Up Above the City: Interview with Clare Weze
Up Above the City is a topical and moving middle-grade novel by Northern Writers’ Award-winner Clare Weze, tackling the real theme of the often-hidden communities of refugees through a gently fantastical lens. We asked Clare about the process of researching and writing this brilliant new novel.
Margot Miltenberger: I loved the setting for the story! The labyrinth of connected attics above London and the disused tube stations underground were the perfect setting for adventure. What gave you the idea for setting the book in these locations? Did you do any research to help you bring it to life?
Clare Weze: I didn’t know it at the time, but I did the main part of the interior research at the age of eleven when I spent the school holidays going to work with my mum. She worked in two busy London banks over 3-4 years. The first had its staff-room in the bowels of a building in Marylebone High Street. The second had a staff-room on the top floor (with an attic above) overlooking the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, a site that’s no longer a bank. I used to listen to adult conversations, draw pictures, and imagine the mysteries that might be going on just out of sight. I lived with my grandparents in Yorkshire in term-time, so had two totally contrasting worlds to explore, which probably contributed to my urge to write.
I did recent research for Up Above the City at all the ground-level locations in the streets of London’s Square Mile.
You handle the subject of the refugee crisis in a way that feels age appropriate for a middle grade novel, but does not dismiss the heaviness of the subject. How did you strike this balance? Do you have any advice on how to write about difficult topics for children?
I asked myself how I would have tackled the subject with my two sons when they were that age. The middle-grade age is one of my absolute favourites, so I feel like I still have a good antenna for it. I would advise authors to read lots of middle-grade fiction to ground them in the dialogue and tone. I think if difficult topics are handled with a barrel-load of hope and sensitivity, they can work really well. (And there’s always your editor, who will tell you if you’ve got it wrong!)
Why did you choose to write about the refugee crisis, and what kind of research did you do to approach writing about the personal experiences of refugees?
Before the pandemic, Bentham Area Refugee Support Group asked me to write a series of refugee stories as part of a street-art installation to raise awareness of personal narratives. Researching this involved reading lots of interviews with refugees, and I gradually became immersed in their life stories. As I began to imagine the many nooks and crannies of the ‘Up Above’, the empty spaces felt useful, and everything fell into place.
The major theme and amazing adventure at the heart of the story (which we are keeping purposefully vague to avoid spoilers!) brings a hint of magical realism and fun to the story, while also providing a profound metaphor for the predicament of refugees and homeless people. Where did this idea come from?
One of the characters has a father called Paavo, and the idea sprang naturally from his problem-solving, scientific nature. It was just too good an opportunity to miss! I made him a materials scientist before I came up with The Big Idea, but it’s a topic I used to occasionally come across while editing scientific papers for journals. I’ve always been intrigued by this Big Idea, and I think it’s what every child has longed for at some point. I know I certainly did. My first editor, Eishar Brar, was fantastic at drawing themes out of this book for me, and putting together the relevant jigsaw puzzle of it.
The book is rich with relevant themes for children such as parent separation and mental health, but can also be enjoyed as a fun adventure story! What do you hope your readers come away with?
I hope those worried about a family separation will take hope that a positive future often awaits when the dust settles. It would also be nice if the book helped any readers feeling wobbly about having to do things that scare them. Perhaps they’ll identify with Jake and see that he’s not perfect, but he still prevailed.
One of the book’s themes is accepting help from unusual places, so it would be nice if that came through. And friendship really is the most magical, precious and strengthening thing in the world. We often take it for granted.
I’d also like to plant a seed of curiosity about buildings in my readers. They hold mystery, and cities can actually be quite magical places if you look at them through a certain lens. There are mysteries right under our noses – and above our heads!
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Up Above the City is published on 2 October 2025 with Knights Of, and we have three copies to give away!
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more details about how you can win a copy. Winners will be drawn on 3 October 2025.