My birthday is on Christmas day.
2. What is your nickname?
2. What is your nickname?
Muzza! Or Pesky.
3. What is your greatest fear?
3. What is your greatest fear?
Losing the health of my family.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Short and sweet. Hopefully amusing and a little bit cheeky!
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Cheeky, silly, inventive, minimal, fun.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
6. What book character would you be, and why?
Abigail in Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park. See below for explanation!
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
What a great question! I am totally fascinated by time travel. I’d go back to the 1850s to see what my convict ancestors were up to. I also particularly love the Victorian era of architecture. Melbourne was in the middle of the gold rush boom and I’d love to go back for a few days to check it out. Then return to 2020 for a hot shower and a decent feed!
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
YIPPEE!!! Keep drawing book covers and one day you will write the stories to go in them too!
9. Who is your greatest influence?
9. Who is your greatest influence?
My nephews and nieces.
10. What/who made you start writing?
10. What/who made you start writing?
It’s in the blood I think. I come from a creative family. I think I’m the first one to write children’s books but there is a long line of writers of various types going way back. I think for me it began when I started writing a blog back in 2011. I really got a kick out of using only a few words to convey a message in an interesting way. It was around this time that I decided I wanted to pursue writing as well as illustrating.
11. What is your favourite word and why?
11. What is your favourite word and why?
Bonza! Because it’s a rippa of a word and it reminds me of my Grandpa.
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park. (The time travel thing!)
Caitlin holds a Bachelor of Education from Melbourne University and a Diploma of Illustration from NMIT (now Melbourne Polytechnic). She spent 10 years in the fashion industry, designing prints and graphics for some of Australia’s largest retailers before returning to the non-garment world of illustration in 2014. These days, when she’s not writing and illustrating children’s books, Caitlin works as a designer for Melbourne Toy Company Tiger Tribe. For more information, see www.caitlinmurrayillustration.com.
