Where the Wild Mums Are
Where the Wild Mums Are is a bit of fun and a homage to a children's classic, and I hope will make mums of all ages see the funny side of what can be a very daunting and mind blowing experience!
What made you want to pay homage to the popular book Where the Wild Things Are?
I've recently become a mum... Where the Wild Things Are is my favourite picture book. The two things somehow came together one day in my head - I thought it would be fun to tell a new story of wildness, one that I could relate to as a mum! It felt very liberating even just writing it!
Please tell us how you collaborated on this project.
I wrote the words and then just handed them over with a few notes as to how I could see it working. Sholto then developed a whole new level of wildness with the art and crested an object of beauty. He is a genius. I love the rich colours he has used, and the way that these very ordinary women become so much larger than life as the night goes on - they look like they are having a very good time, I'd like to be there!
10p goes to Women and Children Frist, why did you decide to donate to this particular charity from the proceeds of this book?
I like the ethos of this charity. It tackles a big problem (mother and baby mortality) in Asia and Africa through simple but effective means - women's groups, sharing advice and experiences, encouraging women to pull together. I received excellent childcare throughout my pregnancy; I can't imagine not receiving that level of care through such a critical time.
Katie, this is your first book, so how have you found the process?
I work in publishing so the process is familiar, but the whole thing feels very different when you are on the other side! There are so many creative elements in the process and people involved, it's wonderful to see it all come together and take on a life of its own beyond my own vision for the book.
Sholto, you were a painter before becoming an illustrator so why did you make this shift?
All my degree work was very figurative and strongly narrative anyway. When I left art college in 1988, I quickly realised I needed to earn a living, but working in shops all day just to pay the rent meant I barely had time or the energy to make pictures. This wasn't comfortable for me because that's what I wanted to do and that's what I had spent four years training to do. So I had a good hard think one day and realised that for me, painting and selling pictures was unlikely ever to pay the bills. I thought, if I stepped sideways into illustration, an area I was fairly familiar with, having already picked up a few small commissions, then maybe I could find a way into being an illustrator full-time. Painting can be quite heavy on facilities, materials and space in a way illustration isn't and at the time that was also a factor in my thinking. Actually I haven't completely quit the oil-on-canvas stuff. The end of my studio has an easel and pots of brushes everywhere and now and then I busy myself on a few big oils. Occasionally I do sell paintings and I have sold work in Switzerland and the UK.
Why is this the perfect Mother’s Day gift?
Hopefully it will give mums permission to go a little bit wild and indulge themselves! It's also a way of recognising what unsung heroes mums are - it's not a glamorous job, but every mum is magnificent!
What is next for you both?
Return to work after a nine month maternity leave. I now understand why people come back to work for a rest! (Katie)
I never really know what's coming next and that's probably how I like it. It can be very quiet out here in Somerset. But then an email will arrive from another part of the world or my agent calls and suddenly there's a new project - someone's written a book or had an idea and they want me involved. I've never stopped finding this thrilling because it's such a huge compliment. I've always enjoyed working with creative people. (Sholto)