Miriam Sharland – Q&A

Miriam Sharland’s eco-memoir Heart Stood Still launches at Central Library on May 9 at 6pm.

Heart Stood Still is a record of Sharland’s journey towards finding healing in the world’s natural beauty, a beauty that we must fight to protect in the current climate crisis. It is both a memoir and a lyrical portrait of Manawatū.

Miriam Sharland is a writer and editor focusing on creative non-fiction, travel, biography/memoir and natural history. Based in England and Aotearoa New Zealand, her essays, reviews and features have appeared in numerous books, journals, magazines and newspapers, and online. Heart Stood Still is her first book.

Thanks to Miriam for being the first author to submit to our “Questions & Authors” segment! Here are her answers to some burning questions:

Q. What’s your favourite book right now? And what about when you were a child?

A. My favourite book is Robert Macfarlane’s The Old Ways. It’s a lovely combination of nature writing and travelogue that explores the connection between landscape and the heart. I especially like the sections about the English South Downs, close to where I come from, and Macfarlane’s exploration of the life of Edward Thomas, poet and WW1 soldier. Last year I followed the footsteps of my WW2 airman uncle around England and this book was influential on my writing that story.

As a child I loved Alice in Wonderland, and still do. We had a vinyl recording of it that we used to listen to as a family in the living room of my childhood home. Alice always takes me back to my childhood.

Q. What’s your earliest writing memory? Either something you wrote, or when you met an established author, etc.

A. My earliest writing memory is writing stories in English class at junior school in England. Specifically, feeling disappointed for getting a lower grade when I attempted to write comedy. I learnt my lesson, I think!

Q. Do you have a favourite font for writing in? And revising? (Or do you write by hand?)

A. I like Calibri – it’s nice and clean. I do sometimes scribble in a notebook but I find a keyboard a lot easier.

Q. Top tip(s) for aspiring authors?

A. I didn’t really start writing properly until I did my Master of Creative Writing at Massey. I learnt that writing is a craft that has to be worked at. I also had deadlines which were great because I tend to procrastinate. And, persevere – the first publisher I sent Heart Stood Still to turned it down.

Q. Heart Stood Still follows the seasons, do you have a favourite season?

A. I like all the seasons but my favourites are spring in Aotearoa, and summer in England.

Q. As a cyclist what is your destination of choice?

A. Girona – I visited last year for the first time and fell in love with it. Smooth wide roads, courteous drivers, masses of cyclists, beautiful scenery, fabulous history, great bike shops. It’s home to a lot of professional cyclists and is cycling heaven.

I also love Copenhagen. 98% of locals get around by bike – and the pastries are to die for.

Q. During Covid you explored places you had never been to or seen properly. What were some of the highlights?

A. Discovering fungi foraging sites was exciting! I became obsessed with mushrooms. The calming effect of sitting in a little bamboo grove by the Turitea Stream was another.