Pauline’s Who Do You Think You Are? novel

Pauline’s Who Do You Think You Are? novel

24 October 2018

GREAT teachers often inspire their students but novelist Pauline Burgess can instead thank hers for inspiring her latest book.

The English teacher from St Malachy’s High School in Castlewellan is celebrating the publication of her novel, Who Do You Think You Are?

The second of three novels for Poolbeg Press for Pauline, the novel is written from the viewpoint of a 13 year-old girl called Magda, a Polish teenager who finds her new life in Belfast challenging.

Along with finding her identity as a developing young woman, Magda also has to find some balance in a place that is far from what she knows.

Having taught in St Malachy’s for the past 26 years, Pauline says that her experience of teaching pupils with a range of nationalities has inspired this book, which is her sixth since 2013.

“Over the last 15 years, the demographics of our school population has changed quite a bit, and rightly so,” said the Carryduff woman.

“We’ve had students from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungry and Romania and I’ve always admired how well they adapt and fit in and move on, often leaving important members of their family behind.”

She adds: “I’m not sure if I could do it, having to adapt a completely different language and way of living.”

The book is aimed at young readers aged between 11-15 — the age group Pauline says she is most comfortable writing for as that’s the age group she teaches.

Her use of Polish within the book was assisted by one of the school’s classroom assistants, Mrs Dana Williamson, who is Polish, and sixth form student Paulina Rys, who is also Polish. 

Pauline says that the book is not based on any real person and that she has gleaned much from all the students she teaches.

While it took her 12 years to get her first book deal, Pauline is currently experiencing a prolific period.

Her first series of books, Pony Friends Forever, were aimed at younger readers aged 5-8.

Published by Blackstaff Press in 2013, they were inspired by her 13 year-old daughter Emma’s love of horses.

Her first teen fiction novel was Knock Back, published in 2017 — a rite of passage story of a young boy who discovers he’s adopted, and is part of contract with Poolbeg. 

She’s currently working on her third book, The Trip, which is due out next autumn. This book will be a tribute to “our own home-grown children”, says Pauline.

“All of my books seem to have a theme of integration in them, so my new book while have a theme of integration between the two communities in Northern Ireland and across the north and south of Ireland,” she adds.

While she’s busy writing short stories for adult readers as well, Pauline is also determined to write a historical fiction novel for teen readers.

Who Do You Think You Are? by Pauline Burgess (Poolbeg Press) is priced at £6.99 and available from all good book shops and online from Amazon.