SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Turtle Bay
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://saviourpirotta.com
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COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
LAST VOLUME: SATA 267
http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/saviour_pirotta/profile.asp
RESEARCHER NOTES:
[NB: Upon saving, up to a dozen items from the Works list were lopped off–all from the “UNDER NAME SAM GODWIN” sections, which had no additions with this round.–MH]
PERSONAL
Born in Malta.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Playwright, storyteller, and author of books for children. Professional storyteller at Commonwealth Institute, London, England, for eight years.
AWARDS:Best Nonfiction Picture Book designation, English Association, 1998, for A Seed in Need; Aesop Accolade, American Folklore Society, 2010, for Firebird; North Somerset Teachers Book Award for Quality Fiction, 2018, for Mark of the Cyclops.
WRITINGS
Author’s books have been translated into fifteen languages.
SIDELIGHTS
A native of Malta who lives and works in England, Saviour Pirotta is the author of more than one hundred books for children, among them Icarus, the Boy Who Could Fly, Firebird, and numerous adaptations of myths and legends from around the world. Pirotta has also penned dozens of biographies and nonfiction books, publishing both under his own name and under the pen name Sam Goodwin.
Introduced to the pirate lore of the Maltese islands as a child, Pirotta learned many of these native stories by heart. He drew on his love of pirate stories and other oral legends from Malta in his first drama, The Idiot King: A Play, which retells a Maltese folk tale. In the years since, he has moved from plays to books for children, creating original stories such as Operation Carrot, Patch Learns to Bark, and Little Bird, all which feature simple stories geared for very young readers. A concept book, Patrick Paints a Picture, follows a young boy who creates a series of artworks with his aunt. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Patrick Paints a Picture a “unique and extremely helpful look” at both primary and secondary colors.
Other picture books feature Pirotta’s retelling of stories from around the world. The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm finds him retelling fairy tales “delightfully,” according to a critic from Bookseller. “Pirotta writes like a story-teller, with great imagery and description,” Robin L. Gibson wrote in her review of the book for School Library Journal, and a Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a lovely new collection.” In Booklist Julie Cummins noted that “Pirotta’s down-to-earth language will read well aloud.” In his books retelling Aesop’s fables Pirotta expands on the original tales; “Each telling contains descriptions of the setting, extensive dialogue, and rounded-out motivation,” wrote Susan Hepler in a review of Aesop’s Fables for School Library Journal.
In the “Once upon a World” series of folktales and fables Pirotta pairs a familiar story with a less-well-known counterpart. In The Golden Slipper: An Ancient Egyptian Fairy Tale; and also Cinderella, he retells the story of Rhodopis, an Egyptian slave girl whose wondrous footwear catches the eye of the pharaoh. According to Bina Williams in Booklist, the two versions of the story “offer an intriguing first encounter with comparative literature.” Also featuring cross-cultural themes, Pirotta’s Around the World in Eighty Tales contains stories from Venezuela, Latvia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, among other nations. Jill Bennett, writing in Books for Keeps, described this volume as a “cultural extravaganza of traditional tales.”
Pirotta retells a Russian folktale in Firebird, inspired in part by Igor Stravinsky’s famed 1910 ballet. Angered that a magnificent bird is stealing his prized golden apples, King Vaslav orders his two oldest sons to nab the culprit. When they fail, younger brother Ivan—considered weak and foolish—volunteers his services. Embarking on a quest fraught with danger, Ivan encounters a magical grey wolf that assists in the hunt for the firebird, and he also meets a beautiful princess with whom he falls in love. Writing in School Library Journal, Margaret Bush applauded Firebird, calling it well constructed and featuring a “satisfying fairy-tale mix of human frailty and greed, magical intervention, and just deserts.”
According to Book Report contributor Tami Little, the stories in Pirotta’s Christian Festival Tales “convey accurate information” about the Christian holidays. Described as a “handsomely crafted collection” by School Library Journal critic Linda L. Walkins, Children’s Stories from the Bible: Stories Retold contains Pirotta’s retellings of dozens of tales from both the Old and New Testaments. “The author deftly characterizes the people in his stories by attributing believable thoughts, emotions, and dialogue to them,” Walkins noted of the anthology.
In addition to his retellings and original stories, Pirotta has written numerous works of nonfiction. His “Deep in the Rainforest” series, which includes People in the Rain Forest , offers factual information about a variety of topics and includes a discussion of threats to that environment. Helen Rosenberg, reviewing People in the Rainforest for Booklist, praised Pirotta’s “accessible text” in the volume.
Another work of nonfiction, Pirotta’s Buried Treasure explores the mysteries behind such legendary as the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, the tomb of King Tut, and the Mesopotamian city of Ur. As Cynthia M. Sturgis wrote in School Library Journal, although Buried Treasure offers only a basic introduction to its subject, the book “will attract browsers.”
Pirotta’s books published under his Sam Godwin pseudonym include the award-winning A Seed in Need: A First Look at the Plant Cycle, which introduces five-to seven-year-old readers to basic science concepts. As Godwin, he is also the author of the “Tremors” series of middle-grade novels, concept books such as Oscar’s Opposites: An Introduction to Opposites, and beginning biographies of historical figures such as Pocahontas, Joan of Arc, and Mother Teresa.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, January 1, 1999, Helen Rosenberg, reviews of People in the Rain Forest and Rivers in the Rain Forest, both p. 869; November 1, 2006, Julie Cummins, “The Fairy Tales,” p. 56; April 1, 2008, Bina Williams, review of The Golden Slipper: An Ancient Egyptian Fairy Tale; and also Cinderella, p. 78.
Book Report, November-December, 2001, Tami Little, review of Christian Festivals Cookbook, p. 82.
Bookseller, June 21, 2002, review of The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, p. 35.
Books for Keeps, January, 2008, Jill Bennett, review of Around the World in Eighty Days; November, 2010, Valerie Coghlan, review of Firebird.
Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2006, review of The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, p. 1022; October 15, 2007, review of Patrick Paints a Picture; September 15, 2010, review of Firebird.
Natural History, December-January, 1997, Jean Craighead George, review of Turtle Bay, p. 8.
Publishers Weekly, June, 1992, review of Little Bird, p. 101.
School Librarian, winter, 2010, Diana Barnes, review of Firebird, p. 232.
School Library Journal, April, 2000, Wendy Lukehart, review of Italy, p. 124; September, 2001, Ann W. Moore, review of Jewish Festival Tales, p. 218; February, 2002, Cynthia M. Sturgis, review of Buried Treasure, p. 120; July, 2002, Edith Ching, review of Albert Einstein, p. 135; November, 2005, Susan Hepler, review of Aesop’s Fables, p. 119; November, 2006, Robin L. Gibson, review of The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, p. 123; January, 2008, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of Around the World in 80 Tales, p. 108; October, 2009, Joanna K. Fabicon, review of Christmas, p. 83; June, 2010, Linda L. Walkins, review of Children’s Stories from the Bible, p. 137; October, 2010, Margaret Bush, review of Firebird, p. 103.
ONLINE
Saviour Pirotta Home Page, http://www.spirotta.com (January 15, 2014).*
I am an author and playwright. I write mainly children's historical fiction, fantasy and retellings of myths and legends. My latest books are set in Ancient Greece, the Islamic Golden Age, the Stone Age and now Ancient Egypt.
In 2018, I wrote my first short story for adults, a Sherlock Holmes mystery called The Case of the Pressed Carnation. It was published in Sherlock Holmes' School for Detection, edited by Simon Clark.
I also write for the theatre. My family musical Granny’s Exploding Toilet was sold out at the world-famous Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. It will be followed by my all-woman version of Little Red Riding Hood which was delayed due to the pandemic.
I've had homes in London, Brighton, Saltaire and Altea in Spain but for the past few years I have lived in the seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire. It's the perfect home for an author, with lovely beaches, cafes to write in and the tastiest fish and chips in the world. Not to mention the ice-cream...
Away from the world of books, I enjoy collecting vintage china, cooking, travelling and having afternoon tea. I hope you enjoy exploring my site. Do get in touch if you want to know more or if you're looking to book me for a school visit or festival event.
All the best
Saviour
Saviour Pirotta
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Saviour Pirotta
Pirotta at the Austrian National Library in Vienna in 2018
Pirotta at the Austrian National Library in Vienna in 2018
Born 1958 (age 64–65)
Malta
Occupation Author
Nationality British
Genre Children's picture books, Greek myth, fiction, historical fiction, detective stories, non-fiction
Years active 1986–present
Notable works The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths, Firebird, Ancient Greek Mysteries
Website
saviourpirotta.com
Saviour Pirotta is a Maltese-born British author and playwright who resides in England. He is mostly known for the bestselling The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths, an adaptation of the Russian folktale, Firebird, and the Ancient Greek Mysteries Series for Bloomsbury.[1] His books are particularly successful in the UK, Greece, Italy and South Korea.
Childhood
The second of five brothers, Pirotta grew up speaking both English and Maltese. He attended Naxxar Primary School (now Maria Regina College) and later won a scholarship to St Aloysius' College, one of the most prestigious schools on the island. He developed a love of literature early on in life when he discovered the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis,[2] Ian Serraillier's The Silver Sword and R.L. Stevenson's Treasure Island.[3] The author's parents, both extremely devout Catholics, discouraged his general interest in the arts[4] and censored most television programmes but Pirotta cites as visual influences on his writing the works of film animator Ray Harryhausen and Alexander Korda.[citation needed]
Career in the UK
Pirotta emigrated to the UK in 1981 where his first job was directing three short plays for Moonshine Community Arts Workshop in London, an offshoot of Brian Way's pioneering Theatre Centre. He also wrote a children's play based on a Maltese folk tale which toured various venues around London, including the Oval House and Jacksons Lane Community Centre.[5] This brought him to the attention of the Commonwealth Institute, where he worked as a workshop leader and storyteller till 1989.
The children's play was subsequently published by Samuel French and Pirotta has since concentrated on writing. His first efforts were picture books but he soon moved into non-fiction, specialising in pirates and religious festivals. His Pirates and Treasure, published in the UK, the US, Russia and Sweden in 1995 is widely considered to be the first children's book about sea-robbers with a multi-cultural viewpoint. For a while he also wrote science books for the very young using the pen name Sam Godwin. A Seed in Need – a first look at life cycle of a flower – won him the 1998 English Association Award for best non-fiction picture book.
Turtle Bay, published by Frances Lincoln in the UK and Farrar, Straus, Giroux in the United States, was selected by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and assembled in co-operation with The Children's Book Council (CBC) as a Notable Science Trade Book of 1998. American Bookseller also chose it as one of their fall children's books 'pick of the list'. In the US, excerpts from his works are often used by homeschoolers and in schools for multiple choice tests.[6]
In November 2010, his picture book Firebird was awarded an Aesop Accolade by the American Folklore Society. It shared the honour with Eric A. Kimmel's Joha Makes a Wish: A Middle Eastern Tale and Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham.[7] It also won a Best Book Award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.[8]
In November 2016, The Bookseller announced that Saviour Pirotta and his then agents Pollinger Ltd [9] had signed a contract with Bloomsbury Publishing for a series of middle grade adventure stories set in Ancient Greece.[10] The series was titled Ancient Greek Mysteries. The first title, Mark of the Cyclops, published in March 2017 and the second, Secret of the Oracle followed in October. Two more titles appeared in 2018. These were called Pirates of Poseidon and Shadow of the Centaurs.
In 2018, Maverick Books announced a four book series by Pirotta set in the Neolithic period entitled Wolfsong. The first book, The Stolen Spear was published in August 2019. In January 2019, Bloomsbury also published another adventure, this time set in the golden age of Islam called The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad.[11]
The author is now a British citizen and lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
Work in Translation
Pirotta's books have been translated and published by major commercial publishers in various countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, France, Spain, Slovakia, Holland, Portugal, Germany, Rumania, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, Thailand, Greece, Estonia, Poland, Russia, Lebanon, Japan, South Africa, Indonesia and South Korea. In 2020, Pirotta's literary agents signed a translation deal with Midsea Books in Malta to produce his Stone Age Wolfsong series, which is partly set on the island. The series is translated by Noel Tanti. In 2021, Midsea Books also published Pirotta's set of ten First Greek Myths.
Collaborations
Pirotta has collaborated with some of the biggest names in children's illustration today, including Jane Ray, Emma Chichester Clark, Catherine Hyde, Chris Riddell, Chris Mould, Jan Lewis, Alan Marks, Toni Goffe and Richard Johnson.
Theatre
In July 2019, the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, announced that it is staging the world premiere of Pirotta's first professional play for children, Granny's Exploding Toilet, in the autumn.[12][13] The entire run was sold out. Pirotta was commissioned to write a second play, an adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood for the SJT. It was scheduled for April 2020 but the production was put back to 2021 and then 2022 due to the Coronavirus Panademic.[14]
Festival appearances
Pirotta has appeared at the Edinburgh Children's Book Festival, the Bradford Literary Festival,[15] the Northern Children's Book Festival, the Swansea Book Festival, the Scarborough Literary Festival, the Linton Book Festival, the Liverpool Children's Festival of Reading [16] and the Beverley LitUp Festival.
Awards and honours
The Heart Scarab was longlisted for the Sparkle Book Awards, 2022 - 2023 [17]
Pandora's Box won the Fiction Express Readers Award for Best Fiction, 2020.[18]
The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad was shortlisted for the North Somerset Teachers' Book Award for Quality Fiction, 2019.[19]
The Unicorn Prince was included in The Guardian's Books of the Month in October 2018.[20]
Mark of the Cyclops was shortlisted for the Historical Association Young Quills Award, 2018.[21]
Mark of the Cyclops won the North Somerset Teachers' Book Award for Quality Fiction, 2018.[22]
Firebird won an Aesop Accolade in the US, 2010.
Firebird won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2010.
The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths was included in the Ultimate Young Book Guide, 2002.
Selected works
FICTION
Earth Shaker, Fiction Express 2022
The Heart Scarab (Book 1 of The Nile Adventures), Maverick 2022
The Crocodile Curse (Book 2 of The Nile Adventures), Maverick 2022
The Jackal's Graveyard (Book 3 of The Nile Adventures), Maverick 2023
The Search for the Copper Scroll, Fiction Express 2022
Tears of the Sun God, Fiction Express 2021
The Stolen Spear (Book 1 of the Wolfsong Series), Maverick 2019
The Whispering Stones (Book 2 of the Wolfsong Series), Maverick 2020
The Mysterious Island (Book 3 of the Wolfsong Series), Maverick 2021[23]
The Wolf's Song (Book 4 of the Wolfsong Series), Maverick 2022
The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad, Bloomsbury 2019[24]
The River Queen, Fiction Express 2018[25]
The River King, Fiction Express 2018
The River Prince, Fiction Express 2019
Pandora's Box, Fiction Express 2020
Mark of the Cyclops - An Ancient Greek Mystery, Bloomsbury 2017
Secret of the Oracle - An Ancient Greek Mystery, Bloomsbury 2017
Pirates of Poseidon - An Ancient Greek Mystery, Bloomsbury 2018
Shadow of the Centaurs - An Ancient Greek Mystery, Bloomsbury 2018
The Warrior Princess, Fiction Express 2017
My Cousin the Minotaur, Fiction Express 2016
Shadowcave, Fiction Express 2017
ANTHOLOGIES
Storyworld [illustrated by Fiona Small], Blackie & Sons, 1988 [re-issued as Tales From Around the World in 1994]
Joy to the World: Christmas Stories from around the Globe [illustrated by Sheila Moxley], Frances Lincoln/Harpercollins, 1998
The Sleeping Princess and other Fairy Tales from Grimm [illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark], Orchard Books 2002 [titled The MacElderry Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales in the US]
The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths [illustrated by Jan Lewis], Orchard Books, 2003
Once upon a World [illustrated by Alan Marks], Watts/Sea to Sea Publications, 2004
Aesop's Fables [illustrated by Richard Johnson], Kingfisher 2005
Traditional Stories from the Amazon [illustrated by Rebecca Gryspeerdt], Hodder Children's Books 2006
Around the World in 80 Tales [illustrated by Richard Johnson], Kingfisher 2007
Children's Stories from the Bible [illustrated by Ian Andrew and Anne Yvonne Gilbert], Templar 2008
The Giant Book of Giants, Egmont Books, October 2011
The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairytales,[illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark] Orchard Books, November 2011[26]
The Buccaneering Book of Pirates, Frances Lincoln, October 2013
Greek Myths, [US only], Sterling Publishing, April 2015
The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales - Deluxe edition, Orchard Books, 2015 [3 September 2015]
The Ghosts Who Danced, Frances Lincoln, [3 September 2015]
Orchard Ballet Stories for Young Children [illustrated by Brigette Barrager], Orchard Books, 2016.
SERIES
First Greek Myths, ten books [illustrated by Jan Lewis], Orchard Books, March 2008/2010
Grimm's Fairy Tales, eight books [illustrated by Cecilia Johansson], Orchard Books, March 2012/ paperback January 2013
Classic Stories, nine books [illustrated by Sara Gianassi, Marcin Piwowarski, Alida Massari, Alessandra Fusi, Robert Dunn, and John Manders], Starry Forest Books, January 2021
Baby's First, six books [illustrated by Amanda Enright and Megan Higgins], Starry Forest Books, March 2022
PICTURE BOOKS
Solomon's Secret [illustrated by Helen Cooper], Methuen/Dial 1989
Do You Believe in Magic? 1990
Little Bird [illustrated by Steve Butler], Frances Lincoln/Tambourine 1992
Turtle Bay [illustrated by Nilesh Mistry], Frances Lincoln/Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998 [re-issued as Turtle Watch, 2008]
Patrick Paints a Picture [illustrated by Linz West], Frances Lincoln 2008
Firebird [illustrated by Catherine Hyde], Templar September 2010/paperback, 2014
George and the Dragon, [illustrated by Martina Peluso], harpercollins 2015
The Talking Bird, [illustrated by Louise Pigott], harpercollins, 2017
The Unicorn Prince [illustrated by Jane Ray] Orchard Books 2018
Special Guest Q & A with Saviour Pirotta
Today I am excited to welcome Saviour Pirotta to my blog.
Saviour is a playwriter and author of mainly children’s fiction. He has series set in latest books are set in Ancient Greece, the Islamic Golden Age, the Stone Age and Ancient Egypt.
The last book of Saviour’s Nile Adventure series, The Serpent’s Ellipse, is due for release January 2024. Here is the blurb:
After foiling the plot against Prince Khaem, Renni hopes life will return to normal. Except, when Balaal’s father sends a message calling her home, Renni must face the reality that the lives of him and his friends are no longer entwined. As the group splits onto their separate paths, darker forces move in the shadows, intent on claiming the world as their own. Will Renni, Mahu and Balaal discover who are their friends and who are foes, or will the world be plunged into eternal night? Join Renni in the spectacular finale of the Nile Adventures series.
Blurb for The Serpent’s Eclipse by Saviour Pirotta, published by Maverick Books.
Without any more delays let’s get on with the interview.
********
The Serpent’s Eclipse is the last in The Nile Adventure series. What is it like reaching the end of a series? Do you find you need a period of mourning, or do you celebrate?
I always have mixed feelings when I reach the end of a series. I’ve lived with the characters and storyline for a couple of years, sometimes more. I’ve got to know the world they inhabit inside out and it’s always sad to leave a place you have created and loved. At the same time, I’m always itching to tackle a new subject, to get to know new characters and civilisations.
How much research did you have to do for your Nile Adventure series and what was the most unusual research you had to do?
I have been obsessed with Ancient Egypt since hearing the story of Moses at school. I must have been in Year 1. I remember trying to imagine what Pharaoh’s palace would have looked like. In those days there was no handy internet, you had to look up stuff in books, so I spent a lot of time in the library, still my favourite place in the whole wide world along with cafes that serve afternoon tea. I have little notebooks where I write down interesting facts to put in stories and a lot of those snippets of information are often about ancient Egypt.
For my fortieth birthday, I went on a Nile cruise and it inspired The Nile Adventures. Not only were the temples mind-blowing but the river itself was very inspiring. Looking at the villages on its banks was like watching a film. It was so easy to imagine you were back in Ancient Egypt. One afternoon I saw a boy drawing pictures with a reed brush. An older boy was fishing nearby. I took them to be brothers. Renni and Mahu were born in my mind. I did years of research after that, to discover more about their world and their way of life.
Renni, Mahu and Balaal are such strong well-rounded characters. How do you create your Ancient Egyptian characters to fit the era so perfectly yet children today can still identify with them?
Creating characters that ring true in their own time but that today’s readers can also empathise with is the biggest challenge in writing historical fiction. It’s like walking a tight rope. The ancient world was a very different place from our own, in all sorts of ways. To us today, life in Ancient Egypt would have been quite frightening. There were no guarantees. People were very superstitious. They believed the gods were constantly breathing down their necks, always ready to judge and punish them should they break the rules. They weren’t even sure the sun would come up every morning. And yet they had the same hopes and fears we have today. They all wanted to be loved, to be understood, to have fun after a hard day’s work, to celebrate the milestones in their lives. In a way, the world has changed a lot, we have changed a lot, but we have also stayed the same. It’s this duality I try to capture in my stories.
Why did you decide to write The Nile Adventure series from the multiple viewpoint of Renni and his brother Mahu and also the antagonists?
I wanted to explore a rounded Egypt that took the reader beyond the image presented by the leitmotifs of popular Egyptology. Of course, the stories feature gods and mummies and the great annual inundation but I hope they also give kids (and the many adults who seem to be taking to the series) a glimpse of what life would have been like on the banks of the Nile during the height of Egyptian civilisation.
As I see it, there were two sides to Ancient Egyptian life: the glamorous world of Pharaoh’s court and the temples with their tales of magic and the afterlife; and there was also the harsh world of trying to exist on the edge of an arid desert, where the poor mostly remained poor all their life. Renni, the artist, represents the glamorous world of art, poetry and royalty. His brother Mahu, the farmer/sailor represents the challenging reality of everyday life. Princes Balaal is a daughter of the Fenkhu, a Phoenician from the country now known as Lebanon. She brings an outsider’s perspective to the series, someone who is an awe of Egypt but can also be sceptical of its preoccupations and belief system. She stands in for the reader. Paser, the evil and ever-ambitious vizier, brings yet another point of view: that of the privileged and the entitled. Sadly, he is the character closest to present day society. He is actually based, albeit in a vastly exaggerated way, on a real person I knew in Brighton.
When starting a new series do you already have an idea of how many books it will span and what the overall arc of the series will be? Talk us through your initial planning process.
When I first created Renni and Mahu, I had only one book in mind. It was going to be called Valley of the Kings. All I had at that point was the idea of them stealing the general’s heart scarab and his ka, his spirit (or ghost if you like), chasing them for it. I knew the story was going to end with the two very different brothers finding common ground and learning to appreciate each other’s gifts and accepting their downsides. But I had no clue how that was going to happen until I started doing proper research.
Prior to stating The Nile Adventures, I wrote a very successful four book series set at the end of the Neolithic. It was called Wolfsong and I liked the freedom such a big story arc gave me to explore the characters’ possibilities. So I expanded Valley of the Kings into four books. I set myself two rules: Each book had to feature an animal sacred the Ancient Egyptians, and each one had to be set in a different city.
What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to be a children’s book writer?
Three words. Don’t. Give. Up. If your story is any good, someone somewhere will publish it. There’s all sorts of reasons publishers will not take on a book. The subject might not be in fashion. They might have something else in the pipeline that might clash with yours. No one wanted to take a punt on The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad until the Islamic Golden Age was added to the National Curriculum. Now it goes into reprint on a regular basis.
And write for yourself, not for the market. Children are incredibly shrewd critics. They can tell if a voice is genuine. Write from the heart, don’t try to emulate other writers, and you will get there.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and writing for children?
My books are my reason for living. I put my heart and soul into them. I am forever grateful that I seem to have found a core readership that like mu stories. It took a long time to find my voice, to tell the stories I want to tell. The main characters in my books have a large part of me in them. I am Nico, the snack-loving scribe in the Ancient Greek Mysteries; I am also Jabir in The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad, a boy who wants to do the right thing but doesn’t know how to do it. Perhaps the character that is closest to me is Wolf in Wolfsong. He starts off not knowing what to do with his life; the world frightens him. He feels inadequate, but in the end, he finds himself. Renni in The Nile Adventures is also partly based on me. He wants to use his gifts to make the world a better place and that is what I try to do with my books.
Interview with Saviour Pirotta
Author of children's historical fiction, fantasy and retellings of myths and legends
Saviour Pirotta
Welcome to What’s Good to Read, and welcome to our author interviews!
Today we are talking to Saviour Pirotta. Saviour is an author and playwright. He writes mainly children’s historical fiction, fantasy and retellings of myths and legends. I personally have loved reading The Wolfsong Series (Stone Age) and The Nile Adventures (Ancient Egypt), both are four book adventure series.
The Stolen Spear
The Whispering Stones
Mysterious Island
Wolf's Song
Heart Scarab
Crocodile
Jackal's Graveyard
After reading these wonderfully exciting children’s adventures, I am happy to welcome him to What’s Good to Read, so let’s find out more about him, starting with some quick facts.
Quick Facts about Saviour Pirotta
FAVOURITE BOOK: The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Rosemary Sutcliff
FAVOURITE FOOD/MEAL: Mushroom Pizza
FAVOURITE ANIMAL: Cats
FAVOURITE MOVIE: Jason and the Argonauts
CELEBRITY CRUSH: Don’t do celebrities. Everyone in the world is special in their own way
If you could start by introducing yourself to everyone, let them know where you’re from and some of your interests and hobbies.
Hi, I’m Saviour and I have been a full time writer for many years. I started out writing non-fiction books aimed mostly at libraries, then moved on to adapting myths and legends and finally started writing historical fiction. I live with my cat Gino in the seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, but I’ve also had homes in Leeds, Bradford and London.
When not writing, I love cooking Mediterranean meals. I make fresh pasta by hand and my friends tell me I bake a mean focaccia. That’s a soft Italian bread with lots of herbs. I also love baking cakes, but I can’t quite get the hang of it. I’d never make it on to Bake Off. I do a lot of gardening too, mostly growing roses and herbs for the kitchen. My dream is to have a conservatory where I can have a collection of wild geraniums.
I love visiting schools and performing at literary festivals. I get paid for it, but I usually end up spending the money on books signed by fellow authors. Oh, I also love afternoon tea, with cakes, scones and sandwiches.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always loved stories. My grandma was a brilliant storyteller and she would keep me hooked on her ghost stories for hours on end. We couldn’t afford many books in our family and there were no libraries close by. But I discovered an abandoned school trunk in a dusty room above my father’s carpentry workshop. It belonged to my Aunt Louise who’d trained to be a teacher and was full to the brim with books. Mostly classics like Treasure Island and The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley. I not only got hooked on books, I also started dreaming of becoming a writer myself.
What is your preferred genre to write in?
I love all genres to be honest but at the moment I really enjoy writing historical fiction. Which is weird because I was pants at history in school. I especially love the ancient world – Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. I just love digging up facts about ancient civilisations – the way people lived, what they wore, the food they ate and the pets they kept. I think historical fiction is very important because it’s only by knowing our past that we can understand what’s happening in the present and shape our future.
What is your writing process?
I used to be what we authors call a ‘pantster’. That means you have a vague idea of where you want the story to go but you make it up as you go along. After literally hundreds of sleepless nights worrying about plot points and whether I would be able to finish my stories, I turned into a ‘planner’. I sort out the entire plot in bullet points before I start writing, although I always deviate from it during the actual writing.
My writing day starts at about 5.30am. I cuddle with Gino my cat for an hour, then make myself a strong coffee and look through my notebooks. I am addicted to making notes of interesting facts and people I could put in my stories. I write the first draft of my books by hand, in pencil so I can erase anything I don’t like. Writing by hand gives your brain time to keep up with your fingers. It gives you time to think. Typing on a keyboard is too fast for me, and it looks good on the screen even when you’ve still got a lot of polishing to do. When I’m fairly satisfied with the first draft, I type into my macbook. I do four edits before I show the story to my publishers. There are usually two or three more edits after that. Writing a story is a bit like working on a diamond. The more you polish it, the shinier and more priceless it gets.
What is one thing you wish you knew now that you didn’t know when you started writing?
To stop trying to emulate other writers and be true to myself. I wish I’d had the confidence to find my own voice sooner.
What was the hardest part of getting published?
I was very lucky in that I had my first manuscript accepted right away. It took ages to start selling enough books to make a living, though. I think the hardest part of publishing for me was convincing publishers I could write long chapter books. They saw me as a storyteller who could adapt myths and legends.
If you use a pen name, why, and how did you come up with it?
I use my own name. I was born Salvatore because my ancestors were Italian and my parents gave me a name that had been in the family for generations. But when I went to an English-speaking school, Salvatore was changed to English and I became Saviour. My surname is still Italian, though.
Which book is your favourite and why?
This one is difficult to answer. There are so many books I love. Growing up, C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was my favourite book. I read it every Christmas. I also loved Ian Serallier’s The Silver Sword and, of course, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. But the book that had the greatest influence on my own writing was Lew Wallace’s Ben Hur. I have multiple editions of it in my library.
I would say my favourite children’s book today is Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Eagle of the Ninth and my favourite adult novel is Les Misérables.
Who are some of your favourite authors?
I love Rosemary Sutcliff for her world-building, Charles Dickens for the way he deals with social issues and Andrea Camilleri and Agatha Christie because they tell a mean detective story.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a new historical series but I’m not allowed to say anything about it yet. All I can say it’s going to have magic in it, but not the Harry Potter kind, and it’s going to feature a real castle I visited in Istanbul. In the olden days, the only way you could get to it was by sailing across the river.
How do you handle a bad review?
The first review I ever had was for my first picture book, Let The Shadows Fly (now long out of print). It was in The Guardian. It was scathing, and for all the wrong reasons. The reviewer said it would give her two year old nightmares. But the book was aimed at 5-7 year olds. I’m still fuming about it all these years later.
What’s next for you as an author?
I’m hoping to sign up to do four more books set in Ancient Greece. They’ll be very different from my Ancient Greek Mysteries series.
Before the pandemic, I wrote a musical called Granny’s Exploding Toilet. It was a sell-out at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. There was going to be a touring production but it was scuppered by Covid. I’m hoping to find the time to get theatres interested in it again.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Sitting at my desk still writing. I have so many more stories to tell.
Where is your ultimate holiday destination?
That would have to be Petra, the Rose-Red City. I’d actually booked a trip there on my first visit to Jordan where I was doing school visits. But there was a terrible storm in the UK dubbed by the press as The Beast from the East. I got to Jordan two days late and had to go straight from the airport to my first school event.
Visiting Petra is still top of my bucket list, though. I have a special notebook I am keeping for the occasion. I’m hoping to write a book based in the Rose-Red City.
What’s some of the items on your bucket list?
There’s so much I want to do, if I ever find the time. I’d like to visit Petra, go back to Egypt. Visit San Francisco and Los Angeles, learn to ski and scuba dive in the Caribbean.
And finally, if you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
I’ve always fantasised about being invisible. I stay on in historic places after they were shut and have them all to myself.
I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Saviour Pirotta for taking the time to answer these questions. I am looking forward to reading the last in The Nuke Adventures series – The Serpent’s Eclipse due out in January 2024, published by Maverick Books.
If you want to find out more about Saviour Pirotta and his books, visit his website saviourpirotta.com and Maverick Books. You can also find him on social media – X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads and TikTok.
You can purchase books by Saviour Pirotta on Amazon.
Saviour Pirotta: Author Interview
Saviour Pirotta, childrens author
Hugest welcome to the wonderful Saviour Pirotta. An author and playwright, his first children’s book was published back in the late 1980s and he has since produced picture books, collections of myths and legends, middle grade novels and early readers. Wow! Super excited that he is here to answer the My Book Corner questions today… PSst: they are FULL of great things!
Tell us about you in 25 words or less.
Author. Reader. I love writing, reading, walking on the beach, cooking for friends and collecting things, especially books. I love books more than air.
Where is your favourite place to create?
When I’m writing, I go to a place in my head I call The Mental Writing Room. It’s a state of mind really, where nothing exists but my story, the characters, the world they inhabit. Everything in the real world just becomes a fuzzy backdrop to it. When I’m planning the story, I like working in coffee shops, especially the ones on Scarborough seafront where I live. My favourite in summer is called The Clock Café. It overlooks South Beach and has a wonderful terrace. Most of the people who use it are out walking their dogs, so it’s always packed with gorgeous pets having secret pow-wows under the table while their owners indulge in coffee and cake, or the café’s world-famous scampi and chips. Sometimes I try to imagine what the dogs are saying to each other. They mostly talk with their ears. In winter, I move indoors to a café called The Waterfront. I often just sit behind the glass window and watch the sea. You get to see the most fantastic storms and splendid rainbows.
What’s on your TBR pile at the moment?
I’m just finishing Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which I’m finding quite heavy going. When I finish, I’m going to read Vanessa Harbour’s Flight, followed by Mary Hoffman’s Tilt, Ian Beck’s The Bakery of Happiness (which are both quick reads), then I have to decide between Eloise William’s Seaglass and Gaslight.
What’s your worst habit?
Not believing enough in my ideas. The many times I’ve given up on stories because people tell me ‘that’s been done already’ or ‘is that it?’, only to see a similar book in the shops some time later. I’m also guilty of eating crisps while reading in bed. And I use the word ‘awesome’ too much.
You are a bit of an expert when it comes to events and school visits… can you offer words of wisdom to fellow authors?
Just be yourself. People are happy to just meet someone who has been published. I prepare thoroughly for the event but when it starts, I relax and enjoy it. If you’re passionate about books, that comes across to the audience.
The strangest question you’ve even been asked?
As an author. Do you have a toilet at home? I’m not kidding. I actually got asked that question by a Year 1 kid. I still have no idea why.
Your favourite word(?
All time favourite word: ice-cream, for obvious reasons, closely followed by vanilla and hot fudge. I also love the words ‘thank you’ and ‘the end’, which means I’ve finished a book. This applies to both writing and reading.
What are your top tips for budding children’s writers?
Be bold. Don’t be afraid to explore ideas no one has tackled before. Believe in yourself. Write, rewrite and keep on doing it till it flows like water. The first draft is just getting rid of the obvious ideas in your head.
The Stolen Spear – out now!
Can you give us a glimpse / hint at your current WIP? (I can bribe you with cake)
I’m working on the third book of my Wolfsong series for Maverick. It doesn’t have a title yet but I call it The Forbidden Temple. The series is set at the end of the Neolithic Age. It starts off in Skara Brae, in the Orkneys (Book 1: The Stolen Spear), moves to Stonehenge for the second book (The Whispering Stones) and then on to the island of Malta for the book I’m working on now. The last book in the series might be set in Turkey but I’m not sure. The stars of the series are a boy called Wolf and his best friend, a chief’s daughter called Crow. Wolf lacks confidence and Crow has bundles of it. They’re like chalk and cheese but together they are a perfect team. In The Stolen Spear, they are accused of stealing a sacred spear from inside a burial mound and they have to prove that they are innocent. In my wip, they have to break into a forbidden temple where no one ever has survived the night. It’s a real temple in Malta called the Hypogeum, and it’s proper spooky.. …(can I have my cake now, please?)
Just for fun
Tea or coffee? Tea, preferably from Bettys in Harrogate, although I do like a coffee in the morning to get me going.
Seaside or countryside? I love the countryside, especially in Yorkshire where I live. But the seaside wins, I think. It’s the ice-cream.
Paper books or e-books? I’ve tried e-books but I think e-readers look really boring. I just love paper books, especially vintage ones. I collect old editions and have over twenty copies of Treasure Island.
Cake or chocolate? Both, sad to say. Sometimes together. With chocolate ice-cream.
Write or type? Both! I write my first drafts in longhand, using a pencil so I can rub out stuff until I’m happy. Then I write a second draft with a fountain pen. I find pens make you write slower, giving your brain time to catch up with your hand. When I’m reasonably happy with the work in progress, I type it up into my mac.
Poetry or prose? I love both equally. I read both and write both, although I’ve never shown anyone my poems.
Hot or cold? I was brought up in a Mediterranean country but I can’t work in the heat. So I guess it’s cold.
The Mysterious Island: An interview with Saviour Pirotta
March 1, 2021
Today children’s author Saviour Pirotta joins Ian Eagleton in The Reading Realm to talk about the Wolfsong series, which is set during the Stone Age…
Find out more about Saviour here!
Without giving too much away, can you tell us about your new book The Mysterious Island?
The Mysterious Island is the third book in my Wolfsong series. It’s set at the end of the Neolithic period and the start of the Bronze Age. The series is about a timid boy called Wolf who wants to be a shaman. He sets out on a journey of self-discovery from his home in Skara Brae in the Orkneys and takes in the Cave of Lascaux and Stonehenge.
In The Mysterious Island, his precious bird-skull amulet is stolen by his rival and he chases him all the way to the Mediterranean in an attempt to retrieve it. There he discovers an island where civilisation has advanced far beyond his community’s in Scotland.
Buy Book 1 here!
How will The Mysterious Island be similar to the other books in the Wolfsong series (The Stolen Spear and The Whispering Stones)? How will it be different?
The first two books in the series are set in a cold, wintry Britain but the third introduces Wolf and his friend Crow to the sunny Mediterranean where it’s already the Bronze age and people have started worshipping goddesses rather than living in constant fear of spirits. He gets trapped inside a volcano which today is known as Mount Etna, he sees the dolphins for the first time and he has an encounter with a terrifying goddess called She Who Sleeps.
In all three adventures, Wolf is trying to find himself and his place in the world. In The Mysterious Island he starts to find some answers, and they are not always the ones he is expecting.
Buy Book 2 here!
The books are perfect for that tricky 7-9 age group and for children who are becoming more confident with longer books. What are the challenges of writing for this age group?
I absolutely love writing for this age group. 7- 9 year olds have very sophisticated tastes. Through television and the cinema, they are used to very complex storytelling. They have an innate understanding of character and motivation and if you put one foot wrong, you’re in danger of losing them. But you also have to keep the language relatively simple. It’s a challenge but one I’m happy to face.
You manage to weave so many interesting historical facts into the stories and pre-history and the Stone Age. What has been your favourite Stone Age fact you’ve discovered while writing these books?
I absolutely love digging up interesting historical facts. I have a notebook full of them. Every time I come across a little nugget of information, I write it down hoping to use it in a book. My favourite historical fact about the Stone Age? People built round houses because they were scared bad spirits would get trapped in the corners and make their life a misery.
I loved the front cover design and illustrations by Davide Ortu. What do you feel they add to the story?
I think Davide’s work is astonishing. Illustrating historical fiction is very tricky because the details have to be true to the period and place but they also have to connect with a 21st century readership. His work for my books really helped bring the characters and locations alive and the details are accurate. You can learn a lot about life in the Stone Age just by looking at the pictures.
Buy Book 3 here!
Are there plans for any more books in this series? If so, can you give us any clues about what might happen?
I’ve just finished writing the fourth and final book. It’s the grand finale. Wolf is made an offer that appeals to his sense of ego, an offer he can’t refuse. But it’s a trick. When he accepts, it brings his whole world crashing down around his ears…(and that’s all I’m saying)
I wondered if you were running any virtual workshops at the moment for schools and if so if you could tell us a bit about them?
I’m doing a lot of online workshops at the moment, especially with schools who are studying the Stone Age, Ancient Greece and the Golden Age of Islam. The sessions are a mixture of writing workshops, readings from my books and Q&A’s.
I also do general writing workshops where I show kids how to plot a story in five easy steps. You can book me through Emily at Virtual Author Visits, Authors Aloud and Authors Abroad. Teachers and librarians can also contact me direct through my website, www.saviourpirotta.com.
I have great fun doing them and kids love getting a peek into my writing room and seeing all the different ‘inspiration mojos’ I use to help me write.
Finally, can you describe The Mysterious Island in three words
Journey. Exciting. Explosive.
Meet Saviour Pirotta
Question and Answer sessionMeet Saviour Pirotta
19 Aug
Not only does Saviour Pirotta brings history to life with his very engaging and enjoyable historical fiction, he is also responsible for some excellent re-tellings of myths and legends. I first met Saviour when ‘Mark of the Cyclops’ won the 2018 NSTBA Quality Fiction Category and frequently use his books in school. I am delighted that he agreed to answer a few of my questions!
1. You are well known for your historical fiction, taking readers to Ancient Greece, the Islamic Golden Age, the Stone Age and now to Ancient Egypt. Have you always had a love for history? Which period of history would you most like to write about (that you haven’t already!)?
As a child I used to go to religious education classes where we listened to Bible stories. I became fascinated with the ‘pagan’ civilisations mentioned in the Old Testament: the ancient Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Hittites etc. It was hard to come by information about them, which made them the more alluring. I’m still fascinated by them now. If I had to choose a period in history to write about today, I would go for the Anglo-Saxons. I love the art from this period which, for many years, people called ‘the dark ages’, especially the statues. There’s something about their faces I find almost hypnotic, so I’d probably write a mystery about Anglo-Saxon statues.
2. ‘Mark of the Cyclops’ (winner of NSTBA 2018 Quality Fiction category) is the first in your series about Ancient Greece. What gave you the idea for a detective series set in this period?
I’d wanted to write a story set in Ancient Greece for years but I didn’t know what kind of story to write. I just knew I wanted to have a story that showed how people actually lived in. classical times. When I had my first, I treated myself to a holiday on the island of Poros. On the ferry from Athens, I met a real-life detective. He was a fascinating chap with a shaved head, enormous Doc Marten boots and lots of attitude. He became Thrax in the Ancient Greek Mysteries.
3. Do you have any plans for more adventures for Jabir and Yasmina?
I do have another story planned for Jabir and Yasmina and my agent is in talks to see whether we can make it happen. I get a lot of letters from readers asking if the evil landlord survived his encounter with the snakes at the end of The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad. I can’t answer that question because of spoilers but…watch this space.
4. I was fascinated by your descriptions of Malta in ‘The Mysterious Island’ and am determined to visit this beautiful island in the near future. What are the ‘must see’ things you would advise any visitor to see whilst there?
Malta is practically an open-air museum. There’s so much to see. If you’re into pre-history there are the Tarxien Temples and the nearby Hal Saflieni Underground Temple, both of which feature in The Mysterious Island. Over on the sister island of Gozo, you can visit the Ggantija Temples. Built around 3600 to 3200BC, experts believe they are the oldest structures in the world. But it’s not all pre-history. Valletta, the capital city, is a baroque masterpiece built by the famous Knights of Saint John. Walk down Republic Street, visit St John’s Co-Cathedral to see the Mattia Preti paintings and then have an ice-cream at Cordina’s outdoor Café in Republic Square, formerly called Piazza Regina after Queen Victoria.
5. I know the next adventure for Renni, Mahu and Balaal is called ‘The Jackal’s Graveyard’. Can you give any clues about what they are up to?
The Jackal’s Graveyard is going to be another adventure for our intrepid trio. We meet new characters but also find out more about Prince Khaemwaset, who was a real person. He takes Renni, Mahu and Balaal to the new city of Per Ramessu which his father is building. But what starts off as a nice little holiday soon turns into a dangerous mission with spies, jackals and a baddie a hundred times more lethal than the vizier in books 1 and 2.
6. Apart from ‘The Nile Adventures’, are you working on anything else?
I’m working on several projects at the moment. They’re all very much in the planning stage although I have worked out rough plots for two of them. I can’t give much away at this point but one of the books features the most sought after treasure in the world, and one has ghostly birds in it. Watch this space…
7. And lastly- and most importantly according to my niece- what is your favourite cake?
Your niece is right that cake is probably the most important thing in the world, and very close to my heart. I have yet to taste a cake I didn’t like and, since moving to Yorkshire fifteen years ago, I have come to enjoy cake with cheese on the side. I especially love Lemon Drizzle and Pineapple Upside Down cake but I’d say my absolute favourite is carrot cake with frosted topping. Give me a slice of that with a nice cup of Earl Grey and I’m all set up for an afternoon of writing and editing.
So much to look forward to! ‘The Crocodile Curse’ (Maverick ISBN: 978-1848868946) is published next week- my review is coming soon!
Thank you so much to Saviour for answering my questions!
You can read my review of ‘The Heart Scarab’ here , ‘The Stolen Spear’ here, ‘Mark of the Cyclops’ here and ‘The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad’ here.
Posted by Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books October 06, 2017
SAVIOUR PIROTTA - ANCIENT GREEK MYSTERIES (Q&A) INTERVIEW WITH MR RIPLEY'S ENCHANTED BOOKS
Welcome Saviour to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books. Thank you for taking the time out to answer some questions about the Ancient Greek Mysteries. The series sounds like a fun and action-packed read that all readers will learn from and enjoy. Here is the first question.
For potential readers from this blog, how would you summarise and sell the first book to encourage them to read it?
MARK OF THE CYCLOPS is a thrilling adventure mystery set in 433BC. Nico is a scribe and his best friend Thrax is a slave who dreams of buying his freedom so he can set off to find his mother. When the two attend a wedding in the city of Corinth, someone smashes one of the precious wedding gifts. A vase. The master of the house blames Gaia, one of the slaves. She insists that a cyclops climbed in through the window and broke the vase. No one believes her but Thrax and Nico set out to find the truth.
Their investigations pit them against a gang of ruthless criminals who would stop at nothing to conceal the truth. What is the gang up to? Why is it smashing vases all over Corinth, vases that are marked with the face of a cyclops? Will Thrax and Nico find out or will they end up buried alive in one of Corinth’s long-abandoned graveyards?
Book 1, MARK OF THE CYCLOPS was published by Bloomsbury on the 9th March 2017.
Tell us more about the encounter you had with a real-life detective twenty-five years ago on the Island of Poros in Greece? How did this shape the book?
Poros is a small island about ninety minutes away by boat from Athens. It’s the perfect place to plan books and write. The last time I visited, it was out of season. Most of the other travellers on board were Greek. There was only one English guy. He was very tall, with a tattoo of a snake on one side of his shaved head. I nicknamed him Snake, after the main character played by Kurt Russell in Escape from New York.
We struck up a conversation. It turned out Snake was a detective. He wouldn’t tell me what he was investigating and I couldn’t for the life of me think what a detective would be doing on Poros. It’s a tiny island with only a small town and a handful of shops and cafes.
During my week there I spotted Snake several times, once on the beach and at least three times guzzling stew in a café. He seemed to be on holiday rather than working. But one morning, I saw him boarding the boat back to Athens. There were two Greek policemen with him, who shook his hand warmly and thumped him on the shoulder before he left. It was obviously a case of mission accomplished. I asked locals if they knew anything about Snake but no one even seemed to be aware there’d been a detective on the island. Or if they did, they were keeping mum about it. The next day I visited the famous temple of Poseidon on Poros. I was researching a non-fiction book about temples in ancient Greece but somehow I couldn’t stop thinking about Snake and the policemen seeing him off on the ferry. Snake became Thrax in my imagination and the Ancient Greek Mysteries were born.
How are the books being used in schools to support the KS2 curriculum?
A lot of schools doing Ancient Greece in KS2 are adopting the Ancient Greek Myths as their class read. The stories can be read for pleasure but they also give you tons of facts about how the ancient Greeks lived, not just what they are and wore but also what they felt about major issues like slavery, poverty, freedom of expression, the role of women in society etc.
I quote from a teacher’s review on Amazon: "Expertly written historical fiction - an engaging narrative with historical accuracy and carefully woven facts. Perfect to support the study of Ancient Greece and perfect for children who enjoy a good read. My son is now hooked, desperately awaiting the next book in the series!"
From a teaching point of view, books like this are worth their weight in gold, especially with the Primary Curriculum having so many historical drivers and topics and, sadly, very little historical fiction available.
Bloomsbury have produced teaching notes to go with Mark of the Cyclops which teachers can download HERE!
I also do writing workshops in schools helping children to write their own mystery stories set in the past.
How have you used research to incorporate facts and information about life in ancient Greece?
One of the reasons I wrote the Ancient Greek Mysteries is because I feel there are a lot of fantasy books based on Greek mythology but not much about what life really was like in Ancient Greece.
I’m obsessed with facts, especially everyday details from ancient history. I’ve always been curious about how people lived in the past, what clothes they wore, what food they ate, what games they played. My aunt used to get me a magazine called Look and Learn which fed my obsession. It had wonderful articles and illustrations. I was always in awe at how the authors could spin an actual incident in history into an exciting story.
The Ancient Greek Mysteries use the same technique. They’re mystery adventure stories but they’re peppered with what I hope is interesting information about Classical Greece. I have a huge non-fiction library which I built up over the years and I mostly use that for research. I have whole books about ancient Greek coins, weapons and food. I actually cooked the food Thrax and Nico eat, to make sure I described it right.
Book 2, SECRET OF THE ORACLE publishes on 5th October.
How was the collaboration established between you and Freya (illustrator)?
I have no say on who gets to illustrate any of my books. Which is probably a good thing or they’ll all look like the Pauline Bayliss editions of the Narnia books.
Bloomsbury chose Frey who’d just illustrated The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart. It was the right choice. Freya had really made my version of Ancient Greece come alive. The characters are so close to what I imagined them to be, it’s uncanny. She first drews roughs which Hannah Rolls, my brilliant editor at Bloomsbury, emailed me to make sure we got right. There were little details that had to be tweaked, like the shapes of tombstones, the patterns on vases and styles of haircuts but I was amazed at how accurate her portrayals where. I printed out the final edits when they arrived and hung them up in my office for inspiration. Freya is hard at work on the illustrations for Book 3 at the moment. It’s called Pirates of Poseidon and I’m dying to see what they look like.
What is the best question that you've been asked by a child?
I’ve been asked all sorts of questions over the years. They vary from the sublime, to the incisive, to the downright funny. The most bewildering one came from a Year 2 boy in South Shields a few years ago. Do you have a toilet in your house? I thought that was a pretty odd question, until I discovered that the boy’s grandfather still used an outside toilet in the backyard. Perhaps to the boy I looked as old as his grandpa.
I get asked one question over and over again, and it’s my favourite. How do you become an author? The answer is simple. Write every day. Work on your writing to make it better. Read other people’s work; it will inspire you and give you ideas. And never give up your dream. I had to leave my country of origin to achieve mine. I slept rough in London, lived in freezing squats, cried when I got rejection slips, but it never occurred to me to give up.
Are you able to give us a sneak preview of one of the illustrations from book 2 prior to its release in October?
Here’s an early rough that Freya did for Secret of the Oracle. The two boys are Thrax and Nico, the main stars of the Ancient Greek Mysteries. The woman is a diviner called Mother Kessandra. She can interpret dreams and tell the future. She receives her clients in a mysterious cave high above the famous oracle in Delphi. It’s a real cave, which is still there to this very day. It cost money to consult the famous oracle so the very poor used to make do with visiting people like Mother Kessandra.
I think even in this early sketch, Freya managed to capture the eerie atmosphere of the cave. I love the contrast between the light from the fire and the shadows in the background.
Who would you choose as your four guests for a literary dinner party?
I had to give that question a lot of thought. I am completely obsessed by the creative process and there are a lot of writers whose brains I would love to pick. In the end I settled on these four. Sadly they’re all dead, so my fantasy literary dinner party will never be anything but a dream.
Guest of honour would be C.S. Lewis, because he wrote the Narnia books. They blew my mind when I first read them. His house was packed to the rafters with books. A bit like mine, really, so we’d have a lot to talk about.
My second choice would be R.L. Stevenson. I think Treasure Island is the best pirate story ever written and I’d love to find out how he created the character of Long John Silver.
I’d also invite Tove Jannson, creator of the Moomins. Her books are not only entertaining but also deal with some very serious issues, like mental health and artistic freedom.
Last of all I would invite Roald Dahl. He’d probably be vile to the other guests and that would make for a lively evening. Hold on, he’d probably be horrible to me too…
The Turtles Return by Saviour Pirotta
August 14, 2022/by FCBG blog
We are pleased to see the re-publication of Turtle Bay by Saviour Pirotta, 25 years after it’s initial introduction to the world. Bearing a hugely important message, this book can now inspire a new generation of readers. He writes about re-visiting this book below.
THE TURTLES RETURN
Saviour Pirotta on the reissue of his timely book, Turtle Bay
When I was a kid, my gran and I used to go for long walks which today would be considered nature rambles. We’d feed the birds, sketch wild flowers and watch the tadpoles in the rain pools turn into frogs. Over the years, we also watched helplessly as ancient trees were chopped down, our beloved meadows concreted overand the common land parcelled up, sold off and turned into luxury housing estates.
“It’s the beginning of the end,” my grandma would mutter under her breath. “We’re going to destroy this beautiful planet.”
Conservation was not a word I was familiar with back then but I became obsessed with protecting wildlifeand the local environment. I wrote poems, plays and stories about it. I even went on local radio to talk about it. Not many people were interested in what I had to say. No one back then could predict how bad the destruction of our natural habita would become.
When I moved to England, the first picture book I wrote was called The Flower From Outer Space. It was a story about a boy who befriends an alien gardener. The alien’s planet has become so polluted, he cannot grow flowers there any more. He has to come to earth to do that. The book ends with an environmental message. We on earth have to make sure we safeguard our planet, because we don’t have the technology to grow flowers onother worlds.
The book was ahead of its time, I think. The critics loved the story but no one picked up on the conservation message. Disappointed, I put the subject aside and concentrated on other kinds stories. Until, a few years later, the publishing icon that is Janetta Otter-Barry asked me to write a text for a story about turtle conservation.
I jumped at the chance. From magazine articles (this was before the internet made information much more available) I knew some very interesting facts about marine turtles. There are seven species of them, they are as old as the dinosaurs and they have no teeth. Turtle would-be mums return to their place of birth to lay their eggs.
That last piece of information became the springboard for my story. What if some turtles return to their beach only to find that human pollution has made it impossible for them to lay their eggs there? How could their problem be solved? Who would help them solve it?
I was determined that the power to change the status quo would come from a group of people normally considered powerless: an eccentric old man and two schoolchildren. Enter Taro, Jiro-San and Yuko! Thestory would not only concentrate on the need to protect wildlife but that we can all help to do it, no matter who we are or where we live.
The book, published in 1997, was very well received; its message embraced by critics and readers. As with many books, it eventually went out of print – until Janetta Otter-Barry, now running her own publishing company, decided to bring it back.
Twenty five years might have passed since original publication but the book’s plea for conservation is even more urgent today. Out of the seven species of turtles in our oceans, six are endangered. The seventh, the flatback, is not safe – we just don’t have enough information about its survival to made an accurate analysis, although Australian ecologists put in on the endangered list too.
It’s not just the litter on beaches that is proving detrimental to the turtle’s chance of survival. Turtles drown when caught in fishing nets. They mistake plastic bags in the water for food, which blocks their intestines. Pollution, oil spills, tourism – they’re all a threat to sea turtles. The light from houses close to the seashore even lures hatchlings away from the sea.
I’m hoping the new edition of the book will inspire and empower kids to help stall the assault on the environment, not only turtles and sea creatures but ever living, breathing thing that makes our little planet, well….a paradise on earth. We all have the power to instigate change!
Pirotta, Saviour THE BUCCANEERING BOOK OF PIRATES Sterling (Children's Picture Books) $19.95 8, 6 ISBN: 978-1-4549-0414-4
Avast! Hidden treasure--of a sort--awaits discovery by budding corsairs and cutthroat knaves who delve into this slender collection of pirate tales. Fastened to the right, me hearties, be a booklet with six superficial, sanitized retellings of public-domain yarns by the (unattributed) likes of Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island) and Daniel Defoe (The Life, Adventures and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton, here rendered as "The Captain's Secret"). All these renditions are much improved by Robertson's painted images of glaring buccaneers in colorful period dress and settings. On the left lurks a pirate in a box. Aye, unfolding to a height of slightly over 4 feet and printed on heavy card stock with grommets for hanging up is a piratical figure in full pop-out regalia. He brandishes a minisaber and poses with a dagger, a treasure map, a "black spot" (see Stevenson, above) and other items removable or otherwise keyed to the tales placed to the side or secreted in various pockets. A swashbuckling bit of storytime or bedroom d�cor, though not even Davy Jones would want the perfunctory plot summaries and recast scenes in the accompanying literary afterthought. (Novelty. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Pirotta, Saviour: THE BUCCANEERING BOOK OF PIRATES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2013. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A350763029/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8785ffb8. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
DOYLE, Sir Arthur
Sherlock Holmes (Collection Classique)
Translated from English by Andre Gagon. Adapted by Saviour Pirotta.
Illustrated by Mike Love. Editions Hurtubise,2016. 46p. Illus. Gr. 4-8. 978-2-89723-773-8.
Hdbk. $11.95
The celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson take on a variety of criminals in these adaptations of some of the 56 short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and published in the late 19th and early 20lh centuries. Included in the book are translations of The Redheaded League, The Six Napoleons, Scandal in Bohemia, The Greek Interpreter, and The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.
Given the current popularity of the famous detective on television and in films, many students will already be familiar with Sherlock Holmes and will enjoy reading these succinct adaptations of the original tales. Each story is only 4 or 5 pages long and so contains the essence of the original without extra description and details.
The illustrations by Mike Love add a great deal to the enjoyment of the book as they evoke the London of the turn of the last century giving students a sense of what homes and clothing might have been like. Holmes, of course, is portrayed wearing his traditional deerstalker hat.
Thematic Links: Sherlock Holmes; Mystery; Detectives
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
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Ketcheson, Ann. "Doyle, Sir Arthur: Sherlock Holmes (Collection Classique)." Resource Links, vol. 21, no. 5, June 2016, p. 39. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A457693641/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4d6a022c. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Pirotta, Saviour and Hess, Paul
The Ghosts Who Danced
Frances Lincoln, 2015, pp64, 14.99[pounds sterling]
978 1 84780 435 8
Please don't judge this 'Spooky Stories' collection by the first of the ten stories in it. An American legend based on a true 18th century incident, 'The Ghost Ship' is the weakest of what is otherwise a very strong, readable and tellable bunch. As well as being a prolific author, Saviour Pirotta is a working storyteller too. He knows how to make a tale come to life. The stories he retells here are from a wide variety of backgrounds, Russian, Lithuanian, Irish, Chinese, Korean, Indian, East African, Brazilian and British. As well as familiar ideas such as that ghosts can haunt caves and trees, some wonderfully unusual notions occur. For instance, to save himself from a ghost who wishes to suck his blood, a clever Indian barber claims he is a ghost-catcher who has lots of ghosts already in his bag. When the ghost does not believe him, the barber gets out his mirror and holds it up to his sceptical attacker, thus succeeding in persuading him that he knows what he's talking about. Not only this but shortly after, the barber succeeds in fooling the first ghost's uncle in the very same way. As a result he gets three wishes granted--and the last is that he never be bothered by ghosts again.
Mary Medlicott
Medlicott, Mary
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
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Medlicott, Mary. "Pirotta, Saviour and Hess, Paul: The Ghosts Who Danced." School Librarian, vol. 63, no. 4, winter 2015, p. 232. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A438688743/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a85fb58a. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Pirotta, Saviour
Mark of the Cyclops: An Ancient
Greek Mystery (Flashbacks)
A&C Black, 2017, pp192, 6.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 4729 3414 7
A book to read aloud to Years 1, 2, 3, and 4 or a bridging book for readers becoming independent at KS1 or early KS2. It offers large print with 24 short chapters, black and white line drawings, with a Contents page, a useful list of Greek gods at the end, and a glossary with explanations of the Greek terms used in the text. As well as introducing the reader to a handful of Greek words, it also gives a wonderful insight into life in Ancient Greece--home life, eating habits, markets, religious life, symposiums, wedding celebrations, the role of women, the life of slaves and scribes.
The story is set in the household of Master Lykos and his son Ariston, who is a professionsl poet and lyre player, the two leading characters being a young slave, Thrax, and a young scribe, Nico, from farming stock on the island of Kos. The two bright young lads journey from Athens to Corinth with
Master Ariston when he is engaged to entertain guests at an important wedding. You would not anticipate the hazards that befall them on the journey, but they turn out to be nothing in comparison with the troubles they encounter at their journey's end. It is in effect a sort of 'whodunit' for young children and keeps you guessing until the very end. A rattling good tale and a very happy ending, of course, given the age range it is intended for, though perhaps a more modern take than I would have expected of the classical Greek era!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
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Redfern, Angela. "Pirotta, Saviour: Mark of the Cyclops: An Ancient Greek Mystery (Flashbacks)." School Librarian, vol. 65, no. 3, autumn 2017, p. 172. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A506957391/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=347859e1. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Pirotta, Saviour
The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad (Flashbacks)
Bloomsbury, 2019, pp160, [pounds sterling]6.99 978 1 4729 5599 9
Jabir travels to Baghdad looking to earn money to prevent his family from being evicted from their home. Wrongly accused of stealing bread and thrown into prison, his skill at carving wooden models is noticed and he is released into the care of the Grand Caliph who needs his skills to help make a gift for the Emperor Charlemagne. Just as the work is coming to an end, disaster strikes and everything is destroyed, but it is imperative that the Grand Caliph delivers on his promise of the gift. Jabir, remembering the family that taught him the skill of carving, makes a perilous journey to enlist their help in replacing the carvings in time but he is dogged at every step by someone determined to thwart him.
This book is part of the Flashbacksseries that recounts major stories from the past in an entertaining and accessible way for confident young readers. Set in the Middle East of AD 900 (now an option for study on the National Curriculum for history) and focussing on characters from Islamic culture, the story is exciting, with its account of Jabir and Yasmina racing across the desert pursued by an evil villain, and includes an insight into the culture and history of the time. A glossary of terms, such as Caliph, Imam and Dua, is provided and a historical note of only 2 to 3 pages puts the events of the book into the true context of the time (a wondrous clock sent to Charlemagne in AD 807 is described in official records).
Readers will engage with the character of Jabir, trying to do his best for his family and displaying courage and determination in the face of adversity. They will also unwittingly develop an understanding and appreciation of another civilisation whilst enjoying this story of adventure.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
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Hughes, June. "The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad (Flashbacks)." School Librarian, vol. 67, no. 2, summer 2019, p. 106. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A594924779/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bde1310e. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Pirotta, Saviour (adapted by)
Jason and the Golden Fleece (Classic Collection)
Illustrated by Leo Hartas
QED, 2014, pp48, 7.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 78171 640 3
The Twelve Tasks of Hercules (Classic Collection)
Illustrated by Gerald Kelly
QED, 2014, pp48, 7.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 78171 642 7
These well told retellings will appeal to good readers from seven up to teenagers who want a basic introduction. The magnificent story of Jason and the Golden Fleece is the ultimate coming of age story. It starts with Jason in the cave of Chiron, the centaur, learning of his royal heritage, and finishes with Jason and Medea returning with the golden fleece. Along the way they battle with stone giants and screeching harpies, to accomplish their goal. This reader particularly enjoyed the double page spreads, with the story told on one side, and a full page illustration on the other side. Even now I can see the Argonauts rowing through the Clashing Rocks, the illustrations are so vivid. At the back of the book is a map showing the route the Argonauts took, and a family tree showing how the gods and men and women were interrelated.
The telling of the Twelve Tasks of Hercules can either be tedious with every detail, or stripped down to just a list. This retelling keeps a balance between giving enough to whet the appetite for a good yarn and myth, and not overwhelming the younger reader. The scene where Hercules slaughters his wife and family is told briefly, without trauma and highlights the deception. Hercules is thus framed and blamed, but accepts the impossible tasks as a way of managing his grief. Kelly has caught the emotions of the story vividly, so that you do not need to read the text to know that Zeus and Hera are arguing, or the amount of physical skill that Hercules brings to fighting the Nemean Lion
Both books feature at the back a map showing the route the Heroes took, and a family tree showing how the gods and men and women were interrelated. There are no references--but this could be a classroom task to relate it to more classic sources.
Dowling, Janet
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
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Dowling, Janet. "Pirotta, Saviour (adapted by): Jason and the Golden Fleece (Classic Collection)." School Librarian, vol. 63, no. 1, spring 2015, p. 41. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A405924776/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5252aefa. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.