Lobster Blues

Jacqueline King is a Channel Islander who lives in Somerset, where she has taught all ages for many years. Her Jersey family are from the most southerly parish in the British Isles, where most of her book, A Cake for the Gestapo, and the sequel to it, Lobster BluesShe has been writing and telling stories ever since she could hold a pencil and has published poems and articles, some in the Times Educational Supplement and others. After leaving full time teaching, she gave writing workshops in forest school and since publishing A Cake for the Gestapo, she has continued them as well as presentations with audience participation in East Anglia, Somerset and Jersey.The sequel, Lobster Blues, comes out in 2025. Like the first book, it follows a group of fictional Jersey children as they defy the enemy, with catapults, jazz, other tricks including collaboration with a well-trained pig and doing all they can to help hide an escaped prisoner.Both books are based on the German occupation of the Channel Islands which was experienced by her family. She hopes to show the stubborn, funny Jersey personality at its very best and how it helped the islanders cope with the hunger, despair and isolation of the five years they were cut off from the rest of the world.In her presentations, both in schools and at WW2 events, she shows many artefacts from that time, including bloomers, ancient chocolates, Red Cross messages, Jersey pennies and flags and catapults. She also introduces various pieces of music, such as British and German songs of the era, and jazz, a form of music much disliked by Hitler.In writing workshops, she aims to help with characterisation in particular, as it seems to her that all events spring from this. She also discusses structure, pace, jeopardy and so on, according the requirements of her audience, showing resources that have helped her.