Biography | FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What inspired you to write Per-Bast? / How did you get the idea?

The idea for Per-Bast came to me while I was looking at a photograph of the ‘Gayer-Anderson cat’. It’s an ancient Egyptian statue of a domesticated cat wearing both an amulet of the Eye of Horus, and that of a winged scarab, upon a beaded collar. I started imagining what could have been the meaning and symbolism behind those amulets. Gradually the story unfolded and I had the idea to write about the first cat who began the cult of the feline goddess Bast. Upon later research I learnt that Bast had been around since the beginning of Egyptian culture and was first viewed as a lioness. My story was reshaped and lineages of cats in the likeness of the feline gods and goddesses emerged. Egyptians had usually picked one, or a few, specific animals to act as a representation of a certain god. There wasn’t anything written about how that had applied to cats, so I figured I’d let that statue with the amulets tell the story. The rest of the novel came together as soon as I started delving into Egyptian mythology.

How long did Per-Bast take to write and how long to research?

There was no definite boundary between the time spent on researching, outlining the plot, and the time spent writing. They were all very intwined. There was always one more question or detail I needed to look up, and I found that constantly reading about ancient Egypt kept me immersed in that world, and added layers of feeling which went beyond simple details. I spent every available moment for about two years outlining, writing, researching, and editing Per-Bast.

How did you choose the names for the cats?

The names were carefully chosen from the ancient Egyptian language and have meanings specific to the characters.

• Neferure - Beauty of Ra (also the name of Hatshepsut’s - the first female Pharaoh’s - daughter)
• Sahu - transformed mummy, soul of the god Osiris.
• Ahmes - The name of an Egyptian scribe. Also the Queen mother of Hatshepsut.
• Mehen - A snake-god who protects Ra from his enemy Apep.
• Khakhati - Storm/tempest
• Heqaib - A scribe/official of the 12th dynasty. Name means ‘he who is master of his heart’.
• Khu - The highest level of the soul.
• Takhaet - Queenlike

Are any of the characters based out of people you’ve known?

Several actually. The comically depressed crocodile, who appears in two scenes, is based on one of my best friends. She wanted to be made into a character, and quite liked the idea. The peculiarities of old man and the boat are based off my grandfather in his later years, though his ramblings were a lot less insane . . . that aspect of his character was inspired by my brother. . .

Heqaib’s personality, and lack of balance, were based off Sparky, my mother’s cat. Some of Khu’s quotes were inspired by things my mother had written. Sahu was derived from Milo, a cat I had as a child. Milo had spent the early part of kittenhood as a stray and, like Sahu, he’d lived his life as if he had nine of them. Otherwise, the feline characters seemed to create themselves.

How much of Per-Bast is history and how much is fantasy?

Naturally, all of the feline characters are of my own mind. About half of the humans mentioned really did exist. Ramses III, his vizier of Upper Egypt - Ta, and Tiye (a woman who had begun a conspiracy against the Pharaoh’s life) all had lived in antiquity. Qetu is the name I have given to the previously unnamed vizier of Lower Egypt, who had done something negative (possibly a started a rebellion), to cause Ramses III to unify the two offices under Ta.

All the myths, deities, and locations are true to Egyptian history. The legends of the feline lineages are completely fictional.

What writing process do you use?

I start by imagining a particular world. If that world develops sufficiently then I start writing down the images and dialogue I see in my head, much like transcribing a movie preview. I then start exploring the logistics of that world - in the case of Per-Bast, that meant researching as much as I could about ancient Egypt.

I prefer to plot down my story from beginning to end so that I can weave in as many subplots as possible and have all the characters and their plot lines entwine. That method, I feel, gave the book a greater overall solidarity. Also, I don’t like to worry about how I’m going to get from step A to step B. I want to create the story first so I can focus more fully on description, detail, and think deeper into character development. As for scenes, I never ever work in a linear process. I write whatever scene I’m inspired, or feel in the mood, to write.

What are your favourite books?

Anything written by J.R.R. Tolkien! I also enjoy many animal stories: Watership Down, Silverwing, The Sight, The White Bone, and Hunter’s Moon. Ancestors of Avalon (about the fall of Atlantis) is also one of my favourites, as are many other fantasy novels.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy travelling, photography, graphic arts, hiking with my dog, and spending time with my friends and family. For sports I like anything outdoors, specifically watersports.