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Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time is the first in a new series of Laurella Swift adventures. The historical fantasy is available in paperback and eBook formats from outlets including:
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Allison Parkinson
Clear Concise Creative Writing
Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time
While on holiday in the Isle of Wight, London schoolgirl Laurella Swift makes an amazing discovery; she can travel through time and dimensions.
Threads from a charity shop rug transport the mixed-race 10-year-old back to the heart of ancient Persia, where she befriends Artafarnah and his mischievous pet lion cub, Zareen. Artafarnah is the son of Pantea, one of Persia’s greatest female warriors, but when the boy falls into the clutches of a murderous enemy only Laurella can save him.
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Watch me read an extract from Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time:
Why I wrote Laurella Swift
and the Keys of Time
Laurella Swift is very special to me because she is based on my daughters when they were younger.
She popped into my head one day several years ago after a conversation about favourite book characters. My daughters were complaining about the lack of leading characters that looked like them – especially in chapter books – so I started to build a story around her and, before I knew it, I found myself in ancient Persia!
That’s how Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time came about. It was so much fun to write that I couldn’t wait to send Laurella on more adventures.
Each story develops in the same way. Items I’ve bought from charity shops help me to imagine where Laurella goes and when. I start by researching the origins of each object, for example, where they came from and the history associated with that area of the world, and gradually a story unfolds.
Some amazing books have been published in the years since Laurella came into my life, but there is still a great need for many more books in the UK and globally that truly reflect the beautiful diversity of our world. By basing Laurella on my daughters, I hope to do my small bit to help more children see themselves in stories.