Antarctic Adventures: A Q&A with Mr Jack Jackman
It’s no secret that Loretto’s staff body is comprised of exceptional individuals. Last September, Year Three teacher, Mr Jack Jackman, released his debut novel Maisie vs Antarctica.
The action-packed novel follows Maisie and her boring dad, as they embark on an adventure to Antarctica. Maisie notices that strange goings-on happen round her dad, and she begins to uncover secrets that he’s been keeping.
In anticipation of the second installment in the series, Maisie vs The Himalayas, released in August this year, we sat down with Mr Jackman to discover more about his past and inspiration for the spectacular story.
Can you share a little about your background? What brought you to start writing?
I’ve had lots of different jobs, including as a computer games tester, a photographer’s assistant in a war, a waiter, a tour guide in an abandoned prison, and a pianist in a punk rock band.
The two jobs that I love most, teaching and writing, were jobs that I accidentally stumbled into. I’ve even managed to combine the two – when I was teaching in Buenos Aires, my class enjoyed the fantasy world I created. One pupil was so engrossed that she tried to use it as a reason to not do her homework, claiming she was invisible! Pupils’ parents got involved too, coming into school to solve mysteries.
What inspired you to write Maisie vs Antarctica?
The works of Jules Verne, a French author some 150 years ago, wrote fantastic adventure stories, including An Antarctic Mystery. When he was writing, many areas of the world lay undiscovered and the same can still be said today – I find this fascinating.
Whilst Antarctica was first sighted in 1820 and has been explored ever since, much of it remains untouched. What better way to uncover more of the continent than to place a father-daughter duo there?
How did you develop the character of Maisie, and are there aspects of her personality that reflect your own experiences or those of people you know?
Whilst the character of Maisie isn’t based on my daughter, she was integral to discovering Maisie’s voice. When she was 11 – the same age as Maisie – we enjoyed a day in a cafe, drafting a rough plot.
Despite the father-daughter link, I’d like to clarify that Maisie’s boring dad is not based off me, however, the one thing that we do have in common is that neither of us owns a television.
Why did you choose Antarctica as the setting for Maisie’s adventure? How did you research this unique environment to portray it accurately?
I had an adventure of my own in Antarctica. Many years ago, an ice-breaking ship arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina – the most southern city in the world – whilst I was living there. The ship was taking tourists to Antarctica and required an English-speaking waiter. Thanks to being the only native English speaker there, I was recruited.
For a month, we explored the Weddell Sea: making our way onto the ice, climbing underground to the German base, riding a Sno-Cat to Halley, the British base, and visiting penguin colonies – many of which were unexplored at this time.
My time in Antarctica was obviously beneficial in portraying Maisie’s adventure authentically. However, I did also undertake some additional research. I was surprised to learn was that if you’re ever stuck in a white-out, drooling can help you figure out which way is down!
Can you share any details about Maisie’s future journeys or the direction of the series?
After their Antarctic adventure, Maisie and her dad will make their way to the Himalayas. When she’s there, she’ll discover that her dad is hiding an even bigger secret than she could have ever imagined…
Excitement is mounting for the sequel, with rave reviews and award nominations continuing to flurry in for Maisie vs Antarctica. This week, Jack will attend the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, as the debut novel was shortlisted for the Children’s Travel Book of the Year. We’re sure you’ll join us in wishing him the very best of luck as he awaits the results of this!