Old people are the new influencers - how plundering ‘granny’ gave Rachel Sambrooks her lust and love for comedy on the page… read on…
- CWIP
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
Can you tell us about the brilliant ‘The Way of Nellie May’ in one sentence?
Reclusive Amber busts her grandma Nellie out of care home to give her one last day trip to Aberystwyth from Birmingham but instead of returning, Nellie has other ideas.
What drew you to the canvas of the older generation and care homes as a backdrop?
I’ve always been fascinated especially by older women as they are often invisible 'old ladies' but I love hearing stories and perspectives from an unheard social history. I created a podcast series about sharing grandmother stories called ‘Stand By Your Nan’ because I've always been a Nan child! I do think care homes often do a great job despite the financial pressures and I wanted the tension of Amber wondering if she should be helping Nellie to follow her dreams or not. It also creates comedy moments as she has to tackle walkers, oxygen tanks and her very stubborn grandmother.
How much of your own life did you plunder to create this ‘road story’, using such wit on the page?
I’ve had huge anxiety and developed agoraphobia when I was in my 20s like Amber. Seeing a whole other generation of young people struggling makes me wish there was more support and understanding for those in fear of going out. I hope Amber creates an empathy for that but also I know humour got me through and I wanted to show how even in the darkest moments, comedy can help you find a way. My grandmother was a huge influence on my life she was really inspiring even into her 90s but also funny in the way she often learned bits and pieces of philosophy but wasn’t formally educated and paraphrased the way Nellie does. Even though she’s very different to my own Nan, I think the spirit of adventure is the same.
Which witty novel inspired you the most growing up?
I loved the Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, it was set in the Midlands (I'm from Birmingham) and I related to the voices and characters that came out of it. It was hilarious as well! Sue Townsend was a brilliant writer and a fabulous role model showing the humour and humanity of extraordinary moments in ordinary lives.
How long have you wanted to write and finish a manuscript? Where do you write? Do you take coffee breaks or stick to water /wine/other? Any writing habits gratefully received.
I’ve been writing my whole life and worked on scripts, poetry and comedy material for stand up. It’s been my dream to have a novel published and have been working at it for many years. I received a scholarship for the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course in 2019 and have been writing drafts of different novels ever since. Amber has been a character I've written about for years but it wasn’t until the end of last year I had an epiphany to resurrect the ‘dead’ grandmother character and her story along with it. Nellie was a wonderful character and a novel I loved to write. This spurred me on to finish and I’ve been absolutely blown away being shortlisted after so long writing in the wilderness.
In terms of writing tips I'm a little strange about my writing - it's like entering another world. I get hyper focussed especially when I’m drafting so I have to put on a timer to make myself take breaks. It's always coffee for the first one and tea for the ones after. I’m not great with schedules and I can scribble away wherever I am so if I get stuck I’ll head for a café but most of the time it’s just about sitting at my laptop, opening the document and letting it flow.
Finally, can you tell us why you think CWIP is important?!
Though many women are represented in publishing at the moment, comedy writing isn't so much. I’ve been writing comedy for years for stand up and have had material broadcast but it’s still not a 50/50 gender split. I’ve been told many times ‘women aren’t funny’ when I know how hilarious they are and how they don’t see themselves represented like that. Having the Comedy Women in Print Prize is incredibly important as it shows not only are women funny on stage, they are on the page. It’s given me a platform I’d never have thought possible a year ago - so thank you again!
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