Return to site

Meet Author and Cartoonist, Jonathan Shipton

Llandeilo Literary Festival Special

broken image

Today is day 2 of The Llandeilo Lit Fest 2018.
One of our makers, Jon from Shippo Greetings Cards, has authored a number of Children's books that are available in the shop along with his humourous greetings cards.

Here's a short interview he did with some school children about his inspirations and writing. Enjoy!

Q: What were you like at school?

A: Worried. I was sent away to boarding school when I was seven

Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?

A: A train driver so I could escape from my school - there was a train line at the bottom of the playing field.

Q: Which three words describe you best?

A: Curious. Creative. Curmudgeonly.

Q:What is your favourite word?

A: Flapdoodle

Q: What are you afraid of?

A: Things that go bump in the night.

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

A: I’m a cartoonist and card maker

Q: What strange habits do you have?

A: I whistle a lot.

Q: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?

A: I'm saving it up for when I'm much older.

Q: What’s your favourite food?

A: Cheese

Q: What do you day dream about?

A: Being a bird.

Q: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?

A: I'm saving it up for when I'm much older.

Q: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?

A: When I was young I felt old; now I'm older I feel quite young.

Q: What quality do you most admire in a person?

A: Playfullness.

Q: What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

A: The temples of Gokarna in South India.

Q: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

A: People who don't make mistakes don't make anything.

Q: What has life taught you?

A: Some people can dance and I'm not one of them.

Q: How long have you been a writer?

A: Since I was about ten.

Q: Where do you do your writing?

A: I always start my writing at the kitchen table with pen, paper and biscuits and then I when I'm happy with the rough outline of a story or poem I move on to the computer and leave the biscuits behind.

Q: What are the best and worst things about being an author?

A: The best thing is knowing that your words are being enjoyed by people all over the world. The worst thing is spending months working on a story only to discover it is utter rubbish!

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

A: Children.

Q: Which of your own characters do you most identify with?

A: Emily because she is quite stubborn and crazy and loves guinea pigs.

Q: What do you do to combat “writers’ block”?

A: I tidy up my desk, throw things away and dig up potatoes

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

A: A tiny picture book called 'The Inquisitive Harvest Mouse.'

Q: What book do you wish you had written?

A: 'Where the Wild Things are' by Maurice Sendak

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

A: Read A Lot.

broken image