We have the infinitely lovely Catherine Ward in the Q&A hot seat today, talking to us about her gorgeous debut picture book – The Emerald Forest. I have been lucky enough to hear this poignant story being read aloud by the author herself and I have no doubt it is set to touch the hearts of children and adults alike. Read on to find out what Catherine has to say about the orangutans and the plight of the rainforests…
1. Tell us about you in 25 words or less.
Shy. Determined (ambitiously or stubbornly so, depending on your view of me!) Passionate about nature, the environment, fairness and being kind. Cat lover. Giggler.
2. Your debut picture book THE EMERALD FOREST comes out today (hurrah!). Can you tell us a little bit about how it came to be?
Hurrah!
I first started researching about orangutans back in 2018. My very first draft of a story about them was alternate letters between a child and an orangutan who had lost his home. It didn’t work (it was too sad) and it sat in a draw for 6 months. But I couldn’t let it go – the story of the plight of rainforests and orangutans meant too much to me. It just needed time.
Then, as we neared the end of our Golden Egg Academy picture book course, Tessa Strickland set us all a challenge to try and write and polish one more story before the course finished. I dug this idea back out and did lots more research. This was when I came across a project being undertaken by WWF, The Frankfurt Zoological Society and The Orangutan Project to try and save one of the last great areas of rainforest in Sumatra. I knew straight away that this was the story of hope that I wanted to share with children and ‘The Emerald Forest’ was born. I will be forever grateful for the feedback I had from my course mates, including you, Bruna, helping me shape this into the story that went on submission and was taken a few months later by Otter Barry Books.
3. Ok, here’s a challenge… can you sum up your book in five words? [runs and hides!]
Honest, hopeful, from the heart.
4. What does a typical day look like for you?
It starts with a bit of cleaning around the house – I find it clears my mind before sitting down at my desk. Then I work in my study until school pick up time – reading, writing, planning, organising, critiquing – everything we fill our time with as a writer. Then my focus shifts to our son, interspersed with time spent on social media, catching up on bookish news. Some days I’ll throw in a visit to the library to choose some more books to read and sometimes I read to the wriggly readers at my local library – I love doing that – it’s a lot of fun!
5. What makes you happy?
Spending time in nature with our son is always a joy. Whether it’s at a nature reserve or a walk in our local woods or wrapped up on a chilly day at a beach when we’re on holiday. Our son’s absolute delight at encountering something new is particularly wonderful. His first spotting of an otter a few weeks ago made the day for all of us! I find I am more relaxed, calmer and just all round happier once we’ve been in nature for a few hours. I also love gardening (especially growing vegetables) and baking – home made chocolate chip cookies, anyone?
6. What’s on your TBR pile at the moment?
I read picture books as soon as I buy them. Recent purchases have included these lovely stories: ‘The Blue Umbrella’ by Emily Ann Davison & Momoko Abe, ‘Betsy Buglove Saves the Bees’ by Catherine Jacob and Lucy Fleming, ‘How to Make a Story’ by Naomi Jones & Ana Gomez, ‘What do you see when you look at a Tree?’ by Emma Carlisle and ‘Out of the Blue’ by Bob Tregoning and Stef Murphy. I’ve also just bought our son a stunning nonfiction book ‘Wild in the City’ by Kate Baker & Gianluca Foli and for my bedtime reading, Robert Macfarlane’s ‘The Wild Places’.
7. What’s your worst habit?
Worrying. All the time. About everything. It’s a good job I do yoga…
8. Your favourite word(s) and why –
Gorgeous. I just love how it sounds when you say it out loud.
9. What are your top tips for budding writers?
Gosh, where to start and where to end…
– Prepare for the long-haul.
– Find your writing crowd and engage with them often. You’ll find that what you are feeling and experiencing, most other writers are experiencing too. It’s just that we don’t always talk about it publicly.
– Develop rhino skin and persist. Write regularly. Take on board feedback. And remember, nothing is ever wasted. Some things you write will be a learning experience, some will get nibbles of interest, some will get lots of interest and then fall at the final hurdle. Cry if it helps (I do!) and then pick yourself up, dust yourself down and carry on.
10. Is there anything that’s surprised you about the publishing process?
How emotional I would find the experience of seeing the illustrations. I had tried really hard not to over think what the pictures for The Emerald Forest might look like. All I had said to Janetta Otter Barry was that I wanted them to be vibrant and hoped they would make the child reader go ‘wow!’ Right from the very first sketch I saw on Karin Littlewood’s Instagram page, I was blown away. In fact, I audibly gasped the first time I saw one of her sketches. And then the roughs and final artwork… well, I am one heck of a lucky debut!
11. Can you give us a glimpse / hint at your current WIP? (I can bribe you with cake!)
As long as it’s chocolate cake!
I’m usually working on several texts at the same time, at different stages of development. A couple of recent ones I’ve started working on are very different in style. One is nature-based, in the narrative nonfiction arena, with some light humour thrown in. The other is emotions focused, with a more lyrical feel on a subject which I care passionately about.
12. Did we forget anything?
I don’t think so! Thank you SO much for having me, Bruna. It has been a privilege to take part in ‘My Book Corner’.
Just for fun
Tea or coffee? Tea (fresh mint, if it’s on offer!)
Paper books or e-books? Definitely paper books. I love the feel of them, the smell of them, the physical act of turning over pages.
Cake or chocolate? Chocolate cake. Yum.
Write or type? For ideas / thinking things through, I write (in pencil – I have a thing about how that feels and sounds). For drafts, I type.
Poetry or prose? Ooh, tricky one! I would probably say prose as this is what I read most often but LOVE poetry. When said aloud, it’s just pure magic.
Hot or cold? After the heat of last summer, I’m going to say cold. You can always wrap up on a cold day. Hat, scarf, gloves. And if it’s one of those really cold, bright days, I am one happy lady.
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