that married a keen interest in editing and an enduring love for children’s books. 

Career Journeys

Becky, what drew you to children’s publishing, and how did you break into the industry?

As my time at university drew to an end, I felt increasingly lost. I knew that English Literature had been the right choice for me to study, but it felt that the career options available thereafter were both multifarious and all equally impossible to break into. On returning home, I went back to a place that had inspired me throughout my childhood to find a job – the local children’s bookshop. 

While there, and with the clearer head that came with having graduated, I realized that I had found editing my college magazine exhilarating, and supported by my colleagues at the bookshop, I began applying for roles in children’s publishing. A few months later, I was very lucky to find a role as an editorial assistant at Usborne Publishing, and have now been there for fourteen years.

Kate, what inspired your shift from architecture to writing, and do you see any parallels between the two fields?

Architecture is a really fun job, but creatively it can be challenging. You are always trying to balance competing needs: codes, budgets, function – even gravity! I think I started writing as an antidote to this repressed form of expression. Writing is completely free – just you and your laptop, chuckling away in some corner. Pure joy.

There are parallels between the two fields. I think creativity is a beautiful, iterative process. Ideas loop around and around, refining themselves and evolving in a potentially endless spiral. Whether you’re making a building or a book, you can experience this process in a similar way, you just get kicked off that spiral at very different heights. 

How did your time at Tiffin Girls’ influence your career choices, if at all?

Becky: I’ve always loved reading, and found this love nurtured and encouraged throughout my time at Tififn Girls’ by numerous members of the English department, buoyed by their enthusiasm, wide-ranging knowledge and excitement for the subject.  

The Surprise Connection!

Becky, what was it like to discover that the author of Circle of Liars was also a Tiffin Girls’ alumna?

It was such a lovely, unexpected surprise! Though Kate lives in California, we were able to meet for lunch in London a little while into working together, and, in a twist of fate, found the conversation turning to where we had grown up – only to discover that we had both gone to TGS. A small world, indeed. 

Kate, how did you react when you found out your editor was from the same school?

It was so lovely, but also kind of surreal. I’ve lived in California for twenty years, so I don’t stumble across connections like that very often. Honestly, I’m kind of amazed it even came up in conversation. It reminded me that it really is a small world in all the ways that matter, and paths do cross when the stars align.

Have you noticed any shared influences or themes in your work that might stem from your time at Tiffin Girls’?

Kate: I would say: strong female leads, both in real life and fictional. Ana, the main character in Circle of Liars, has to face the worst thing imaginable – not just her own death, but the death of those she loves. But she still stays true to herself and her deepest values, right up until the end. I think this is where true heroism lies. We, as women, have the capacity to redefine ourselves and what it means to be ‘the hero’, as long as we believe in ourselves. I think Tiffin did an incredible job of dispelling myths about gender roles, and setting a high bar for what we could do and who we could be. There really are no limits. We just need to believe.

On Writing and Creativity

Becky, what do you look for in a debut novel, and what made Circle of Liars stand out?

As a children’s and Young Adult editor, I get to work across genres, which is hugely exciting, and, above all, I love being surprised by new or debut novels. When Circle of Liars arrived in my inbox, the pitch alone told me this was a drop-everything read. I have a toddler who does not sleep – and evenings are about going to bed at 9pm. But when this arrived, I just…couldn’t. I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough – but I also had to keep putting it down because it was too tense. It’s a book that really has it all – an extraordinary hook that means you have to talk about it to anyone who will listen; a multi-POV narrative with teens characters who are impossibly compelling, complex; and a setting that will linger like sand between your toes long after you’ve finished reading. I veritably ran into my office the next day to tell everyone that we absolutely had to publish this book. 

Kate, can you share a bit about your writing process and what inspired Circle of Liars?

I’m definitely a planner. I love mysteries and intricate plots, so when an idea sticks, I’ll write a detailed outline, dropping in twists, character development, red herrings etc. Then I tend to go back over this again and again, each time checking different elements, like a blossoming relationship, or a growing sense of distrust. I think this really sets up a fast pace and keeps all the balls in the air. Finally, I start writing. This is absolutely the best part when I can fully lose myself in the story and characters. 

Circle of Liars was inspired by the Balloon Game – a debate game where you’re on a hot air balloon that’s sprung a leak and is sinking. In each round you have to throw someone overboard, or the balloon will crash killing everyone. I loved the idea of this being real and having to choose who deserves to live or die, all for the greater good. How do you do that? Do you let fate decide, or fight to live? What if your survival means someone you love must die? Can you live with your choices? In Circle of Liars, I got to run with this idea, which was just so much fun.

What are your top tips for young writers at Tiffin who might want to pursue a career in publishing or fiction?

Kate: Write like no one will ever read it. Write from the heart. Be free and kind to yourself. Nothing you write is ever bad; it’s just a reflection of a moment in your day. What you’re feeling has real value – like those framed radishes. So, write with joy, not fear, and be brave – put yourself out there through your words. I promise, if you do that, there are people who will want to read what you have to say.

Becky: For any young writers, I’d suggest reading and writing as much as possible. Read everything and anything. Which writers inspire you, and why? And write what excites you! And keep at it. Getting words on the page is half the battle and you will learn as much from your bad writing as you do from your better writing. 

And for any aspiring young editors, reading is also key. Spend as much time in bookshops as you can! Listening to customers, talking to booksellers – understanding the market, what is selling, what you’re interested in. Publishing can be hard to break in to – I found even getting work experience difficult – but there are lots of ways to gain experience early and outside conventional routes. Is there a school or local magazine you could get involved in? Could you run your own zine? Find weekend work in a bookshop? 

Fun Quick-Fire Round

One thing you miss about school?

Kate: Spending all day with my best friends.

Dream author you’d love to work with or have dinner with?

Kate: Suzanne Collins please! She knows things…

Becky: Kate Francis, of course! 

Best piece of writing or career advice you’ve ever received?

Kate: Do what you love. Love what you do. That one does it every time.

Becky: Keeping it simple – don’t give up!