1. Everything Amplified is a story of teenagers and how life-noise crescendos when it all gets a little too much. It’s hard to go to school, to make friends, to manage the expectations of everyone around you – is this novel created from personal experience or a snapshot into the world of people in society of that age?
ZH: I have two teenage daughters. My eldest was 14/15 when Sarah and I embarked on this book. Her experience of teenage years was simultaneously very similar and very different to my own. The pressures of fitting in, of navigating social dynamics, of riding the waves of hormones that make everything feel so hyper-real – those were all exactly the same. But the constant accessibility of social media and phones magnifies it all. Those teenage years are so terrifying – you’re coming into your power, but you have no idea what that power is, or how to wield it. I found the raw energy of my daughter and her friends incredibly inspiring and their voices definitely find their way into the book.
SL: I reflected on how music got me through difficult periods of my life – particularly as a teen when the social, familial and educational pressures in life are so heightened. It was also important to bring that feeling up to date with the addition of social media and access to literally all the music ever created in your hand. Ziggy and I worked hard on getting the balance right between the two.
2. Nel’s playlist is incredible. There are so many amazing artists mentioned and celebrated within the pages of this fantastic novel. The bones of the story capture the relevance of music and its influence on Nel and those around her, shaping how she sees herself as her story arc progresses. Were there bands that couldn’t be included due to space on the page etc or were the chosen included due to relevance to the plot?
SL: It was mostly based on relevance to the plot, but also artists we felt would be impactful and powerful role models for Nel and in turn our readers. I was pleased to include my own old band, Fever Dream in there and share small references/nods to my band mates in the book that if you know, you know.
ZH: Sarah and I talked about the playlist endlessly. They’re all tunes that we both love, but they were selected to complement the scenes that they appear in. I would love to do a second volume with double the songs!
3. Ludo certainly has a mountain to climb when it comes to his storyline. Creating a story about twins and their different personalities can be tricky to get right, how did you plan out the rivalry and history their close-knit relationship brings?
ZH: It was a very organic process. Sarah and I started out talking about a non-fiction graphic novel about female musicians. We then discussed putting that into a story framework, and as soon as we did that the characters came to life and found their own journeys. Nel’s is about finding an authentic voice in a noisy world. Ludo’s isabout acknowledging and accepting his vulnerability. Their relationship can heal once they’ve worked out who they really are.
SL: I’m one of five and so I definitely drew from my own experience of sibling rivalry, competition for your parents attention and the ebbs and flows of these relationships – it can be a difficult balance throughout life but particularly when you’re young and you haven’t quite figured out who you are yet, what you like and what you don’t – it’s certainly complicated and it was fun to explore those dynamics through each twin and the people in their lives.
4. Who are your musical influences? Do you listen to music when you create? Different sounds for different processes – editing, drafting, planning etc?
SL: I like to listen to ambient and minimalist music when I’m writing. Notably artists like Phillip Glass and Floating Points when I need deep concentration, then something a bit livelier when I’m in the zone like Fela Kuti or Pavement! When I’m drafting and drawing, I turn to podcasts – I crave talking company to keep me focussed. I listened to a lot of This American Life, Short Cuts, Off Menu, Bandsplain, the whole series of Kill List, and a ton of football pods whilst making Everything Amplified.
ZH: My musical taste is very eclectic. But for any creative process I need music that is background-y. Steely Dan Radio on Spotify is actually my go to for writing!
5. Writing and illustrating as a collaborative team takes dedication and hard work, can you describe the working relationship you both have when creating Everything Amplified?
ZH: I feel like this is the bit in the Guardian Blind Date where we each give each other marks out of 10! In the hope that Sarah doesn’t give me a 5, I’m going to say 10! I often work with young illustrators and I take on a mentor role, which I enjoy. But it was so refreshing and brilliant to work with someone experienced and professional who brought so much to the process and pushed me as a writer and as an editor to exciting new places. We handed the story back and forth and discussed the roughs in a way that felt entirely open and stimulating without any of the defensiveness that can come in during creative discussions.
SL: I came on board with this project after publishing two very personal non-fiction graphic novels for adults and it’s been such an interesting challenge and an absolute delight to work on – it’s rare and probably uncool to say joyful but that’s what it felt like from start to finish! I like to think that comes across both in the writing and the energy of the illustrations. Ziggy is such an enthusiastic and motivational collaborator, bringing an eye for detail especially in the editing – I learnt so much in the process and felt confident to play and experiment with place, character and layout… Of course it’s a 10 from me too!
6. What’s next for you both? Any plans to create together again?
ZH: Personally I’d love to do another book with Nel and Ludo. Maybe when they’re a couple years older and playing in a band together? We’ll see!
SL: …Everything Amplified Too? Too Everything, Too Amplified?!…
Sarah Lippett is an Edinburgh-based graphic novelist, illustrator and author. Her first graphic novel, Stan and Nan (Jonathan Cape 2016) won the Quentin Blake Prize and was a Guardian bestseller. Her second, A Puff of Smoke (Jonathan Cape, 2019) was a Guardian graphic novel of 2019. Sarah is one half of Onion Press and lectures in illustration at University of Edinburgh.
Ziggy Hanaor is writer and publisher living in London. She is the author of V&A award-winning graphic novel Alte Zachen (2022), Carnegie-nominated The Egg Incident (2023) and Life (As We Know It) (2025), as well as picture books including Alex and Alex (2021) and The Pocket Chaotic (2020) – all Cicada.
Written and graphically designed by Sarah Lippett @crayonlegs and Ziggy Hanaor @cicadabooks
Publisher: @cicadabooks
PR: Sally Oliphant – @sally_talks_books
Leave a Reply