Chapters from Cornwall
Bestselling author Liz Fenwick on her latest novel, writer's retreats, and her deep connection with Cornwall.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
That’s a great question. I knew I wanted to tell stories from a very early age, and I also wanted the stories that were read to me as a child to continue. This first happened in my head and then once I learned to write I began making books with pieces of paper stapled or taped together. It wasn’t long before I branched out and began writing my own stories.
Can you tell us about your writing process. Where do your ideas, characters & storylines come from?
In July 2025 my 10th full-length novel was published and what I’ve learned over time is that each book is quite different. What has been consistent though is that I’m a magpie who collects interesting snippets from all around and stores them away until something arrives that starts to pull a story together. That spark can be a character, a house, a location, or even just a good title. I find that once I reach this stage I almost instantly know the end of the story. That is when I begin to write a very rough and raw draft where I tell the story to myself and let the characters grow on the page. This first draft is just for me. Only once this is complete do I really begin to plan my process because each draft thereafter is for the reader. I end up writing many drafts of each book before it goes off to my editor for her thoughts.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the level of research that is required. In my early years I was writing a book a year, with that raw draft just taking a few months and the rest given over to editing. But now, with more historical aspects woven through my stories, it’s closer to 18 months or even two years.
Your latest novel The Secrets of Harbour House has a dual timeline - tell us the inspiration behind it?
An oil painting of the back of our house was up for sale at Lay’s Auctioneers in Penzance. We went to view it and while there a friend of ours found a painting she loved, bid on it, and won (though we didn’t win our own bid!). She also bid on a piece of pottery. Both the story behind her painting and the pottery sparked the idea. The portrait was painted by a woman, but her Wiki entry was all about her husband and who taught her, not about her! And the pottery piece came from the estate of “two distinguished ladies”. Their biographies were dominated by fathers, brothers, and teachers. I knew then I was going to write a novel that put female artists stories back on the page.
You write a lot about Cornwall, what is it about this county that you think is so inspiring?
Where do I begin? First, I see stories in the landscape. I can’t look out my bedroom window on a moonlit night and not envision a daring tale. Second, I also think it’s because it’s the one way I can truly be a part of Cornwall. To explain… when I was 13, I went to Ireland for the first time (all four of my grandparents came from there) and I felt my roots go down. I felt I belonged there; I was a part of it. I arrived in Cornwall the first time in 1989 and it immediately mesmerised me, but I wasn’t a part of it. I had no roots. The one way I could hold onto what had enthralled me so much was to write about it.
Where are your favourite Cornish places?
The Helford River is my soul. We live just a mile from its banks and I ‘plotwalk’ near the river daily. My husband proposed to me on Frenchman’s Creek so that holds a special place in my heart. I also love Gunwalloe and Dollar Cove. When my kids were young, we spent more hours than I can count rock pooling, body boarding and exploring.
Do you have a favourite book shop?
That is so hard for me as I love all the Cornish bookshops! They all have their own personalities. For the longest time Falmouth Booksellers was my local but now Helston has its own indie, The Bookshop in Helston. What all these shops have in common is that they are unique hubs for their communities as well as serving the visitors.
Who are your favourite authors and what are your favourite books?
Sadly I have less time now to read purely for pleasure, but I do still try to make time. I love Kate Atkinson, Nicola Upson, Kate Rhodes, Veronica Henry, and Amanda Geard to name but a few. As to favourite books, that’s hard as they can change, but if pressed I’d say - A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman, Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier, and The Whale at the End of the World by John Ironmonger.
Discover more Cornish tales on our two-night Reading Room Retreat.