{"id":162921,"date":"2022-03-21T15:31:25","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T04:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/?p=162921"},"modified":"2022-03-23T12:18:19","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T01:18:19","slug":"ten-terrifying-questions-with-jacqueline-harvey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2022\/03\/21\/ten-terrifying-questions-with-jacqueline-harvey\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Terrifying Questions with Jacqueline Harvey!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Jacqueline<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jacqueline Harvey worked in schools for many years but has had a passion for storytelling since she was a child. She is the author of the popular Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose and Kensy and Max series, which have sold over one million copies in Australia alone. Her books have received numerous short-listings and awards while her picture book, The Sound of the Sea, was a CBCA Honour Book. Jacqueline speaks to thousands of young people at schools and festivals around the world, and says the characters in her books are often made up of the best bits of children she’s met over the years. While she is not a twin, like Kensy and Max she does have excellent powers of observation and has always thought she’d make a great spy. Jacqueline lives in Sydney and is currently working on more Kensy and Max adventures, and some exciting new projects too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, to celebrate the recent release of her picture book That Cat<\/a><\/strong>, Jacqueline Harvey is on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n
\"Jacqueline<\/a>

Jacqueline Harvey (Photo by Jenni Bradley)<\/p><\/div>\n

1. To begin with, why don\u2019t you tell us a little bit about yourself \u2013 where were you born? Raised? Schooled?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was born in Fairfield NSW and lived with my parents in a converted garage at my grandparents\u2019 house until I was about two years old. Mum and Dad built their own place in Ingleburn, where we lived until I was nine. I attended Ingleburn Public School and then we moved to Camden where I went to Camden South Public and Camden High School. I didn\u2019t always love school to begin with. One lunchtime when I was in Year 2 (what was I thinking!?) I made a great escape to the shops with a friend. We were planning to buy Curly Wurlys with our tuckshop money. Unfortunately my mother and youngest sister were exiting the exact same shop as we were heading in. Not my finest hour (and absolutely put paid to any further truanting desires!).<\/p>\n

I was a student in the ’70s and ’80s when caning was still rife \u2013 so I lived in fear a lot of the time, especially as I had a teacher in Year 3 who was an avid fan of corporal punishment. Moving to Camden South in Year 4 changed my life \u2013 I went into a class taught by the most wonderful woman on earth. Mrs Hogan played music during class time and made super 8 films with us kids as the stars. She read aloud to us every day and I became enthralled by those books and stories.<\/p>\n

I spent my secondary years at Camden High School and while there were still a few teachers I wasn\u2019t fond of (one Maths teacher with a pet goat springs to mind) I mostly enjoyed school and worked hard. When I was 17 my parents sold up and we moved to Wilton (which I thought must have been punishment for something because at the time it felt like it was the middle of nowhere).<\/p>\n\n\n

2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At twelve I was divided between a brain surgeon or a television newsreader, until I realised at about fifteen that I couldn\u2019t stand the sight of blood. I was still quite keen on being a newsreader but had a crisis of confidence that I wasn\u2019t attractive enough to be on television. At eighteen I wanted to be a primary school teacher and a children\u2019s book author and that dream held fast through thirty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don\u2019t have now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So many! At eighteen I thought I knew it all. I had life mapped out. I truly believed that just because I thought they should, things would fall into place – finish school, get a degree, great job, marry, buy a house, have kids etc etc. Well I know better now. Life has a habit of getting in the way of all those plans and it\u2019s certainly not black and white. There are many different paths \u2013 you just have to find the ones that feel right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. What are three works of art \u2013 this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc \u2013 that influenced your development as a writer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of books, it\u2019s more the authors than particular stories that have influenced me. I adored Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl and wanted to write the kind of books they did \u2013 adventures and mysteries that appealed to a broad audience over a long period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mozart taught me the art of perseverance as I learned the piano and had to work hard to master many of his more difficult compositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love the paintings of John Constable \u2013 those quintessential English scenes have definitely figured in my own work over the years, inspiring numerous settings for stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a children\u2019s book?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children are honest and frank and keen to let you know what they\u2019re thinking. They don\u2019t like being preached at or talked down to \u2013 you need to treat them with respect. It\u2019s great to know where you stand with your readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the books I read as a child have stayed with me forever. If not the story in detail, the myriad feelings I got when I read them. These books taught me things and took me to places I could only dream of. Books written for children are powerful. I love rediscovering my younger self when I write and it\u2019s a privilege to write for young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Basically I want readers to have fun with it \u2013 to find all of the extra things in the illustrations and to laugh at the silliness.’<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

6. Please tell us about your latest book!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That Cat<\/em> is my 49th book and my second ever picture book. It\u2019s a humorous, irreverent look at cats \u2013 the story is short (I hope parents and caregivers who are asked to read the same story over and over appreciate that fact!). The idea was inspired by our own tabby, Bally Puss who we met as a visitor cat until his owner sadly passed away and we adopted him (although it was probably more a bequeath really). Like most cats, Bally Puss knows his own mind \u2013 he does what he wants when he wants and its common knowledge that cats don\u2019t have masters they have slaves \u2013 in this case very true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was coming up with the concept I thought about all the words that rhyme with cat and decided that we could have a lot of fun with the likes of bat cat, mat cat, hat cat and more \u2013 giving cats human-like qualities and seeing how that shaped up. Of course the cat we love the best is the one at home in front of the fire or on our laps. It\u2019s incredibly simple but often the best ideas are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate Isobel Scott\u2019s illustrations are wonderful. I knew they would be having watched her draw as a small child and marvelled at her skills. Kate was in my class in Kindergarten and Year 4 and I always thought she would become an artist. When I was thinking about an illustrator for the book, I really wanted it to be her. Kate\u2019s work is quirky and different to anything that\u2019s in the market \u2013 I love it. It\u2019s amazing that after all these years we now have the opportunity to work together and there are more books coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That Cat<\/em> is aimed at a young audience but as with all my books there is something for the grown-ups too. Basically I want readers to have fun with it \u2013 to find all of the extra things in the illustrations and to laugh at the silliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to my other series, Alice-Miranda, Clementine Rose and Kensy and Max I want readers to enjoy the stories and feel as if they\u2019ve been on a great adventure (and solved a mystery or two in the process). Given the number of books I\u2019ve written in each of those series now, I know that many fans feel as if they\u2019re genuinely friends with the characters. There have been numerous times that children have told me they were having difficulties and asked themselves, \u2018What would Alice-Miranda do?\u2019 To know that the characters have touched readers in this way is incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So many authors and illustrators, but in terms of their ability to connect with children I think Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton were incredible. Enid Blyton\u2019s output was extraordinary \u2013 and though she was a woman of her time and much of the work is dated now, the adventures still resonate with many young readers. Roald Dahl was completely subversive and I doubt that he would get away with some of the things he wrote today \u2013 but he\u2019s the master of the read aloud which is a great skill \u2013 to produce something that is buckets of fun to share is a goal I aspire to as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep on writing for the rest of my life (brain and body willing). I want to write the sort of books that entertain, amuse and inspire – with characters readers can relate to. If children learn things from the stories that\u2019s a wonderful consequence but I don\u2019t want to preach \u2013 I want to produce quality books that children around the world enjoy reading \u2013 and have fun doing it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t talk about it, do it! In my twenties I wrote stories, poems and plays for the students in my classes and spent a lot of time saying that I wanted to be a children\u2019s author. It was only after my husband asked if I was ever going to do it or just talk about it for the rest of my life that I was spurred into action. It was the perfect question. A challenge of sorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a friend who is oft heard to say, \u2018Don\u2019t die wondering.\u2019 So I decided that I wouldn\u2019t. I\u2019d give it a go and what was the worst thing that could happen? If things didn\u2019t work out, I\u2019d keep on working in schools (which I loved). I\u2019m glad to say that it has worked out but don\u2019t be deceived into thinking it\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most successful writers I know, I\u2019ve worked hard and persevered through many ups and downs. Writing is a bit like riding a rollercoaster \u2013 but ultimately having your books out there in the world, knowing that they are being read and enjoyed gives an amazing feeling of satisfaction. It\u2019s important to park your ego at the door. Celebrate the success of others, work hard (I know I\u2019ve said it before but it can\u2019t be stressed enough) and who knows \u2013 one day you might be answering these Ten Terrifying Questions too \u263a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for playing!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014That Cat<\/a><\/em> by Jacqueline Harvey (Penguin Books Australia) is out now.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hear from the bestselling author of the new picture book, That Cat!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":162937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[715,9512,2675,7394,4212,4278,5184,14597],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/JacquelineHarvey-Social.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162921"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162921"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":163074,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162921\/revisions\/163074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}