'Guernsey is like a warm hug' - Dawn O'Porter

Dawn O'Porter grew up in Guernsey before moving to the UK to pursue a media career

Guernsey-raised author Dawn O'Porter has described the importance of the bailiwick to her writing process.

The Sunday Times bestselling author and broadcaster has written a series of three young adult novels loosely based on her memories of growing up in Guernsey.

O'Porter said her latest novel, Honeybee, was based on her own experience as a 22-year-old wanting to move to London without any money, despite Guernsey feeling "like a warm hug".

She said she had a decision to make, whether she wanted to leave the island and "go and battle in the rest of the world".

O'Porter lives in London with her husband, Bridesmaids actor Chris O'Dowd, and their two sons, but regularly returns to the island.

"Guernsey is a really emotive place for me," O'Porter said.

'Paradise with trauma'

The novelist said she "didn't have a normal childhood" as her mother died when she was seven, while her father lived in Scotland, meaning she lived with her grandparents and later her uncle and aunt in Guernsey.

O'Porter said: "A lot happened to me before the age of 18 on that tiny island.

"Guernsey is a really extraordinary place to be a child.

"When you're mixing paradise with trauma, it's just an emotive thing."

Dawn O'Porter said 80% of her ideas had come from "staring out at the sea" at Fermain Bay or Jerbourg Point

O'Porter said she travelled back to Guernsey regularly while writing.

"I love the island [now] more than I ever loved the island."

She said she had grown to love cliff walks and that 80% of her creative ideas came while "staring out at the sea" from Jerbourg Point and Fermain Bay while "thinking back on" her childhood.

"I can't believe they're just a short cliff walk from where I grew up," she said, "they're so beautiful and so special."

'Written myself well'

She believes the process of writing has helped her heal from her childhood trauma.

"I experienced quite a lot of sad things when I was a kid and I've written myself well.

"If I am struggling with something I fictionalise it and get it out of my system."

"A lot of feelings that I needed to address - creases that I needed to iron out - I've done through [my characters]."

O'Porter said she encouraged "people who are going through hard things to write it down".

"If you write something down on paper this thing happens where you let it go - it's so cathartic," she said.