The Solitude of the Forgotten Canyon by Sophia Clegg is shortlisted for the 2024 Author of Tomorrow, 12-15 Category. 

The Solitude of the Forgotten Canyon: Ethan was a weary soul trapped in the monotony of his corporate job and the sterile walls of his apartment. Often, he found himself slumping onto his sofa after prolonged days of work. There, he would gaze at blank walls pondering the purpose of his existence. But that evening something shifted - a forgotten memory stirred within Ethan. It was as though it beckoned him to leave the concrete jungle and seek solace beyond the glass and steel…

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An interview with Sophia: 

WNSF: What is your favourite book?

Sophia: The genre of books you read changes all the time. They can change your thoughts, feelings and perception of the world. My favourite book at this moment in time is The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S Lewis.

WNSF: Who is your favourite author? Or one who has inspired you and why?

Sophia: C. S. Lewis is my favourite author because I love his writing style. It has bravery, friendship, honesty and trust. It has appealed to me ever since I read the 'Chronicles of Narnia' series - they are the lessons of life!

WNSF: What is your favourite subject at school?

Sophia: I do not have one favourite subject but two! I am very sporty and love athletics. English has been the eye-opener for me though. Moving into Year 7 was rough but English was like falling asleep and letting all of my thoughts and ideas loose on to the paper.

WNSF: What does ‘adventure writing’ mean to you? Why did you choose to try your hand at an adventure story?

Sophia: To me, adventure writing is somewhere that the character(s) have never been. You need to explain how they feel, what they see and how they react to this beautiful or wretched place. Adventure writing is adventure - putting yourself out there in the world. This was the first piece of adventure writing I have done and I am ecstatic with the outcome of all my hardwork and passion. This was my adventure. I chose to try an adventure story as I usually write poems - much shorter than stories. I put my gut feeling first and left my thoughts behind.

WNSF: If you could ask an author anything, what would you want to know?

Sophia: There are many questions I could ask an author but the one that stands out most to me is, 'How did you keep that motivation to pursue your life long dream?'

WNSF: Who would you consider one of your heroes and why?

Sophia: One of my heroes is Daisy from the book series Murder Most Unladylike. The character reminds me of myself with her confidence to do things, her love for mystery and how she wants to provide a better future for herself by doing things now and never delaying.

WNSF: What is the most adventurous thing you would like to do, or place you would like to visit and why?

Sophia: The most exhilarating place I would like to visit is the pyramids of Egypt. I would love to see the adventures it held and the secrets it guards. To witness one of those extraordinary pyramids is a life long dream.

WNSF: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Sophia: My story came from influencers on social media and how the world is not what is seems. Dreams help create my stories as all my thoughts pile up and become one big mind explosion! At first, before my big bang ideas, I struggle to start my stories and I just let my fingers write and my thoughts seep onto the paper. After all this I correct my 'mistakes'. To write this story I had a nosy at the backgrounds and voices of social media influencers. To me every one is a book. You don't judge a book by its cover, you just have to read them a little bit, know their story, their blurb.

WNSF: If you could time travel, where would you go and why?

Sophia: If time travel was possible I would travel to circa 3000 BCE, when writing and hieroglyphics were used as an instrument of state. I would probably try to teach them a few words and sentences. Try to meet King Menes - you know, normal Egyptian stuff!

WNSF: What three words would you use to describe your story?

Sophia: Encouraging, evocative and compelling.