- Why did you want to be a writer?
Why not! I think if the ideas are there, and the characters are demanding to be let out, you don’t get much choice really. Writing and illustrating was always my dream. And luckily my parents let me have plenty of paper so I didn’t have to draw and write on the walls.
- What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Ooooh it’s soooo fun! I put writing and illustrating together because I do both. I can spend lots of my day playing with my imagination and not many jobs let you do that. I love being self employed too, and having so much flexibility. It’s also very cool when you see one of your books picked up and turned into something else like a show.
- What’s your favourite New Zealand book?
Oh that’s not fair – there are so many wonderful NZ books, how can I choose just one? Is it ok to list a few? I do love Jack Lasenby’s ‘The Lake’ and his Seddon St gang ones. Nobody can go past Margaret Mahy of course, horracapotchkin! (Oh dear – did I spell that right?) And I use Andrew Crowe’s ‘Which NZ Insect?’ a lot. Des Hunt’s books because they are set in areas I know… Joanna Orwin – oh there’s so many good writers here – sigh! In terms of picture books, that too is really hard to choose. I just really enjoy being able to read NZ stories.
- What do you love most about New Zealand?
The environment. We do live in paradise really, you only need to travel away from here to realise how good we really have it. And our society, really it’s great. I just hope we can all look after it and really cherish what we have.
- What do you love most about libraries?
We’ve got this really old picture book about a little boy who can hold an elephant and a lion and a rocket under one arm. He can hold anything you can think of under his arm. And at the end you find out it’s because he can go to the library and get a book about anything out. Libraries are like that – you can find so much there… and it’s free so nobody has to miss out.
Nikki Slade-Robinson is an author and illustrator whose books include Munkle Arvur and the Bod, That’s Not Junk! and Hannah Bandanna’s Hair. Nikki has also illustrated books for other authors, including Mind Your Gramma and The Seven Stars of Matariki.
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