Mrs Finch was recently invited to chat about her book The Wig Files on Brooklands Radio! She talked about the fascinating insect micro world she created as well as her inspiration – a love of nature and watching an earwig do a back flip on her windowsill…
The book begins with a poignant quote from a famous entomologist, which she read out:
Bugs are not going to inherit the earth. They own it now. So we might as well make peace with the landlord. Thomas Eisner
The book is a fast-paced insect spy thriller where the characters are predominantly earwigs, although there is a quirky silverfish librarian who thinks he is Horatio from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (this was the first book he ever ate).
When asked about the process, Mrs Finch talked about the lengthy insect and plant research undertaken, which helped to create a factual but believable story and also informed character development and the plot. The ‘filmic’ nature of the book was discussed and Mrs Finch confirmed that she wrote the action scenes as if filming behind a camera!
Her aim was for The Wig Files to appeal to both children and adults and from the reviews and feedback, she hopes that she has achieved this. She read out two very positive reviews from Amazon.
“I really loved this book. It delves deep into the world of earwigs and spies, and never has the Wig Ministry needed a better agent. Eric is determined to prove himself as a top agent, and something mysterious is afoot, revolving around his father’s death. If you liked Artemis Fowl, you will LOVE this!”
“The author really brings the different characters to life and the reader soon becomes extremely fond of the good ones and fearful of the evil ones! I would recommend this book to anyone of about 10 years of age to adult, particularly if they enjoy the idea of an insect world full of highly individual characters.”
The Wig Files: An Insect Spy Thriller : Finch, S J: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Mrs Finch is currently writing the sequel to The Wig Files which is set on the island of St Helena, located in the South Atlantic Ocean and was the birthplace of the Labidura herculeana – the giant earwig and is rich in biodiversity such as black cabbage trees, golden blushing snails, and spiky yellow woodlice. We see much of this beautiful island from the perspective of a new character – Dorothia, an earwig in the Flying Squad who is a frequent flyer!
To hear the full interview visit:
