Three things about Nevertell
1
The title comes from “Never tell a child about things they cannot see.” This meant that children shouldn’t be told fairy tales, and because I love fairy tales, it ended up inspiring the book. It was actually real advice to go on walls in nurseries, which I found in a book about the Soviet Union.
2
In the first version of Nevertell I ever wrote, Lina escaped all on her own, leaving her friend Bogdan behind. But I got a third of the way through and realised something important was missing… Bogey!
3
After Nevertell was written, someone got in touch with me to tell me the story of her grandfather, who – like Lina – really had been imprisoned in a Gulag as a child, escaped (and broken back in again!) numerous times in order to go to a nearby school. I was amazed, and so unbelievably grateful to hear such an incredible, true story of someone’s life and family history.
