by Laura Esper #31, 22 November 2004

Real life experiences are often the stuff good novels are made of, and Irish author, Jack Scoltock, has had his share of adventure to draw upon. A native of Derry, Northern Ireland, Scoltock's father divorced his mother when he was only seven years old. His mother was left to raise Jack and his younger brother and sister, but in the midst of the darkness of divorce, a light was shining bright in the attic of Jack Scoltock's mind. Literally.

"We didn't have much, but we were happy," Scoltock explains. "Around that time I read stories to my younger brother and sister, pretending I could see fantastic things in the light bulb. They often talk about that."

Those days are long behind him, but his love for storytelling is still strong. Today, Scoltock is Derry's most published children's writer. Many children have told him his books make them feel good about themselves, and he points to this as an important reason for his success. Now, American children may soon know the magic of Jack Scoltock's adventure and fantasy stories as he searches for a publisher on this side of the Atlantic.

Recently, when Merlin Publishing informed him that they no longer would be promoting children's books, Scoltock, who had established a good relationship with his editors over the years, was immediately returned the rights to 9 of his children's novels, thankfully avoiding a wait until they were sold or completing the one year remaining in his contract. Thus began the search for an American publisher.

But will American children embrace his books? Scoltock believes they will.

"Children are children wherever they are. I would love children all over America to read my books. There is no badness in any of my writing, and the stories would only do good. I am on the Creative Youth Partnership group here, I visit schools all over the country, and I love talking to children about my writing."

Passionate about Ireland, Scoltock often uses his hometown of Derry for a setting in his stories. "If you spent a day or longer in Derry you [would know that] Derry is a lovely place. Many Americans visit here. Many don't go back home. I believe in writing about places I know, and I know my hometown very well. Charles Dickens walked the streets of London every day. He too had a sense of place, and it showed in his writing."

Despite his success in writing, Scoltock describes it and another passion, underwater diving, as hobbies. An experienced diver, he owns and operates a water sports shop in Derry. In February of 1971, he participated in a dive with the City of Derry Sub-Aqua Club in Kinnago Bay, County Donegal, which led to the discovery of the Spanish Armada Galleon, La Trinidad Valencera. The divers recovered many artifacts, including a boy's leather boot. This true life adventure, in particular the discovery of the boy's boot, served as inspiration for his story, The Sand Clocker: Spanish Armada Stowaway.

The year is 1586, and Catholic King Philip of Spain has commanded his Armada of 130 ships equipped with 25,000 soldiers to attack England and its Protestant ruler, Queen Elizabeth, in an effort to stop executions of Catholics and the destruction of their churches. Main characters Tomas and Diego are two underage boys determined to join the Armada to fight against England. Severe illness, rancid food, and violent weather doom the Valencera from the start. The weakened galleon is attacked by the English, and the boys become shipwrecked off the coast of Ireland. The Sand Clocker is accurate in its historic significance and a fast-moving story for children and adults. Published by Wolfhound Press, this novel, unlike Scoltock's other books, has been marketed in the United States and is the only book Scoltock does not own the rights to.

At the moment, Scoltock is working on several projects, including a sequel to the classic story of Peter Pan. "I have a couple of thousand words written and [am] getting there. I have written a sequel to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is called, Quest for the Seven Dwarfs and is about Pure White, Snow White's daughter who must search for the little men when her mother is poisoned." The story was read over a five day period during Easter of 2002 on the BBC by local Shakespearean actor, Gordon Fulton. An audio excerpt of the story may be listened to on Scoltock's website.

So what of the boy who once told stories of fantastic things he could see in the lightbulb? Oh, he's still there, inspiring the now adult Scoltock to create more magical stories for his young and not-so-young fans. A lifelong reader and collector of American comic books - DC, Marvel and Fawcett - Scoltock begs one to ask the question: did reading comics influence any of Scoltock's writing?

"I had an Aunt Alice who lived in Maine who sent me American (10-centers we called them) comics every so often. How I loved reading them. How I loved swapping them for others. Those stories of Superman, Batman and even the Classic Illustrated comics (The Last of the Mohicans is my favorite story). I will always firmly believe that it was my love of comics that made me the writer I am. So thanks, Aunt Alice."

Yes, thank you Aunt Alice!