Students at Millfield Science and Performing Arts College were delighted to have the opportunity to talk with debut author Danny Rurlander about his exciting new thirller, Spylark.  Thank you to Mel Bleakley and students at Millfield and also to Danny for this great content.

We were recently lucky enough at Millfield Science and Perfoming Arts College to host author Danny Rurlander on a book tour to promote his first novel. Spylark is an exciting adventure story, set in the Lake District, about a boy who accidentally uncovers what he believes to be a terrorist plot whilst flying his drone.

We learned that Danny was first inspired to become a writer at the age of ten, when a teacher gave him an exercise book and asked him to write a story. He quickly filled the whole book and realised that writing was what he most wanted to do. He told us, ‘I always had this desire at the back of my mind, from when I was 10 years old, I always thought that I would love to write a novel.’

Danny told us that Spylark was inspired by the books that he had read as a child, such as Swallows and Amazons. He remembered reading it to his own children and felt that they struggled to connect with the story as it was a little old fashioned for them. This gave him the idea to write a modern day version of it. He likes the idea of looking back at literature from the past and making it accessible for a whole new audience.

We were unsurprised to learn that his favourite subject at school was English. He has always loved reading and felt that he understood the power of narrative and of telling a story. When asked whether Spylark had a moral, Danny told us that he sees the lesson of the story as being about Tom – the main character – finding himself, in that he has to learn to live with his disability without feeling sorry for himself.

Danny learned to fly with the University Air Squadron division of the RAF whilst studying for a degree in English Literature. He used this experience while writing the sections of Spylark which involve the drone. He said, ‘if you can get above something, then you can see the patterns, and that is the key to the story.’

Danny’s favourite character in the book is Jim Rothwell, who he describes as a mentor character, similar to Dumbledore in Harry Potter. Danny says that Jim is the wisest character in the book, who despite having had some bad experiences, is very kind. Jim has a way of looking at the world that helps Tom to make the right decisions. Danny says that the character of Jim is a combination of people who he knew when he was young and who had a positive influence on him. Although Jim is a minor character in the novel, Danny feels that he is an important one.

As a child, Danny loved the Tintin books by Herge. He said that he found them to be very inspiring, especially as they were so well researched, so that everything that appeared in the books was based on real events. What Danny liked most about them was that every time he would read one, he felt like he learned something.’

The main character in Spylark, Tom, is partly based on Danny himself. He said that he has a tendency to do what Tom does, which is to withdraw from conflict. Tom also shares Danny’s dislike of confined spaces.

Danny writes late at night because he also has a ‘day job’ as a vicar. He says that he writes in his spare time, when other people may be watching TV, as it is his way of relaxing. He believes that writing for children is a tremendous responsibility, as the books we read when we are young, stay with us throughout our lives.

Finally, we were really excited to hear that Danny is currently writing a second novel, which he says is a ‘kind of’ sequel to Spylark and is set around Morecambe Bay in Lancashire. We are very much looking forward to being able to read the next instalment of the adventure!

By Emily, Evie, Isabel, Joel, Lily and Sophie – students at Millfield Science and Performing Arts College, Lancashire.