Inspiring Young Readers
posted on 07 Apr 2022
An Interview with Caroline Magerl
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 delighted to present an exclusive interview with author and illustrator, Caroline Magerl.
Caroline was born near Frankfurt in Germany and came to Australia when she was two. She lived on the yacht her family built until she was fourteen.
In 2001 Caroline was awarded the Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award for new talent in children's book illustration for her picture book Grandma's Shoes (written by Libby Hathorn) and her latest award being the 2021 CBCA Honour Book for Picture Books as author and illustrator of ‘Nop’.
She has been a May Gibbs Fellow and received an Australian Society of Author’s children's picture book grant to work on her book, ‘Hasel and Rose’.
Nowadays she is a full-time author, artist, illustrator and printmaker.
Author and Illustrator
Piano Fingers : Walker Books Australia and Walker Books UK April 2022
To be launched at the prestigious Chris Beetles Gallery London and
featuring in their annual ‘The Illustrators’ show November 2021
Nop: Walker Books Australia 2019
Reprinted by Walker Book UK
CBCA Honour Book
QLD Premier Lit Award shortlist
Nominated for the 2021 Kate Greenaway
Maya and Cat : Walker Books Australia 2018
Reprinted by Walker Books UK, Candlewick Books USA and Editions D'eux
CBCA Honour Book
NSW Premier Lit Award shortlist
Hasel and Rose : Penguin Books Australia 2014
Reprinted as Rose and the wish thing : DoubleDay USA 2016
A Bank Street College of Education 2017 "Best Children's Books of the Year": Rose and the wish thing.
Illustrator
Crichton Award 2001: Grandma’s shoes.
Collections
Mazza Museum 2016
Peter William’s collection (West Australian Library) 2003
May Gibbs Fellow 2009 and 2019
Lu Rees Archive (Canberra, Australia) 2007
Caroline Magerl is an award-winning and internationally distinguished illustrator, cartoonist and painter, who is now recognised as a unique and arresting presence. Her work spans from dark, enigmatic oil paintings, through incisive cartoons, to lively children’s book illustrations. It has been exhibited in a variety of galleries and art fairs and celebrated in numerous publications. (Chris Beetles)
You can see what she had to tell us on this link to her interview: