I did one of my very early Q&As with New York Times Bestselling author Jenny Colgan back in 2022. Two years later I am happy to be doing this Behind The Book Q&A discussing her recent release Close Knit which came out on August 6^th and is available to read now!

Q: Jenny, would you give a brief description of Close Knit for those who haven’t read it yet?

A: It’s about a knitting circle and being raised by women and supportive small communities and finding the courage to build your own life. And, because it’s by me, there’s also dancing and food and beautiful Scottish locations and probably more chickens than are strictly necessary.  

Q: After the story ends it was either the acknowledgements section or the authors note where you mentioned that you, your mother and your grandmother knitted! Would you say that the characters of Gertie, her mother and grandmother are loosely based off you and your mom and grandmother because of how close they were and how the three of you knitted? 

A: The characters aren’t based on my own family, but the knitting certainly is. My grandmother was a brilliant knitter but had shocking taste, so we were always getting stuck with purple cardigans with black sleeves and what not. And my mum liked to knit and watch television at the same time, so you can always tell when a good bit is on because she drops her tension all over the place. Things go very awry whenever Robert Redford is onscreen. Or, when she got older, who was it she really liked? Oh yes, Dennis Haysbert. She really liked him a lot. She watched all sorts of films that weren’t really her type of film at all just because he was in them. I miss her very much. 

Q: How long did it take you to write Close Knit? 

A: I normally finish a draft in a few months then my editors and I go at it and keep at it until it feels just right. A bit like unraveling your knitting, in fact. I love hearing from readers that I write easy comforting stories- that’s what I’m aiming for, when you read them, but that’s not how it feels to write them! 

Q: If there were to be a sequel to Close Knit, what would Gertie, Struan, Morag and the other characters be up to right now?

A: Oh, I love to think of my characters going off and building little lives for themselves after the books are over. I’m very fond of Struan, finally admitting to himself he doesn’t really want to be a rock star, he likes being a primary (grade school) teacher. I think you can be very happy when you shake off the bonds of what you think you’re “expected” to do in this life, whether those are family expectations or just of yourself. Time and time again we see studies that tell us the best way to be happy is to be sociable, close to your family, and busy. There’s an old wistful folk song with a verse that goes, ‘I thought that we might settle down/ get a few acres dug/ fire burning in the hearth/ and babies on the rug’. Which is not of course the only way to have a brilliant life, far from it, but I think Gertie would probably quite like it. 

Q: What lessons and emotions do you hope readers learn & feel after reading Close Knit? For me it was that it’s okay to daydream but don’t forget to live in your reality and make your dreams come true. 

A: Well, absolutely, that’s true for all of us, isn’t it? It’s wonderful to daydream, but never let it get in the way of your real life and your real goals. And it’s hard to realize at the time but when you’re young if you want something, you really should say. People can’t psychically guess what you want. You might not get it, but you should always ask, otherwise you never will. And it saves a lot of time.