Baker & Taylor UK

Baker & Taylor Interviews:

Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson MBE, is an English writer and playwright, best known as author of The Gruffalo and other children's books. Of her 157 published works, 56 are widely available in bookshops. The remaining 101 are intended for school use and include her "Songbirds" phonic reading scheme which is part of the Oxford Reading Tree. She originally wrote songs for children's television, but has concentrated on writing books since one of her songs, A Squash and a Squeeze, was published in 1993. She has also written a number of plays for school drama groups. Donaldson has been appointed Children's Laureate for 2011 to 2013, succeeding Anthony Browne. Baker & Taylor caught up with her to ask a few questions:

1. Which of all books you have written is your all time favorite?

I don't really have a favourite (they are all my children!) though perhaps I'm proudest of my teenage novel RUNNING ON THE CRACKS.

2. What’s the funniest question a child has ever asked at one of your signing sessions?

Someone once asked why I was wearing such funny shoes.

3. Is Silversands in your new book The Singing Mermaid based on a real place?

No. It's just any seaside town. Conveniently, it rhymes with "hands", which is very important, though to explain why would be to give the plot away.

4. Did you ever dream of being a mermaid as a child?

No. It was Lydia Monk's idea to do a mermaid book. so maybe she did.

5. What’s the greatest compliment you have ever received about one of your books?

I can't single out one compliment but I really love it when parents thank me for hours of pleasure with their children or tell me that their child knows one of my stories off by heart.

6. Do you have any famous fans?

Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and both Miliband brothers, so quite a broad political spectrum! Oh, and Elton John.

7. What do you think it is about your books that children love so much?

Best to ask them!

8. What do you like to do in your free time?

I like playing the piano and going for country walks. I'm very interested in wild flowers, and in the autumn I always go fungus-hunting.

9. What books inspire you?

My hero among children's authors is Arnold Lobel who wrote the Frog and Toad stories, which are so witty and wise.

10. If you hadn’t been a children’s writer what would you have done?

I always used to want to be an actress. In a way that wish has come true since I often get the opportunity to act out my stories.

11. What’s next from Julia Donaldson?

A quite poignant book called THE PAPER DOLLS, a funny one called SUPERWORM, a sequel to THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT, and a series of playlets for primary schools are all in the pipeline.

12. Have you ever considered writing for an adult audience?

I do write songs for grown-ups. I have two CDs of these, FIRST FOURTEEN and SECOND FOURTEEN, which you can look up on my website, http://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/