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Jubilee
Books: Two of your books, Beware of the Storybook
Wolves and I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato,
have been nominated for this years Kate Greenaway Medal,
where you surprised when you heard the news?
Lauren Child: Yes, I was very surprised. I
found out when Orchard phoned to tell me that I Will
Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato had been shortlisted. Hodder
phoned me soon after to congratulate me but I thought they
were talking about the Orchard book which I thought was
very generous of them. It was only about a week later that
I realised that they were talking about Beware of the
Storybook Wolves.
What
was your training as an artist?
I studied illustration at Manchester Polytechnic for
a year but I was really disappointed with the course so
I left and took a year off then I went to another college,
The City & Guilds (now the London College of Art) to study
decorative arts, but I didn't enjoy this course much either.
When
did you first realise that you wanted to become an illustrator?
I didn't really it was almost by accident. I spent a long
time trying to do different things, but I knew that I wanted
to get into design for children. I didn't know quite how
to break into it though so I spoke to a friend of mine who
had a business manager who agreed to look at my portfolio.
All she suggested form looking at my work was that I write
a book, hearing this from her gave me a lot of confidence
to do it.
What
was your first job as an illustrator?
All kinds of things, I did some illustrations for the Radio
Times and the Yellow Pages, I also did some business cards
and things like that for friends, my first book illustrations
were for a book by Penguin.
What
is the best thing about being an illustrator?
It's difficult to say what the best thing about being
an illustrator is, but the best thing about being an author
illustrator is that you can invent your own world, if you're
the writer as well as the illustrator you can change the
writing to suit your illustrations and you get to design
your own world in books. It's also nice to see the book
itself, with so much design the work is transient or ephemeral.
What
books do you remember liking as a child?
One that I always say is the Shrinking of Treehorn
by Edward
Gorey. I also like Betsy Byers books, there were many
picture books I liked but it's difficult to remember them
all.
Amongst
contemporary illustrators and writers whose work do you
like?
Someone I recently discovered is Russell
Ayto, I really love his work, I know him through working
with Orchard Books, Lydia
Monks, and an American writer illustrator Margaret
Calver.
Did
you have a favourite subject at school?
Yes, It's really old-fashioned but I liked Latin, I
really liked the classical studies side of it. I loved learning
about Pompeii and the Roman Empire. I also liked English.
Do
you have any other hobbies or interests other than illustrating?
I'm really interested in film. I like pretty much anything,
all for different reasons, but I love the Cohen brothers
films and Tim Burton. I'm also interested in design, a lot
of Danish designers who are quite popular now although I
don't have a specialist interest. I also like architecture
and I have a lot of books on the subject as I find them
useful as reference when I'm drawing to pick a piece of
architecture or furniture and translate it into my work.
The
character Lola in your book I will Not Ever Never eat a
Tomato is a bit of a fussy eater, are there any foods you
don't like?
When I was a child I was a bit of a fussy eater. Now I don't
like yoghurt at all and if someone serves me it as a pudding
I really don't know what to do, I'm not keen on cheesecake
either, anything with that sour milk taste.
Do
you have a favourite place to illustrate?
I do all of my illustrations at this office (Big Fish Design
Agency) I work for them answering the phone and just being
here in general. I find it really disciplining being at
work from 9 to 5 everyday. Writing is a different story
because there are too many distractions at work so I write
at other times.
Many
of the characters in your books are very keenly observed,
do you base them on people you know?
Yes I do, the characters are not necessarily one person
but a mixture of various people or I might use one element
of somebody.
You
have also illustrated books by other authors including the
Definitely Daisy series by Jenny
Oldfield, how does the process of illustrating someone
else's stories differ from illustrating your own?
I find it much more difficult because you're not in on it
from the beginning and you're trying to fit someone else's
vision. In the case of the Definitely Daisy series
I did ask Jenny to provide me with outlines of the characters.
I find it hard to get into someone else's working the same
way because as a writer and illustrator I'm able to change
my own text or move things around so I feel a bit more restricted
in that way, I don't feel like I'm a natural illustrator
of other peoples text.
How
long does it usually take you to complete an book?
About two to three months usually, Beware of the
Storybook Wolves was the quickest, it took six weeks
from start to finish.
Do
your stories begin as a set of images or as a story?
Nearly always the story comes first, sometimes I might
see someone who would make a good character so you get some
visual idea or inspiration, with Charlie and Lola, Lola
is based an a real little girl I saw when I was in Denmark,
so I drew her before I wrote the story.
Are
you conscious of your audience when you are developing your
books?
Not really, I try not to think about it to much, I think
that it makes you too self conscious and if you start thinking
about it too much it stops you doing what you want.
Quentin
Blake is clearly an influence, who else has or continues
to influence or inspire your work?
Quentin Blake got me really involved as a child, looking
at his work and really enjoying picture books with his work
in, in a way he was more of an influence by just making
me interested. I would say that when I look at certain illustrators
I can see how they've influenced me, one example is Ronald
Searle, I've been very influenced by him but in quite a
subconscious way. Not so apparent is Edward
Gorey, there's something about the way he positions
the characters and designs the actual picture.
Do
you use computers in your work?
Yes, with the book I'm working on at the moment I'm
doing it all on computer. I do draw it first but I scan
it all onto the computer. This is the first book that I've
worked in that way. I have done some drawing on the computer
but mainly I use it for scanning and printing.
Which
of your books is your own favourite?
At the moment it's my new book What Planet are You
From, Clarice Bean which is out in September is probably
my favourite. I really enjoyed writing it, I had the feeling
of having a really good blend, for me they're the best illustrations
I've done so far.
You
have another new book coming out, My New Bed?
Yes it's a novelty book for slightly younger people, it's
taken a long time to get it published because difficulties
in production as it's a novelty book.
What
are the ingredients that you think help to make a successful
book?
I think that it's very good if it can appeal to adults
as well as children, they not only buy the books but they
also have to read them. I also think that books shouldn't
be patronising, they shouldn't talk down to them, I think
children are incredibly intuitive.
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