Anna McGregor is a Melbourne-based author, illustrator, and designer. Anna is devoted to giving her young readers modern, quirky, and conceptual stories from the heart. She enjoys travel, art, and picnics with friends.
I was lucky enough to read this and send some questions to Anna! Read on for that Q&A!
What made you want to write this as a picture book over a non-fiction text?
I’ve always enjoyed books that blur the boundaries of fiction and non-fiction. There’s been an explosion of non-fiction picture books in the past few years including books about bioluminescence, so I was compelled to put a fictional story twist on it.
Have you been intrigued or fascinated by creatures in the ocean depths?
What I find fascinating is that we know so little about the deep sea environments – scientists say that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the ocean depths of our own planet. I had a wonderful time researching for this book.
What is it that draws us to those creatures?
They are so alien to us. It’s only due to recent advances in submersible technology that we can now see high-quality images of deep sea creatures.
What do you hope readers will do when they read this story?
I hope my readers will enjoy the suspense and gasp at the ending. Afterwards, I encourage readers to keep learning about the deep sea. Many emerging threats to this little-known world include rising sea temperatures and the prospect of deep sea mining.
Your books are all wonderfully illustrated- have you always loved drawing and illustrating?
I drew prolifically as a child. My favourite animals were cockatoos and squirrels (I often had them appearing in the same scene). I studied Graphic Design as a young adult and have now slowly returned to my first love of drawing and illustrations.
What is your writing process like- how do you get from idea to published work?
For me, ideas come quickly, but translating those ideas into a story takes time and effort. However, the more stories I write, the more I trust the process.
When my story is ready, I create a dummy book – with roughly sketched illustrations and typeset text; I even design the cover. I try to solve all the problems before my publisher sees it. Although, I only recommend this if you are an author/illustrator with some design skills.
What tips would you give to aspiring writers or illustrators?
For aspiring writers, try writing one picture book per month. It builds the muscle for storytelling and prevents you from getting too fixated on any one story.
For aspiring illustrators – don’t wait for illustration work; generate your own projects. It could be a story or a simple concept board book.
Are you writing/illustrating anything new at the moment?
Yes, I have another picture book coming out with Scribble in 2024. Watch this space!
Who’s Afraid of the Light? By Anna McGregor | Picture Book | Published by Scribble (and imprint of Scribe UK) | Hardback | £12.99 |Available now
My Shelves Are Full 