Get to know one of the incredible creative minds behind the Your Next Read junior fiction novels!
Known for books such as Kumiko and the Dragon, We Love You Magoo and Gymnastica Fantastica, Briony Stewart is a CBCA and Prime Minister’s Literary award-winning Australian author and illustrator.
Briony’s passion for children’s literature stems from her belief in its profound social and cultural impact and its accessibility across multigenerational audiences. Briony has lectured on children’s literature at Curtin University and conducts talks and workshops with children and adults across Australia.
She lives in Fremantle with her husband and two children, in a house littered with craft projects, books and spiky Lego.
And now Briony is bringing her illustrating talents to ‘Escape From Planet Milkshake’, written by Kate and Jol Temple, one of four launch titles in the Your Next Read Gold series (for readers aged 7-9) released this month.
Below is an edited extract from an interview with Briony in episode #1 of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast Summer Series.
YKNR: What got you started as an illustrator?
Briony: ‘I was always a really imaginative kid. I loved projects – the kind of independent projects where I’d just go off under my own steam and just make stuff or invent stuff. I’ve always loved writing and I always loved reading and I always loved drawing. My mum was a graphic designer, so there was always paper and pens around the place all the time.
‘I did really love science as well, but I think what I really loved was just learning about the world. I think that’s the thing artists and scientists have in common – just really wanting to know more about the world and finding a deep fascination with people in the world and the way everything works. And then wanting to make stuff out of that or do something with that information.
‘So I was always very inclined towards creativity and art and stories and where some kids, I think start high school and they stop doing that stuff [because they] get a bit self-conscious, I hit high school and realised I was a super nerd and I just went into that world.’
YKNR: How did you get from that to working as a professional author and illustrator?
Briony: ‘I had a lot of really amazing encouraging teachers, which wasgood because I think my parents were a little bit like ‘Arts? Oh my gosh, are we sure? How about medicine?’
‘But I’d decided by the end of high school to go for it and I went and did a double degree in creative writing and fine arts at university. I always thought maybe I would figure out which one I was better at, because I loved them both equally. I thought eventually someone would point out thatI was better at one or the other and then I could focus on that. But it never happened.
‘I was very lucky that by the time I was finishing at uni, I realised that children’s fiction was a deep passion of mine and I could do both in that. So it worked out.’
YKNR: When you start a book that you are both writing and illustrating, do you start with words, pictures or both?
Briony: ‘I start with words. For me, the story comes first and the words, the tone of the words, the rhythm of the language, that always comes first. If I’m not convinced I like it, or that it could be a book, then I see no point in making the drawings for it.’
YKNR: How would you describe your illustrating style?
Briony: ‘I think my style is pretty eclectic because even when I’m illustrating for other people, the words come first. I only ever take on a project if the words spead to me, and I really like the use of language, and then I think about what the words need or how to bring those words out.
‘I guess I see it as getting the lyrics for a song and having to figure out the melody that goes with it. And I really love that part – but it makes my style eclectic because I end up choosing mediums that I think go best with the writing. If it’s a soft, thoughtful story, perhaps more detailed, softer illustrations. If it’s a wacky, funny, silly story, then I might go into the brighter, more cartoony, bolder style.
‘So the words dictate to me the style.’
YKNR: Do you think your understanding of what those words need has grown and developed over the years and more than 25 books?
Briony: ‘Yes, I think it’s changed a lot. I still like to do something different with every book I illustrate. It’s a chance for experimentation or a new medium. I like to take those risks, to keep it fresh. But my confidence has increased over time – with illustrating and with writing. There are certain things in the process I don’t question as much as I might have in the early years.’
YKNR: Do you have a favourite thing to illustrate?
Briony: ‘The two things would probably be animals – not necessarily realistic, anthropomorphic animals are so fun – and plants and flowers, because there’s something kind of meditative about just drawing repetitive leaves and flowers and plants.’
YKNR: You also create book cover illustrations for books for older readers. What do you think is the key to a great cover?
Briony: ‘I think when you’re illustrating a cover, it’s really important to read the book. I will read the entire novel before I begin, because I think it’s really important for me to find a scene captures the energy or the mystery or the vibe of that story. And then picking a colour palette is so important.
‘We pick up books based on the cover, so you want to say a lot about the book, but also say nothing, because you don’t want to tell the story either. I really like that challenge. It’s like, can you make a haiku of this novel?’.
Listen to the full interview here.
About ‘Escape From Planet Milkshake’ by Kate and Jol Temple, illustrated by Briony Stewart
Do you like SCIENCE FICTION, ACTION and FUNNY STORIES?
Then this book is YOUR NEXT READ.
Freddy is having a normal day until a spaceship crashes in his backyard. Now he is dealing with a cranky robot, an unexpected trip to space and evil slime wizards! And that’s all before he even arrives at Planet Milkshake …
Buy here from your favourite online retailer
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