Feb 18, 2021
Dustin Plantholt’s “Life’s Tough—YOU can be TOUGHER!” podcast
this week features Julia Golding, humanitarian, podcaster, and
internationally acclaimed author best known for her Cat Royal
series and The Companions Quartet.
British novelist Julia Golding was born in London in 1969 and grew
up on the edge of Epping Forest. She has written and published more
than 50 books since embarking on her literary career in 2006. Most
of her books target children and teen audiences, though she has
also written novels for adults. Her books span a range of genres,
including historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. Julia writes
under her own name, along with two different pen names. She is
“Joss Stirling” for her teenage mystical romances and “Eve Edwards”
for her historical fiction.
Julia started out by studying English at Cambridge University. She
then took a civil service exam and ended up working in Poland for
three years as a member of the Foreign Office. After her return
from Poland she enrolled at Oxford University, where she earned a
doctorate in British literature of the Romantic period. While
wrapping up her studies at Oxford, she wrote her first novel, The
Diamond of Drury Lane. The book, set in the 1790s (the early years
of the Romantic Period), introduced one of Julia’s favorite
characters, Cat Royal. Published in 2006, it also won coveted
awards: Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize and the Nestle
Children’s Book Prize. A series of five more Cat Royal books
(released between 2006 and 2009) followed and gained a rabid fan
base.
Julia’s next stop was the policy department at Oxfam, the global
movement that combats poverty and injustice. She served as an
international lobbyist, advocating for the protection of civilians
caught in war zones. After her tenure at Oxfam, she became a
full-time writer.
More recently, Julia was writer-in-residence at The Royal
Institution of Great Britain in 2019. The London-based Royal
Institution, established in 1799, promotes public awareness of, and
engagement with, science. In 2019, Julia launched her “What would
Jane do?” podcast, in which she applies Jane Austen’s sensibilities
to contemporary issues.
Saving Tolkien’s house
Julia describes one of her passions as a three-month crowdfunding
campaign that she is leading in order to purchase and save the
house where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the
Rings. The house, built in 1924, is located at 20 Northmoor Road in
Oxford, England (an hour’s drive from London). Known as Project
Northmoor, the campaign started this past December with a goal to
secure $6 million to acquire the house, renovate it, and set up a
literary center there as a tribute to Tolkien.
Julia resides in Oxford with her husband and three children.
Join Dustin and Julia for a fascinating chat on her literary life
and commendable humanitarian efforts.