Sunday morning at the South Croydon branch of the Premier Inn, I wait in an oversized booth for breakfast. Sun pours through the window across the laminated pine table where I sit with a rapidly cooling cup of Costa coffee and a tape recorder. I am ten minutes early for my meeting with Bath native Alice Whitehall, 25, the head of the Chameleon Press and author of the surprisingly poignant The Chameleon’s Princess. Roughly two minutes after my arrival, I spot her slight frame rushing through the doorway. “Hello,” she sighs, “I hope I’m not late.”

She’s eight minutes early, in fact, and looking very well-rested for someone who has spent all of the previous night celebrating the wedding of a close friend at the nearby Oaks Farm. “I don’t drink,” she shrugs, then looks around quickly for the waiter. Seeing no one, she produces two slices of bread from the centre pocket of her Aberystwyth Uni hoodie. “It’s gluten-free.” She explains. “You don’t think they’ll mind?”

Breakfast is served shortly and I get to ask her how she went about starting her own publishing company at 23. “Well, I wanted to do it because I had written my book, The Chameleon’s Princess, and I didn’t want to compromise the story to make it acceptable to other publishers. Also, I’m quite independent, so I always think these things are a good idea. There is, of course, a trace of intellectual ego; now I can always say I had my own company at 23.”

There is definitely a trace of the intellectual about Morgan. After receiving a Masters in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth, she relocated to Cardiff where she is currently working towards her PhD in Science Fiction Literature. She speaks about her company in a low, pleasant voice, each word chosen carefully and delivered with confidence. She answers without hesitation, her pale green eyes direct and earnest. I learn that Morgan has no children of her own, so I am curious to know why she has chosen to make her name in children’s books. “As I was writing the book, I didn’t plan for it to be for children, but that was how it manifested itself. I was happy with the end result, and I decided to try to publish it the way it was, as I feel that modern children’s books are insulting in their simplicity. I remember very clearly how important books were to me as a child, and I know how important stories are in childhood development. I’ve also been able to work with children, and it’s very rewarding.”

Morgan chose “Alice Whitehall” as her pen name because she was concerned very young children might not be able to pronounce her first name. She soon found that writing the book had been the easy part. “Starting the company was very simple as I had my own money and didn’t need a loan from anywhere. The setbacks came from unexpected sources. I thought the problem would be lack of publicity or convincing larger chain shops to stock the book. In fact, I was really surprised at the almost hostile response of people who owned the smaller bookshops. I was told by one owner, in writing, if my book had any merit it would be spotted by a publisher and therefore wouldn’t be ‘vanity published.’ He even had the words in a larger font than the rest of the letter.”

In spite of initial setbacks, both WH Smith and Waterstone's were quick to accept the book, and it is now available to buy across Britain and over the internet. “We’ve sold a few hundred copies, and I’m very glad. If we sell a few hundred more, we’ll been able to print a second book.” She smiles.

It is obvious from her enthusiasm that Morgan is very proud of the Chameleon Press. She sips her ginger tea slowly, dwarfed by the mammoth sized dark green back rest of our booth. Her long, deep gold hair is tied up in a chignon, her skin flawless and pale without makeup. Reservedly optimistic, Morgan projects wisdom beyond her years. It is easy to imagine her as a highly successful publisher, which, no doubt, she will be in no time at all.

“My advice? Always believe in yourself and your story. Never expect it to be easy or to get a lot of sleep, and listen carefully to those who have your best interests at heart. And don't do it for the money, as that really isn't what it's about.”

Jessica Ramthun