Sharon Creech was the first ever American winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal with her novel Ruby Hollerin 2002.   We were delighted to have the opportunity to gain an exclusive insight into her new novel, Saving Winslow, which publishes with Guppy Books in May 2020. Cover design, cover illustrations and chapter heads are by Sarah Horne.  

What can your readers expect from Saving Winslow?

This is the story of 10-year-old Louie, determined to save a tiny, orphaned donkey, and of quiet, quirky, unintentionally hilarious Nora, who is drawn into the cause.

Saving Winslow sounds wonderful, what was the inspiration for the story?

My grandchildren have rescued several orphaned lambs, bottle feeding them day and night in their home. I’ve been inspired by witnessing their tenderness and growing empathy as they cared for these fragile creatures, but I chose to write about a donkey instead of a lamb in case my grandchildren wanted to write their own stories about their lambs.

Family is at the heart of many of your books, including Saving Winslow – why do you think it’s a theme you come back to?

My own large family has always been important to me and I’ve always been curious about other people’s families, whether large or small, close or fractured. Families launch us and shape us in so many ways.

You were the first American to win the Carnegie Medal with the Ruby Holler in 2003 – what did this mean to you?

I was deeply honored to receive the Carnegie Medal, an award from my adopted country (I lived in England for twenty years) and selected by librarians. The award brings attention to books and readers. It is because of dedicated librarians and teachers in the U.K. and U.S. that I am able to continue writing books, and I am forever grateful to them. We need school and public libraries for the benefit of our young people.  

Where do you write?

I write at home, in a large, square, many-windowed room filled with books and with photos of family and fans.  The room overlooks a wooded area where I often see foxes, deer, birds, squirrels and chipmunks.