Q: First tell us something about yourself ?
I am Anthony Newland and I was born and raised in South London. After completing a degree in criminology I have worked many roles ranging from customer services to roles within the criminal justice system. I have always been creative and wish to fill the world with my best and favourite ideas.
Q: How and when your journey started as a writer?
I have enjoyed writing since I was a child in primary school. I would often write short stories and even wrote and acted in plays for my family at family gatherings. I was always an avid reader and would often read books above my age range which I believe stemmed the birth and growth of my writing journey. Over the past ten years I have written plans for novels, short stories, poems and also music. “When Cow Lost Her Moo” is my first published story and is the first step in my official author journey.
Q: When did you write your first story? Is it published or not?
“When Cow Lost Her Moo” is my first children’s story but I have written a number of short stories and other mediums over the years. After writing this story I felt it was the right time to release my work into the world. Starting in children’s literature was never initially my intention but after writing this story it felt right and very special to me.
Q: Tell us something more about your books?
This is my first story but I have many ideas ready to go and intend to follow this story up soon. So keep your eyes peeled!
Q: Why do you choose kids as your reader ? is there any specific reason?
The reason I was inspired to write this particular story is the many inspirations around me. There have been an influx of young children within my family and I am inspired by them constantly. Watching them grow and build their personalities is fascinating and has been very surreal to me. My wife is a primary school teacher which is also a huge inspiration for me. She has supported me through the entire process and this has helped me take this direction.
Q: How did these stories and characters come to your mind?
Interestingly, when I write stories I usually plan them out in my head first starting from genre, to basic story thread, with characters and titles coming last. This story however took a very different process. I was sitting on a bus thinking what should my next story be about? I remember feeling a bit lost and having a moment where I had a lack of inspiration. Then the title “When Cow Lost Her Moo” came to me and skipped my usual steps of storytelling. It is a title I then sat on for some time before fleshing out the plan and story structure. I believe how I felt at the time inspired the title but overall it was one of these ideas that you pluck out of the deeper unexplored parts of the mind. As if gifted to you by a third party.
Q: Do you want to give any message for your readers?
The message I want to give is that without a doubt in life there will be moments in which we lose ourselves. Moments in which our “Moo” is missing. However there is always light at the end of the tunnel and finding ourselves is a matter of self-exploration and belief. Always use the tools around you but most importantly always believe you can!
