According to his website, “Sam Copeland is an author. He is from Manchester and now lives in London with two smelly cats, three smelly children and one relatively clean-smelling wife.”
As well as writing a string of hugely popular children’s books, Copeland is a literary agent for adult writers, too.
Your first book Charlie Changes into a Chicken, has been an enormous success, translated into 23 languages and recently longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards. As a literary agent for adult’s fiction, what made you want to write for kids?
I have absolutely no interest in writing for adults. Writing for children affords me a freedom that I just wouldn’t get writing for adults.
Do you prefer writing or your work as a literary agent?
I love the both equally. They both satisfy different parts of my life.
Charlie has amassed a huge fan group all across the world, is he based on anyone in particular?
He’s actually based somewhere between me and my son.
Your books are packed with awesome animal facts, are you a big animal lover?
Yes. I adore all animals. I have a special relationship with animals and they all love me – apart from one of my cats who hates me with the fierceness of a thousand burning suns.
There are also so many laugh-out-loud hilarious incidents that your characters go through, are any of them based on personal experiences?
No. The characters are all based on real people, but the events are totally made up. It’s about a boy changing into animals so there is only so much it could be based on reality.
Do your kids love you reading your books to them?
They are, sadly, too old for me to read to them now. They tend to read my books to themselves now.
What was your favourite book as a child?
That’s a tough one. There are too many… The Twits, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Lord of the Rings….
And who was your favourite childhood author?
Roald Dahl, of course!
Are you working on any more Charlie books?
Not at the moment, I have too many other books to work on at the moment. But I’d love to go back him one day.
Have you been to the UAE before? If so, what did you enjoy most about your trip, if not, would you like to come and what would you most like to see?
That sounds like you are inviting me. Are you inviting me? Can I come? Please? The desert, Burj, the hotels, the sunshine. But mostly the desert.
