Kate Moore is the author of The Radium Girls, the first-ever narrative non-fiction account of this inspirational true story. Kate was born in Northampton, England and grew up in Peterborough. She studied English Literature at the University of Warwick. A Sunday Times bestselling author, she writes across various genres, from biography and history to gift and humour, and is also in demand as a book editor and ghostwriter. Before becoming a full-time author and freelance editor, she was an editorial director at Penguin Random House UK. Kate is also an actress and traveling researcher.
We talked to Kate in anticipation of her event to discuss her fascinating look at a forgotten piece of history brought to light in The Radium Girls. Learn more about her below, then come meet her and learn more about the radium girls (some were from nearby Ottawa, Illinois!) on Sunday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. RSVP here.
What was your favorite book as a kid?
It’s hard to pick just one! I was a big fan of The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann, which had so much drama and emotion in it: it was a series of books about woodland animals who had to find a new home when their forest was bulldozed to the ground. I also loved Caroline B. Cooney’s The Fog, The Snow, The Fire series, which were all so ominous. And finally Louise Lawrence’s Children of the Dust, a post-apocalyptic novel which has really stayed with me to this day.
If you could meet one American author from the past who would it be and why?
Sylvia Plath. I love her work. She was such an inspiration to me as a writer when I was a young adult and I completed an in-depth study of her while at university. I’m sure she’d have a lot to say that was lost to us because of her suicide.
Where do you prefer to write?
At home – but I don’t have an office space or a permanent desk (people are always surprised by that given I’m a professional writer, but it’s the truth!). I wrote The Radium Girls at our kitchen table.
What should we be reading?
I just finished The Power by Naomi Alderman which is AMAZING – everyone, both men and women, should read it. I think it’s only been published in the US recently – having been a huge hit in the UK – and I would urge readers to find and digest its thought-provoking narrative. It’s about what happens when women suddenly have The Power – the ability to discharge an electric shock at will – and become the dominant gender worldwide.
Can’t wait to hear more? Come meet Kate Moore at the AWM on Sunday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m! Space is limited, so RSVP today.