Northern Highlights - Lisette Auton
NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS
Lisette Auton
Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words?
I live in Darlington. Three words: railway, rivers, home
What is special to you about creating children’s books, and what is your favourite part of the process?
I love the magic of reading them, and hope I can write a bit of that for others to read too. For me it's making sure that the characters that were missing from my bookshelves are now there, and hoping to encourage others to write their missings. My favourite bit is the "making it up" bit at the beginning, when the idea is all new and not quite pinned down, chasing ideas to see what they become: lots of daydreaming and researching. The best way to stick it all together always occur on dog walks. Then I love the line edit stage - making it sing! First drafts are horrific *shudders*.
Tell us about your upcoming/most recent book.
"The Secret of Haven Point" was just published by Puffin in February 2022. It's middle grade and set in a lighthouse on the north east coast (a mashup of Souter and St Mary's). It's an adventure story with fierce mermaids, a captain with a kitten in his beard, and disabled characters being celebrated exactly the way they are. I'm about to finish the line edits of my second book and that will be published in February 2023.
Puffin, 2022
If you could be transported to anywhere in the North/Scotland right now, where would it be?
I had an amazing residency in a hobbit house at Cove Park on Scotland's West Coast overlooking Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde - I'd be transported there in a heartbeat. Just maybe without the midges and ticks! Never seen sunsets like that. Or rain. Lots of rain...
What literary events have you attended or been involved with recently (in the North/Scotland)?
I do lots of work with New Writing North on the young people's programme. A recent favourite has been on Balance the Books. I was part of the shortlisting team to find a set of books that would fill gaping gaps in school bookshelves, and then the young people made the final decisions. I'm just about to go into some schools in South Shields to run some workshops based on these. Brilliant stuff!
Name your favourite children’s book/art organisations in the North/Scotland.
New Writing North does incredible work with young people. I adore Seven Stories too.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers/illustrators/
Find a network of people who understand what it's like not to be a tube journey out of central London! Know that it may be more of a fight to get Northern or Scottish lingo in your work, but that people will believe in it, you just need to find the right ones.
What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North/Scotland?
A hub that means that people come to us. My agent and editor are brilliant and do so, but I feel there is a lot of missing out for us not being near London. Our dialects, words, mannerisms and locations getting more prominence on bookshelves.
Who for you are the great Northern/Scottish children’s writers/illustrators?
Reading David Almond was the first time I realised you were 'allowed' to write in your own tongue. Robert Westall was the first author where I recognised place. Both magical writers, but special place in my heart for the permission they gave me to write where I know and love. Gillian Gamble is an INCREDIBLE illustrator and writer too, I was exceptionally lucky that she agreed to illustrate my front cover.
What’s next on your TBR pile by a Northern/Scottish creative?
Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson - in fact this prompting has just pushed it to the top!
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