Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy: Webchat with mother and daughter / author and illustrator of Dixie O'Day In the Fast Lane - Tuesday 17 September, 1-2pm

[RachelMumsnet]

To coincide with the publication of their first collaboration, we're delighted that author Shirley Hughes and her daughter, illustrator Clara Vulliamy will be joining us tomorrow lunchtime (Tuesday 17 September between 1 and 2pm) to answer your questions.

Shirley has written and illustrated more than 200 children's books and is one of the best-loved writers for children. She has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and has been awarded the OBE for her distinguished service to children's literature. In 2007, Dogger was voted the UK's favourite Kate Greenaway Medal-winning book of all time. Clara's much loved picture books include Lucky Wish Moue and Martha and the Bunny Brothers.

Their latest creation is the first in the new Dixie O'Day series. Dixie O'Day In the Fast Lane is a gorgeous book perfectly pitched at new readers, with a chapter for each night of the week as well as wonderful illustrations, maps, character introductions and even a Q&A with Dixie himself.

Join Clara and Shirley tomorrow at 1pm or post them a question in advance.

[ClaraVulliamy]

@mignonette

Clara- have you thought of getting together with Janet And Allen Ahlberg's daughter Jessica for a kind of meta 'talented offspring of talented parents' collaboration?

Clara says, 'What a marvellous idea! Allan and Jessica are a brilliantly talented duo to look up to. I can just imagine Dixie motoring into the pages of Goldilocks!'

[tethersend]

I will, Shirley, thank you. She's 16mo and destroying the living room as I type

[ClaraVulliamy]

@RedLentil

'Do you want to be an Alfie or a Bernard?' is a question that has got us through some tricky moments in this family.
Thank you for being such an important part of some very happy years.

Clara says, 'I always thought that Bernard would grow up into a bit of a looker - I bet he got the girl!'

[ShirleyHughes]

@RedLentil

'Do you want to be an Alfie or a Bernard?' is a question that has got us through some tricky moments in this family.
Thank you for being such an important part of some very happy years.

Sometimes Bernard the kind of kid that only a mother can love frankly. But he is Alfie's best friend and Annie Rose thinks he's wonderfully funny!

[ShirleyHughes]

@Choccheesecake

Hello Shirley and Clara - I adore my mum but I can't imagine working with her. What was it like for you two?

@Choccheesecake

Hello Shirley and Clara - I adore my mum but I can't imagine working with her. What was it like for you two?

@Choccheesecake

Hello Shirley and Clara - I adore my mum but I can't imagine working with her. What was it like for you two?

Clara and I are both in the business of dreaming up entertaining fictional characters and bringing them to life in our illustrations but our styles are very different. So when Dixie O'Day popped up in my imagination I just knew I would never be able to illustrate it, so I was lucky to know just the right person!

[ClaraVulliamy]

@Choccheesecake

Hello Shirley and Clara - I adore my mum but I can't imagine working with her. What was it like for you two?

Clara says, 'To be really honest I wasn't sure what it would be like! But it's been a joy from the start: many happy days spent sitting together, reading bits aloud, trying out new ideas, making each other laugh. I found Mum to be the ideal author to work with - non interfering, supportive, AND doesn't put things into the story she knows I would struggle to draw...!'

[AndSoWeBegin]

Thank you both so much for your answers. The design stands out so much, it's great to get an insight into the process and always interesting hearing how much of a collaboration a book is. Looking forward to more Dixie O'Day adventures :)

P.S. I've just picked out my childhood copy of Helpers from the shelf - fascinating to see it's RRP was 60p!

[ShirleyHughes]

@BadSeedsAddict

We love Dogger, so much; I read my copy, from when I was tiny, to my children, and we like to find Dave's family and the children in fancy dress, in the bird's eye picture of the school fair. We love Bella and Dave.

I love Helpers, too; the babies talking to each other, Sue with her toy hospital, and the best bit for me was always when the older children get the baby bathed and into her nightie. It looks just like my little sister used to

It's hugely rewarding to have created books that are reaching a second generation. I'm very glad you mentioned the drawing because of course so much of the characterisation is visual for the non-reader and is seen in the illustrations.

[mignonette]

Am very happy at the thought of a possible collaboration w/ the Alhbergs, whether it be both of you or either of you.

What a book that would be. All of you have that lovely nostalgic style and Janet (RIP) too.

[ClaraVulliamy]

@BangOn

Shirley, your books were such a big part of my childhood, growing up in the 1980s, & now feature heavily in my own children's book collection. Thank you so very much for the timeless illustrations & the understated, beautiful stories.

my own personal favourite is 'Lucy & Tom's Christmas' - or perhaps 'Moving Molly' - it's pretty difficult to choose! DD2 is crazy about 'Up & Up' - She keeps asking when she'll be able to fly!

My question is: whereabouts in London are most of your books set? I've been trying to guess for many years now!

Clara says, 'Mum's books have a huge nostalgic appeal to me and my brothers because they are so familiar, with a distinctly West London flavour which is where we grew up.'

[ShirleyHughes]

@BangOn

Shirley, your books were such a big part of my childhood, growing up in the 1980s, & now feature heavily in my own children's book collection. Thank you so very much for the timeless illustrations & the understated, beautiful stories.

my own personal favourite is 'Lucy & Tom's Christmas' - or perhaps 'Moving Molly' - it's pretty difficult to choose! DD2 is crazy about 'Up & Up' - She keeps asking when she'll be able to fly!

My question is: whereabouts in London are most of your books set? I've been trying to guess for many years now!

I'm thrilled that your daughter liked Up and Up. It's a wordless story, a tremendous challenge and you put so much of your own imagination into it. Another Christmas story that I'm doing is just about to be published –Alfie's Christmas – about an ordinary family celebrating Christmas. Alfie's house is in Hammersmith, but Holland Park and our local recreation ground also feature. It's definitely a West London based story.

[ClaraVulliamy]

@waikikamookau

love Shirley Hughes stories, and the illustrations which totally make the stories come alive,
read to my now teens. as mentioned lucy and tom's Christmas and the alfie stories.

clara are you intentionally being very different to your mum in your style? and are you expecting and presumably you are being compared to your mother's style?

Clara says, 'My early work looked a lot like Mum's - I didn't see it at the time but I do see it now. I've found my own voice and style over the years, so I'm not too anxious about any comparisons!'

[ShirleyHughes]

@loubie2013

Hello Clara and Shirley,

Dixie O'Day is a wonderful book. I especially like the story with it's fast-paced race, the illustrations (Dixie and Percy are adorable!) and the design of the book. It looks beautiful, very classy and of another era!

Where did the inspiration for Dixie and Percy come from?

@loubie2013

Hello Clara and Shirley,

Dixie O'Day is a wonderful book. I especially like the story with it's fast-paced race, the illustrations (Dixie and Percy are adorable!) and the design of the book. It looks beautiful, very classy and of another era!

Where did the inspiration for Dixie and Percy come from?

@loubie2013

Hello Clara and Shirley,

Dixie O'Day is a wonderful book. I especially like the story with it's fast-paced race, the illustrations (Dixie and Percy are adorable!) and the design of the book. It looks beautiful, very classy and of another era!

Where did the inspiration for Dixie and Percy come from?

@loubie2013

Hello Clara and Shirley,

Dixie O'Day is a wonderful book. I especially like the story with it's fast-paced race, the illustrations (Dixie and Percy are adorable!) and the design of the book. It looks beautiful, very classy and of another era!

Where did the inspiration for Dixie and Percy come from?

Well Dixie and Percy are just a marvellous duo. They both have very different characters. Dixie is rather more adventurous, and Percy is more imaginative but tends to get a bit nervous. Clara created these wonderful car races and failures, and the breakneck finish. Some of the characters she has done completely differently to how I would imagine them. For instance, Dixie's heartless neighbour LouElla, I had thought of as rather hatched faced, but Clara has made her very glamourous wearing her special motoring hat, making her rather more threatening.

[ShirleyHughes]

@clare21

Hello Shirley and Clara
I'm really intrigued by the colour palate you used, how and why did you decide to go for red and black? The book is full of detail lifted straight from the 1950s - like Lou-Ella's sunglasses, the petrol pumps - me and my mum particularly loved all of this. Why did you choose that time to set the book in?

@RollerSkateKate

Hi Shirley,

I loved the Alfie stories as a child and my daughter (4) is now being read them! She loves 'Alfie lends a hand' even though she is horrified at Bernard's behaviour at his birthday party!

Your illustrations are beautiful and capture such a nostalgic time, are you planning an exhibitions soon?

My illustrations are being put on show at the Illustration Cupboard Gallery just before Christmas this year. It's at 22 Bury Street, London.

[ClaraVulliamy]

@clare21

Hello Shirley and Clara
I'm really intrigued by the colour palate you used, how and why did you decide to go for red and black? The book is full of detail lifted straight from the 1950s - like Lou-Ella's sunglasses, the petrol pumps - me and my mum particularly loved all of this. Why did you choose that time to set the book in?

Clara says, 'Thank you so much. We loved setting the Dixie stories in this retro style - it's so dashing and glamourous! For production reasons we could only have one extra colour but this limitation turned out to be absolutely fantastic. Adding red and pink to the strong black line of the drawings has given its distinctive style. Car design seemed to come into its own in the 1950s. Fun fact for car geeks like me: Dixie's car is a 1961 Ford Zodiac convertible with a walnut dashboard.'

[ShirleyHughes]

@LynSharp

Hi Shirley and Clara

I'm a massive fan - thank you for all the happy hours we've spent reading your books!

I wanted to ask about the fact that this book is for slightly older children than your normal picture books. Why did you decide to do this? What's different (and important) about writing and illustrating for this age group?

Thanks!

With Dixie O'Day I was especially thinking about the emergent reader who enjoyed picture books but was moving into the challenge of longer text, but needs a lot of inspiration from illustrations carry them along. A lot of exciting adventures, and pictures of course all over the place.

[Merrylegs]

Can we have a separate Shirley Hughes talk topic because I keep thinking of lovely things about your books and I've already posted too many times on this thread! Every morning when DS2 (16 now, but a big fan of Lucy and Tom when he was little) looks in his sock drawer he says 'not a matching pair, but never mind!'

[ClaraVulliamy]

@LynSharp

Hi Shirley and Clara

I'm a massive fan - thank you for all the happy hours we've spent reading your books!

I wanted to ask about the fact that this book is for slightly older children than your normal picture books. Why did you decide to do this? What's different (and important) about writing and illustrating for this age group?

Thanks!

Clara says, 'I have found illustrating for this slightly older age range a thrilling adventure in itself. We wanted the story to be lavishly illustrated on every page. Lots of young readers find a dense block of text a bit off-putting. In fact I think I do too. It's much easier on the eye to break up the text with lots of detail action and visual jokes. It's more sympathetic too for those who are just starting out reading to themselves.'

[ShirleyHughes]

@mignonette

Hello to you both-

The trifle stealing scene in 'My Naughty Little Sister' where Bad Harry aids her in eating most of it up before the party starts is responsible for my life long aversion to trifle.

How gifted and vivid a writer you are to have such a profound effect nearly 40 years on from my first reading of!

I just wanted to thank you for so many years of reading enjoyment from myself and my two (now grown) children.

Oh and could you, would you resurrect that naughty little sister w/ some further adventures?

From a Naughty big sister!

The trifle eating scene is the most famous of these wonderful stories I think. Dorothy Edwards was my first big break as an illustrator and I love the way she creates a character, unfortunately I can't resurrect My Naughty Little Sister as the author has died, so I have to go on to my own stories. Although Annie Rose in the Alfie stories is certainly a bit of a challenge.

[ClaraVulliamy]

@mignonette

Hello to you both-

The trifle stealing scene in 'My Naughty Little Sister' where Bad Harry aids her in eating most of it up before the party starts is responsible for my life long aversion to trifle.

How gifted and vivid a writer you are to have such a profound effect nearly 40 years on from my first reading of!

I just wanted to thank you for so many years of reading enjoyment from myself and my two (now grown) children.

Oh and could you, would you resurrect that naughty little sister w/ some further adventures?

From a Naughty big sister!

Clara says, 'Hello Naughty Big Sister! I LOVED the trifle stealing scene too it was my fave.'

[noidles]

Hello Shirley and Clara, lovely to have you here. I have always loved your books.

I worked in the publishing industry for a number of years and actually had the great fortune to work on separate books by both of you - but never met you.

I suppose my question is a bit more mundane, and more about how the publishing industry has changed over the years. Has the way you've worked with publishers changed dramatically over the years? Is it better/worse?

[mignonette]

What a shame. I meant to refer to your illustrator gifts in 'Naughty Little Sister', not as the writer .

I asked because so many book series by now dead authors are being resurrected. Thanks for answering my very greedy two questions!

[ShirleyHughes]

@Calypso2

Congratulations on Dixie O'Day - we'll definitely be looking out for this. I remember the bad harry trifle eating incident as well - how funny. I even remember the silver balls on top of the trifle. It stayed with me. What do you think is the ingredient that makes books last so long? I often read My Naughty Little Sister and Milly Molly Mandy to my kids and even though they seem very old fashioned in the language and behaviour of the adults/children they still adore them. Are there any contemporary books that you think will have such endurance?

@FloraSunderfield

Hi Shirley and Clara,

Dixie O'Day is a beautiful book, I love it! I was wondering what inspired the character names in this story? Why did you name your main character Dixie?

Thank you!

I think that names are very important but I can't tell you where Dixie O'Day came from. He just came popping up in my imagination. I knew he had to have a sidekick and that was Percy. I didn't name them after anyone I knew.

[ClaraVulliamy]

@FloraSunderfield

Hi Shirley and Clara,

Dixie O'Day is a beautiful book, I love it! I was wondering what inspired the character names in this story? Why did you name your main character Dixie?

Thank you!

Clara says, 'I love the name Lou-Ella, somebody pointed out that it sounded a little bit like Cruella as in de Vil - it hadn't occurred to us. Mum is brilliant at naming her characters, some of these names made me laugh out loud.'

[NigelMolesworth]

No sensible, erudite question here I'm afraid, but just wanted to say that my daughters and I absolutely love the Alfie stories! The girls talk about Alfie and Annie Rosie as if they are friends who live next door. So thank you for wonderful stories!