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Natasha Farrant has worked in children’s publishing for almost twenty years, running her own literary scouting agency for the past ten. She is the author of the Carnegie longlisted and Branford Boase shortlisted YA historical novel The Things We Did For Love, as well as two successful adult novels.
She grew up in London where she still lives with her husband, their two daughters and a large tortoiseshell cat. She is the eldest of four siblings and has never dyed her hair pink.
Photo credit © Sam Armstrong.
Olive is an eleven-year-old who is very shy and finds talking to people overwhelming – but she loves her old oak tree and can talk to the trees. Of course, her family struggle to understand this relationship with her 400-year-old oak tree – even whilst encouraging her to have human friends. When her father, Sir Sydney, decides he needs a new summerhouse to impress his friends(!) it is Olive’s oak tree that is threatened. This means Olive must speak up in defence of her tree – because everyone is so shocked to hear Olive speak her father gives her the day – 7 hours – to come up with something ‘more impressive’. This is the start of the wonderful exploration – aided by a great deal of tree magic – of the history of the trees in the park – one tree per hour in the day. Each has a full and engrossing story to share, each looking at a small part of their history. This book is a delight, with a sense of a series of fairy tales, but very grounded in the modern concerns of the world and the care we need to take of our planet. The illustrations are beautiful – full of colour and detail, whilst also sharing details of the seven trees focussed on in colourful, informative double page spreads at the start of each chapter. This is a book for nature lovers, devotees of fairy tales, and people who want a beautiful book to treasure – I am sure this is going to be a big hit with readers of all ages.
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2022 ages 7-10 | Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2020 | September 2020 Book of the Month | I challenge any reader, young or old, not to want to devour this book in one delicious sitting. Once started upon the story of Lotti and Ben, two orphans living in the aftermath of World War 1 and who could not be more different in temperament or background, it is impossible to put down. Initially and understandably wary, they gradually become each other’s best friend and staunch allies in their respective quests for family and a safe haven for an increasing number of dogs. Their odyssey takes them, in the faithful old narrowboat which has been Ben’s home, across the stormy channel to France, with a vengeful, deceitful uncle and a steadfast policeman hot on their heels. But there is nothing far fetched in their survival, they do need and even eventually welcome the support of friendly adults on both sides of the channel and they learn to work together and to counteract each other’s failings. They never lose hope in even the darkest moments and neither does the reader, despite some heart-stopping tension. These are characters who will dwell long in your memory and indeed leave you wanting to know more, including about some of the fascinating minor characters. The authentic period detail and dialogue captures the spirit of an age where children may seem, to a modern audience, to have a thrilling level of agency and independence, but only because they are largely ignored or neglected rather than protected by society. A standalone, middle grade adventure that is as well written as this, is pure gold dust with which to captivate young readers and a perfect class read. But be warned, they may not want to go home!
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021 | Natasha Farrant's original stories are set in different times all around the world, blending modern and traditional storytelling with glowing full colour illustrations by debut artist Lydia Corry in a glorious gift book.
UKLA Longlist Book Awards - 2019 | When Alice's family home has to be sold, she and her father Barney will do whatever it takes to buy it back - even if whatever it takes isn't strictly legal. Both hilarious and heartfelt, this is the classic adventure story brought bang up to date, and told in Natasha's inimitable voice.
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: Dances | Dreams | Determination Younger sister of Lizzy and Jane, Lydia Bennet is one of literature’s great catalysts. Her actions are fundamental to the story of Pride and Prejudice, but there we never learn exactly what lead up to her shocking elopement with Wickham. Natasha Farrant fills in those gaps, drawing Lydia as impetuous, bold, determined, a breathing teenage girl, much more likeable than she’s allowed to be in Austen’s novel. She gives Lydia some 21st century sensibilities, showing her frustrated by society’s constraints on women and dreaming of escape and independence. Her relationship with her sisters is warmly and wittily described, as is her relationship with Wickham – they are surprisingly honest with each other, and he is much more sympathetic as a result. In fact this story is full of surprises, a fresh, sharp but faithful reimagining it will delight readers, whether they know the original or not. ~ Andrea Reece A Piece of passion from Publisher, Barry Cunningham It’s no secret that Pride and Prejudice has captured the hearts of readers for centuries. But what’s been under wraps, until now, is the life and voice of one of its more minor characters – Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister – who’s anything but minor in this funny and fresh reimagining of the beloved novel.Lydia is spirited, witty and independent – a modern girl before her time. Through her diary entries and letters, we see a young woman trying to break free, trying to get what she wants, but who just . . . CAN’T. But there’s romance and adventure on her horizon, and with it a life that she would have never thought possible. Not to be too Austentatious, but I think there’s a lot of Lydia in me. The author has told me she thinks there’s a lot of Wickham in her. And I KNOW that readers will love seeing themselves in these much-loved characters . . . brought to life in the modern age in a way like never before.
In a Nutshell: Sibling shenanigans | Family frenzies | Everyday miracles Humorous, generous-hearted fourth and final novel in a heavenly series that just keeps on giving. The winds of change are whooshing through the Gadsby household. The siblings have a new pink-haired, fairy-wing-wearing nanny. Flora is off to theatre school in Scotland. Sensitive Twig has taken up rugby. Poetry-writing Jas is being bullied by the callous Cupcake Crew, and the ponies from the stables under the motorway are being relocated to Devon. Life is pretty much business as usual for documentary-making Bluebell, until enigmatic artistic Marek Valenta arrives from Prague and sprinkles more than a little magic and Central European chic on her world. They're both artists, individuals who “see things differently”, as Marek describes it. When Marek’s money-driven dad decides to banish him to a distant posh school, where the cruelties of cross-country running are de rigueur, Bluebell comes up with a “crazy impossible” plan that might just fix all their problems, and set her on the road to making history. Ideal for younger teen fans of funny, thoughtful, family-focussed fiction, this is a richly rewarding book about finding your way, making mistakes and sticking together. It’s layered with moments that bring a lump to the throat (such as when Bluebell returns to the hill that was beloved by Ivy, her lost twin), and moments that induce hysterical howls (like the disastrous disintegration of the Halloween parade). And all the inimitably madcap, life-affirming, love-filled Gadbsy gatherings give a warm glow to the soul. ~ Joanne Owen
Told in diary form – interspersed every so often with transcripts of her own video films – Bluebell Gadsby’s life story continues to provide some of the very best reading for young teens: funny, perceptive and genuinely heartwarming. In this third book in the series, Bluebell and two of her five siblings, Twig and Jas, are spending summer – as they so often have – in the country with their grandma. But this year everything is different. Mum has chosen to stay at home with thebaby baby, Dad is away filming in New Zealand and the eldest sister Flora is with him. Blue is worrying about her feelings for her new baby brother, and the arrival of two boys at Grandma’s neighbours stir things up even more. It’s a subtle, touching portrait of family life, ever-changing as children grow up, and adults grow old, and it’s written with real skill. ~ Andrea Reece
Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Book Award 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 - July 2013 Book of the Month | Ebullient, life affirming, witty and utterly convincing and tinged with credible sadness, thirteen year old Bluebell Gadsby’s diary is a brilliant teen diary in the mode of Dodie Smith’s classic I Capture the Castle. The complications of family and romance swirl around Blue and she records all both on film and in her diaries. Blue’s entertaining record captures the dramas of her noisy family, which includes a nest of pet rats, and her own stirrings of love for Joss, the ‘bad boy’ from next door under the lax supervision of Zoran, the young temporary babysitter their parents have bought in while they are away, busy with their own lives. But all is tempered by Blue’s deep grief caused by the recent death of her twin sister. Have the rest of the family really forgotten? Natasha Farrant tugs all manner of heart strings in her emotionally rich rendition of family life.
Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Book Award 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 - July 2013 Book of the Month | Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Book Award 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 - July 2013 Book of the Month Ebullient, life affirming, witty and utterly convincing and tinged with credible sadness, thirteen year old Bluebell Gadsby’s diary is a brilliant teen diary in the mode of Dodie Smith’s classic I Capture the Castle. The complications of family and romance swirl around Blue and she records all both on film and in her diaries. Blue’s entertaining record captures the dramas of her noisy family, which includes a nest of pet rats, and her own stirrings of love for Joss, the ‘bad boy’ from next door under the lax supervision of Zoran, the young temporary babysitter their parents have bought in while they are away, busy with their own lives. But all is tempered by Blue’s deep grief caused by the recent death of her twin sister. Have the rest of the family really forgotten? Natasha Farrant tugs all manner of heart strings in her emotionally rich rendition of family life. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Book Award 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 - July 2013 Book of the Month | Bluebell Gadsby is 13 but that's the least of her problems. Both her parents seem more interested in their careers than the family, leaving Blue and her three siblings as well as their three pet rats (who may or may not be pregnant), in the care of Zoran the au pair.
A welcome return of the large, artistic and somewhat chaotic Gadsby family as they are charmingly and wittily observed by Bluebell Gadsby on video and in her diary. This time Bluebell turns her attention to falling in love. While Bluebell dithers over whether she is or isn’t going out with Jake, Flora falls head over heels in love with Zach and even Twig seems to be interested in a girlfriend. Meanwhile Jas is becoming a budding poet and Mum and Dad have a very big secret of their own. Natasha Farrant is exceptional at capturing the details of family life and the swirling emotions that surround them.
A welcome return of the large, artistic and somewhat chaotic Gadsby family as they are charmingly and wittily observed by Bluebell Gadsby on video and in her diary. This time Bluebell turns her attention to falling in love. While Bluebell dithers over whether she is or isn’t going out with Jake, Flora falls head over heels in love with Zach and even Twig seems to be interested in a girlfriend. Meanwhile Jas is becoming a budding poet and Mum and Dad have a very big secret of their own. Natasha Farrant is exceptional at capturing the details of family life and the swirling emotions that surround them. ~ Julia Eccleshare
A welcome return of the large, artistic and somewhat chaotic Gadsby family as they are charmingly and wittily observed by Bluebell Gadsby on video and in her diary. This time Bluebell turns her attention to falling in love. While Bluebell dithers over whether she is or isn’t going out with Jake, Flora falls head over heels in love with Zach and even Twig seems to be interested in a girlfriend. Meanwhile Jas is becoming a budding poet and Mum and Dad have a very big secret of their own. Natasha Farrant is exceptional at capturing the details of family life and the swirling emotions that surround them.
A welcome return of the large, artistic and somewhat chaotic Gadsby family as they are charmingly and wittily observed by Bluebell Gadsby on video and in her diary. This time Bluebell turns her attention to falling in love. While Bluebell dithers over whether she is or isn’t going out with Jake, Flora falls head over heels in love with Zach and even Twig seems to be interested in a girlfriend. Meanwhile Jas is becoming a budding poet and Mum and Dad have a very big secret of their own. Natasha Farrant is exceptional at capturing the details of family life and the swirling emotions that surround them. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Ebullient, life affirming, witty and utterly convincing and tinged with credible sadness, thirteen year old Bluebell Gadsby’s diary is a brilliant teen diary in the mode of Dodie Smith’s classic I Capture the Castle. The complications of family and romance swirl around Blue and she records all both on film and in her diaries. Blue’s entertaining record captures the dramas of her noisy family, which includes a nest of pet rats, and her own stirrings of love for Joss, the ‘bad boy’ from next door under the lax supervision of Zoran, the young temporary babysitter their parents have bought in while they are away, busy with their own lives. But all is tempered by Blue’s deep grief caused by the recent death of her twin sister. Have the rest of the family really forgotten? Natasha Farrant tugs all manner of heart strings in her emotionally rich rendition of family life.
Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Book Award 2014 - One of our Books of the Year 2013 - July 2013 Book of the Month Ebullient, life affirming, witty and utterly convincing and tinged with credible sadness, thirteen year old Bluebell Gadsby’s diary is a brilliant teen diary in the mode of Dodie Smith’s classic I Capture the Castle. The complications of family and romance swirl around Blue and she records all both on film and in her diaries. Blue’s entertaining record captures the dramas of her noisy family, which includes a nest of pet rats, and her own stirrings of love for Joss, the ‘bad boy’ from next door under the lax supervision of Zoran, the young temporary babysitter their parents have bought in while they are away, busy with their own lives. But all is tempered by Blue’s deep grief caused by the recent death of her twin sister. Have the rest of the family really forgotten? Natasha Farrant tugs all manner of heart strings in her emotionally rich rendition of family life. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Bluebell Gadsby is 13 but that's the least of her problems. Both her parents seem more interested in their careers than the family, leaving Blue and her three siblings as well as their three pet rats (who may or may not be pregnant), in the care of Zoran the au pair.
Shortlisted for The Branford Boase Award 2013 A beautiful and bittersweet love story set in the real village of Oradour-sur-Glane which was cruelly and apparently randomly destroyed during the Second World War. Teenagers Luc and Arianne meet and fall in love. Ari is willing to do anything to stop Luc from joining the French Resistance movement but will it be enough? The absolute romance of first love is touchingly captured and made all the more poignant by the terrible circumstance in which it arises. ............................... The Brandford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children. The seven shortlisted titles were: After the Snow by SD Crockett The Things We Did for Love by Natasha Farrant Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan A Hen in the Wardrobe by Wendy Meddour Black Arts by Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton A World Between Us by Lydia Syson ****The Winner was A Boy and a Bear in a Boat.
March 2012 Debut of the Month. A beautiful and bittersweet love story set in the real village of Oradour-sur-Glane which was cruelly and apparently randomly destroyed during the Second World War. Teenagers Luc and Arianne meet and fall in love. Ari is willing to do anything to stop Luc from joining the French Resistance movement but will it be enough? The absolute romance of first love is touchingly captured and made all the more poignant by the terrible circumstance in which it arises. Faber, the publisher of this brilliant debut novel, is looking for short stories, poems or opinion pieces on the theme or love or war (or both). For more details on this take a look on www.facebook.com/thesparkpage - n.b. if you 'like' it you will be able to see all the content.
Magical interlinked stories about what one girl learns from talking to trees throughout Time and from around the world in a sumptuous gift book presentation. A companion volume to Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Costa Book Award-winning Natasha Farrant and Lydia Corry. Trees are storykeepers, witnesses to magic and history. From far away, a girl tumbles like a leaf into our world. She makes a promise, discovers the secrets of an ancient oak, and rescues a boy from a medieval hunt. She learns how wild apple blossom is linked to three runaway brides, and hears about the revenge of an overclipped box tree. From the underground roots to the uppermost branches, from plane trees in Persia, to tulip trees in North America and underwater kelp forests, she listens to the trees telling stories for all time. And she keeps her promise.
Olive is an eleven-year-old who is very shy and finds talking to people overwhelming – but she loves her old oak tree and can talk to the trees. Of course, her family struggle to understand this relationship with her 400-year-old oak tree – even whilst encouraging her to have human friends. When her father, Sir Sydney, decides he needs a new summerhouse to impress his friends(!) it is Olive’s oak tree that is threatened. This means Olive must speak up in defence of her tree – because everyone is so shocked to hear Olive speak her father gives her the day – 7 hours – to come up with something ‘more impressive’. This is the start of the wonderful exploration – aided by a great deal of tree magic – of the history of the trees in the park – one tree per hour in the day. Each has a full and engrossing story to share, each looking at a small part of their history. This book is a delight, with a sense of a series of fairy tales, but very grounded in the modern concerns of the world and the care we need to take of our planet. The illustrations are beautiful – full of colour and detail, whilst also sharing details of the seven trees focussed on in colourful, informative double page spreads at the start of each chapter. This is a book for nature lovers, devotees of fairy tales, and people who want a beautiful book to treasure – I am sure this is going to be a big hit with readers of all ages.
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2022 ages 7-10 | Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2020 | September 2020 Book of the Month | I challenge any reader, young or old, not to want to devour this book in one delicious sitting. Once started upon the story of Lotti and Ben, two orphans living in the aftermath of World War 1 and who could not be more different in temperament or background, it is impossible to put down. Initially and understandably wary, they gradually become each other’s best friend and staunch allies in their respective quests for family and a safe haven for an increasing number of dogs. Their odyssey takes them, in the faithful old narrowboat which has been Ben’s home, across the stormy channel to France, with a vengeful, deceitful uncle and a steadfast policeman hot on their heels. But there is nothing far fetched in their survival, they do need and even eventually welcome the support of friendly adults on both sides of the channel and they learn to work together and to counteract each other’s failings. They never lose hope in even the darkest moments and neither does the reader, despite some heart-stopping tension. These are characters who will dwell long in your memory and indeed leave you wanting to know more, including about some of the fascinating minor characters. The authentic period detail and dialogue captures the spirit of an age where children may seem, to a modern audience, to have a thrilling level of agency and independence, but only because they are largely ignored or neglected rather than protected by society. A standalone, middle grade adventure that is as well written as this, is pure gold dust with which to captivate young readers and a perfect class read. But be warned, they may not want to go home!
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021 | Natasha Farrant's original stories are set in different times all around the world, blending modern and traditional storytelling with glowing full colour illustrations by debut artist Lydia Corry in a glorious gift book.
Guardian Books of the Year 2019. Here are eight princesses for the Rebel Girls generation: bold, empowered, full of curiosity, adventure and determined to be true to themselves. Natasha Farrant's original stories are set in different times all around the world, blending modern and traditional storytelling with glowing full colour illustrations by debut artist Lydia Corry in a glorious gift book. 'Mirror, mirror on the wall... what makes a princess excellent?' An enchantress flings her magic mirror into our universe. Reflected in it are princesses who refuse to be pretty, polite or obedient. Through the centuries and around the world these girls are fierce, brave, and determined to do the rescuing themselves. The desert princess protects her people from the king with the black and gold banner. The forest princess takes a crocodile for a pet. An island princess explores the high seas. A mountain princess puts kindness above being royal. And in a tower-block in a city, Princess saves her community garden from the hands of urban developers.
When Alice's family home has to be sold, she and her father Barney will do whatever it takes to buy it back - even if whatever it takes isn't strictly legal. And when Alice is expelled and sent away to an isolated boarding-school, she'll do whatever it takes again to get away. But Stormy Loch Academy isn't quite what she expected. With its strange rules and eccentric headmaster and rag-tag mix of students and teachers, it has a way of growing on you. Still, when Barney goes missing (all that not strictly legal business) she knows she has to rescue him. Armed with two new friends, she sets off on an epic quest through the wild Scottish highlands and islands to finally get her heart's desire - but does she know anymore exactly what that is?Both hilarious and heartfelt, this is the classic adventure story brought bang up to date, and told in Natasha's inimitable voice.
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: Dances | Dreams | Determination Younger sister of Lizzy and Jane, Lydia Bennet is one of literature’s great catalysts. Her actions are fundamental to the story of Pride and Prejudice, but there we never learn exactly what lead up to her shocking elopement with Wickham. Natasha Farrant fills in those gaps, drawing Lydia as impetuous, bold, determined, a breathing teenage girl, much more likeable than she’s allowed to be in Austen’s novel. She gives Lydia some 21st century sensibilities, showing her frustrated by society’s constraints on women and dreaming of escape and independence. Her relationship with her sisters is warmly and wittily described, as is her relationship with Wickham – they are surprisingly honest with each other, and he is much more sympathetic as a result. In fact this story is full of surprises, a fresh, sharp but faithful reimagining it will delight readers, whether they know the original or not. ~ Andrea Reece A Piece of passion from Publisher, Barry Cunningham It’s no secret that Pride and Prejudice has captured the hearts of readers for centuries. But what’s been under wraps, until now, is the life and voice of one of its more minor characters – Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister – who’s anything but minor in this funny and fresh reimagining of the beloved novel.Lydia is spirited, witty and independent – a modern girl before her time. Through her diary entries and letters, we see a young woman trying to break free, trying to get what she wants, but who just . . . CAN’T. But there’s romance and adventure on her horizon, and with it a life that she would have never thought possible. Not to be too Austentatious, but I think there’s a lot of Lydia in me. The author has told me she thinks there’s a lot of Wickham in her. And I KNOW that readers will love seeing themselves in these much-loved characters . . . brought to life in the modern age in a way like never before.
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