What a mystery! We give birth to our stories - conceived in what impenetrable realms? - and they fly off into the world, a few hundred words, flapping black and white. If we are very very lucky some may return to us as full-grown books, in full-colour, to perch on many strangers' shelves! What a miracle! What gorgeous plumage!
I’m a novelist and write books for a living. But my first love was illustration.
I can’t remember learning how to draw. It was something that fell from the sky and landed in my lap.I was never formally taught techniques but as soon as I was old enough to hold a pen, I was drawing.
For me, illustration MAKES a good children’s book....whether it’s the cover that initially grabs someone’s attention or the interior drawings and sketches that keep the plot bouncing along with enough amusing or – in many cases – breathtaking additions to the text.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the most gifted illustrators in the field.Bob Lea brought the Illmoor Chronicles and Davey Swag to life with his vibrant portraits of my oddball characters, while James de la Rue managed to install SO much action into the Gladiator Boy books that the readers regularly told me they felt like they were ‘living’ inside the arena!
Well, I’ve been on my travels again publicising SPINDLEWOOD TALES.
Pip and the Twilight Seekers is the second instalment in the series and so, assisted by Victoria Roberts from Publicity we took to the road in the Spindlewood Carriage and headed for our first stop.