Dulwich OnView

‘The juxtaposition of music and words in the performance is very special.’

Michael Morpurgo, children’s Laureate 2003-05, talks to Sue Gillie.

The Mozart Question, set in Venice and a concentration camp, is the story of a boy who wants to learn the violin, but whose father finds it very hard to accept this, for reasons which I hesitate to reveal for fear of spoiling the story. Suffice it to say that it has to do with his interment in such a camp.

Having seen very moving adaptations of both The Mozart Question and Private Peaceful, an earlier book of Morpurgo’s, as monologues at the Edinburgh Festival where the shows were sold out, and the hugely popular War Horse at the National Theatre, I was delighted to have the opportunity to ask the author a few questions.

I began by asking about this performance of The Mozart Question at the Dulwich Festival on 12 May.

MM I will be reading from the book myself, with Alison Read (wife of Simon Read), accompanied by the super professional Dante Quartet who are based near Dulwich. They will play the sort of music which is relevant to the story – including, of course, Mozart. Think of it as like the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and you will get the idea

SG The subject matter of this, as many of your books, is both serious and sad, yet you are writing for children. How do you square this circle?

MM I think we make the line between childhood and adulthood too defined. We think children can’t cope with illness, sadness and pain, but we are wrong; it is inevitably part of their lives, now more than ever, given the images of war and violence they see on television and in the news, and the computer games they play.

SG What started you writing for children?

MM It was when I was a teacher, some 30 years ago, and I rapidly learned the best way to get 35 restless Year 6 children to listen to me was to tell them stories – and to tell them with passion. When I ran out of books to read from, I began to write my own stories for them.

SG And moving to public performance?

MM I love bringing stories to new people in different ways, and having the opportunity to interact with them. The Mozart Question was illustrated by Michael Foreman who depicted the heaven of Venice and the hell of the concentration camp, and I think this suits serious music very well. The juxtaposition of music and words in the performance is very special.

SG Your love of children goes beyond writing for them. Can you tell me a little about the other public side of your life?

MM Yes. My wife and I run three farms, in Devon, Wales and near Bristol, where city children come and stay for a week to learn about the countryside and animals. Some 70,000 children have participated already, and I love listening to them interacting with the animals – it often gives me the inspiration for new stories!

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Michael Morpurgo OBE was the Children’s Laureate from 2003 to 2005 and has won many prizes and awards around Europe, and was the Booksellers’ Association’s Author of the Year in 2005. He is widely read in many countries, including Korea and Japan.

Michael Morpurgo and Alison Read will be performing The Mozart Question at All Saints Church, Rosendale Road, on May 12th. As you can gather from his answers, it is suitable for both adults and children (probably best over the age of 12).
Tickets £12, £10 (conc and Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery), £6 children To buy click here