Snow Patrol founder to drum up creative writing skills in Mallorca

Q.— How does one go from being the drummer for and one of the founding fathers of one of the most famous and influential bands of the past 30 years to setting up Polar Patrol Publishing?
A. — I first got into publishing during a time when I was still with Snow Patrol, but we had been having a break for about five years between albums. I had always been into new music having previously been a promoter and was keen to set up a publishing company that was truly fair to artists.
At that time, we set up Polar Publishing and signed amazing artists for publishing deals including Belle & Sebastian, Here We Go Magic, Bo Bruce and other fantastic singer songwriters.
Since finishing my time with the band a couple of years ago, I’ve gone back to working in publishing again, mentoring artists and helping them find their way in an industry I’ve been glad to be a part of for many decades. A chance meeting in Deià with Hugh Goldsmith, former MD of RCA records and a Deià regular of more than 15 years, led to us setting up a joint venture publishing company.

Q.— What was the initial aim of the publishing house, was it to help singer songwriters and musicians?
A. — Creating publishing deals that genuinely benefit artists as well as acting as a mentor to people coming into the industry are really my two main goals in this type of work.

Q.— It now appears that Polar Patrol has opened its wings to include more traditional writing, why the expansion?
A. — In addition to my publishing work, I wanted to look at creative collaboration and how experienced people can help inspire more creative people to follow their own path. Having worked in the music industry so long, I know how important it is to explore what type of artist you want to be and to have great support around you from the beginning.
I am glad to now be partnering with successful publishing and editing company Muswell Press to deliver the first of our Deià Writers’ Camps – an idea I’ve been thinking about for a while and am excited to see come to fruition in 2025.
I am fortunate to know a lot of talented people with knowledge that can help emerging writers of all kinds and I loved the idea of creating a space for them to share their expertise as part of a relaxed but productive get together. What better place to do that than Deià!

Q.— How important is the team working with you on the writers’ camps? What does each person bring to the table?
A. — Finding the right people to help deliver the first of the Deià Writers’ Camps was really important and thankfully I didn’t have to look much further than the brilliant Sarah and Kate Beal of Muswell Press in London as well as Andrew Meehan, a successful, published author and lecturer at Strathclyde University in Scotland.
Kate and Sarah have decades of experience in publishing, having worked at the main publishing houses like Bloomsbury (during the Harry Potter era) and Faber among others. Andrew is a talented man who will share his expertise of the writing process as well as his insights into getting work published. Anyone who is keen to fine-tune their writing skills or to find their inner voice as a writer will definitely be inspired by this amazing team of people.

Q.— In this era of social media is there still a strong appetite for books, do people still read like they used to? I do, for example, but very few of my friends do, it’s all what’s on the TV and social media platforms. From the media perspective, it’s tough enough to get people to read newspapers?
A. — As a whole, I think society today definitely has a shorter attention span. News travels fast (even fake news!) and social media consumes a lot of our downtime. That said, in lockdown books sold really well and publishing overall is thriving with all the different formats available – and social media has also helped spread the love of reading in many ways. There is something magic about reading a book. Personally, I believe books will always have an appeal and may even become more popular than ever as we all seek to detach a little from the digital world.

Q.— How strong a future do you think literature has, how deep and diverse is the talent?
A. — Humans have always loved telling stories. Literature will always be with us because we like to escape, to be challenged, to be scared, to learn. And without books we wouldn’t have so many films and TV shows. We believe there is a huge pool of talent out there and that’s why we’ve set up the Creative Writing Course as part of the Deìa Writers’ Camps – to discover, nurture and encourage more writers.

Q.— People are clearly more vocal and have points, feelings and stories to share and express, are books still the answer?
A. — Storytelling is as old as time and books will always play a part in that. Formats may evolve but the art of storytelling will surely always be part of life.

Q.— Have you written a book or are you planning to do so?
A. — I haven’t written a book yet but maybe I’ll take some tips from the writers’ camp and set about doing that!

Q.— Is there a secret to writing a book, is there a set process?
A. — The team at Muswell Press would say that there really is no secret to writing a good book. A successful book relies on a good, original idea as the basis of the plot. Once that is done, and admittedly that isn’t easy, the hard work of shaping the book begins. Muswell Press would say that authors work in different ways, some plot the entire book out in advance; others work out the ending first and then fill in the gaps. Then they’ll set about refining, editing and redrafting until it feels perfect.

Q.— What do the camps in Mallorca aim to achieve, what’s the philosophy?
A. — Deià Writers’ Camps aim to give everyone there a unique experience tailored for them so they can leave feeling they have progressed in their creative field and really connected with the type of writer they want to be.

Q.— Why Mallorca and why Deia?
A. — I have a home in Deià which I enjoy with my family as often as we can every year. I know the unique atmosphere and charm that the place offers. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world and it is full of wonderful people with all kinds of backgrounds, talents, skills. It has of course been a muse for creative people for centuries.
Deià Writers’ Camps will be held in a venue surrounded by pine trees, with a sea view, perfect to watch the sun rise and set from. There are beautiful walks all around, it is peaceful, with amazing stars in the evening and clean air to breathe all day.
When you’re there, you disconnect and focus, you switch off from the outside world. That’s so important for creative thinking.

Q.— How long do the camps last and do they all have the same format?
A. — Each writers’ camp will typically be five or six days each.
We hope to host several different camps exploring different genres of writing, for instance writing musical scores for films, fiction/non-fiction writing, writing music as a band, etc.

Q.— How do you see modern literature and modern music? What seem to be the main inspirations...is it social comment, personal stories and experiences, for example?
A. — I think books and music continue to be inspired by the same things they have always been inspired by - emotions, challenges, hope, adversity, love and loss. A good story can be told in lots of different ways and we see that through many styles of music and literature. The great thing about writing is that there are endless stories to be told and we need to encourage more and more people to tell them.

Q.— What can people expect to take away from the camps in Mallorca?
A. — Hopefully anyone coming to Deià Writers’ Camps will come away feeling inspired, refreshed, focused and with a sense of clarity about the creative path they want to follow. I hope they’ll have made some friends and had a laugh along the way, too – and of course, that they’ll tell their friends all about it and become regular visitors to Mallorca.

Q.— Are the camps going to be a long-term project?
A. — I hope we can host many Deià Writers’ Camps over the coming years - we will just have to see how much people love them. We had a small pilot songwriters’ camp last year and it worked extremely well - people got a lot out of it and we recorded four fantastic songs in the process, as well as exploring writing and production processes with a team of incredibly talented mentors. I think there is a lot of potential to make the camps a regular part of the Deià diary. I can’t wait to see how the Creative Writers’ Camp in May goes!

Q.— Who is your favourite writer and your favourite genre of literature?
A. — My favourite author is John Ronson. I particularly enjoy non-fiction.

Q.— How do you see the future of publishing? Should people make an effort to read more?
A. — With so many different ways to read - ebooks, audiobooks, paperbacks - it’s easy to access and enjoy books today. Book Clubs, social media and bloggers have helped spread the word about the joy of reading. It would be wonderful if more people read books. The guys at Muswell Press advise that if you are a reluctant reader, often the best route to reading is by listening to audiobooks – and if you love a podcast, you’ll love an audiobook!

Q.— Is music still part of your life, is there any turning back?
A. — Music will always be part of my life. I have had the very fortunate experience of touring the world in a rock band for many years, which was a dream come true. At this stage in my life, I’m delighted to still be part of the music process through my work with new artists and helping inspire writers in this new way through the writers’ camps and, to be doing that in Mallorca, is just perfect.

Q.— Any chance of a concert in Mallorca?
A. — Hosting a concert and bringing artists to Mallorca would be amazing! I am certain there would be an appetite for it. The island has a real draw and has been inspiring musicians for years. Who knows what the future might hold!

Limited spaces are available at Deià Writers’ Camps. To find out more visit www.deiawriterscamps.com