The Yorkshire Vet: Branching out into opening school libraries as well as the day job

The first school was in Leeds. In advance, I tried to prepare but I really hoped nobody would expect a reading from my latest book. I’m told this is what authors do as a matter of routine when attending literary events or opening libraries, but it never sits comfortably with me. When I was at school, I hated reading out loud from books in class. Nowadays, especially when the text has been written by me, it’s not quite so bad, but I still don’t like it and I’m not very good at it. I tried to explain this to a friend, who happens to be a performance poet, as she assured me that it was essential to read out an appropriate passage.

“Yes, but it just feels a bit ‘showy-offy’,” I pleaded, but she wasn’t convinced.

I rushed out of the practice during my lunch break. With just a couple of hours before I had to be back for afternoon surgery, I’d have to be succinct. The opening went to plan and the children seemed thrilled to have a real-life vet and author sitting on the sofa of their new library. I snipped the ribbon, was interviewed by two reporters from the school magazine and signed some books. It was every bit as straightforward as the Christmas trees and bikes. And there was no plaque, which pleased me- it was much better to channel all available funds into actual books.

Buoyed by the simplicity of this task, I felt more relaxed about my next library-opening event, which was in the middle of the North York Moors. In advance, I’d spoken to the head teacher over the phone.

“Most of the children at the school are from farming families and it can be challenging to find books that capture their interest,” she explained. “But two of our pupils have taken your book home and read it from cover to cover. That’s never happened before. We’d love it if you could come and visit.”

I’d been thinking about writing books for a younger audience for a while. I knew it would be difficult, but the challenge was appealing. Adventures of a Yorkshire Vet: Lambing Time and other Tales was certainly the hardest book I’ve written. But I’d seen the huge impact The Yorkshire Vet has had (and continues to have) on its fans, many of whom are young people. Some have been inspired to follow a career working with animals as a result. I had an email a couple of months ago from a lady whose daughter, Emily, had watched our programme on Channel 5, read my books, then applied to Vet School. She’d just graduated as a veterinary surgeon. The genuine gratitude in the email from Emily’s mum was touching. I don’t know how many 8-11year-olds (the book’s target audience) will follow in my or Emily’s veterinary footsteps having read my collection of winter animal stories. But for me it’s been worth it, if Yorkshire has just two more young bibliophiles.