I love Norse mythology, Icelandic sagas, and am fascinated by all things Viking, so it’s been a joy for me to write my first picture book featuring the worst Viking children…ever.
Hack and Whack are the terrible twins terrorizing their village, and I’ve loved imagining a Viking world where children are told off for sword-fighting on the table, but essentially run wild. All the normal constrictions of modern kids are brushed aside—these are Vikings. They fight, they steal, they’re bold and they’re rude. Children need a safe outlet for their emotions and aggressive feelings—what better way to explore their riotous natures than through literature?
was delighted when Faber’s Leah Thaxton suggested Charlotte Cotterill to illustrate, as I needed an artist with a wild sense of humour, and Charlotte has brilliantly captured all the antic fun of this book. Long may Hack and Whack be on the attack.
Hack and Whack was published by Faber and Faber on 5th October 2017.
