This week we're delighted to introduce Helen Fairley and her debut book "THE SOUL COLLECTOR" published by The Book Guild on the 28th Feb 2025. This was recently featured in our Children's Book Picks for Feb 2025 post, which you can find HERE. We hope after reading this interview you might dare to put this SPOOKY ghost adventure on your reading list. You can order it from all the best places you usually buy your books from or you can ORDER HERE. Please help Sam, Jude, Olly, and Elsie uncover the MYSTERY that has haunted the village for centuries.
What inspired you to write "The Soul Collector," and how did your experiences living in a haunted village influence the story?
Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, and I’m a complete bookworm—especially when it comes to a good ghost story. Over the years, I started many books but often reached a point where the characters or plot stopped working, leading me to set them aside. That all changed when I moved into my house, right in the middle of Britain’s most haunted village – Pluckley. It was there that the story for The Soul Collector truly came to life.
What intrigued me most was that, despite the countless eerie tales about Pluckley, there didn’t seem to be a clear connection between them—no single reason why the village had become such a ghostly hotspot. That mystery sparked my imagination, and I wanted to create a story that wove fragmented legends together, giving them a unifying thread.
Can you share any particular challenges you faced while writing this book, especially considering its themes of ghost stories and horror?
One of the biggest challenges I faced while writing The Soul Collector was finding the right balance between making the story thrilling and eerie without making it too frightening for young readers. Ghost stories should have just the right amount of suspense and chills to keep readers hooked, but for a 9-11 age group, it’s important not to push the fear factor too far.
I wanted to create an atmosphere that felt properly spooky—one that would send a shiver down the spine but still allow readers to feel safe enough to keep turning the pages. I focused on building tension through eerie settings, mysterious events, and the unknown rather than relying on outright horror. The bravery and resourcefulness of Sam, Jude, Olly, and Elsie also help to balance the scares, giving young readers characters they can root for and be inspired by.
It was definitely a challenge, but I loved playing with that fine line between excitement and fear, making sure The Soul Collector delivered plenty of thrills without tipping into nightmares!
How did you develop the characters of Sam and Jude? Are they based on anyone you know?
None of the characters in the book are wholly based on one person, but more an amalgamation of the many children I’ve taught over the years plus a little bit of my own two. I wanted to create characters who felt real, with all the wonderful warmth and complexities of young people, especially those who are dealing with trauma like Sam and Jude
The novel is targeted towards children aged 9-11. What message or themes do you hope young readers will take away from the story?
I’m a real champion of young people, and I want my readers to be inspired by the actions of Sam, Jude, Olly, and Elsie. The characters are brave, resourceful, and deeply loyal to their friends. Through their journey, I hope to show young readers the power of courage, teamwork, and resilience.
I love the energy and enthusiasm of children—it’s one of the reasons I enjoy my job so much—but I also feel that the modern world can sometimes dampen their natural curiosity and determination. With The Soul Collector, I wanted to create characters who remind young people just how marvellous they are, encouraging them to embrace their own sense of adventure and belief in themselves.
In "The Soul Collector," the setting plays an important role. How did you choose Pluckley, Kent, as the backdrop for your story?
I was born and raised in Kent and so have always been aware of the stories connected to Pluckley. When I was younger I’d be terrified of driving through the haunted woods at night in case a face appeared in the rearview mirror. I never imagined I’d end up living here, but when I did I realised there was so much more to this beautiful spot than just spooks. That said though, I also discovered just how widespread the village’s haunted fame spreads. We have a constant stream of ghost hunters prowling the graveyard and even our black cat has made his way into some of the numerous YouTube videos that ghost fans have posted.
The village provided the perfect backdrop for a ghost story. The ancient churchyard, with its weathered headstones and whispering trees, felt like a place where the past still lingered. The quaint cottages, nestled among leafy lanes and surrounded by old orchards, held an undeniable charm—but also an unsettling stillness, as if they, too, were keeping secrets. Walking through that landscape, I could feel the weight of history pressing in. The Soul Collector was my way of capturing that eerie beauty and giving life to the spirits that seemed to echo through its streets.
What is your writing process like? Do you have any specific rituals or routines that help you stay focused?
I’m a real pontificator and had to be really strict with myself to write and not get distracted. As I did most of my writing during the school holidays, I had limited time and so had to be very regimented. I write first thing in the day and set myself a daily word limit, which I could obviously go over, but had to complete before moving on to other tasks.
How do you balance your career as a teacher with your writing? Do your students inspire your work in any way?
The most enjoyable aspect of my day job is sharing books with my class and fostering a love of reading and writing. When writing, I would always practice reading chunks imagining I was reading to the children. This helped with the flow of the story. The enthusiasm and excitement I got from the children when I told them I was writing The Soul Collector also really helped me to keep going when I suffered any bouts of writer’s block.
What do you hope readers will feel while reading "The Soul Collector"? Are there specific emotions or reactions you aimed to evoke?
I want readers to go on the full emotional journey with Sam, Jude, Olly, and Elsie—feeling their excitement, fear, determination, and triumphs along the way. There are moments of suspense and mystery, where I hope readers feel that thrilling sense of anticipation, but at its heart, The Soul Collector is a story about friendship, bravery, and loyalty.
More than anything, I want young readers to come away with a sense of warmth and happiness. No matter how spooky the adventure gets, the bond between the characters is what truly matters. I hope the story leaves them feeling comforted, reminded of the importance of friends and family, and maybe even a little more confident in their own strength and resilience.
