Interview: Jack Hartley talks about Beneath Our Feet

Jack Hartley was born and raised in Christchurch. With his background in psychology and his passion for raising awareness and understanding of mental health issues, Jack uses his literature to tackle the complexities and hardships that teens face as they go through major life events, discover who they are, and feel real love for the first time. Jack’s first YA novel, All the Other Days, was published in 2018. Beneath Our Feet is his first novel with Scholastic New Zealand. Jack talks to NZ Booklovers.

Tell us a little about Beneath Our Feet.

This story has been a big part of my life for many years now. I began working on the outline in 2019 before properly getting into writing during the first COVID lockdown. It’s been years of hard work, and I’m so stoked for this story to now have a home and be out in the world. 

At its core, Beneath Our Feet is about two teenagers navigating heavy personal struggles, who find each other right when they need it most. In that connection, they uncover something impossible - a world that gives them what they need most. More time.

What inspired you to write this book?

The 2011 Christchurch earthquake was such a pivotal event in my life, everything changed around me in an instant. Home, school, the city - everything. As much as people continued on with their lives, Christchurch was never the same. I wanted to try and preserve that time in my life, that memory. But I wanted to turn that devastating experience into something positive and tell a story of hope. 

What was your routine or process for writing this book?

I feel this itchiness when I’m not writing, a guilt almost. Which is good and bad, but it pushes me to commit to writing as much as possible. My schedule is fairly strict, finish work, eat dinner and then get stuck into writing. My week days are dedicated to writing and weekends for relaxing. Sometimes I give myself word count targets, other times, the words just flow and I keep going until I can’t anymore. The first draft is never perfect, far from it. The important thing for me is to get the words out naturally as they flow from my thoughts. Once it’s all out, I feel clearer. And then I’m able to go back and refine. Edit after edit. Bit by bit, until it’s ready for someone to read. 

What research was involved?

I was a teenager and living in Christchurch at the time of the 2011 earthquake, so a lot of this is drawn from the world I knew. Because of the extent of damage and changes to the city’s landscape and infrastructure, I had to refer to council records, old photos and newspapers for accurate information, as well as talk to family and friends for their insights on their experiences. For more technical subject matter, I consulted with experts, such as healthcare professionals. 

If a soundtrack were made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include. (optional)

Music is a big part of both my writing process and the story itself. I listen to film scores to help with my rhythm when writing and getting myself in the right headspace. When creating scenes, I often listen to songs as the action plays out in my head, which helps me feel and experience everything that is going on for those characters. 

A couple of songs for the soundtrack: We Move Lightly - Dustin O’Halloran, Weird Fishes / Arpeggi - Radiohead. 

What did you enjoy the most about writing this novel?

The thing I enjoyed most is what I also enjoyed in some ways the least. It’s been a long time since the earthquake, and with time, that experience felt somewhat distant. By working on this book, I was suddenly reliving in that time again. That was the hardest part, bringing back those memories from some really sad times. But through this story, I was able to pull the good bits from my teenage years and focus on that. Fully immerse myself in this world that no longer exists, write about my home and bring this story to the world. 

What do you hope children will take away from reading?

As much as this is a YA book, I really do think it’s for all ages. For young adults, I want them to see the world that I lived through, and the city that once was. For those that remember the tragedy of the Christchurch earthquake, it’s a chance to reflect on that time, and hopefully find something positive within something so tragic. I hope teens who read this story will connect with the characters and the pains they experience growing up. Similarly, I hope this story gives parents a bit of an insight and understanding into their children’s lives and the complexities of their emotions and experiences as they navigate the world and figure out who they are. 

What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?

There have been a few milestone along the way to celebrate, finishing drafting the novel, getting the publishing deal, and finally, Beneath Our Feet being available to purchase. When I got the publishing deal, I cracked open some bottles of champagne and for the release date, my friends planned a surprise dinner party. I’m heading back to NZ later in the year and will also be having a launch there too. 

What is your favourite book you have read so far this year and why?

This year I’ve been focusing on reading screenplays rather than traditional books, and my favourite so far has been the screenplay for (500) Days of Summer. I loved how it balances humour and heartbreak, and how cleverly it’s structured by shifting back and forth in time. Reading it on the page gave me a deeper appreciation for how the scenes are set up and how much storytelling power comes from just the words on the script.

What’s next on the agenda for you?

I’m currently adapting Beneath Our Feet into a feature length screenplay, with the hopes of securing funding to create a film. 

Beyond this story, I’m now working on my next novel - with a slight hybrid shift of Young Adult/New Adult fiction. This story follows the main protagonist across three periods in his life - going from teenager to adult - and how the events in his teenage years have shaped the course of his life, who he is and his relationships.

Scholastic NZ