Can you tell us a little about the Hox gene?
Hox genes are part of a group of genes that control body development – it is because of the action of the hox gene in humans that we have hands, rather than flippers or wings. The existence of hox genes in so many living creatures is proof that the similarities between different forms of life are far greater than their differences. I’ve always disliked the idea that humans are somehow superior. Other mammals have skills that humans lack – the ability to read the weather, for example, or travel long distances without any maps to guide them. When I came across an article about recreating ancient forms of the hox gene, I began to wonder what humans might have lost in the course of their evolutionary development. And that’s where the story came from. This is your first book and already it has won the Kelpies prize and has been shortlisted for the Royal Mail Awards, how does that make you feel? A combination of delighted and bewildered. I’ve been writing for many years and never succeeded i
