Poetryzine Magazine presents the interview of Carole Matthews taken by Irma Kurti
Carole Matthews is a successful and popular British author, famous for her sense of humour and her romantic comedy novels. Her books have sold over 6.8 million books worldwide and have been published in more than 31 countries. In 2011, Matthews was inducted into the Festival of Romance Hall of Fame for her outstanding contribution to romance writing. In 2021 Carole won the Romantic Novelists' Association - Romantic Novel of the Year Award. For Sunny days and Sea Breezes.
Carole has presented on television and is a regular radio guest. When she’s not writing novels, television or film scripts she manages to find time to trek in the Himalayas, rollerblade in Central Park, take tea in China and snooze in her garden shed in Milton Keynes which is near London, England.
You are a popular and successful British author, with millions of books sold worldwide. What do you think is the key to your success?
I think my books are very relatable. They deal with the things that normal women are facing in every day life, but in a humorous way. My readers seem to really love that. They know what they’re going to get when they pick up one of my books – a funny, feel-good read but with a little issue at the heart.
In 2021 you won the Romantic Comedy Novel Award in the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards with your novel “Sunny Days and Sea Breezes”. What did this Award mean for you?
That was a lovely thing to receive. I’ve been nominated many times but hadn’t won, so it was a relief to finally hear my name called! It’s always nice to have recognition from your peers, but even better when readers say they love your books.
We went through a very difficult time due to the pandemic. What was that period like for you? Did you write more or was it a time of reflection?
Definitely reflection for me. I had a deadline to meet, so wrote until the July of the first year, but after that I stayed away from my computer and enjoyed my garden for the first time in many years. I also couldn’t read as I had no concentration at all. After the pandemic, it has very much changed the way I do things. We had a relatively easy time of lockdown and I only recently got Covid, but was quite poorly with it. Going through something like that has changed people in many ways, I think.
Since your first book “Let’s meet on Platform Eight” until the last one “Christmas for Beginners”, has everything changed in your style of writing?
Very much so. There’s a twenty-five year span between the first book and the last and I hope, during that time, my writing has improved! After the first few books, I had more confidence in how to plot and create characters. I look back at my earlier books and, though I’m still very proud of what they achieved and many of my readers still love them, I’d probably write them completely differently now.
When did you realize that writing would become an integral part of your life?
Only when I got my first book contract. It happened very quickly that I went from not being a writer to having a contract for two books. I did still have another full-time job until I’d written five books. It was a big decision to give that up and become a full-time writer.
How many hours do you devote to writing each day?
When I’m writing a novel, I put in about eight to ten hours a day. Until recently, I’ve been doing a book every six months which is a pretty tight turn around. Social media – an essential part of being an author now – also takes up a lot of time, but it’s a lovely way to be in contact with your readers.
You are a writer of romantic comedies. Do your own books amuse you too?
Yes, they do! When I’m writing a book, I’m always happy if I make myself laugh outloud twice and cry once.
Do you consider yourself a lucky person too or it’s only hard work that helped you become a successful writer?
I think a bit of both. I was lucky to hit the right desk at the right time and catch the whole new wave of ‘chicklit’ back in the nineties. I have Bridget Jones to thank for that! I think I’ve had thirty-four bestselling novels since then due to hard work.
What do you advise to new writers?
Write every day to develop your style. No writing is ever wasted. Write about what fills you with passion. Don’t chase trends. By the time you’ve finished your book, the publishing industry will have moved on. Enjoy what you write!
Irma Kurti is an Albanian poet, writer, lyricist, journalist, and translator and has been writing since she was a child. She is a naturalized Italian and lives in Bergamo, Italy. All her books are dedicated to the memory of her beloved parents, Hasan Kurti and Sherife Mezini, who have supported and encouraged every step of her literary path.
Kurti has also won numerous literary prizes and awards in Italy and Italian Switzerland. She was awarded the Universum Donna International Prize IX Edition 2013 for Literature and received a lifetime nomination as an Ambassador of Peace by the University of Peace, Italian Switzerland.
In 2020, she became the honorary president of WikiPoesia, the encyclopedia of poetry. In 2022, she was also nominated as the Albanian ambassador to the International Academic Award of Contemporary Literature Seneca of the Academy of Philosophical Arts and Sciences, Bari.
Irma Kurti collaborates with various newspapers, magazines, and websites in Italian, Albanian, and English. She is a member of the jury for several literary competitions in Italy. She is also a translator for the Ithaca Foundation in Spain.
Irma Kurti has published 27 books in Albanian, 22 in Italian, 15 in English, and two in French. Her books have been translated and published in 14 countries.