| 1.
Did you have a reputation as someone who could draw well when
you were at (primary) school? |
|
| |
Yes,
I suppose so. Although I don't think I was hugely better than
everyone else. |
| 2.
Did you stop drawing at any period in youre childhood or youth,
and if so, what prompted you to start again? |
|
| |
No,
I never really stopped - you see, it was the only thing I was
any good at. |
| 3.
When you trained as an illustrator/artist were you already considering
children as your audience? |
|
| |
About
half way through my training it dawned on me that children's books
would be the best outlet for my talents. |
| 4.
Your recent book of poems, WISH YOU WERE HERE, contains some gems.
At one point does the illustration for each poem become clear
in your mind? |
|
| |
Almost
at the same time as the idea. Sometimes I even start a poem using
an illustration as the inspiration. |
| 5.
Is there an element that would be lost if someone else were to
illustrate your verses? |
|
| |
Yes.
In almost every case the words and pictures are inseperable. Sometimes
I leave things out of one of the poems and put them in the pictures
and vice versa. |
| 6.
Which children's poets and illustrators do you most admire? |
|
| |
Roger
McGough, Michael Rosen, Shel Silverstein
|
| 7.
Are you continually learning as an illustrator, and if so what
has been your most recent development? |
|
| |
The
biggest change in my work over recent years has been the elimination
of an ink line and its replacement with that of a very soft pencil
line. |
| 8.
Do you find your brand of humour travels well. Which countries
apart from the UK appreciate it most? |
|
| |
That's
very difficult to say as my books are available in 25 languages,
but Americans seem, by and large, to get my jokes. |
| 9.
How do you approach the first draft of new poems. Do they arise
on the fly, or as the result of planned writing sessions? |
|
| |
I
just allow my mind to roam. Of course I collect my ideas in notebooks,
and I find it easier to work on a theme - be it monsters, travels,
neighbours, whatever. |
| 10.
How did Preston come into being? |
|
| |
Preston
was originally a little girl. Then one day while flipping through
one of my od sketchbooks, I chanced upon this little pig. |
| 11.
Your sons have appeared in some of your books. Have you used them
and their freinds to test reaction to material? |
|
| |
Good
heavens, no - they're much too honest. They might tell me they
hated it! No, I rely on the child in me for opinions. He's the
one I trust. He's got very high standards and he never lets me
get away with anything second-rate. |
| 12.
In common with many authors you have said that you consider "the
best [book] is always the next one", so can you give us any hints
as to what is coming next, either later this year or in 2001?
|
|
| |
Yes,
I have a new book out soon from Harper Collins (whose new logo
I have just designed!). It's called 'Don't Step on the Crack!'
and it's all about superstitions. Also, there will be a new Preston
Pig book out later in the year from Andersen Press. It's called
'Oomph!'. It's about friendship and love and there's a lot of
kissing in it! Yuk! And last, but by no means least, Walker Books
are re-launching my four books of verse (Who's Been Sleeping in
My Porridge?, Making Friends with Frankenstein, There's an Awful
Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighbourhood, Wish You were Here and I
Wasn't) in hardback, softback and B-format versions; all with
stunning new covers. And most exciting of all, audio-cassettes
with each title featuring yours truly reading the poems! |
© Copyright 2000 ACHUKA
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