Today we are elated to have the beautiful, Emma Middleton
share her thoughts behind her new picture book The Lion in our Living Room. This is Emma’s debut picture book as
an author and we can’t wait to share it.
Tom, his older sister Tilly and their white dog Bessie
excitedly wonder if the mighty lion will come to play. When their dad has a nap after lunch, they
eagerly await the lion’s arrival. However this isn’t an ordinary lion; this is
daddy lion, who plays rollicking games and reads stories late into the night.
Tell us about your
experience writing this book.
In the early stages of writing The Lion in our Living Room, I was inspired by the phrase, ‘I’m
coming to get you..!’ and the delightful excitement that follows. This evolved
into a celebration of the special role fathers play in the lives of their
children, and their unique talents of physical play.
I pictured a father playing with his children, chasing them
and giving them exhilarating piggy back rides. Imagining the father as a
mighty, roaring lion seemed even more fun, and so, The Lion in our Living Roomwas born.
I have felt very honoured during the collaborative process,
as I have had the opportunity to work with two of Australia’s top editors,
Clair Hume and Davina Bell from Affirm Press.
Clair has involved me at every step of the book creation process and she
is an outstanding talent at every level of publishing.
The narrative is finely balanced with the visual. It was a
joy to see Briony Stewart’s stunning and highly detailed illustrations bring
the story to life.
What inspired you to
write this book?
I distinctly remember the moment of inspiration when I was
thinking about the emotions of childhood. It is a time of expectancy, and I
wanted to explore the thrill of anticipation. The phrase came into my mind,
‘I’m coming to get you!’ This was the catalyst for the story. I wanted to
depict this excitement with the lion games played between father and child.
The Lion in our
Living Room presents a positive role model of fatherhood. Is this something you
set out to portray in your story?
To be honest, this wasn’t my initial objective. I was trying
to express a thrilling experience of childhood, and what could be better than
piggy backs and lion rides from a loving father figure. I am delighted that it
has evolved into an inspiring depiction of fatherhood, as the important role
fathers play in families is often underestimated by our society.
You have a background
in theatre – how does this influence your approach to picture books?
To me there is a huge similarity between theatre and writing
for children; rhythm, pace, story, drama, emotion and movement. Once theatre is
in your blood, it remains with you forever. I hope to involve children in
theatrical presentations of my stories.
You are also an
illustrator yourself? Does this affect your writing?
I believe so. As I write I visualise the pictures telling their
half of the story, so the words do not need to spell out every element. This is
one reason why I am completely enamoured with picture books. I believe it is
the only true genre, where the pictures are an essential ingredient to the
story telling.
How did you feel when
you first saw Briony Stewart’s illustrations?
I know how talented Briony Stewart is as an illustrator and
author, however I was really blown away by her illustrations. The detail adds
so much to the book and the visual clues she includes are delightful, such as her
magnificent lion shaped topiary, with leaf claws and a poignant flower eye.
We know how important
it is for children to have stories read aloud to them. How do you see The Lion
in our Living Room contributing to this cause?
One of the important jobs of a picture book author is to
make the words sound wonderful when they are read aloud. In fact, in my early
drafts, I often get carried away with the sound of the words and forget that
the story actually needs to make sense! In other words I hear the rhythm of the
story first, and the plot grows from this point of inspiration.
I aspire to be one of the many Australian authors involved
in the community, bringing my story to life. But of course, there is nothing
better than a loving parent sharing the experience of story with their child.
This is where the life-long love of book begins.
Emma
Middleton is an award-winning writer, illustrator and artist. In 2017 Emma will
have two titles released, The Lion in our
Living Room (Illustrated by Briony Stewart, Affirm Press) and Clover’s Big Ideas (Georgie Donaghey and
Emma Middleton, Little Pink Dog Books). Emma
creates children’s literature and illustrations that provide young children
with a sense of wonder, delight and unlimited possibility.
The
wellspring for Emma’s creative passion is fed by her love of reading and
art-making, a 15-year career as a professional ballerina; and the deeply
rewarding experience of teaching a generation of children at her own ballet
school. Now,
Emma has found in children’s literature, a place where her passions have a
natural creative connection; where literature comes to life in her picture
books through the rhythm of music, the drama of story and the colour of art.
You can
visit Emma at: emmamiddleton.com
Watch
out for our review of The Lion in our Living Room, which is due for release 1
October 2017.
