Katie Stewart - Creating picture books with heart

Katie Stewart has worked in a variety of jobs, from archaeologist to school library assistant, but illustrating was what she always wanted to do, with writing coming in a close second. So, it’s only natural that she eventually got around to writing and illustrating children’s books, albeit somewhat late in life.

Born in the north of England, Katie came to Australia at the age of 9. She soon fell in love with the Australian birds and other wildlife (except snakes and spiders which she would rather avoid) and now incorporates them into her stories. She has twice been shortlisted for the Australian Speech Pathology Book of the Year awards and once for the WA Premiers Book Awards. 

In this episode of Not the Plot, she chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about her path to publication as an author/illustrator, her creative process, and her thoughts on the decline in children's literacy. Katie also shares a memorable childhood moment that has had a lasting influence and offers several tips for aspiring author/illustrators.

* Practice. 

* Involve yourself with books and the writing community.

* Don't give up. Keep trying. 

Find out more about Katie and her books: 

 https://www.katiestewartauthorillustrator.com/

https://www.instagram.com/katiestewartillustrator/

https://www.facebook.com/KatieStewartAuthorIllustrator/

Thank you for listening.

Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3