Marcia Williams is the author and illustrator of many children's books, including The Stone Age: Hunters, Gatherers, and Woolly Mammoths, The Tudors: Kings, Queens, Scribes, and Ferrets!, and Tales from Shakespeare. She lives in London.
Q: Your new book is about the Stone Age. Why did you decide to
focus on that, and did anything particularly surprise you in your research for
the book?
A: My new book out last month is The Stone Age - Hunters, Gatherers
and Woolly Mammoths. I decided to write about this period as it is just so
unknown and exciting to both imagine and research.
Many things surprised me, not least the endurance of mankind
and how completely brilliant and inventive we are and have always been!
Q: What usually comes first for you, the writing or the
illustrations--or do you go back and forth between them?
A: The writing always comes first, as you need a strong
story to hang the illustrations on. Having said that, the writing always
changes as you illustrate and you find that some things are better said without
words.
Q: How did you first get interested in writing about history
for kids?
A: I have been interested not only in writing history for
children, but also retelling classic tales as I hope to make them accessible
and spark a passion. I had very few illustrated books as a child and
always longed for them.
Q: You've also focused on retelling Shakespeare plays for
young readers. What do you try to focus on to make the plays more accessible to
children?
A: Retelling Shakespeare’s plays presented an extra
challenge, but these books are now some of my most popular retellings. Many
adults read them to remind themselves of a plot before seeing a play and
children use them as the basis for their own performances. It is wonderful to
see the creativity Shakespeare still inspires.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: The book I am working on now is a secret, but it will be
out at the end of next year - if I finish it on time. It has been a very
inspiring book to research and has reminded me how many wonderful people there
are, and have been, in this world - which is a clue!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I feel hugely lucky to create children’s books; it is
both my work and my passion!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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