Robin Falvey grew up within a mile of the sea and has spent a lifetime surfing, swimming, and sailing, including a voyage across the Southern Ocean on a tall ship. His debut novel Fulmar is a gritty but optimistic coming-of-age story and we spoke to Robin to find out more about the inspiration for the book.
Please tell us a little bit about how Fulmar came to be, the idea and the writing process itself.
I actually began writing Fulmar all the way back in 2011. I felt I needed some time out to take stock and consider my future, so I hit the road in my old ex-Post Office van. I was a surfer and surf lifesaver, so taking to the road (or the water) was just what I would do whenever I felt the need for some space. Those were fun times; I would surf or swim before work and often afterwards too. In the evenings, I might cook up a stir fry or something, read for a bit, and go to bed – rinse and repeat. I had been surfing at Porthtowan and was enjoying some chips afterwards. I noticed a bunch of young people from the lifesaving club mucking about on the beach, and since I was taking adult ed creative writing classes, I grabbed a pen and an old envelope and began plotting a story. That was the beginning of Fulmar.
How much of your own experience by the sea found its way into the story?
A lot. I was born less than a mile from the sea, have loved it all my life, and have spent a lot of time by it, in it, and on it; I think after all this time, I am pretty much amphibious! That feeling of launching yourself into the surf is like nothing else, and I was able to put all that into my story. I have also taught young surf lifesavers for their lifesaving awards and have met a few ‘Jacobs’ over the years.
Despite being quite gritty, Fulmar is ultimately a very positive book, and I think that’s from me too. Jacob and I come from difficult backgrounds, and that’s tough, but while you can’t change the past, you do get to decide how you move forward with your life. Jacob has a great sense of drive and optimism, and I hope that’s what I’m sharing with my readers. Some of those who have read Fulmar – particularly boys – have been deeply moved by it and inspired to make positive changes in their own lives. I’m really happy about that.
Can you tell us how studying journalism, at Falmouth University, shaped your approach to storytelling, did it sharpen your eye for character or place in particular?
I came to Falmouth after a longish stint in New Zealand, where I worked as a deckhand on the tall ship Soren Larsen. We crossed the Southern Ocean and sailed around French Polynesia, spending time at the Austral Islands, the Society Islands, the Tuamotos, and the Marquesas. I was keen to try my hand at journalism, so I wrote some articles about the experience, which were published in the New Zealand Herald and the Australian Newspaper. I later persuaded National Radio New Zealand to lend me some recording equipment and made a radio documentary about tall ship sailing. They were pleased with the result and played my half-hour piece at Christmas!
My contact at RNZ suggested I get some training, and so when I came home, that’s what I did. The Falmouth MA was a great course, and it did help me to become a better storyteller. But I believe it was the casual work I did for Radio Cornwall that really helped me to hone my skills. My role there was as a sports reporter, giving live updates from football and cricket matches along with half-time and full-time reports, team news, and post-match interviews. You have to find the drama – the story – find it quickly and relay it in a very few words. That’s a formidable training in storytelling.
Are there particular Cornish beaches, coves or headlands that shaped the setting of Fulmar?
I joke that Fulmar is a new genre – the layby novel. I would charge my laptop at work and then write while parked up in lay-bys or at the beach. I wrote bits of Fulmar at Porthtowan, Portreath, Chapel Porth – the story is set in the fictional town of Porth Enys – it’s basically bits of all those places combined. Fulmar simply describes my surroundings at the time, and I think that’s part of what lends the book its authenticity. I love that part of Cornwall; the section from St Agnes to Gwithian is one I have walked, swam, and surfed for many years now.
The Museum's current SURF! exhibition explores how riding waves connects people to the ocean in a profound way, something the central character of Jacob discovers too. What do you think it is about surfing that creates that connection so powerfully?
Fulmar describes Jacob’s experience of surfing and shows his growing connection with the sea, but I wouldn’t want to try to explain it because why spoil the magic? Besides, I think it’s different for everyone – surfing gives you what you need. All I can say is read Fulmar, then you’ll definitely want to give it a go!
And finally, what's the next project for you, and can we expect the sea to feature?
I have two other novels that are complete but need fettling, and I am currently working on a fourth. I don’t want to say too much, but yes, the sea is always in there somewhere...
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Images: Robin Falvey