posted on 14 Dec 2018

An Interview with Chris Riddell

The Letterpress Project has asked authors and illustrators to think about what has inspired them as artists, what their favourite books are and how they relate to their audience - we've also asked them if they themselves are book collectors.

We are absolutely thrilled to present an exclusive interview with the illustrator and former Children's Laureate, Chris Riddell. Chris will be well-known to most people reading this but we are indebted to his agent's website for the following profile:

"Chris Riddell is the creator of an extraordinary range of books which have won many illustration awards including the UNESCO Prize, the Greenaway Medal(on three occasions) and the Hay Festival Medal for Illustration. His work includes the highly-acclaimed Ottoline titles and the 2013 Costa Children's Book Award-winning Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse. Chris has also achieved global success through his New York Times best-selling collaboration on The Edge Chronicles with Paul Stewart and through his illustrated works with other high-profile figures including Neil Gaiman and the comedian Russell Brand.

Chris is also a renowned political cartoonist whose work appears in the Observer, the Literary Reviewand the New Statesman.  ( Chris was)  Appointed Children’s Laureate in 2015."

We ask authors a series of questions:

• Q1.  What are your earliest memories of books and reading? For example, did you have a favourite or inspirational book?

• Q2.  What inspired you to become an author / illustrator?

• Q3. For you, what makes a successful book or illustration?

• Q4. Do you have a specific audience in mind when you write your books / plan your illustrations?

• Q5. What future do you think the physical book has? For example, do you think the electronic book will replace the physical book?

• Q6.  Are you a book collector? Is there a special book you’d love to own?

As you will see below, Chris answered us in his own unique way!

( Click on any image below to view the interview in a slide show format. Or click the pdf link to view.)

cr1.pdf