I met Christine Coirault recently for the first time and was immediately struck by her zest for life and her wide range of skills. Originally a graphic artist, she has now turned her talents to writing and illustrating a wonderful series of children’s books. I caught up with her a short time ago over lunch in our home town of Montpellier and this interview is the result:

                                              
Me :              Christine, it’s good to see you – and on such a pleasant day too. Thanks for agreeing to the interview and thanks also for bringing your books along for me to look at. The first thing that strikes me is what good quality they are. Was that something that was important to you?

Christine :    Thanks and nice to see you too. Yes, it was important to me that the books looked good so I could be taken seriously when distributing them but also out of respect for the readers. To me, the presentation is as important as the message.

Me:            I see that they are published by Frogillo Books. Is that an independent publishing company?

Christine :    Yes, it is. I actually set up the company when I was based in London, in order to publish the books myself. The name Frogillo is a made up name from the words frog, the nickname for French in the UK and illo, short for illustration in the publishing business…

Me :             I’m slightly surprised to see that they are in English. Call me unimaginative but I expected them to be in French. Why English?

Christine:  I’d been living in London for 20 years already when I wrote them and the text naturally came in English. The situations are mostly inspired by my experience and perception of life as a UK resident.

Me:               Any plans for a French version – they would make fabulous teaching aids for budding young French speakers (like my Granddaughter, Charlie, for example)

Christine:     I would love them to be published in French, but unfortunately the French are not as open and forthcoming as other countries. Although the books have been published in the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Korea, China and Japan, France has shown no interest… I have already translated the books myself and will have to publish them myself in the same way I did the English version.

 Me:               OK, let’s go back a bit and look at why you decided to write this series. You were working as a graphic artist – did you write the first book during that time? What gave you the idea?

Christine:     Working as a layout artist in magazine publishing for 20 years became a bit frustrating as more and more restrictions were imposed by the clients and advertisers. I began to feel the need to go back to do more creative and spontaneous work and started dabbling with old techniques and experimenting with new ones. At first I was creating abstract and conceptual images which slowly turn into childlike colourful ones. A style was starting to emerge and a portfolio of (physical and digital) images built up. I tried myself at illustrating all sorts of little interacting animals until I had enough of them to want to connect them and exploit them in a single project. The idea of a book came naturally. Living in London, a particularly busy and cosmopolitan city, I was constantly witnessing rush and incivilities and would regret the lack of manners around me. I suddenly thought one day I would use my collection of graphic little friends to remind people of basic manners.

Me:               Did you try to find a publisher for your books or did you always intend to go it alone?

Christine:     Even before I contacted any publishers I feared my project would be hijacked and transformed. I had become very protective of my little friends and my concept. I started to look into publishing myself and with the help of a few well documented websites I realised that it was as easy as finding a good printer. Being a graphic designer by trade, the cover and layout would be my own creation. I even created a special typeface that has now become part of the image of the publications.

Me:              That must be incredibly hard work. A lot of people publish their own e-books now via Amazon and other companies but to do the whole thing yourself must have felt like a full time job.

Christine:     Yes, it was hard work. I had to learn everything from negotiating printing costs with printers based in China and Russia to delivering the books to local London bookshops. The hurdles were many.

Me:              Of all the steps then to successfully publishing and marketing a book, what would you say is the hardest task?

Christine:     The hardest one was dealing with chain retailers which would not stock the books because I wasn’t a famous author or publisher. I discovered on this occasion that some publishing houses paid for eye catching displays in strategic spots, letting everything else fade in the background.

Me:                 Being involved in that whole process will, inevitably, have taught you a great deal. Would you do it all again?

Christine:     Yes, because everything I learned will help me for the next ones. I won’t make the same mistakes again, I will save my energy. I also learned the tricks and will go straight to the person, at the right time of the year, using the right tools and opportunities the business offers (agents, fairs, etc.)

Me:               And, looking back on the experience as a whole, what would you do differently now?

Christine:     Nothing, because I didn’t know any other way at the time. It was a learning curve which I enjoyed at every step. I also feel I did it my own way and that makes the whole experience and the finished product special.

Me:               I understand that you no longer work as a graphic artist so how do you earn your main salary these days?

Christine:     I retrained as a fitness instructor. I needed to get out of the office environment and away from the computer screen. The job can be as creative in terms of coming up with new fitness routines and it’s also about transmitting and sharing something else I’m passionate about, health and fitness. One of the books is about fitness in fact, as I wrote it while training.

Me:               Does that still leave you time to continue publicising your books?

Christine:     Not much. I have a rights agent in charge of selling the rights abroad. The books have been sold and translated in Greece, The Netherlands, Italy, Korea, Japan, China. The English edition is on sale in the main UK bookshops, on Amazon, and on my website. People typing the right keywords in Google will eventually end up on one of the retailers’ websites.

Me:               So, in an ideal world, where would you like to go next? Any more books on the horizon?

Christine:     Yes, loads of ideas. One of them is an animal ABC boardbook. Others are bilingual French English phrase books with people characters. A picture book about how to raise the perfect puppy, a picture book about twins Tom and Rosy, and so on…

Me:               Thinking about all those budding writers out there – and believe me, there are a lot of them – what is the single most important piece of advice you could give them?

Christine:     Believe in yourself and keep going whatever the so called business professionals say. Rules are meant to be broken in that business more than in any others. This is what will make your books stand out of the uniform global market.

Me:               I always like to end these interview sessions with a little bit of trivia. So please give me a very brief answer for each of the following:


 1.     Favourite children’s author

•   Joan Walsh Anglund
  

  2.     Favourite author of adult fiction

•   I’ll have to have a British one - Agatha Christie and a French one -    Emile Zola
  

                     3.     Something you regret

•     I never regret anything
  

                     4.     A single unfulfilled ambition

• No unfulfilled ambition. Whatever I haven't yet done is because I don't feel the need to do or because I still don't know I want to do it.
  

                     5.     Something that inspires you

•     The new dawn every single day.
  

  6.     Something that can make you weep tears of joy

•     Nothing much, I’m afraid... 
  

Me:                Christine, it has been a delight. I wish you all the success in the world and I hope that we will all see further editions of your enchanting work.

You can see information and sales details of all Christine’s books by clicking here:

 Frogillo Books

C B Ross is, incredibly, just ten years old but is already showing great talent in art, music and now writing. I was proud and pleased to have published her latest piece of poetic writing here on the website  and now have the greatest pleasure in being able to interview her. Keep your eyes open for this young lady ...

Hache:  Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. First of all let me tell you how much I enjoyed your latest work “HMS Titanic”. Let’s kick off with that; what inspired you to write it?

CB: Well, my teacher gave me the idea of ‘slaughter’ and was talking about personification and the rest came from books and my head.   

Hache:  Some of the imagery is stunning. I particularly liked the idea of the view from the deck lasting forever. Of course, for some of the passengers, it did indeed last forever. Do you always think in such deep ways?

CB: Most of the time yes, but if I don’t get the rhythm of writing it can turn out quite weird and doesn’t make much sense.

Hache:  How would you describe “HMS Titanic”? Do you think of it as being poetry for example? It’s certainly very poetic.

CB: Yes, I think it is a poem that tells a story in its own way, that slowly drifts into the mind and goes out.

Hache:  So, what’s next? Any more writing just itching to get done?

CB: Once I have a chance I’m sure I’ll do another piece of writing that has my twist. But it might also have quotes from a book.

Hache:  Maybe you could make a living from it one day. Do you have any ambitions in that direction?

CB: Well I thought of writing songs and films but it would be great if I was an author/illustrator because I would be able to draw but at the same time match it up with my own story that I understand.    

Hache:  You’re not only a talented writer but also an artist and musician. Where do you think all that artistic ability comes from?

CB: Let’s just say there are a lot of artistic examples from my gene pool. Mostly from my mum’s side. 

Hache:  And if you had to choose just one of the arts as your favourite, which would it be?

CB: I couldn’t choose just one so it would have to be art and writing. Art because it’s my true desire and writing for the pleasure of letting my feelings out into words of emotion.        

Hache:  It’s probably a bit early for you to say yet, but do you have any burning desires to follow a particular career path? Or will you just wait and see where life takes you?

CB: I have plans and back up plans so I want to be a swimmer but sell paintings to get money. I also would like to be a writer and work at a film studio and if none of those happen, I know my faith in God will steer me into the right path.

Hache:  What about other kids at your school. Do they admire your work too?

CB: No. In fact they can sometimes be quite negative. It was only when I read it to my mum I felt secure about my English work

Hache:  Some children your age struggle with creative ideas. Do you have any advice for youngsters who would like to be artistic but don’t have your natural flair?

CB: Just keep on practising and reading books and you will get more ideas as you go along.

Hache:  OK, I’m going to put you on the spot now. Name your favourite writer, artist and musician.

CB: Writer-Chris Riddell, artist-Lowry (for now) and musician-I don’t have a favourite yet.        

Hache:  Have any existing talented people influenced your style at all?

CB: Only my books, mostly by Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart, one of my favourite books was the first called ‘Fergus Crane’ and I recommend to 7-11 year olds as it is a good idea giver.

Hache:  If you were trying to encourage more people your age to take up the arts, what would you say to encourage them?

CB: Don’t stop when you make a mistake, keep on going until you are happy and don’t let anything stand in your way, just let what you feel out onto your page. Use things around you to inspire your own creation.

Hache:  That’s a brilliant piece of advice, thanks. I’m going to take that on board myself. And, a tough one to end with. Why are the creative arts important? Are they as important as, say, the sciences? And if so, why?

CB: Well in my opinion, you should choose to do what is right to you. They are different but both important, for example: arts-imagination and brain. Science is usually just knowledge of inside the box. What I’m trying to say is to explore and go outside the box!

Hache:  You are one very wise young lady. Thank you so much for meeting me today CB. It has been a real pleasure and I hope you continue to produce such quality work way into the future.

*nb  OK, confession time. So I’m her grandmother - but I’m not prejudiced. Of course not!

Hache L. Jones, 2015

Nicky Haldenby is a young, prolific, and very talented musician, singer and composer. I have been very privileged to interview him recently and it is with great pleasure that I am able to give you the transcript of that interview here :

Hache:     Nicky, welcome and thank you so much for agreeing to the interview. Let’s start by talking a little about your early life. You are still a very young man but already you have achieved great things. You clearly have a passion for music, so how old were you when you became aware of that passion ?

Nicky:      I can’t pinpoint a moment where I thought that exactly, music has just always been a big part of my life. Even when I was younger I was always fascinated by lyrics and melodies. I started writing lyrics for ‘songs’ when I was about 7, although I’m not entirely sure any of them made much sense…

Hache:     And who were your earliest musical influences ?

Nicky:     I think in terms of influences on my own music, I started appreciating music in that way when I first started playing piano and writing songs properly at the age of 13. Around that time I was listening to a lot of Mika and James Blunt, so I guess I’d say those are the two that influenced me in quite a big way around that time. 

Hache:     Is music something that runs in your family ?

Nicky:      Not that I know of! I heard a story that one of my great-great aunts (or something like that) was a violinist in the BBC Symphony Orchestra but that’s about it as far as I‘m aware!

 Hache:     What about your education ? Did your studies take second place to your music or were you academically talented too ?

Nicky:     If anything, music has had to take a second place to education. Education has always been important to me. I did alright at school I guess and I’m about to start my final year studying English Language and Literature at university so I’m pretty busy balancing those two main things in my life right now. 

Hache:     Okay, so let’s focus now on the present time. Do you have a daily routine ? And if so, describe it.

Nicky:     Honestly, my daily routine at the moment is wake up, record, go to sleep. Maybe some days I’ll throw a bit of writing in there just to spice things up but it’s pretty flat out recording at the moment. I’m not complaining though!

Hache:     I know that you play keyboards a lot but what other instruments do you play ? 

Nicky:     I actually went on holiday a few weeks ago and whilst I was away I made a spontaneous decision to buy a ukulele. Within a few days I’d taught myself some simple chords and written a song on it. I’m still learning new bits each day so that’s a new little hobby I have. 

Hache:     Ukulele. Wow – you’re in good company. Johnny Depp is rumoured to being playing ukulele now too. Are you classically trained or self-taught ?

Nicky:     I’m self taught at everything musical I do, from playing instruments to producing and engineering. For me, music has always been a hobby and I wouldn’t want for it to seem educational because that would take the fun out of it.

 Hache:     Your voice has a very lyrical quality and is a delight to listen to. Have you ever really pushed it though to see just what you could do with it?

Nicky:     Thank you! Well let’s just say I don’t think I’ll be the next Pavarotti…

Hache:     You’re working on a new album now, “California Skies”. How is that coming along?

Nicky:     It is the most fun thing I’ve made. I’m at the stage now where I’m doing the final mixdown of all the songs. With this album I’ve been collaborating with musicians from around the world which has just taken the songs to a whole new level. The songs are stronger than they’ve ever been, the production sounds great and the album has a lot of heart. I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Hache:     I’ll be including a link at the end of this interview so that your fans can go and pre-order the album. What about your earlier work, “This is Everything”? Did sales of that go well, and is it still selling?

Nicky:     This Is Everything was my second album and one that took two years to make, so it was really quite a big part of my life. It sold better than I’d hoped and I do still get the odd message occasionally from people telling me that they’ve just bought it or bought a song or two off it, which is really nice. At the moment though sales figures aren’t that important to me. Sure, I’d like to eventually make some profit to make this a financially viable career path but I know that will take time. At the moment it’s all about spreading the music!

Hache:     You are clearly a very enterprising young man and very pro-active. I’m assuming that you do have some help though. Does that help come from your parents? Others?

Nicky:     Everything you see, whether it’s online or music-wise comes from me. I manage everything from my website to promotion to CD artwork, design etc, it’s very much a one-man show. I’m lucky that my parents are supportive of me but they’re not pushy, like some people’s. That must be a complete nightmare!

Hache:     Looking forward now, what are your longer term hopes and dreams?

Nicky:     The 3 year plan is to put out an album, sell millions, tour the world and end up as the emperor of Earth. I’m just kidding. But a world tour would be good! Even if it was self-funded. I’m in love with idea of doing a worldwide busking tour so if I can find some people to tag along then that would be great. Also, I just want to keep making music, keep making the music better and spreading the music to a wider audience. I think as long as that’s happening then I’ll be happy. 

Hache:     Would you embrace fame and fortune if (or rather, when) it comes?

Nicky:     I guess if you put yourself in a position where that could happen then you’d have no option but to. Luckily, I’m not in this game for either of those two things. Just an active audience and a nice little bit of an income would be good enough for me!

Hache:     I’ve watched a couple of your broadcasts from the bedroom now and what always strikes me about them is how much of a natural you are in front of a camera. You speak to your fans as though you know them all personally and the way the broadcasts work, your fans have the chance to communicate with you in real time. It is a very intimate experience. One that I have enjoyed immensely. So, given that, if you suddenly found yourself on stage at Wembley Stadium in front of a 90,000 strong audience, would you be just as calm or would you own up to a little butterfly or two?

Nicky:     Thank you for saying that! I’m glad you’ve said that, I like to think that I do have a good relationship with the people who watch my broadcasts. I’d definitely say that I do regard most, if not all, of the people who watch them as my friends and people that I talk to on a regular basis; so it does have a really nice, friendly atmosphere about it. It does just feel like singing songs for a few friends and I really love having that kind of interaction. I’ll definitely be doing more live streams soon, possibly one next month! As for the Wembley question, I think there’s always going to be adrenaline before any performance. There needs to be adrenaline to put on a good show. If it’s 90,000 people who had turned up to watch me then I wouldn’t be nervous I don’t think. It’s if you’re performing at a festival or an event like that and people aren’t necessarily there to see you that you need to start panicking….

Hache:     That’s a really fascinating perspective. I’d love to be able to emulate that. Let’s move on to some personal stuff. I know your fans will be keen to learn a bit about you, the man as well as you, the musician. A lot of your work contains very romantic imagery. Would you describe yourself as a romantic person?

Nicky:     I guess every songwriter has to be a bit of a romantic at heart, right? Although with me it’s kind of more ‘hopeless romantic’ but hey, at least I try!

Hache:     And is there anyone special in your life right now?

Nicky:     Nope, there isn’t… As I said, ‘hopeless’!

Hache:     Aside from music, what other passions do you have? Sport? Drama? Anything else? Tell me a bit about the things that really excite and inspire you.

Nicky:     I’m probably the least sporty person anyone will ever meet. You know the kid who walks at the back of cross-country at school? Yeah, that was me! Having said that though I love Formula One. It’s always been quite a big part of my life and I’ve been lucky enough to go to the British Grand Prix a few times now. There’s actually a song on the new album that I wrote after one of this year’s races, it has a few F1 references in it. Aside from that, being a literature student I’m definitely inspired by all sorts of weird and wonderful novels! 

Hache:     Oh I can’t wait to hear the F1 song. I’m a huge F1 fan myself, though I have zero interest in any other sport. What about politics and religion? Thorny topics, I know, but we all have a view on them don’t we?

Nicky:     They are thorny topics indeed, which is something that I’ve always been wary of. I tend not to be outspoken about any political or religious views that I have because I know it runs the risk of offending at least a small percentage of people with opposing views. I’m definitely more of a lefty on the political side of things though and I’ve never been compelled towards a religious faith. I do think I have a good ability to accept and consider other people’s points of view on both those subjects though.

 Hache:     If you had to name one thing in the world that makes your blood boil, what would it be?

Nicky:     Just one? I have about a million. Really little things annoy me. Like, if someone comes in my room when the door is shut and then walks out and leaves it open that really annoys me. And people with no manners are frustrating too. Oh and people talking loudly on their phones in public is annoying too. Basically, everything annoys me. Pushy parents! Wait… did I already mention that?  

Hache:     And one last question. I always like to end of a lighter note. What things do you find amusing? I mean who or what really has your sides splitting?

Nicky:     I’m a big lover of British comedies such as Blackadder, The Royle Family and Not Going Out. Anything that parodies popular culture amuses me. I also love the stand-up work of Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand.

Hache:     Nicky. It has been an absolute delight. Thank you so much for your frankness and your honesty. You are building up quite a fan-base now and I know they will all be delighted with your answers. Let’s do this again sometime . . .

Nicky’s latest album “California Skies” is due for release in early October, 2014. Pre-order your copy here:

http://nickyhaldenby.bandcamp.com/album/california-skies

If you pre-order now, you’ll also get an immediate download of one free track. Believe me – it’s more than worth it.