Tamsin Winter Talks Selective Mutism in Children and Her Upcoming Novel

"That’s a very tough question! I have lived with anxiety my entire life, so can relate to how Rosalind feels in social situations. I definitely share her “worst-case-scenario” thinking. I didn’t grow up getting bullied for my size like Jemima does, but from about the age of eight or nine, I had a very negative body image which lasted well into my twenties.

Both Being Miss Nobody and Jemima Small Versus the Universe are ultimately stories of triumph over adversity, and of learning to hold your head high. I think, partly, I write the books I needed when I was younger."

"I read a lot of medical journals, therapist guides, psychiatric reports, but nothing helped as much as the first-person accounts I read about what it’s like growing up with selective mutism. I’ve also worked with young people who have the condition.

Every child with SM is different, but it was important to me for Rosalind’s SM to feel authentic. What struck me throughout my research was how difficult it can be to show how bright, funny, kind and generally awesome you are when you can’t speak.

That was what I wanted to portray in Being Miss Nobody. Rosalind finally finds a way to have a voice at school - through her anonymous blog – although of course it’s not the fail-safe solution she imagines."

"Every child is different, but the inability to speak (which happens with SM) can be misinterpreted as stubbornness, or even willful defiance.

I read about a girl who was only six or seven years old who fell over and broke her arm during morning break at school. She wasn’t able to tell anybody until her mother picked her up at the school gate at the end of the day. Two things stayed with me about that story.

Firstly, that someone can be in extreme pain but their SM means they’re unable to ask for help. And secondly, that no one noticed. None of her teachers, classmates, no one. She went almost the whole day with nobody noticing she’d broken her arm.

That feeling of being invisible was a difficult but important part of SM to include in the book. "

"When I was growing up, no one ever talked about mental health. So, mainly I wish that was different. Young people now are more informed and open about how they are feeling.

My teenage years were kind of isolating. Luckily, I read a lot of books. (Mainly because I lived in the middle of nowhere and there was nothing much else to do.) But I’m glad books were readily available.

They gave me an insight into that vast emotional landscape we all have as humans. I think reading is a remedy for just about anything. "

"I am very excited about meeting Lucy Strange. I absolutely adore her books and she very kindly provided a quote for Being Miss Nobody. We’ve never met in person, so she’ll be the first person I’ll be seeking out.

I’m also hoping I get to meet Jane Goodall who is one of my childhood heroes. And if I can get a selfie with Sir Ranulph Fiennes I think my mum will be impressed! I’m also looking forward to meeting lots of young readers.

That’s one of the best parts of being an author for me. It’s a huge honour to be part of the festival – as one of the winners of the 2015 writing prize it’s where it all began for me. It’s kind of surreal to come back as an author, so I’ll be appreciating every moment."

"My next book is about a thirteen-year-old girl called Dylan, whose parents are mummy-and-daddy bloggers. They have been blogging and You-Tubing about her since she was born, sharing even the most private moments – and in doing so have amassed a large following.

Dylan, however, finds her parents’ posts embarrassing in the extreme and, when her mum takes it one viral post too far, Dylan becomes even more desperate to step out of the social media spotlight.

But her parents, with sponsorship deals on the table, have other plans. However, so has Dylan. It’s a contemporary, funny, and maybe a little heart-breaking book that looks at what happens when “sharenting” goes too far. I’m hoping I can share the title with you at the festival!"