By Solvej Balle, as told to Karoline Markholst. Photo: Sarah Hartvigsen Juncker

“When I finished my first book, LYREBIRD, I was travelling in Australia. The final part of the book was written at a youth hostel in a forest near Sydney.

I’d been sitting for several days writing and hadn’t been out walking in the forest, so, after finishing the book, I went for a walk. I’d never actually seen a lyrebird and knew that the chances of seeing one were next to none. But suddenly, two strange pheasant-sized birds rushed past me on the path and vanished again in the undergrowth.

I was excited but still thought it unlikely that I’d seen a real-life lyrebird. When I got back to the hostel, I described what I’d seen to the warden, including the strange way the birds had run alongside me, and he was convinced – they could only be lyrebirds.

He went walking in the forest every day and hadn’t seen one for ages.

I think I felt that somehow the book was connected to the real world. And I’ve had similar experiences with other books since. I think it’s quite common but it’s still surprising when it happens.”