I’m very open across this site about the fact I’m using a pseudonym when it comes to releasing my books. It’s more about separating my ‘hats’ than anything else and, in addition, I’ve got a commonplace name. When I made this decision, though, I didn’t want to pick something fancy and unreal. I wanted a name that meant something to me.
In February, my paternal grandmother passed away. She was 93 and not in the best of health, so it was expected. However, it was one of several things around that time that galvanised me. My Grandma was a big influence on my life. Along with my late grandfather, she always supported my choices and, especially, my love of writing. So, when I was thinking of adopting a pen name, choosing ‘Eyre’ in tribute to her maiden name seemed like a fitting tribute.
‘Kit’ is slightly different. My maternal grandmother died back in 2007. Again, she had a tremendous impact on me, not in the sense that she ‘understood’ my writing, but definitely in the sense that she encouraged me to do anything I wanted to do. She also shaped my independent streak, taking me walking through the Wakefield streets on the way to her various cleaning jobs and generally letting me run riot a little. The differences between spending time with her and spending time with my other grandparents, both ex-teachers and assuredly middle-class, undoubtedly made me who I am today.
My maternal grandmother’s name was ‘Kathleen’ but, honestly, it didn’t work as a pen name for me. Her family used to call her ‘Kath’ but that felt presumptive somewhat – she was my grandmother, after all, not a pal from the local shop. So I asked a friend to help me with diminutive forms of ‘Kathleen’ and we settled on ‘Kit’. It might not be what people generally called her, but it reminds me of her nonetheless.
There you are – the story of my pseudonym. I know plenty of other writers use them so how did you come up with yours and why?
