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The Galaxy Pirates - Hunt for the Pyxis   by Zoë Ferraris Age Range - 8 - 12 Genre - Adventure

SIX MINUTES WITH Zoë Ferraris:

Joining LitPick today for Six Minutes with an Author is adult and middle-grade author Zoë Ferraris. Zoë is the author of three adult Saudi novels, and a new middle-grade series, The Galaxy Pirates. The first book in the series is The Hunt for the Pyxis.

How did you get started writing? 

I wrote my first story when I was in fourth grade, and my teachers and friends told me that it was good – but I had no idea what that meant. I just thought it was fun. I was always writing something in a journal. But of course “fun” isn’t what you’re supposed to do for a living, so when I grew up, I studied math and astronomy and became very unhappy. At some point I realized that writing was still more fun than anything else, but it was more than that – books were really important to me. They taught me so much about the world. So I decided to try writing a book of my own.

Who influenced you?

I have always loved big fantasy novels, but I was most influenced by novels that could take me to other places – it didn’t have to be a fantasy world, it could be a part of our world that I just didn’t know much about. I loved Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club and Isabelle Allende’s House of the Spirits, because they both introduced me to unfamiliar places and perspectives. Other writers amazed me just because they were so good at writing – Margaret Atwood, Kate Atkinson, and Edna O’Brien.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

I find myself drawn back to favorite books because of the unique worlds they create. I don’t have a favorite setting, but I like being in foreign countries, and I love being in outer space and in imaginary realms. I wrote about Saudi Arabia in my three adult novels (Finding Nouf, City of Veils, and Kingdom of Strangers) and I created an entirely imaginary world in The Hunt for the Pyxis, and somehow these worlds are as important to me as the characters in my books.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

If you’re going to be a writer, I can almost guarantee that you’ll lose faith in yourself at some point, or at least you’ll start to doubt your skills and decisions. The best thing you can do is just keep going. Persistence, even in the face of your own self-doubt, is the strongest weapon you have.  

Where is your favorite place to write?

I’m kind of like a cat – I’ll take any warm spot I can find and curl up for some serious work. It just has to be warm. And not too loud. And treats are good, too.

What else would you like to tell us?

I first imagined the world of The Hunt for the Pyxis when I was a middle school student, so hearing other young readers say great things about it makes me unbelievably happy. A huge thank you for reading and reviewing my book. (And no spoilers here, but in the next two Galaxy Pirate books, Emma and Herbie are in for a ride!)

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Thank you Zoë for spending six minutes with LitPick! Your answer to the first question will be an inspiration to anyone who has taken one path but still wants to pursue their dreams. We’re looking forward to the next two Galaxy Pirates books!