It’s been a while since we’ve had an author interview, hasn’t it? Well, they say the longer you wait for something, the more you appreciate it — which, now that I think of it, could be my motto for my publishing career. But I digress. I’ve got a fab interview for you today, and I know you’re going to appreciate it. So without further ado, allow me to present…Kallie George!
Kallie is a Vancouver children’s author, editor, teacher, and lover of pretty things. She’s also a good friend of mine. And she recently published a beautiful picture book called The Melancholic Mermaid, which earned her a coveted STARRED REVIEW in the Quill & Quire. As usual, you may read said review AFTER you read this interview.
The Melancholic Mermaid tells the story of two young misfits — a twin-tailed mermaid and a land-dwelling lad with webbed hands. Both are taunted mercilessly, and both end up in a circus, where everyone can stare at their oddities. With the help of talented illustrator Abigail Halpin, Kallie tells the story of the children’s surprising friendship and their attempt to escape the circus.
Like everything Kallie writes, The Melancholic Mermaid is a wonderful read-aloud. You’d be hard pressed to find a single word that isn’t lovely and lyrical, and the prose is perfectly complemented by Abigail’s whimsical illustrations. I highly recommend this book.
So now, a few questions for our lovely author.
RD: I know you dearly love fairytales, new and old. Have you always been drawn to them?
KG: As long as I can remember. My dad used to make up fairy tales in which I was a peasant girl. Once I secretly stole a flower from a Queen’s garden and propagated it, bringing its beauty to the whole land. And there was another one about ribbons, which I don’t really remember. I think this is probably why I love fairy tales so much.
I also read the Wizard of Oz series over and over—my mom grew up herself reading them and gave her copies to me. I watched Disney movies until some of the tapes wore out.
Then, when I was a little older, my aunt and uncle introduced me to the original Hans Christian Andersen tales, which both frightened and fascinated me, especially The Little Mermaid. Now, I love that type of tale–tinged with sadness, beautifully written–the best.
RD: If you could be one fairytale character, who would it be?
KG: Probably the workaholic, perfectionist Princess Tiana, in Disney’s Princess and the Frog. Or Beauty from Beauty and the Beast. She loves books, and she has a crazy inventor father that reminds me of my dad! I’d like to be Gerda, the heroine of The Snow Queen, who doesn’t give up no matter what. She’s a true fairy tale heroine.
RD: Have you always wanted to be a writer? Did you ever consider another career?
KG: I don’t think I ever thought or said to myself I want to be a writer. I just always was (and always am) thinking of stories. Sometimes it’s scary because I think and worry more about fictional people and fictional plots than real people and real events!
There were, however, definitely, a few things that propelled me into writing. My family had an author/illustrator stay at our house on the Sunshine Coast to finish her children’s picture book. I think I was seven at the time. I fell in love with what she was doing. I even made my own sequel to her book.
Then, in grade four, another thing happened that convinced me I wanted to be a writer. My extended family is huge and it was always a problem trying to figure out what to get my cousins of my great aunt third removed etc etc for Christmas. But in Grade 4 I came up with a solution—I wrote a Christmas story and my dad helped me self-publish it to give to everyone. This process was so much fun I decided to do it every year. And so I did—-all the way up to Grade 12!
I really love teaching too, and for a while, I considered going into that field, but I am lucky enough to teach creative writing now to kids, so that fulfills that part of me.
RD: You dedicate The Melancholic Mermaid to your dad (in a lovely dedication!). Were your parents always supportive of your dream?
KG: Yes, yes! As you can see from above, my mom and dad love stories too. My mom is more of a reader, whereas my dad is the writer/ creator. I still turn to him to plot out stories. He is one of those kinds of people who honestly does think out of the box. And yet he is logical too. He can tell you when a story just doesn’t work, or is getting too far off track. This is important especially in fairy tale type stories. There is a fine balance, I think, between keeping the world and ideas rooted enough in reality so that they become real for readers.
RD: What are a few things that delight Kallie George?
KG: – I’ve been into baking bread right now. It’s so lovely and makes the house smell so good.
- Yoga, yoga, yoga!
- Pretty picture books. The Quiet Book is going to be my next purchase.
- My job editing. I get to work with some incredibly talented people.
- I love being in love! (Sappy, I know!) It’s funny, but being in love is making me ACTUALLY believe in the “happily ever after,” “one day your prince will come,” type of cheesy stuff. For all the fairy tales I’m into, I used to be pretty cynical about finding “the one.” But now… hmmm…
RD: Do you mind sharing what you’re working on now?
KG: Aha–That’s top secret stuff. All I can say is I’m working on quite a few different projects, including a few new fairy tales and some early readers!
Today’s was particularly special. Two weeks ago, we’d all attended the book launch of my good friend Hannah Tunnicliffe, a New Zealander currently living in Vancouver. Her first novel, The Colour of Tea, was released in Australia earlier this year, and it became an instant hit. So although the book won’t be released in North America til 2012, we were able to get our hands on a few gorgeous copies and discuss it with Hannah.
