Fantasy is 'mythology inspired by real life' - fairy tale author

The first novel from former Cross and Passion College Kilcullen student James Groome, A Grimm Tale of Wolves, is a fairy tale-inspired story about two young talking wolves, writes Brian Byrne. They cause a conflict between their kingdom and that of humans when they go to steal meat as part of an initiation to prove themselves.

"It's aimed at younger people who might still enjoy fairy tales," James told the Diary. "But I've also had adult readers come back and say it's both nostalgic and has enough intrigue to keep them entertained."

His choice of wolves and fairy tales reflects the bedtime stories he heard as a child and the fantasy stories he grew to love as he got older, a genre that has universal appeal. "They really started my love of stories, my love of writing or whatever means to get a story on the page. I enjoy stories about magic, nature, and other things that I have in the book. I think fantasy is mythology largely inspired by real life, and there's also a great emphasis on travel. So in some sense, it's grounded in the familiar, even if the protagonist is slaying a dragon or going into conflict with the human kingdom, as in my book."

The book was launched several weeks ago by Kilcullen author Hazel Gaynor, a family friend since James and her son Max were first at school together. At the event in Seanchai Books in Kildare town, Hazel praised the 'enormous effort, commitment, and dedication' involved in creating a book. "What you're not seeing is hours, days, weeks, years of doubt, wonder, worry, perhaps frustration and upset. It takes all that to get to this point where you can be so proud that your hard work has paid off."

James pays tribute to his family for their support, especially for respecting his wish that he wouldn't give any details about the story until it was finished. "I wanted them to read it from blind, so to speak. It took over a year to complete, and when it was finished, my dad read it all at once, and my older brother, while I was working on other drafts, became very invested in the story and the characters. Then, of course, there were lows and periods where progress was very slow or non-existent, but eventually, we got here."

Recipient of the Cross and Passion College English Award in 2024, James is studying English and Media at Dublin City University. There are more books in the pipeline, he says. "The book was always planned to be the first part of a trilogy," he says. "And hopefully, it won't be the only series of books that I write."

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