This week YA Author Anthony McGowan took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Anthony McGowan is the author of Dogs of The Deadlands (See YEM’s interview of Anthony McGowan here.) See highlights from the takeover below.

Well, hello – good morning, good evening, good night, depending on where you are in the world. I'm here to talk about my new novel, Dogs of the Deadlands, coming to a bookshop near you in September.

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

I'm really hoping that you fire some questions at me. Perhaps a brief introduction. I've written about 50 books over the years. Most of them are broadly YA, but I've also written adult fiction and nit-fiction, and books for mid-grade and younger children.

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

But I always tend to come back to YA, which to me feels like home. So what about Dogs of the Deadlands? Whoops, been told to hashtag up – #YAauthorTakeover

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

A bit about that new book … Dogs of the Deadlands is about what happened after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The people who lived within a wide radius of the plant were evacuated, but had to leave their pet dogs (and cats) behind them. #YAauthorTakeover

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

This is story both of those left behind dogs, and also of one little girl whose life seems ruined by losing her new puppy. I wanted to give it the feel of a classic animal adventure story – I’ll talk about some of the influences shortly. But I also wanted to make it a human story

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

I listened to a lot of Eastern European folk music while writing the book. The mood of last scene, which I think is quite emotional, was partly inspired by this beautiful piece of music. https://t.co/Sd2BYxC9AP Natasha dreams of her first love, the puppy, Zoya.

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

So, without knowing it, I'd been influenced by this song about a lost first love. I had a rare McGowan weepy moment thinking about it. If you don't know this piece of music, spend 4 minutes of your day listening to it.

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

A quick word about inspiration for Dogs of the Deadlands. The main one was reality: these things actually happened. But there were certain key texts that were in my had, and influenced the writing. #YAauthorTakeover

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

I love London's brutality and unsentimentally, but also his ability to move you.

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

Another big influence (maybe surprising in a younger YA book …) is Cormac McCarthy, who's probably my favourite writer. Blood Meridian is, I think, the greatest post-WW2 novel. I tried to channel some of his poetically infused violent intensity. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/IlIzOxp5kL

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

Perhaps you'd like to know where I wrote Dogs of the Deadlands? My favourite place to work is the British Library. It’s a beautiful space, calming & yet fizzing with intellectual energy. Here're a couple of snaps I took but they don’t do the place justice. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/4OrnrJoHIB

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

When not at the library, I work in a rather dingy office at home. Here’s a picture of my desk. I use the spoon to scratch my back. (I have a very itchy back.) Sounds gross, but I’m careful not to get it mixed up with the spoons in the kitchen. Usually. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/3Nj6n3olYY

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

So, obviously, Dogs of the Deadlands is about, well, dogs. So here's my own dog, Monty. And here’s Monty, my dog. He’s a bit grumpy and anti-social, and his only trick is that he no longer routinely pees in our apartment. But we still love him. #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/veCAAwE4xq

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

And I’ve just finished a book co-written with my wife, called How to Teach Economics to Your Dog. (My wife’s a lecturer at the London School of Economics.) https://t.co/pR6lVSUfFu

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

OK, into our last 10 minutes together. Feel free to ask whatever you like. Probe the shallow depths of @anthony_mcgowan's mind.

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022

Oh, and for those of you who have no idea who I am, then this might help https://t.co/c67kqUK5j0
And do please friend me up here – @anthony_mcgowan

— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) July 21, 2022