Esther Freud, author of Hideous Kinky, has long drawn inspiration from her own life. Now her sister Bella is writing her own version of their childhood, prompting Freud to question whether fact or fiction comes closer to the truth.
Freud recalls being four years old, pretending to be dead behind a sofa, hoping it would make a story. In 1967, months before her mother, sister Bella, and she set off for Morocco, everything became a story. She describes the camel festival, the steep path into the hills, and the sacrifice of a camel or chicken. For decades, Freud has been the family chronicler, keeping possessions from those years, such as kaftans and a corduroy patch embroidered by a boyfriend of her mother.
Returning to England at age six, Freud used 'news' time at school to recount her adventures, earning the nickname 'In Morocco…' until she learned to stay quiet. The stories coalesced, and in her mid-20s, she began writing them down, eventually publishing Hideous Kinky. She wondered about the 'splinter of ice' in every writer's heart and whether having a writer in the family is the death of the family.
Freud's subsequent novels, including Summer at Gaglow, drew on her German Jewish grandmother and step-family experiences. She gained confidence to invent, creating camouflage to protect those involved. Now, with her sister Bella writing her own account, Freud reflects on the differing perspectives: 'When I read my sister's stories I think, that's not what it was like!'
