Well I have two myself. Children, that is. Not children’s books. I’ve got LOADS of children’s books. And we get through them at bedtime at such a rate that I could see what my children enjoyed. So I tried to write something like that. I’ve written books for a few years - but this is the fi rst, terrifying, daunting, haunting footstep into doing something for that most fearfully honest of audiences: children.
The obvious answer is the Bible. I’ve always been a fan of getting the Bible out there in different ways. As a stand-up I tour a comedy show around churches, theatres and other venues, that, naff as it sounds (and I try and make it very unnaff), includes bits of quite simply retelling a Bible story in a way that might be deemed amusing, entertaining, funny even. And if the audience take away some of the story too, then, well that’s no bad thing. I took a show retelling Genesis to the Edinburgh Festival, aimed squarely at a general non-Christian audience, with guest comedians who were agnostics, atheists, Jews and Muslims retelling the Adam & Eve or Noah stories. It was great to just get these tales across while having some laughs, not at the expense of the stories, but just because we’re coming together telling some stories that people may not have heard since R.E. in school. Telling stories, whether to adults, kids, or Edinburgh festivalgoers - that’s what it’s all about.
What do you want children to take away from your stories?
It’d be nice to take away a few elements of the original Bible stories. Obviously we’ve added lots of modern silliness - Noah has to stack animals into car park; Moses drives the Exodus Express train - but the key parts are the same. Hopefully they’ve got some nice fun bits - oh, and I can tell you I was blown away by the illustrations. I know from writing telly things that everyone remembers the visuals far more than the words, so yes, Liz and Kate Pope’s amazing pictures will be something readers will want to return to, I know.
What do your children think of your books?
They helped me edit these! I must have read a dozen or so drafts, with dozens more versions of various lines. They were brutally honest about what didn’t work! So often you write it, you think it works… then you unleash it on an audience, and they tell you for sure. One of the main things we all wanted from the start was something that properly rhymed. Many books don’t, which is fi ne, but then some try and rhyme and it doesn’t quite scan, or the rhymes don’t quite match up. We couldn’t have that - not with my brutal audience. They like these now! In fact whenever my four-year-old sees a picture of an ark (or a car park), she gives a knowing nod and says, “You’ve written about that.”
Finally, what’s next for you?
Well there’s a whole series to come, surely?! The Bible is full of familiar characters just waiting to have their stories put to rhyme and beautiful illustration by the Pope twins! So more books to come - watch this space. And meanwhile? More stand-up, touring around churches and the comedy circuit at large, plus lots more TV writing, sitcoms like Not Going Out and something supersecret for next year that’s under wraps - but stay tuned to my Twitter and Facebook thingies and I’ll probably forget it’s super-secret at some point and just tell everybody...