The stories in Digging Up Dad have certainly made me feel more hopeful, which is why I put the word in the extra bit of the title. In somewhere between three and seven thousand words with not too many adverbs. And along the way, even if they hadn’t planned it, inspire us grown-ups to be our best selves too. And then, when they found they’d got a mate with a laptop and a big sink, they might feel hopeful enough themselves to have a crack at it. Which got me hoping I could meet a few kids like that in my imagination. Not just in their own lives, but also in the lives of their families, pets, teachers, neighbours, local shopkeepers, members of parliament etc. And perhaps wondering if they might be able to do a bit of making things better themselves. And how young people are probably noticing this. I also found myself thinking how a lot of us grown-ups aren’t feeling as confident as we used to about making things better.

And when I say everyone, I’m including the planet that lets us park our cars on it. While I was waiting for the burnt bits to soften, I found myself thinking about how everyone’s problems seem to be a bit bigger these days. The one where you make slow circular meditative movements with a sponge in a sink full of dirty dishes and let your mind wander. They just sort of slowly came to me, thanks to a creative technique that has served me well over the years. Where did you get the ideas for the stories in Digging Up Dad?

Loyal creatures morris gleitzman