Q&A: Justin Somper, Author of ‘New Kid On Deck: Pirate Academy’
We chat with author Justin Somper about New Kid On Deck: Pirate Academy, which is a fast-paced and exciting fantasy adventure series perfect for readers of How to Train Your Dragon or Artemis Fowl.
Hi, Justin! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m British and I spent most of my adult life in London. In late 2022, my Aussie husband and I relocated to Perth, Western Australia – known as “the most remote big city in the world”. I’ve been writing about ships, sailing and pirates for twenty years but I mostly did so from land-locked London. It’s fantastic to now live just thirty minutes’ drive from the Indian Ocean. Soon after arriving in Australia, I had some sailing lessons so I finally know a bit more what I’m writing about! I’ve written eleven books to date for middle-grade and teen readers, across three book series. I’m best known for my VAMPIRATES books, which have been published in 35 countries and 25 languages. My new series, PIRATE ACADEMY, is set in the same universe as VAMPIRATES – with some cross-over characters – but you can read the two series independently of each other. Excitingly, both book series are currently being developed for TV.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I started writing stories at primary school and I still have the exercise books to trace that journey! I had a lot of encouragement from my teachers, throughout my school career. Once I got to age 11 or 12, my stories started getting more ambitious (and often ran to 20 or 30 pages!). I was inspired by books I’d read – including the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew Mysteries – but also by popular TV shows like “Dallas” with cliffhanging episodes. I would sit in my attic bedroom and write, write, write by hand. As a teen, I competed in creative writing competitions at school – sometimes sparring with Jonathan Stroud who was a year or so below me. When I was 17, I got the opportunity to write a play for a local drama group. The group was entirely female and they couldn’t find an existing play with enough strong female roles so I worked with them to write one. “Old School Ties” was an Agatha Christie pastiche, about a school reunion which descends into multiple murders. It had one performance and a nice review!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: One of the first books I remember strongly was Peter Pan by J M Barrie. It has many exciting elements but it’s the ending that gets me every time – that powerful disconnect between Wendy, who is now an adult woman and Peter, who is destined never to grow up. It’s a moment that has inspired some of my own writing. It’s heartbreaking but in a magical way. Peter Pan was also probably the book that first introduced me to pirates!
- The one that made you want to become an author: I don’t think there’s one book but rather a continuum which act like stepping stones. I mean maybe the first ones were the (aforementioned) Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew mysteries. Then in my teens, books like S E Hinton’s The Outsiders, Catcher in the Rye and For Esmé – with Love and Squalor by J D Salinger, then Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Joyce’s Dubliners (especially “The Dead”). And those stepping stones continue. Every now and then I read a book that stops me in my tracks and makes my head spin about the possibilities of storytelling – Cloudstreet by Tim Winton, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and Jess Walter’s Beautiful Ruins are just a few examples of this.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: For me, the most memorable books are the ones where I totally fall in love with the characters. Late last year, I finally read Sarah Winman’s STILL LIFE and this is rich with characters you fall head over heels in love with. Plus the Tuscany setting is like an additional character. I was recently in Florence and, on a friend’s tip, visited a couple of key locations from the novel – bliss!
Your latest novel, Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Action, jeopardy, emotions, trainee PIRATES!
What can readers expect?
It’s the year 2507. The oceans have risen and there’s a new golden age of piracy. The Pirate Federation now runs the oceans and has set up nine Pirate Academies around the world, where pirate apprentices aged 7-17 are being trained by legendary pirate captains. At Pirate Academy, Coral Sea Province, we meet Jacoby Blunt, Jasmine Peacock and their fellow students in Barracuda Class. This is no ordinary school… Lessons range from Knots Class and Sailing to Combat Workshop and EMS (Extreme Maritime Survival). The Barracudas are suddenly joined by a new kid – Neo Splice (not his real name). Neo has fled to Pirate Academy seeking sanctuary after his ship and family were attacked by the ruthless rebel organisation, the League of True Pirates. But agents of “LOT P” have followed Neo to Pirate Academy and now the young apprentices are going to have to put everything they have learned to the test against a dangerous and relentless new enemy.
Where did the inspiration for New Kid On Deck: Pirate Academy come from?
I first wrote about Pirate Academy in VAMPIRATES and it seems to be a hugely popular location for longstanding fans of those books. I knew there were more stories to tell and it would be fun to go back there. I’ve often been asked – by teachers and younger readers – for pirate stories suited to a younger audience that nonetheless deliver a satisfying dose of danger and jeopardy. The third inspiration was my move to Australia, which has inspired me through the stunning landscape, the warm, sunny days spent outside and our close proximity to the ocean.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I pretty much love it all! But within the adventure and jeopardy, I often most enjoy writing the comic moments. These often involve Jacoby who tends to jump into situations without thinking – or else ties himself in knots by over-thinking! There are definitely squirmy aspects of his character that I can thoroughly relate to!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Barracuda Class has fifteen students and I was really keen from the outset to give each of the kids a distinct personality. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish within a short (40 – 45k word) adventure book. I had to pace myself over the first three books in the series. I didn’t even mention all the Barracudas by name until Book 2. They are a diverse bunch, including Leif who has limb-difference and Shay who is non-binary. None of this is tokenist – I simply want readers from all kinds of backgrounds to see themselves reflected in my writing and, besides, it adds exciting dimensions to the story. There’s a chapter early on in Book 3 which I’m really proud of where each of the 15 students in Barracuda Class has a line of dialogue – and I think it works well and gives a speedy insight to their characters.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on the next twists and turn for the young pirate apprentices of PIRATE ACADEMY. I’m also excited to be part of the team transforming my VAMPIRATES books into a major live-action TV series. And I’m playing around with some brand new writing ideas – which don’t have pirates or vampires in them. Plus I’ve been dipping my toes into some occasional journalism and I’m contemplating a substack… There’s lots going on!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
It’s been a really good reading year and we’re only just over half-way through! Some stand-outs include Shadows of Winter Robins by Louise Wolhuter which you could definitely describe as Australian Noir. It gets really really dark and I was there for it. What I Know About You, the award-winning novel by Eric Chacour stunned me not only with its moving story but also the incredibly clever mode of narration, which keeps you guessing just who is telling this story. Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna is set over one sultry summer weekend in London. This novel is populated by deeply engaging characters and London is one of them – it totally transported me there. Long Island by Colm Toibin is a masterful piece of writing – again, wonderful characters (all tying themselves up in knots!) and such a strong sense of place. It’s the kind of book that makes you think, “I want to write like this” – may as well aim high! Death at the Sign of the Rook, Kate Atkinson’s new Jackson Brodie novel, was – as expected – sheer joy from start to finish.
Now I’m based in Australia, I’m enjoying discovering my fellow writers living and working here. I’m currently reading My Family and Other Suspects, the genius and incredibly funny mystery novel by Kate Emery. Next up will be King of Dirt, the first adult novel from Holden Sheppard, which I gather is full of all the big stuff: “love, fatherhood, masculinity, vices, family”. Bring it!
