Olivia Tuffin

About Author

Olivia Tuffin, whose passion for horses shines through her writing, joins ReadingZone to tell us about The Horse Who Danced, her exciting new adventure.

Olivia lives on an arable farm in Dorset with her farmer husband, their children, and an assortment of ponies, dogs, pet sheep and chickens. She never outgrew the pony-mad stage and her favourite thing to do is to ride off for hours into the countryside.

She's always loved writing and her own ponies and their funny antics provide inspiration for her stories every day.

Interview

The Horse Who Danced (Nosy Crow)

September 2024

If you're looking for a great mystery adventure - and have a passion for horses - you will love Olivia Tuffin's new book, The Horse Who Danced, which follows a family business in trouble, and a young rider with her very special horse.

Review: "Children who love horse will find this a perfect read, but it will also appeal to those children who want to read a story that has a gripping theme about fame, glory and betrayal." Read a Chapter from The Horse Who Danced.

Q&A with Olivia Tuffin, introducing The Horse Who Danced

"Although the books are very horse-centric, I do love a good story at the heart of it all;
some drama, friendship and family, and a bit of mystery, too."

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself, and how you came to write for children?

I live in Dorset, on a farm with my husband and two children. I've always written stories, but never studied literature or anything remotely related to writing. In 2010 I had a riding accident that left me out of action for several months. I wrote my very first book with one arm in a cast - The Palomino Pony Comes Home - and it was another year on from that that I heard back from Nosy Crow! And from there, it became 21 books (and counting!).

I always say I never outgrew the horse mad stage. I love pony books, they have a classic and timeless appeal and were such an important part of my childhood, and really loved the idea of writing a new generation of pony books.

"it's really important to write about subjects you have a passion for, because only then can you describe the world
you are writing, not just the big things, but the small things that enrich each page."

2. How did your own love of horses develop? Is it best to write about subjects you have a passion for?

I was the typical pony mad but pony-less child, but my love of horses only came about when I was about ten and had my first riding lesson. Before that, I was besotted with sheep (I still am actually!) and raised my own lambs. When I discovered ponies, they quickly became an obsession. I grew up in a golden age of pony-mad childhood; old school riding schools, and spending all Saturday mucking out for a riding lesson, rubber boots and jute rugs and velvet-covered hats and Horse and Pony magazine, coach trips to Olympia horse show, posters of Milton, and dreams of being allowed colourful brushing boots. I left notes on gates asking if owners of horses needed help, and I drew horses all over my school books. Pony books were my escape, imagining I was one of the characters! As a teenager I finally got my own pony - I think my parents realised it wasn't a phase!

I think it's really important to write about subjects you have a passion for, because only then can you describe the world you are writing, not just the big things, but the small things that enrich each page; the feel of freshly cleaned tack, the smell of a warm and slightly sweaty pony, the feeling that you only get from galloping in a wide open space. It's a world I live in, and can, therefore, write about.

3. Would children who are not as interested in horses still enjoy your books? Do you also hope your books will inspire children to discover their own passion for horses?

I hope so - because although the books are very horse-centric, I do love a good story at the heart of it all; some drama, friendship and family and a bit of mystery, too. If I'm honest, most of my readers already have a passion for horses; pony books very much go hand in hand with that world, but I like to think my books are part of a pony-mad generation.

4. What happens in your new book, The Horse Who Danced, and can you tell us about the title you've chosen?

The story follows Iona, who lives on a beautiful estate that her grandparents also lived on, running the trekking centre which is now run by her mum and stepdad. Iona has a dressage pony, Jinks, who was bred by her mum before she took on the centre, and in Iona's mind, gave up her dreams. Iona yearns for some success, but also to fit in with the right gear and the right look.

The big estate house is being sold and odd things start happening, threatening the already struggling trekking business, but hope arrives in the form of Jessica, an up-and-coming dressage rider, who takes a starstruck Iona under her wing. The more success Iona has under Jessica's guidance, the more things fall apart at home.

The Horse who Danced is a fitting title for a dressage-themed book, as dressage is often referred to as dancing, but it could also symbolise the freedom Iona feels when she rides Jinks.

"I love a main character who is passionate and wears her heart on her sleeve, with a
huge love of horses, but I also think it's important to show flaws, too."

5. How do you develop your main characters - in this story, Iona, who has to navigate difficult friendships and challenges at home, too.

I love a main character who is passionate and wears her heart on her sleeve, with a huge love of horses, but I also think it's important to show flaws, too. Iona is jealous of April, who she perceives has everything, and takes her best friend Oscar for granted slightly, too.

All of us have flaws and real human emotions. If social media had existed when I was Iona's age, you can bet I would have been gazing with envy at the beautiful horse photos.

6. We love the setting and old stables in The Horse Who Danced - did anywhere in particular help inspire it? Do you draw on inspiration from places - and horses - that you have known?

Yes - two places! One very near to my parents home in Devon, in fact I walked there just the other day and could really imagine Iona and Jinks cantering around the parkland. Then there is another house nearby to me in Dorset, a beautiful, faded country house with fields full of horses, rising steeply up to the hills above the jagged cliffs of the Jurassic coast. I had Devon firmly in my mind when writing the book, but the wilder side, the cliffs and coves and tides and churning sea. The horses come very easily to me, I just imagine them, but they all have elements of horses I have known over the years.

7. You already know a lot about horses but are there still things you need to research for your books?

I did have to remind myself of some dressage terms, just to check I was correct! I couldn't bear it as a child if something was wrong in a pony book, including the front covers!

8. One of the areas you explore in The Horse Who Danced is social media and how it can give a falsely glowing view of people's lives. Have you seen this yourself in the horse world?

Absolutely, its true in every world and the horse world is no exception. It's very easy to only show the good bits. There is a huge amount of consumerism, too - the latest colours for a saddle pad and matching hat, people buying into needing it all. But on the flip side, everything is very much out in the open. Video phones have made it so easy to capture the bad moments as well.

"I've got many more adventures planned… I can't say too much at the moment but there is a
whole new cast of characters waiting in the wings!"

9. Are you still involved with horses, beyond writing about them? Do you draw on these experiences for your new books, and do you have more adventures planned?

My two children ride, and when I'm not writing, I'm busy being a pony club mum, ferrying them around the country to various events. What I love about horses is they are very grounding; every single day, no matter the weather, they need caring for, they are a huge responsibility.

My oldest is getting quite serious about her riding now, so I feel like every show we attend is such a great observation opportunity to see the highs and lows of horses which all help me with my writing. I've got many more adventures planned… I can't say too much at the moment but there is whole new cast of characters waiting in the wings!

10. How do you combine writing with your everyday life? What does a favourite day off look like for you?

I have two children and a menagerie of animals, sheep, ponies, chickens and dogs and a farmer husband, so writing has to fit into the pockets of time in between it all! Maybe an hour before everyone wakes, or late at night if my husband is still combining. We are nearing the end of the summer holidays, but the school days are much easier to fit some good hours work in.

I love to read when I can, or walk my dogs. Just going down to the field to watch the ponies graze with a coffee is good me-time too. I love the beach and force myself into the water every time. A favourite day would involve happy ponies, happy children, a husband with a day off from the tractor, good coffee and good food!

Olivia Tuffin introduces The Horse Who Came Home (Nosy Crow)

The Horse Who Came Home, Olivia's earlier book, is a heartwarming story about a girl's fight for justice, the truth that lies behind social media, and the special bonds that some people forge with their horses. Find out more from author Olivia Tuffin, and enjoy a short reading. You can also Read a Chapter from The Horse Who Came Home.

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