Brian Dungan on Wintour's Game and sci-fi thrillers for teens

Our Macaw subscribers are heading into a mysterious world of high tech and action-packed drama this month with Wintour's Game, a gripping sci-fi thriller by Brian Dungan that is perfect for tween and early teen readers and fans of Alex Rider et al. Here Brian tells us about writing for his teenage daughters and seeing into the future...

What inspired you to write Wintour’s Game?

I’d been toying with the idea of a teenage character who could see glimpses of their future for a while. But as soon as Alex Wintour popped into my head fully formed, she flatly refused to be kept off the page.

Which character did you most enjoy writing and why?

Aww, it’s like picking a favourite child! I loved writing for Alex’s snarky and punky personality. When she’s 
interacting with Lynch in particular she doesn’t hold back. And I really enjoyed writing her meeting with Roz as well. They love and respect each other, but they don’t trust each other one bit and they know how to push the other’s buttons. So, writing those characters sparring  together was really fun. 

What do you hope young readers will take away from the story and how it unfolds?

I hope they’re entertained! Themes and messages and lessons in books for children are important, but I think that reading at that age should be transportive and fun. If it’s a chore to read then they’ll just put the book 
down and find another way to fill their time. There’s no shortage of alternatives.

What would you do if you could see into the future? How would you use it?

I’d have used it to see what a nightmare it was going to be to write about characters who could see the future and run the other way!! How do you put not one, but two characters in jeopardy when they can both see it coming!? Figuring that out took some time…

Can you tell us anything about what the future holds for Alex?

That would be telling! All I’ll say is that she’s not out of the woods yet. And it’s going to get worse for her before it gets better.

Why did you choose to write books for this age group?

I’ve always loved writing for this age group. It’s really fertile ground for a writer. We’re still finding out who we are at that age and have one foot in the adult world while still being a child. It’s a time in your life of real, tangible growth and you feel everything so acutely. The friends I made and things I loved when I was fourteen are still in my life today! There’s still a sense of fun, of childlike wonder about the world, a sense 
of playful adventure and mischief! Boundaries are there to be tested and the world is still your oyster, brimming with potential. It’s a really incredible stage of life to be able to write about. Plus I have three daughters in this age bracket, so I see it up close and 
personal every day!

Do you have a favourite place to write?

I have an office in my back garden I call The Den. It went in just as I’d started to write Wintour’s Game and 3 months later the COVID pandemic hit. So I had no excuses!

Which other sci-fi thrillers for early teens would you recommend our subscribers read next?

I always point sci-fi fans towards anything by Patrick Ness, but particularly the Chaos Walking Trilogy. Or Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy if you like your sci-fi with a healthy dose of amiable anarchy, mischief and tea.

Copies of our Wintour's Game pack, including a copy of the book and loads of fun activities to go with it, are now available for individual purchase. Grab a copy while stocks last!

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