12 Aug 2026
We ask a different figure from the local community to choose 10 questions to answer from a list of 50. This week: Amy Leigh Chandler, whose debut YA novel Cornelia Fairfield and the Darkened Heart is described as a heartpounding fantasy of rebellion, romance, and highstakes adventure on the treacherous Oblivion Sea.
CD, vinyl, download or streaming?
Streaming has its advantages, and I’ve started listening to a lot of audiobooks and music on Spotify, but I still love collecting vinyl. From an early age, I was surrounded by music – from a jukebox to my dad’s vast record collection – and there’s something really special about owning physical media.
Have you ever asked for an autograph?
As a teenager, I met Dougie Poynter from McFly in Hyde Park during a scavenger hunt he was hosting. I asked him to sign my London Tube map, which I still have framed!
What are you preferred pizza toppings?
Most of the time I like a simple plain cheese pizza, but if I’m feeling adventurous I might add chicken or bacon.
What was your best subject at school?
History was definitely my strongest subject, despite struggling with dyslexia, and it really sparked my imagination and love for storytelling.
What super powers would you like to have?
Teleportation would be amazing. You could pop into another country, sightsee, soak up the culture, and be home before dinnertime.
What’s your favourite hidden gem in the district?
When I was on a school trip, we explored the history of St Albans from the Cathedral to the old coaching inns, and one location that really stuck in my mind were the ruins of Sopwell Nunnery.
Who was your favourite cartoon character when you were a kid?
Spongebob Squarepants was my favourite show and character growing up, but as I’ve gotten older, I find myself relating more to Squidward and Mr Krabs. I think they sparked my love of cooking – and I secretly dreamed of owning a restaurant.
If you had a time machine, what year would you choose to visit and why?
I’ve always had a deep curiosity for social history. Growing up, my grandfather told me stories of life in Silvertown in the East End of London before he was evacuated during the Blitz, and many of those stories inspired elements of my debut novel. I’d love to have learned even more and really understood his early life on a deeper level.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs have always been a big part of my life. I have a bearded collie called Bandit, and he definitely lives up to his name! He even appears in my book as the protagonist’s furry sidekick.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I originally wanted to be a pastry chef, but the idea of not always getting to enjoy what I made changed my mind. Growing up, I loved the TV show Pie in the Sky – it amazed me that Richard Griffiths’ character Henry Crabbe could be both a detective and a chef. It was even filmed in the old town in Hemel Hempstead.
Amy is a writer and reviewer whose fascination with British social history, literature, and the arts shines through in both her life and her work. After struggling academically due to dyslexia, Amy defied expectations, earning both a BA in English Literature and History and an MA focusing on museums, galleries, and contemporary culture. Her creative journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, imagination, and the refusal to be defined by limitations.
Amy’s knowledge of the 18th century marriage market and lived experience with dyslexia shape a bold, culturally rich storytelling voice. Cornelia Fairfield and the Darkened Heart offers readers a feisty, relatable heroine determined to defy society’s expectations. With themes of self-discovery, daring adventure, and a spark of slowburn romance, this is Disney’s Renegade Nell meets Pirates of the Caribbean – complete with enough pirates to keep even Captain Hook entertained.
Perfect for fans of Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw and Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller.
The author says: “My book is very much that journey of working out what you want in life while trying to block out the noise of expectation and that pre-conceived notion of a social timeline. My protagonist, Cornelia Fairfield, embodies the blurred line between expectation and reality. She is destined to follow a specific path because those around her have done so many times before, instead she wants freedom of choice.”
