Northern Highlight - Leah McDowell

Northern Highlight

Leah McDowell

Why did you want to work in the children's book industry?

I saw it as a unique opportunity to be part of the creation of engaging design and illustration for a deserving audience. Working for Floris Books specifically, I get to be part of projects about Scotland and its people that reflect young Scottish readers, which is particularly special. I grew up in Belfast in Northern Ireland, and the books I loved as a child were never based in my country, never mind my city. Recognising the place you call home in a book has the potential to be a really powerful experience, so that brings me a lot of motivation.

Tell us about where you live.

I live in Edinburgh, right next to the beautiful Water of Leith. Edinburgh has the best of both worlds: you can access brilliant museums, night life and gigs in the city centre, but at the same time you’re never more than a 30 minute drive from quiet forests and countryside.

I’ve lived in Scotland since 2008, and I felt at home very quickly as the Scots remind me a lot of the Irish, mostly because of their love of whisky and ‘craic’ (that’s Irish for ‘a good time’)!

Where are you happiest working?

I’m happiest when I’m surrounded by my team at Floris in our sunny, canal-side office. We have a great team culture and while we can maintain a semblance of that while working from home during COVID, it’s not quite the same as collaborating together in the same space. Plus, there’s a much higher chance of cake appearing in the kitchen when we’re all together…

What for you is the 'spirit of the North'?

The North of the UK is so diverse that I can’t claim to speak for it all, but I can express how I understand the spirit of Scotland.

Much like Northern Ireland, Scotland has an uneasy relationship with sovereignty as its people often identify strongly with their region and their nation as a whole. I think that’s shaped the society into one that is largely proud of its cultural roots, its stories and its traditions, and that gives us a lot of brilliant material to create books from.

How does this spirit influence your work?

At Floris we embrace the rich oral storytelling history of the country; with folkloric creatures like kelpies, selkies, fairies, giants and loch-dwelling monsters, we’re spoilt for choice! However, it’s not all about looking back; through the Kelpies Prize for Writing and Illustration we support new Scottish creatives to create the stories we hope will be classics in the future.

And our loyalty to Scotland hasn’t stopped us from publishing great children’s books from all over the world. We’re unusual in that we buy the English rights to many foreign language picture books, allowing us to bring some of the best contemporary and heritage children’s creatives to English-speaking audiences across the globe.

Some of the titles published by Floris Books

Who, for you, are the great northern children’s writers?

For lyrical, atmospheric writing, I think that Louise Greig is one of the best. Lari Don’s fast-paced stories steeped in folklore earn her a seat at the top table, and we can’t not mention Theresa Breslin OBE for her captivating storytelling.

Published by Floris Books

Seeing as I’m a designer, I’m also going to give a shout out to some top northern illustrators -- though there are lots of favourites I could mention! Nataša Ilinčić and Kate Leiper are particularly brilliant at creating a sense of ancient, magical realism in their depictions of folkloric creatures, and Kate McLelland’s bold, bright and beautiful artwork is just perfect for contemporary picture books (or even wall art) for little ones.

Kate Leiper

Kate McLelland

Natasa Ilincic

If you could be transported to anywhere in the North right now, where would it be?

The middle of an ancient Caledonian pine forest in the Scottish Highlands. There’s nothing quite like the stillness of a forest that has been alive and largely untouched for thousands of years.

What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North?

More designers! There’s a small collective of book designers in the Central Belt of Scotland, and we’re a friendly bunch who want to add more to the roster.

What's your favourite children's book set in the North?

A picture book called The Home of the Wild, lyrically written by Louise Greig and beautifully illustrated by Júlia Moscardó. It makes me cry (in a good way) every time I read it.

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