Q&A With Actress and Author Carol Drinkwater

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Carol Drinkwater

Carol Drinkwater is a British actress, filmmaker and author who is best know as Helen Herriott in “All Creatures Great and Small”. She is an accomplished author who wrote 25 novels so far, including her latest “The Girl From Marseille” which will be published in 2027. Her latest novel is “One Summer in Provence” was published in 2025. Check out her novels as they are well worth it!

KB: We all know you as an actress but you are a published author too: How many books have you written so far?

I have lost count. I think it is 25. I have just delivered my latest novel “The Girl From Marseille”, and I think that is number 25. Some are for youngsters and are much shorter.

KB: What are your books about?

My characters are always the driving force of my stories. “Character driven”, as they say in the business! Predominantly female leading characters. Love stories, adventures, historical novels, modern tales. Young girls and protagonists even in their nineties! The beating heart of a character is what I am excited to read about and to write about.

KB: They are all inspired by where you live?

No, not all of them but many of them, yes. France and particularly down here in the south where I live, is inspirational territory. The land and seascapes are very beautiful and the history here is fascinating. Paris also always inspires me.

KB: You have a new book out: what is it called and how long did it take you to write it?

My latest novel published is “One Summer in Provence”. As with most of my novels, it took about eighteen months to write.

KB: What is your new book about?

Always a difficult question!

It is set on a fabulous but dilapidated vineyard overlooking the Mediterranean in the south of France. An English couple, Celia and her husband Dominique, have inherited the place from Celia’s parents. Celia is an actress, Dominic a scriptwriter. At the time, when Celia’s father died, their marriage was on the rocks. This opportunity came along at a junction when they could have split up; their lives drifting in different directions. They grabbed the opportunity with open arms. And not without trepidation.

Now, ten years on, they are about to celebrate, with a three-day weekend party, the success they have made of Celia’s father’s dream.

All is buoyant until three days before the party, Celia receives a letter from a man who claims to be her son; the son she gave up for adoption at birth … David, who she has never been in contact with, knows nothing about, since his birth…

So, the story is about:

Families: what makes a family. Flesh, DNA, upbringing, Love, bonding …?

Secrets and their encroaching erosions …

The celebration of life, of fine wines and food, of the natural beauty of the world.

It is a tale that exists on many levels.

KB: Why should people read your books of at least give it a try?

I have been told that sometimes doctors and psychiatrists recommend my books to patients because they are full of joy, up-lifting, positive. I don’t know, but I do try hard to see – even through the darkest moments – the light in life, the generosity of Nature and the gifts of this earth. My books are descriptive and paint pictures and, I hope, tell stories that keep you reading through to the last page.

KB: Is there a subject you would love to write about but have not tried yet so far?

Goodness, there are many subjects I haven’t approached yet. Next, I am looking at the possibility of a novel that is about people – young girls, who have become unhooked from their families and backgrounds. Young refugee girls looking for a positive way forward … perhaps I don’t know yet. I am still researching and considering …

I wrote about a Jewish refugee family in the south of France during WWII in the novel “An Act of Love”. This subject fascinates me. What happens when we are adrift from all that keeps us grounded and nurtures us?

Looking at the world now, I think these questions are very relevant again.

Always I try to recount the stories with heart and humanity and optimism even through the uncertain hours … the human spirit is a remarkable creation, full of power and strength and tenacity.

KB: With this new book out, will you do book tours or are you already working on a new book?

As I have written above, I have finished the next one. It is titled “The Girl From Marseille” and will be published early 2027. I have had a wonderful time writing it. The feedback so far from my agent and editors is that they “love it” so fingers crossed all my readers will also enjoy it.

I am still doing events for the recently published “One Summer in Provence”.

For more information, check out Carol’s website: HERE

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