ELIZABETH MACNEAL: The Doll Factory

At the Faversham Literary Festival last February in 2020, I had the pleasure of meeting with Elizabeth Macneal author of the ‘The Doll Factory’. After her talk, we chatted and I interviewed her for an article in the local paper.

A Bit About Her Book

Elizabeth exclaims that her novel, The Doll Factory, couldn’t be set in any other time period. The book is set in Victorian London at the time of The Great Exhibition, which she describes as a very powerful time for Britain; showing its ambition and wealth. She describes her main characters as ambitious and hardworking. The book itself follows the journey of the female protagonist Iris, as she explores the world of art.

Passion for Pottering

As a potter, Elizabeth compares the making of her book to pottery, explaining that it took her ‘a long time to understand different elements of writing’ and how to ‘smush’ characters and plot together. To aid her writing, Elizabeth uses spreadsheets to set out the timeline and structure of her story.

Literary Hero’s

Elizabeth’s hero of fiction is Becky Sharp from Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. The character is fiercely ambitious. The confines of the time, however, meant that such female ambition was suspect, and the author condemned this rather than celebrated it.

Elizabeth says that if she could be any literacy character, it would be Jane Austen’s Emma. Elizabeth describes Emma’s character as funny and sparky. She emphasises the relative independence Emma enjoyed, which was due to her wealth and standing in the community.

Achievements

Elizabeth’s greatest achievement to date, she says, is almost finishing her second book, which she’s currently working on. Writing it has been a struggle due to the pressure of living up to expectations. It’s been a very different process from writing The Doll Factory. The second novel, ‘Circus of Wonders’ (coming MAY 2021) will also be historical fiction, but with different characters and a different story. It’s set in an 1860’s circus, and will explore objectification, celebrity and female anger. The Doll Factory will be adapted into a TV series with Buccaneer Media, and work is beginning on the screenplay.