An Interview with Georgina Day

Although Georgina Day works full-time in business, she spends every spare moment contributing what she can to animal welfare or reading books. When she’s not being an ‘Animal-Mum’ to rescue animals and a pony, she volunteers as a Veterinary Auxiliary for animal charities. She lives in Surrey with her (very understanding) partner and their menagerie!

To learn more about Georgina and her work, visit her website or Instagram!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

When I was growing up, a huge part of how I saw the world and my beliefs came from reading books of all kinds. I would take characteristics and traits from books and characters that I loved and emulate the positive behaviours from those that resonated with me. I think that still very much holds true today for children and reading, and so for me writing books with characters that children can aspire to or adopt these positive behaviours around animal welfare felt like the perfect way to give my contribution around helping inspire and support our future generations.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

I have always looked books; reading them, holding them, flicking through pages, examining front covers. There was just always something magical about reading and the art of storytelling so from that perspective it was a ‘back of the mind’ dream to then write my own. However it was actually as a result of increased volunteering in the animal welfare sector, and getting my own rescue animals that I really wanted to find a way of getting the right message across in a way that would land with our future generation. So that was how my children’s book, Honey & Sugar Get Adopted, specifically was created. Our children will be the next influencers of animal welfare so to combine really important values and knowledge for rabbit welfare and the role of rescue centres with the joy of reading felt like the perfect collaboration. I am also deep in the trenches with writing my next book, so watch this space!

Describe your dream book cover.

I love a colourful book cover, with a detailed scene and embossed title (I am very tactile). One of my all-time favourite covers is actually Jessie Burton’s House of Fortune or The Miniaturist. They are gorgeously detailed and incredibly clever in subtly linking with the story.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I currently work in corporate business helping organisations deliver large programmes, so it is a far cry from the world of literature or animal welfare. I studied English Literature as one of my A Levels and have been an avid reader my whole life, so I just continued my own exploration of the craft. Probably what I’m most proud of is that I actually spend the majority of my spare time volunteering within the animal welfare sector, whether it being designing the annual strategy for a local small-animal charity or as a Veterinary Auxiliary for a UK wildlife charity. Helping animals is my passion, and so any brain power and time I have goes towards finding creative ways or working with rescues so that we can help improve our animals’ standing in society. You’ll see on my social media lots promotion for animal welfare standards and leading by example for my own companion animals to also try and support education in our community.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I actually don’t have a specific genre that I love, as I will ready anything and everything that is recommended to me. The latest books I’ve read were Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, If only they could talk by James Herriott and Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D James.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

For me, the one thing I really hope readers could take away from my book is the concept of ‘adopt, don’t shop’ for animals, and also the incredible work that the rescue charities across our globe do to protect the vulnerable that can’t help themselves. However, reading should also be a privilege and a joy so I really want them to just enjoy it! I think it is a really lovely, feel good story that children and adults can read over and over, with amazing characters that you just fall in love with.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.