INTERVIEW
PENNY PARKES The bestselling Cotswold novelist on her Larkford series, winning awards and daring to become an author
Describe your Larkford series in a nutshell. I like to think of my Larkford books as a little Cotswold mini-break. Not only is my fictional market town the literary lovechild of Cirencester, Bath and Broadway, but I also enjoy drawing on local traditions and eccentricities - like the duck race, the cheese rolling and the red trousers - to really add authenticity. Coming from a background finding film locations, I suppose it was inevitable that the town itself would play such a pivotal role, but the theme of community really does underpin many of my plotlines. Set in a fictional GP’s
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COTSWOLD HOMES MAGAZINE
surgery, each book is a real sneak behind the scenes – exploring the ways that the doctors of Larkford balance their personal and professional lives. Or not. Which gives me the perfect excuse to find the humour in their relationships and their endeavours, whilst exploring life in a country town. What inspired the creation of your protagonist, GP Holly Graham? I knew I wanted to write about doctors – there being something inherently attractive about anyone prepared to dedicate themselves to a career in medicine – but finding the balance between the doctors at The Practice was key.
