‘Keeping the Lid On’: Interview with the author
Q. What is this book about?
A. My rehearsed answer to this question is that it is a novel look at a dysfunctional school.
It’s set in a private school a little in the past at a time of turbulence following the death of the old headmaster. A sinister thread runs through attempts to take the school forward and issues of child protection clash with profit protection.
In this school examination, with few sources of light amidst the dark shadows, there is a slow reveal of events as the story unfolds. The outcome is uncertain – will things be swept under the carpet or will the rottenness at the heart of this particular establishment be exposed?
Q. What is the inspiration behind the book?
A. Now that we know how widespread the failure to protect the vulnerable has been in schools and institutions, the question I ask is how was it allowed to happen and my book explores that.
Q. What can you tell us about the main characters?
A. Not exactly a work of crime fiction, the novel is, however, written almost like a reconstruction of events. The character of individuals is analysed, but the names are, in effect, redacted, with the resulting use of job titles (Headmaster, Bursar, Founder, Matron etc) serving in some cases to emphasise how individuals can hide behind their positions of authority and in other cases how victims can lose their precious identities.
Q. This book is set in the early 2000s. Why?
A. I wanted to demonstrate how – before such matters were as much in the public arena as they now are – cover-ups in respected institutions hid a multitude of sins. Unfortunately, too many incidents were missed altogether or hushed-up. Cases of historic abuse are as grotesquely upsetting to learn about as they are profoundly sad for those who endured them and I wanted to look at how thin the line was that divided honesty from deceit in those in charge.
Q. How did you choose the title?
A. I wanted a title that gave a clear picture of attempts, in this case by a school, to prevent the opening of a can of worms.
Q. What research did you do for the book?
A. There has been a great deal of written material in this area, unfortunately, which illustrates the widespread nature of the problem. Added to that, my family has been involved in education for many years, so that aided my understanding of the circumstances that could arise. A recent spell of school governorship acquainted me with current rules, regulations and developments that contrast with those in the past.
Q. Do you have any plans for a sequel?
A. The simple answer is no, but I did think it could be made into quite a good TV or radio play, so I might revisit it for that.