Ellie Šedivá is a blogger, freelance copywriter, mother and, most recently, a writer, because this weekend will be the launch of her first book, Girl in London, in Smižany. In addition, on Friday, November 3, she will also be giving a talk at the Podtatranská Library in Poprad, to which you are all welcome.

I was lucky enough to work with Ellie on her book, somewhat as an editor, but mostly as a language proofreader, and it was through this collaboration that we discovered that we were kindred spirits. She went from the Tatras to my beloved England, and I moved to her beloved Tatras. We spent the last few days together at her Victorian cottage in London, where I am staying for the next three weeks, so we took the opportunity to do a shoot inspired by her favorite movie Brooklyn, as well as this interview to bring you a little closer to Ellie and her book A Girl in London.

I know that being a writer was your big dream. Your first book just came out. How did you feel when your dream started to come true? Did the publication of the book meet your expectations?

The first feeling, I remember exactly, was that I don't really feel like a "writer" at all. It was probably due to the fact that when the book came out of the printer, I was far from Brno in London and it took a few weeks before I actually held it in my hand. That interim period was strangely exciting and full of anticipation. When I got off the plane all nervous and Martin Toman (my editor) was waiting for me with a book that I could finally smell, it was an incredible feeling. It was as if everything suddenly fell into place and I could breathe a sigh of relief, because my big dream finally came true. As for expectations, some things surprised me, for example, how much real work goes into publishing a book. I don't mean the writing, I mean the work that still needs to be done before the finished manuscript turns into a real book and reaches people. I really admire that someone undertakes to publish books, because it is an art and a demanding craft at the same time.

How would you describe your book in one sentence?

I wrote it for the restless Girl in me who could only dream of living in London.

The book was preceded by the blog Girl in London, which you currently create under the name Wandering Girl. Can people find your stories elsewhere if they need to get to know you before buying the book?

A sample from the book was recently published on the travel portal Dobrodruh.sk, and I will gradually share samples from the book on my new website Wandering Girl. But I dare to say that if my stories appealed to you on the blog, we will also understand each other on paper, because the book was really born from the blog that I wrote a few years before I started working on the manuscript. In addition to the Internet, the book is available, for example, in selected bookstores in Slovakia, so you can browse it if you hesitate to buy it. In my opinion, it is not possible to perceive 100% online what makes Girl special - for example, a proper hardcover with a relief and structure, which is amazing to the touch and gives the book a twist. I wanted it to be a "London for the collection" that you would like to display at home and that would make you happy.

The Girl in London is not average travel guide. Although people may sometimes expect it from the name. How was the book created and what makes it unique?

I would say that the Girl is not a guide at all, that's important to know :). It is a cross between a diary and a travelogue. In it, I show not only the nice, polished and exciting things that we love about London, but also the everyday (often humorous) little things that only someone who moves here gets to experience and gradually gets deeper and deeper. Just as there are no two identical life stories, neither is there a book like this, because it is based on my subjective view of the world. Although the book is not archaeological, in it I will also take readers to places that, in my opinion, tourists do not know and which are closely connected, for example, with the history of London. Wherever you stand in London, you are also standing on millennia of its history from the Romans to the present day. Just look carefully and you will understand how many secrets are woven into the buildings, streets and details around. That's what makes London really magical.

You have changed a lot since the first stories, when you left Brno for London. Can readers look forward to another volume about your experiences in London?

I continue the blog and our English stories with great gusto, and as a mother (and also the owner of a stubborn dachshund), I now have a slightly different perspective on London and life. We also live in a completely different part, in the south of London further from the center in a small Cottage, which is very inspiring for me. So yes, I would very much like to write a sequel to The Girl. I think it will be about something and it just depends if my readers are interested too!

I would prefer to tell the readers what I know, because I am extremely looking forward to your next projects, but I will ask a simpler question - do you also work on other genres than reports on wanderings and life in London?

I am working on a historical story about Slovak emigrants in America, which will be loosely inspired by the history of my family. I wrote about it on my blog. And at the same time, I will probably soon publish a children's book Samko a Pocitkovia, to which I gave a lot of love and the very talented Slovak illustrator Martina Gabaríková is involved in it. None of this is about London, but you have to explore new topics, right?

Your life may look idyllic at first glance. A mother on maternity leave, living in London, wrote and published a book. What can the average observer not see behind the scenes of your stories?

Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to live multiple lives at once. Not the "Instagram" and real one, because on Instagram I try to be as true as possible to who I am in reality. Our life is far from idyllic, I just prefer to focus on the good and enjoy the little things that make me happy. But I'm a mom, a copywriter, a writer... sometimes it's really hard to find a balance and a place to rest. We returned to London only half a year ago, so we are still in the phase of "postpartum pains" and getting used to the new environment, the new house, our new role as parents... Every day there is a challenge in front of us that needs to be overcome and the beginnings they are never easy.

What do you miss most about London?

My friends - it's one thing to follow your dream and another is what you have to sacrifice for it willy-nilly. People and relationships can't just be replaced, and I miss my close friends and family in London!

What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers and authors?

So that they themselves do not stand in the way. For a long time, I was my biggest critic and even often my enemy. I had low self-esteem and instead of sitting down and writing, even if average, I just thought about it. And that was not good. Because even if a person writes only a few lines a day, will progress faster than someone who is afraid of it. Because writing is not only about talent, but, first of all, also about hard work and practice, like any other craft.

Buy the book Girl in London

London swallow