1. Mem, you usually say about how difficult and hard and how mad it makes you to write a picture book. But, your new book "A Giraffe in the Bath", was actually co-written with Olivia Rawson. What was the process like of working with a collaborator on a picture book for the first time?
Actually GIRAFFE IN THE BATH wasn’t my first collaboration. I collaborated with Judy Horacek on the writing of WHERE IS THE GREEN SHEEP so I was familiar with the process. It’s just as difficult to get the right words in the right place (and I have to be bossy about that, since I am the one with the innate sense of rhythm!) but it’s much more fun collaborating than writing on my own. There’s laughter for a start, which is always cheering, and two brains can be creative in ways that one brain can’t. I probably ‘collaborate’ on all my books as I work intensely and very closely with my American editor who is a genius. Her name is Allyn Johnston.
2. How did the idea for you to write 'A Giraffe in the Bath' come around, and where did Olivia come into the picture? Why did you decide to actually co-write?
Olivia is an ex-student of mine from Flinders University. She is a live-wire and hilarious. I met her in the street when she was in a down moment after her mother’s death. She’d been playing a game of ‘What makes you laugh?’ with her children, to lighten all their hearts. She told me about it and said I should use the idea to write the book. I told her I never used other people’s ideas as they are not authentic to me and they never work for me, which is true. But she was so sad at the time that I said I would mentor her, if she wrote it. We had a lot of fun doing it. In the end we didn’t know who had written what so we shared the authorship.
3. Are there, or were, any plans for a film of any of your books?
No, there aren't any plans for a film for any books at this time.
4: What is your daily writing process for us?
I don't really have a 'daily writing process', because I luckily manage to avoid wriitng picture books for 48 weeks out of the year! As most people know, I detest writing picture books!
5: And, lastly, what can we expect from Mem Fox in the future?
Two new books shortly. COUNTING GOATS, a 'counting book', for young babies, is due to be released in October 2010. And, in April 2011, there will be THE LITTLE DRAGON.
Well, thank you for joining me here, Mem. And I look forward to reading your future books!
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