The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Olga Wotjas’s latest novel is a comic romp inspired by timetravel, Shakespeare, two weird sisters and a black cat. Gayle Ritchie finds out more
Anybody who fancies a bit of escapism from the gloom and doom of the world today should try reading Olga Wotjas’ s novels. An unconventional – and extremely witty – writer of postmodern cosy crime fiction whose surrealist humour has been compared to the likes of PG Wodehouse, Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde and the Marx Brothers, her debut novel, Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar, was published in 2018 in the UK and US to critical acclaim.
Her latest in the series – Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Weird Sisters – follows on from her 2020 Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace.
Edinburgh-based Olga describes her new novel as a “comic romp in which librarian Shona Mcmonagle time-travels to 11th-century Scotland on a crucial mission involving Macbeth, the three witches and a black cat called Frank”.
Her main character, Shona, is a 50-something proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, which was immortalised by Dame Muriel Spark in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
However Shona loathes the book and thinks it brings her beloved school into disrepute.
“Impeccably well-educated, an accomplished martial arts expert, a linguist and musician, she gets sent on time-travelling missions by Miss Blaine herself,” explains Olga. “She’s also a total numpty who rarely has a clue about what she’s supposed to be doing. But I’m very fond of her, since she’s very goodhearted and always means well.”
Olga, who is president of the Edinburgh Writers’ Club and was a journalist for more than 30 years before adding creative writing to her portfolio, says she’s loved Shakespeare’s play Macbeth since she studied it at school.
“Witches, castles, and murder, what’s not to
like? But from the little we know historically about Macbeth and his wife Gruoch, the play is complete nonsense. So I thought it was time we knew once and for all what actually happened.”
Her new novel, described as a “madcap mission”, sees Shona selected by Marcia Blaine herself to travel back in time.
Unsure which version of history she’s in, Shona tries to figure out who she’s here to save. But between playing the fool and being turned into a mouse, things
don’t always go her way. Shona’s expertise in martial arts is put to the test as family tensions rise and fingers are pointed for murder.
When it comes to the writing process, Olga works best at night, describing herself as “definitely an owl”.
“I come alive around 11pm, and I work into the night, generally only stopping because of exhaustion. Since I have to get up in the morning like normal people, I’m perpetually sleep-deprived. I need total silence to write, which is why the middle of the night
is good. What gets me in the mood for writing is the terrifying approach of a deadline. Left to my own devices, I just eat chocolate.”
Any advice for aspiring authors? “Persevere!” says Olga. “Never give up – and good luck!”
Her hope is Miss Blaine will send protagonist Shona on yet another adventure but she says she’s still waiting to hear from her. Oh, and before she goes, Olga reveals that she can turn a banana into a penguin. Who knew!