Behind the pen with author Tom McDonnell
Conversation with Tom McDonnell, who kicks off Halloween season with latest book, Dead but Awake.
I had the pleasure of talking with local author Tom McDonnell about his latest publication, Dead but Awake: A collection of paranormal encounters from the shadows of Oxford. McDonnell, who is also a tour guide of The Oxford Ghost Tour, offers an insight on the inspiration behind the novel, as well as tips for budding young writers.
Here’s what he had to say:
What was the inspiration behind Dead but Awake, and was there a particular reason you chose to go down the route of interviewing others about their paranormal experiences?
‘I am a story collector with numerous projects in progress.’
‘Over the years, I have taken thousands of people on ghost tours of Oxford. Many local people on the tours have told me about their brushes with the supernatural; I thought it would be interesting to publish these stories, something different from the tired old ghost stories which are repeated year after year. Although, I have re-examined some of the more famous ghost stories in order to investigate connections with recent sightings.’
Talk me through the process of how you began your research into this subject, is this something you have personal experience/ long standing interest in?
‘When I was 5 years of age, my school report stated that I had a “disturbing interest in the paranormal”, I would argue that it’s a healthy curiosity. My mother’s side of the family had a long-standing interest in ghosts, one aunty worked for some time as a medium.’
‘After hearing people’s paranormal accounts, I would trawl through documents in the Bodleian Library, The Oxford History centre and The British Newspaper Archives, old documents pertaining to pre-existing buildings, murders and reports of paranormal activity.’
‘I also benefitted greatly from the help of five local historians.’
You’ve previously written another book based in Oxford about Shakespeare’s connection to the city. Why Oxford, what draws you to the city?
‘I divide my time between Oxford and London. Besides organising concerts, the majority of my work is in the Oxford tourism sector, so I have an in-depth knowledge of the city which aids my research on local folklore and history, although I am also working on a project based on the music hall era in Liverpool, the place of my birth.’
Were there any stories that were too unsettling to include in the book that you can tell me about?
‘All I can say is that two people who planned to share their accounts changed their minds and decided that it was too disturbing to revisit their experiences, which is a shame, but I have to respect their decisions.’
What do you think draws people to stories about ghosts and tales of the unexplained?
‘I think that there are a multitude of reasons, some people love the thrill of being scared, hence the popularity of horror films, some people may genuinely believe in ghosts, based on personal experiences, whilst others hope for a sign of life after death.’
You work with The Oxford Ghost Tour, can you tell me a little bit more about your job there, how exactly you started working in this career, and how it influenced your book?
‘I’ve worked in the tourism sector for almost three decades. Given my interest in the paranormal, it was only natural that I would become a ghost tour guide and of course, a great deal of my research material came to me by way of the local punters on the tours.’
Where are your top five most haunted places in Oxford?
‘The Oxford Castle’
‘Merton lane’
‘The Trout inn’
‘St Aldate’s street’
‘St Giles’
What are your future plans as a writer? Do you think you might write additional novels about the paranormal?
‘I have quite a few projects on the go, including a book on paranormal accounts from around the world. I’ve also written quite a few horror film scripts, some of which I need to revisit.’
What guidance or recommendations would you offer to someone interested in writing or publishing a novel?
‘Make sure that you are working on a project that really captivates you, because it always takes longer than you might imagine writing a book.’
For more information, you can join Tom McDonnell’s Dead but Awake author evening at Blackwell’s on Broad Street on the 11th December. https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/events/?srsltid=AfmBOooM_6JNS8-mWn-pGue7_Q4NshBVA-XAeVYPYS9Rr7VDQrM8doQ1 In the meantime, his novel is available on Amazon.