IN CONVERSATION WITH Veronica HENRY

She might be tempted to run a beach hut of her own, but the award-winning novelist loves the tingly, butterfly feeling when a book comes together

If you’ve ever dreamt of owning a beach hut or spending a night on the Orient Express, you may well have read one of Veronica Henry’s books, set in gorgeous surroundings. She has written 20 novels dealing with very real situations, and her latest, The Impulse Purchase, sees three generations of women take over the running of a pub.

Veronica, who has three grown-up sons, lives in Woolacombe, North Devon, with her miniature schnauzer, Zelda.

I always start my books with the question ‘Where do I want to take my readers?’ I like to take them on a journey, so I invariably start with a setting, which you can tell by the title of my books. There may be a beach hut, a hotel or even a luxurious train – it’s an invitation to come somewhere fabulous. The Impulse Purchase is set in Somerset, which is very ‘now’. It’s tempting lots of Londoners because it has so much to offer. It’s rural and traditional, quite arty and foodie.

Beginning the book, for me, is like an episode of Through the Keyhole.

I choose my setting, then ask why we are here, who do we care about and what is at the centre of it – maybe a cider farm as in A Home From Home. I loved writing about the village in that and my mind will often wander there, wanting to explore it further. The idea for my new book came when I saw a review of a pub run by a mother and daughter. I liked the idea of that partnership. I just turned the idea into three generations.

During the pandemic, I think we realised more than ever the importance of families. Young people look to the older generations for inspiration and vice versa. It’s great to be energised by the younger people in your family, especially when it comes to social media.

‘There are so many characters in the world’

My characters are a cocktail of people I’ve known. They are never real people,

but they are all dilemmas faced by people I know, or someone they know. With The Impulse Purchase I tipped it on its head – the grandmother is having marital problems, whereas her daughter is actually the widow.

This story is very much about a woman putting herself first. The grandmother, Cherry, has received an inheritance and, after putting her husband and family first for years, thinks, ‘It’s my turn now.’ Twenty years ago, a woman like her might never have had the chance to blossom. It’s lovely to explore a 70-year-old woman deciding to set up a business.

In relationships not everyone is nice. That would firstly be very boring to write about, and I think it’s quite nice to redeem a relationship. You don’t have to think, ‘Well, you’ve not been very nice, so it’s all over.’

I’m sure there has to be a catalyst in life for us to make a change.

There is usually a trigger, whether it’s meeting a person or a more dramatic change. Take COVID – so many people are questioning what they’re doing with their lives. It’s about confidence, too, which I think particularly women lose. You pour yourself into your children and try to keep everything afloat, then end up getting a bit lost.

Women over 60 are still portrayed as slightly grey, non-people, who witter on and do a bit of baking. But, when I think of all the women I know over 60, they are simply amazing. I’ve got a friend in her late 70s, who’s got an incredible interior design business, and is still driven and inspiring. Age should be obliterated, it shouldn’t be a thing.

I miss the places and characters from my previous books. Dragonfly Farm from A Home From Home is really vivid in my head, as I loved that big house on the other side of the river. It was very much inspired by my growing up, watching the handsome boys who lived at the big house and wondering who would get them in the end. We all have that sort of yearning and I wanted to get under the skin of that. And yes, I’m still waiting to get ‘Golden Boy’.

I would love to set up a small food business in Woolacombe. However,

I do know people who work in hospitality and it’s hard work, and it’s difficult to make money, so it’s probably best to write about it than actually do it.

And I really enjoyed writing about the restaurant aspect of the pub, indulging my passion for food. My son and I have this fantasy of setting up a beach bar, and we sit there making playlists for it. David

Bowie would definitely be included. He is the person who has had the biggest influence on my life – who I am, and how I think. The thing is, with setting up a beach bar, my portion control would be terrible. I’d be bankrupt within a month.

‘Age should be obliterated, it shouldn’t be a thing’

My previous jobs as a scriptwriter helped me enormously with writing a novel. I worked on Crossroads, Boon, The Archers and on Heartbeat, Holby City and Doctors. You have to be very rigid with TV, bearing in mind how long a scene is, how many characters are in it and where you are. You can’t drop in a party scene if you don’t have the budget, so you always need to restrict yourself. It’s very disciplined. Coming to books was very liberating, as you can take your characters anywhere. Scriptwriting and editing was a fantastic discipline, and probably why I don’t plan everything, as my brain just works that way.

I never run out of ideas. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. You find a theme and start weaving in characters… and there are so many characters in the world. It’s a bit like a recipe, you pick a theme and the characters, and they kind of take over. I never really struggle. It’s just about finding that dynamic that holds it all together – and you know you have that when you get that tingly feeling, like butterflies. Every book is different, some I plan out, and others I start and see how it pans out. I do like to have freedom as I’m writing. Sometimes I begin with the end of the book then work my way towards it, which I did with my new book.

The one piece of advice I would give my younger self? Drink wine, water, wine, water!

✢ The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry (£12.99, HB, Orion) is out now.