You live in London but were born in Hertford. When you are in Hertford where is the best place to start the day?

I love wandering along Waterford Marsh and up to Waterford Heath. It’s an area I explored a lot as a child with my parents, so I love going back, watching the landscape change with each season.

Where do you find inspiration for your books?

I wish I knew the answer to this! My ideas generally come from my curiosity – sometimes characters pop up in my imagination, almost fully formed, and stick around with me until I have to write about them. That’s precisely what happened with Aleisha and Mukesh, from my debut The Reading List – I began with the scene where they first meet in their local library, and I had to find out who they were and what their lives were like, and their friendship and the novel developed from there. I love writing about friendships, so I’m often inspired by the friendships in my own life and in the world around me.

Where do you write – at home or out and about?

I like to write in libraries, especially when I’m working on a first draft. Being around other people working intently helps me focus. Occasionally, I’ll take myself out to a café and write by hand when I’m trying to write a scene from scratch, or when I feel stuck and don’t know what to do next.

Do you have a favourite café ?

I love Mudlarks Garden Café in Herts as it’s such a lovely spot for lunch with friends or family, or if you want to read a book alone and enjoy some quiet time with coffee and scrumptious cake, it’s the perfect spot for that too! My parents (who introduce me to all the cool cafés in Hertford now) recently took me to Brad and Dills, which is also a firm favourite now. The bagels are delicious, and I’m already looking forward to going back. And finally, Rose Café – this was always a lunchbreak favourite when I was at school, and I find myself thinking about their hashbrown sandwiches A LOT. I haven’t been in years, so need to rectify that right away!

Where in Herts do you go for some ‘me time’?

My parents and I love to walk around Panshanger Park. We first discovered the park a few years ago, and we couldn’t quite believe this amazing space was practically on our doorstep. It’s so peaceful to sit and watch the birds go about their lives on the water, or clamber up the hill to take in the views. It’s restorative to be there.

Do you have a favourite local shop?

Whenever I’m in Letchworth, I love popping into David’s Bookshop – it’s so welcoming and I always discover something new to read whenever I visit. I adore the Oxfam bookshop in Hertford too: I spent so many weekends there as a teenager, browsing the bookshelves, and it’s still the one shop I will go into without fail whenever I’m back.

Best spot for a fun day out?

Though it’s only on once a year, I’ve got to mention Herts Book Festival (on 17-18 May). I missed it last year, sadly, but had so much fun being there for the first two festivals. It is wonderful to have a local book festival in Hertford and Ware, and I’ve loved meeting local authors and hearing some great author talks, plus there are so many fun activities for children. If there had been something like Herts Book Festival when I was growing up in Hertford, I would have been over the moon!

And finally, where’s your go-to for a night out?

BEAM! I’m so delighted that Hertford now has a venue like BEAM in the centre of town, with a good line up of events, films and productions. It’s a beautiful space to spend time in, with picture windows overlooking the river, so it’s perfect for an evening out but also for relaxing during the day and meeting friends. What more could you want?

The Reading List and The Twilight Garden can be found in your favourite bookshop.

My favourite places: Herts author, Sara Nisha Adams

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