Interviewing Author Phillipa Warden Books

A blog post for Angelika Fish 

Phillipa Warden Books 

I’m the author of Rupert’s Snowman which was published in September 2020 during the Covid Pandemic. Its launch was far from the one I’d envisaged. I imagined signing copies in our local bookshop surrounded by friends, family, and well-wishers with children running around wearing the woolen scarves and bobble hats I had been collecting for the occasion and everyone eating my snow bites and drinking hot chocolate. Instead, I was sitting in my living room, introducing my book to the world via Facebook Live! 

It was actually really good fun but I’m keen to do the next one in front of a live audience. I interviewed my son, Rupert whom the book is based upon and he read it beautifully and we ran giveaways and discussed the book's central theme of empathy and we had a live Q and A.

Rupert at our Facebook Live launch wearing the Empathy Goggles

Rupert’s Snowman came about after a snow day spent with my son. I had asked him to write a diary entry for the annual Christmas Newspaper which is a decade-old tradition and he wrote the true tale about not wanting to leave his Snowman, Frosty on the hill. 

During our launch Q and A, Rupert said that he felt as though Frosty was a friend that he didn’t want to leave out in the cold, a message that seems more poignant than ever after 2020 when we were estranged from loved ones. 

You’ll need to read the story or watch the video on my websitewww.phillipawardenbooks.com to see what we did to make Rupert happy! 

illustrator Grace Ward has dyslexia and we used a dyslexic-friendly font to tell our wintry tale. The letters are weighted to the bottom and not quite symmetrical so they don’t flip and move about as easily. Grace also incorporated the text into her charming, calm illustrations in a fun and engaging way and snowfalls upon every page.

 A double-page spread from Rupert’s Snowman The primary school extracurricular club leader in me couldn’t help but provide activities connected with the book for children to enjoy, they’re available for you to download at www.phillipawardenbooks.com/WIP2021

Example of activity for Rupert’s Snowman Having written a book for my son, my daughter asked where hers was! Emma’s Sunflower, a gentle tale about hope is currently with the illustrator. It is based on another true story set in our Cambridgeshire garden about a family of Greenfinch who sits upon the telephone wires like music notes upon a stave while a naughty crow steals their food.

Illustration from Emma’s Sunflower by Grace Ward Both are reminiscent of my favorite childhood books; the beautifully illustrated Mog series by Judith Kerr, the innocent poetry of Joan Walsh Anglund and the charming tales by Elsa Beskow. These are the books I’d take on a desert island with me.

Ollie’s Ski Trip by Elsa Beskow Emma’s sunflower will be launched on April 1st, 2020 by Purple Butterfly Press and if you like you can join my launch team here for insider information, giveaways, and fun competitions! Rupert’s Snowman is available from all good bookshops and Amazon here. Please take a look! You can also download fun activities for Rupert’s Snowman here where you can also learn more about my marketing plan. Follow me on Instagram