A Q&A WITH CHRIS PENHALL

Can you describe The Christmas Wedding Bus in just three words?

This is very difficult for me, as I’m very much a ‘why use three words when you can use fifty’ kind of person! But if I have to edit the fifty down to three, I’d go for Mollie’s Magical Journey.

Where did the idea for this book come from, and what inspired Molly's unexpected journey?

My daughter got married at Islington Town Hall on a summer’s day in June a couple of years ago. There were lots of wedding parties, inside and outside the building as you can imagine, plus happy couples having their photographs taken in different locations nearby. It was just wonderful, and, of course, there were all the buses – red London TFL buses going about their normal business and the lovely red Routemaster wedding buses waiting for their guests. Then I thought, what if someone hadn’t been dealing with their past for the last few years, which was maybe holding them back from following their dreams? And among all that gorgeous, happy chaos, in one ‘sliding doors’ moment, they got on the wrong bus? What would happen then? So that’s what I did to Mollie Cooper.

What do you hope readers will connect with most about her character and the choices she faces?

There are periods in everyone’s lives when they just kind of stand still, keeping things even and safe, for all sorts of reasons. And sometimes it’s easier to stay like that than break out and follow your dreams. That’s what’s happened to Mollie, although being stuck in a rut in Joe’s café opposite the registry office is a nice place to be. I hope that readers will connect with not only that experience but also when she’s pushed out of her comfort zone by doing something so mundane – accidentally getting on the wrong bus. And then the whole magical, festive journey she takes – both literally and metaphorically – making her finally realise who and what she wants.

Without giving away any spoilers, was there a particular scene or moment you particularly enjoyed writing?

I really enjoyed writing this book, and there were many times when I’d sit in a café laughing or grinning at the scenes I was typing and occasionally wiping a tear away. Sorry to anyone who was sitting nearby! I have to write in a range of different cafés, so I can’t be traced in case the other customers get a bit worried . . .

 In order not to give any spoilers, I loved writing a scene early on when Mollie steps out of her door in London and walks to work at Joe’s café, past the shops and people she sees every day. Then she arrives at the café where Joe and her colleague Luisa are waiting. All of this is in her warm, cosy comfort zone, which is about to change, but she doesn’t know it yet. I was actually inspired by that scene where Hugh Grant walks through the market in the film Notting Hill. Only this time it’s Mollie Cooper in Islington.

Lastly, did you do anything special to get into the festive spirit while writing this book?

I do love Christmas films, especially ones set in London, so I watched a lot of those! Also, Christmas is the time I completely indulge my love of fairy lights, so I regularly go to the light trails near where I live and to the light trail in Kew Gardens. Then there’s wandering aimlessly around London just taking in the sights that I do all the time. I’ve done a Christmas lights guided tour around Marylebone and Mayfair and have watched the rather marvelous displays in Bond Street. On two occasions I heard Christmas music getting closer and closer which – it turned out – belonged to a jogging group wearing Santa hats and fairy light necklaces. I adapted that experience to describe the moment when Mollie first encounters the Christmas Wedding Bus – she hears the music before she sees it! So, I think I’ve been preparing for this book for years . . .