
#100: Clara Vulliamy — Crafting Picture Books and Older Children's Stories, Dealing with Rejection, Finding Your Voice
03/30/24 • 61 min
Clara Vulliamy, a children’s author of over 30 books talks about how she approaches collaboration, and what she’s learned from decades in the world of children's publishing as an author and illustrator.
*
ABOUT CLARA VULLIAMY
Clara Vulliamy is the daughter of author-illustrator Shirley Hughes and architect John Vulliamy. Her first experience of making pictures was being allowed to use up her Mum’s paints at the end of the day, which she says ‘was like scraping the icing out of the bowl after baking’. She studied Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art, The Ruskin and The Royal Academy. After graduating she began illustrating in newspapers and magazines, and doing a weekly cartoon in The Guardian. She started writing and illustrating children’s books when she had a family of her own, and she’s been hooked ever since. She’s made 30 + books, including the Dixie O Day series, Marshmallow Pie, Dotty Detective and many others. Her latest series The Dog Squad is out with HarperCollins.
*
RESOURCES & LINKS
- Clara’s website
- Clara on Twitter and Instagram
- The Dotty Detective Series
- The Dog Squad Series
- The Marshmallow Pie Series
- Orange Beak Studio
- Clara’s mother Shirley Hughes
- London Writers’ Salon course, Write a Children’s Picture Book
Between April 12-13, we’re hosting our epic, annual 🌏 24-hour Writing Sprint! Join us for 1,2 or 24 hours of writing, bring a friend or two, and make serious progress on a creative project.
For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.
For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.
*
FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON
Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon
Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon
Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon
If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
Clara Vulliamy, a children’s author of over 30 books talks about how she approaches collaboration, and what she’s learned from decades in the world of children's publishing as an author and illustrator.
*
ABOUT CLARA VULLIAMY
Clara Vulliamy is the daughter of author-illustrator Shirley Hughes and architect John Vulliamy. Her first experience of making pictures was being allowed to use up her Mum’s paints at the end of the day, which she says ‘was like scraping the icing out of the bowl after baking’. She studied Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art, The Ruskin and The Royal Academy. After graduating she began illustrating in newspapers and magazines, and doing a weekly cartoon in The Guardian. She started writing and illustrating children’s books when she had a family of her own, and she’s been hooked ever since. She’s made 30 + books, including the Dixie O Day series, Marshmallow Pie, Dotty Detective and many others. Her latest series The Dog Squad is out with HarperCollins.
*
RESOURCES & LINKS
- Clara’s website
- Clara on Twitter and Instagram
- The Dotty Detective Series
- The Dog Squad Series
- The Marshmallow Pie Series
- Orange Beak Studio
- Clara’s mother Shirley Hughes
- London Writers’ Salon course, Write a Children’s Picture Book
Between April 12-13, we’re hosting our epic, annual 🌏 24-hour Writing Sprint! Join us for 1,2 or 24 hours of writing, bring a friend or two, and make serious progress on a creative project.
For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.
For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.
*
FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON
Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon
Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon
Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon
If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
Previous Episode

#99: Kim Krizan — Writing 'Before Sunrise' series, Crafting Memorable Characters For Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy & Other Screenwriting Tips
Before Sunrise co-writer, Kim Krizan on plotting for the screen, creating memorable characters for Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and advice on how to start writing a screenplay.
*
ABOUT KIM KRIZAN
Kim Krizan is the Academy Award-nominated writer of the films “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.” Her book Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatale is a tongue-in-cheek examination of history’s dangerous women. She is also the author of Spy in the House of Anais Nin, an analysis of the life of the 20th-century rule-bending diarist. Krizan’s work has been hailed as insightful, penetrating, and profound. She lives and writes in Los Angeles, California. You can find her on Instagram. She hosts The Magic Hour on Patreon, offering affordable creative writing support.
*
RESOURCES & LINKS
- The ‘Before’ Trilogy
- Spy in the House of Anaïs Nin
- Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatal
- Kim’s Patreon: The Magic Hour - creative writing community
- Kim’s Instagram
For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.
For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.
*
FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON
Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon
Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon
Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon
If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
Next Episode

#101: Eliza Reid — Writing Fiction & Nonfiction as Iceland's First Lady
The First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid on her writing habits, her creative life and why the Iceland Writers’ Retreat is a perfect place for writers.
We also discuss her fiction and nonfiction, navigating self-doubt, being tenacious with time and how she balances her responsibilities as a writer with her role in public service.
*
ABOUT ELIZA REID
Eliza Reid is a journalist, editor, and cofounder of the annual Iceland Writers Retreat. Eliza grew up in the countryside near Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Iceland in 2003, five years after winning a student raffle for a date with the man who became her husband, Gudni Jóhannesson. When he took office as president of Iceland on August 1, 2016, Eliza became the country’s First Lady. In that capacity, she has been active in promoting gender equality, entrepreneurship and innovation, tourism and sustainability, and the country’s writers and rich literary heritage. Being the spouse of the head of state is an immense privilege, full of surreal and wonderful experiences. Eliza has been candid about the role, which is an unofficial position with no job description, penning a lauded op-ed in the New York Times and delivering a TEDx Talk on the topic. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar, was an instant bestseller in Iceland and Canada, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick, and was recommended by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Margaret Atwood and many others.
*
RESOURCES & LINKS
- 📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)
- Iceland Writers Retreat
- Secrets of the Sprakkar
- LWS Members Discount Code for 10% off the Iceland Writers Retreat
- Icelandic Saga Database
- Eliza’s 2019 opinion piece in the New York Times, I’m a First Lady, and It’s An Incredibly Weird Job
- Eliza on Instagram
- Eliza’s forthcoming novel, Death of a Diplomat
*
Join our 24-hour Writing Sprint!
Between April 12-13, we’re hosting our epic, annual, online, FREE 🌏 24-hour Writing Sprint! Join us for 1,2 or 24 hours of writing, bring a friend or two, and make serious progress on a creative project.
For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.
For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.
*
FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON
Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon
Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon
Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon
If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/london-writers-salon-376600/100-clara-vulliamy-crafting-picture-books-and-older-childrens-stories-53839802"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to #100: clara vulliamy — crafting picture books and older children's stories, dealing with rejection, finding your voice on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy