Brian Farrey, author of The Counterclockwise Heart
Middle Grade Literature Category, sponsored by Education Minnesota
Each week leading up to the 35th annual Minnesota Book Awards, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why?
The Counterclockwise Heart was my first attempt at a stand alone book that felt epic in scope, outside forces driving several protagonists to act in ways that were new to them and converge in a central point. I had a lot of fun mapping out the different layers to the story and figuring out how everything worked together.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer with an interest in your category?
Read, read, read! It’s so important to know what other people are doing. Do your own thing but understand how it fits in what’s already available.
Tell us about a favorite book. Why did you find it moving, influential, or otherwise memorable?
My perennial re-read is The Westing Game. It’s so smart with vivid, memorable characters and a mystery that young readers can follow along and piece together all by themselves.
Tell us something about yourself that is not widely known.
My play, Secondhand Grace, won the Christopher Hewitt Award for drama from A&U Magazine and it will receive its world premiere this summer in Washington DC.
The Minnesota Book Awards is a celebration of writers, readers – and libraries. We’d love if you would share thoughts about the role and value of libraries.
As a kid, the library was my sanctuary. It was the place I felt safe and understood. There was no end to stories and ideas I could dig into, not only to satisfy my interests but also to see life from new perspectives. As an adult, I’ve come to understand that libraries are the light that stands between society and the darkness. Without a shared effort to protect these sacred places, we risk losing a world where children can connect with material that helps them make sense of their own lives and grow into someone more.
Brian Farrey is the author of The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse and the Stonewall honor book With or Without You, both winners of a Minnesota Book Award.