An Interview with Author, Suzanne Snow
By Sarah Morgan, February 2025
What’s this? A Lancashire lass writing books set in Yorkshire? Is that even allowed?
Suzanne Snow, who hails from Southport, has written several set on the right side of the Pennines, including Finding Home in Hartnell, the first in a new series.
“Hopefully it’s allowed!” laughs Suzanne when we meet to discuss her work. “There’s two more to come! I love Yorkshire. We’ve got the Lakes above us, Yorkshire to the east and Ireland to the west. I feel as if I’m surrounded by these amazing landscapes, I’m so lucky.”
She adds: “I write uplifting fiction, definitely looking for those happy endings. I write stories inspired by landscape, romance and rural life. I would say I write about community, and different ages, people who make friends, people who come and live there…
“I hope they feel like a warm hug in a book. All of us who write romance would say we don’t shy away from everyday issues, like love, grief, loss and friendship. We essentially write about life and love.”
Suzanne’s latest book introduces readers to the beautiful, if fictional, village of Hartfell in the Dales. At the story’s centre is local vet Gil and Pippa, an incomer from London whose dad, rock star Jonny, came from the village and owns the property where Gil lives and works. He’s asked her to sort the place out, which Pippa assumes means putting it up for sale, but Jonny may have had a rather different idea in mind…
“Having grown up with horses, I was familiar with veterinary practices, especially a small one that back in the day used to treat our animals,” says Suzanne when asked about her inspiration for the tale. “It’s like everything, it’s grown and changed over the years. And I wanted to write something about a community with animals at its heart, and that led to writing about a vet.
“Veterinary practices, especially rural ones, are very much at the heart of their community. They develop long-standing relationships with farmers who’ve been there for generations, and so it was just a natural decision to explore that and a family history around a village.”
For Suzanne, writing is a way of life, something she’s been doing almost forever.
“I started writing short stories when I was about eight. Because I was mad about ponies, most of my stories involved them. We grew up outside with horses and ponies and dogs; it fell very naturally into a love for and sense of the seasons. All of that has fed into my writing.”
“I’ll always at heart be writing about rural communities”
Suzanne has now finished writing the second book in the series, which is due out in August, despite being a Christmas story.
“Gil and Pippa are very much in the next one, but it’s about two other vets. You see the practice develop as Gil makes plans for that and the family. The two new vets had a connection when they were at university together, and that’s reignited when they meet each other again in Hartfell.
“The third book, which I’m writing now, is Cassie and Raf’s story – Pippa’s friend and her brother are getting their own book, which is lovely. It was fun exploring that.”
The author hopes there could be more in the series, although she has other irons in the fire too, including new characters who will feature in another three-book run.
“I’ve got an idea for a standalone book as well, which I’ll set in Connemara,” she explains. “I’ve also started playwriting, so there are definitely options. I’ve got more books in mind, but I think I’ll always at heart be writing about rural communities – there’s just so much going on.”
Maybe she’ll have a little time to have a rest too. Between her writing commitments, Suzanne likes nothing better than exploring the countryside, and if that takes in a gallery and a cafe, then all the better. Away from that, she’s a keen gardener, having spent five years as a professional following her studies at agricultural college in Skipton.
But for now, her thoughts remain in Hartfell, particularly after I suggest the stories would work well on TV as a sort of modern-day All Creatures Great and Small.
“Each book could make a two-hour drama, and as one is a Christmas story, that could be the Christmas special,” says Suzanne, warming to the idea. “I think Rachel Shenton is a wonderful actress. She’s perhaps a little younger than Pippa, but she’d bring such warmth and humour to the part.
“As for Gil… I’d probably aim high and go for Chris Hemsworth! He’d have to work on his Yorkshire accent, but he’d certainly look the part.”
So, Channel 5, if you want another addition to your Yorkshire-themed programmes, look no further – we’ve got the perfect tales ready and good to go.
‘Finding Home in Hartfell’ is published by Canelo, price £9.99
Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.
