Creativity…with Dawn Knox

Meet The Author

ChrisChat: Why did you write the book that brought you to MuseItUp Publishing?

Dawn: 


Daffodil and the Thin Place

The first time I heard the term ‘thin place’, was in church during a sermon. We had an archdeacon visiting, during our period of interregnum and he described our 12th century church as a ‘thin place’ – a building where people had gathered over the centuries with  positive thoughts and prayers. I must admit after that, my mind started to wander, my imagination ran riot and I can’t remember anything else he spoke about. 

The history of the church, which has an old wooden annexe at one end, that many years ago housed the minister, his wife and members of his school has always fascinated me and before the service was over, I had the germ of an idea in my mind, which married the history of the school and the mystery of a thin place. 

Sadly, I can’t remember what prompted me to call the protagonist ‘Daffodil’ – I’ve never met anyone with that name. I can only suppose it’s because I love the flowers. 

As our St. Nicholas Church is so old, there are lots of repairs to be carried out and we’re always in need of money, so I decided if I ever got the book published, I would donate any profits to the repair fund and that made me even more determined to finish the story and to get it published. I was thrilled when MIU Publishing got in touch. I was on holiday in Bali and the email said ‘Welcome home’! For a second, I couldn’t understand why someone was welcoming me home, when I was on holiday – until I read on. 

And then, I did my victory dance!

 ChrisChat:

I’ve vaguely heard of ‘thin place’ but mostly in reference to dark energy. To hear about it as a positive energy makes sense. Have you ever felt this type of energy? Believe in this energy? As well, I’ve noticed quite a few comments about this, too.

Dawn:

As a writer, I’d love to be able to say I’m intuitive about places and people and that I have a sixth sense but sadly, that’s simply not true. I’m not sure if that’s because for most of my life, I’ve either studied or worked in a scientific or technical field where hunches and feelings are discouraged but proof is crucial before something is accepted as fact.

In 1999, after a health scare, my husband and I were finally prompted to go back to church after having drifted away for several years. The obvious choice was the church nearest to where we lived but when I looked for the service times or even the telephone number of the vicar, I was surprised the find the notice board outside the church completely blank. The information was obviously being updated and the board had been painted over, ready for the lettering to be applied. Coincidentally, later that day, I drove past St. Nicholas Church – a route I didn’t usually travel and as the notice board is fairly near the road, I stopped and took note of the service times. When Sunday arrived, we’d rather have gone to the local church simply because of its proximity to our house but being reluctant to take a chance and turn up too early or worse – too late – we went to St. Nicholas Church.

And despite considering myself someone who isn’t tuned in to feelings and atmosphere, from the moment I set foot in St. Nic’s, it felt like I’d come home. It was a strange feeling and not one I can describe other than to say it felt like coming home. Neither my husband nor I knew a single member of the congregation, nevertheless, we both felt completely comfortable and at peace. 

It was many years later that I first heard the term ‘thin place’ and it seemed to perfectly describe St. Nicholas Church. I remembered the special feeling I’d had on my first visit and at other times when I’d been in the church and experienced a calmness and peace. I wondered if I had actually managed to tune in to a phenomenon as mystical as a ‘thin place’. If that was indeed so, the effect of the thin place at St. Nicholas Church must have been very powerful to have penetrated my lack of intuition and scientific scepticism!

Do I believe in this type of energy? My heart says “Yes,” and my head says “Where’s the proof?” but it would be a sad world if people who demanded facts didn’t allow their minds to be open to ideas and concepts that aren’t yet understood and to accept that just because there is no proof now, there won’t ever be in the future. So, I can suspend my need for scientific verification sufficiently, to say, “Yes, I do. And if it isn’t true, then it jolly well should be! This world needs more thin places!”

ChrisChat:

Please tell us more about St. Nicholas Church. Is there a web presence we can visit and learn more. Personally, I’m not one to visit churches regularly; however, there have been a couple which do settle into me…if that makes sense. A sense of calm, even safety.

Dawn:

St. Nicholas Church, Laindon with Dunton is a beautiful 13th century church, which perches on top of a hill, overlooking Laindon and Basildon, Essex. It is surrounded by approximately 3.5 acres of land which is a designated Wildlife Site, much of which has been set aside for nature conservation. Although Laindon has been in existence for many years, the New Town of Basildon was created in the 1950s and 1960s and swallowed up smaller places such as Laindon, to become a sprawling, urbanised area. The church however, is still a pocket of peace overlooking the houses and other modern buildings, and as such, holds a special place in the hearts of many who still remember Laindon as a thriving community, even those who don’t attend the church services.

The website can be found here http://www.stnicholaslaindon.co.uk/ and there is more information about the history of the building and some of the people who have been involved with the church over the years. In fact, several of them such as James Hornsby, the last schoolmaster in the church school, appear in ‘Daffodil and the Thin Place’. There is a Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/116809441680697/, which has members who have joined for a variety of reasons. Some have family buried in the churchyard although they now live in other parts of the world, some have an interest in the history of the building and others are past or present members of the church. There is also a Twitter account here https://twitter.com/StNicksLaindon .

Any profits from ‘Daffodil and the Thin Place’ will go towards renovating the church, to repair the damage caused by woodpeckers in the bell tower roof etc and once the building is in good shape, we would like to establish a heritage centre which would show what the wooden annexe at the end of the church looked like when it was a school in the late 1800s. This is something I would love to see because the story of ‘Daffodil and the Thin Place’ is set in the school during the Victorian times and while I was planning and writing the book, I wandered up and down the quirky staircase many times trying to imagine the schoolmaster and his pupils.

The upkeep of such an ancient building is obviously very expensive and it relies on the efforts of the congregation – it isn’t funded by the Church of England at all. Many churches in England are closing because of lack of funds and it would be so sad if St. Nicholas Church had to shut its doors after having been open since the 1200s. I believe versatility is the key to remaining viable and St. Nicholas can already offer a peaceful area to walk or enjoy the wildlife and spectacular views, as well as the usual services of worship. The proposed heritage centre would allow anyone with an interest in history, to experience the past and to learn more. The more we can offer our community, the more people will seek out our church and grounds.

St. Nicholas Church is a special place and it deserves to be handed on to future generations and I hope to be one of those who enable it to be passed on, not one of those who stood back, allowing it to fall into disrepair.

When my husband and I moved out of the area in 2001 we wondered if it was time to look for another church closer to our house but it didn’t take long to realise we belonged amongst the people at St. Nicholas Church. I guess, when you recognise the sense of calm and safety that you referred to, it’s definitely worth hanging on to!