Dream Weaver

Stevie Martin waits in line with award-winning author Neil Gaiman and finds a man determined to channel his inner child

feature (edinburgh) | Read in About 4 minutes
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Published 12 Aug 2011

"When I was younger I made a promise that I would remember what it was like to be a kid. I'm not sure if I've kept it, but I definitely tried..." If you've ever read Stardust, Coraline or The Graveyard Book you'll know that Neil Gaiman certainly kept this promise. With his floppy mop of black hair and a boyish grin, Neil may be a grownup but he knows exactly what it's like to be young. "It’s not easy,” he says, waiting in the ticket queue for a musical at the Fringe Festival’s C Venues, “I remember feeling powerless, stuck doing things I didn't want to do. Like sitting in double geography lessons. Time would drag on forever and there was nothing you could do to stop it." He'd escape through books, spending his summer holidays travelling to the library and working through the shelves from A-Z.

Now, millions of children and adults alike escape into the weird and wonderful worlds he creates – full of families with buttons for eyes, boys raised in cemeteries and sailors with ships among the clouds. One thing’s for sure, these are not stories for toddlers, unless they’re the sort who don’t mind monsters, murder and malevolent spirits before bedtime.

As I talk to him, three fans come up, wide-eyed and awed, to tell him how much they love his books. It happens a lot, but he chats to each one as if they were old friends. In fact, during book signings, he’s been known to stay until the small hours of the morning just to make sure nobody gets left out. “I only really get recognised in Edinburgh, but it’s great to talk to people who’ve read my books. I’m never too busy to have a chat, or sign something.” He has, after all, been writing for a long time – the first story he can remember penning was at the ripe old age of seven. "All my stuff was about time travel. I think time feels different when you're a kid, the summer holidays stretch on forever and a few weeks can seem like ages. I loved the idea of travelling back in time." His obsession paid off, and that young boy scrawling away, decades later, was writing an episode of Doctor Who. “That was brilliant,” he beams, “such an exciting thing to do…an absolute dream job.”

Neil is hosting an event at this year’s Book Festival on 16 August, talking about, well, whatever the young audience wants! "Maybe we'll have a go at writing some stuff, maybe I'll just burble for an hour... the kids will dictate what happens. They can pick my brains. It's a way of giving something back and putting the power in their hands." It's also an opportunity to get to know one of the most talented writers on the planet and—if you’re a budding writer yourself—a chance to get some hints and insider tips on starting your own novel. Having won a whole host of international awards, including the Newbury and Carnegie medals, and had two books turned into successful films, you’d be hard pressed to find a better tutor. Even more excitingly, he might just give you a sneak preview of what he’s working on at the moment.

As the queue gets shorter, there’s just enough to time to ask Neil where he actually gets his bizarre ideas for stories. As it turns out, inspiration can strike anywhere – even in the most unlikely of places. “You know, seeing a really rubbish play at the Fringe can be helpful. You’re stuck in a room for an hour with nothing to entertain you but your own head.” His own children are also a source of inspiration – watching his son cycle around a cemetery inspired The Graveyard Book and the bestselling novel and hit film Coraline was written for his daughter Holly. “If you keep your eyes open, you’re bound to find things to write about. I write what I would want to read. I think it’s important to, in a way, never really grow up.”

And with that, he disappears into the crowd.