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Miranda Hart Explains How her Children’s Book Came to Be

2017-10-18

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Miranda Hart - 2017

It’s interesting how sometimes feeling down in the dumps can lead to a very positive push in the right direction. When comedian, actress and author Miranda Hart fell victim to a bout of post-summer blues, she was suddenly struck with the idea of bringing a smile back into her life.

“In this glum state, it struck me how there are so many people in the world for whom there is genuinely very little, if anything, to smile about,” wrote Hart in the Daily Mail. “And they are often the ones who keep doing so, who put on a brave face, staying cheery despite everything.”

As Hart tried to work her way out of this funk she’d found herself in, she thought back to the work she did on one of her previous books, “Miranda’s Daily Dose of Such Fun.” Part of that work included researching the positive effect smiling can have on one’s nervous system and emotional wellbeing. With that in mind, Hart began to map out her first children’s book, “The Girl with The Lost Smile.”

“I found myself writing about a young girl who had lost her smile and was desperate to get it back,” said Hart. “The story flowed and, as I wrote, my imagination became more alive than ever before: there were suddenly unexpected magical beings, some that even excited or scared me, and silly, strange adventures helping my heroine, 11-year-old Chloe, on her important mission. The adventures Chloe went on were often inspired by make-believe scenarios that made me smile as a child (and, indeed, still do as a grown-up).

These scenarios include skating with penguins, playing chess with life-size pieces, flying on the wings of an eagle, and much more. Such fun!

“I became a kid again. It was fun – and I got my smile back,” added Hart.

Not only that, but penning “The Girl with The Lost Smile” made Hart think back to the positive impact children’s books had on her as a youngster.

Miranda Hart“Writing a children’s book reminded me of all the wonderful titles I read as a child that provided me with the escapist imaginative worlds I have needed on those non-smiling days,” noted Hart. “I’m incredibly proud to be part of the world of children’s authors and I hope that I am accepted!”

“The Girl with The Lost Smile” is available now.

-Adam Grant

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