Nadia Shireen on Grimwood and becoming an author and illustrator

Shireen’s distinctive illustrative style and fun storytelling, has seen her shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

And in February 2022, as part of our 20th anniversary Imagine Children’s Festival we were delighted to welcome her to the Southbank Centre, as she joined us to bring the wildly funny characters of her latest book Grimwood to life.

But we couldn’t quite wait until that appearance. So we caught up with Shireen in advance to find out how she approached writing Grimwood, and what the coolest thing about being a professional author and illustrator is.

Hi Nadia, how’re you? How’s your 2022 started?

I’m great, thank you. My year has started with a bang as I’m mega busy trying to write the second Grimwood book, and draw another picture book. But I love my job, so it’s ok.

You’re joining us as part of our children’s festival, Imagine, what was your own favourite book as a child?

I think it was probably The Witches or The BFG, by Roald Dahl. He was my absolute favourite, I honestly thought he was writing his books just for me. So it came as a bit of a shock as I gradually realised he was one of the most famous authors in the world.

Is a writer and illustrator something you always wanted to be? Or did you have another dream job growing up?

It’s definitely always been my dream job, but for years I didn’t really believe it was a job I could have in real life. I thought it sounded a bit like saying ‘I want to be a pop star’ or ‘I want to win the World Cup’. I still have to pinch myself when I realise this is what I do for a living.

Before this dream job you studied law, and then worked on magazines; were you always drawing during that time?

I suppose I was, though I never would have called it that. I would just doodle on newspapers or make silly birthday cards for people, that kind of thing. I suppose I wasn’t really spending loads of time doing it. It sort of came back to me after a while. I remembered how much I enjoyed it.

‘As a child I honestly thought Roald Dahl was writing his books just for me. So it came as a bit of a shock as I gradually realised he was one of the most famous authors in the world.’

So what prompted you to move from illustrating for fun to write and illustrate your first book?

Well it was sort of a deliberate accident. I was doing a course in illustration as a ‘mature student’ – which is a polite way of saying an old person – and the final project was to make a picture book. I had made a copy of a story called Good Little Wolf. Some publishers came to the final art show and saw my book and offered me a deal the next day. I said yes and that was my first book.

What’s the coolest thing to happen to you since becoming a writer and illustrator?

LOADS of things! I still can’t really describe how wild it is seeing other people know the characters and worlds that I’ve invented. I love it when I walk into a classroom and there are loads of drawings of my characters on the wall. I’ve met SO many interesting people when I’ve been travelling around schools and book festivals. I really love that.

When you’re working on a new book, what comes first; the idea for who the character is, or how the character looks?

It’s different every time. For Grimwood, I had the idea of having two urban foxes on the run first. Then I scribbled in my sketchbook figuring out what they looked like.

Of the many great books you’ve written and drawn thus far, do you have a favourite?

Not really. It’s usually the one that’s come out most recently. Or whatever I’m working on at the time. But I think of them all fondly, they remind me of different times in my life. They’re like my strange little book children!

Grimwood is your first book aimed at the middle grade audience. Did this affect how you approached its creation?

Yes it did quite a bit, as I’m usually a picture book maker. So writing Grimwood was a totally new, fresh and scary experience. I’d never sat down and just typed the words out before. It was exhilarating!

You mentioned you’re now working on the next Grimwood book. What can we expect in the future tales?

Well, there are some mysteries in the first book that I really want to explore, like where Ted and Nancy’s parents are. I also want to develop the characters we already know, and maybe introduce some new ones. And I want to pack in loads of jokes.

And lastly, if you could give only two tips to any aspiring young writer, what would they be?

Write the book YOU would enjoy reading. Also don’t worry about getting it right first time – nobody does! Write it all down first, then you can go back and make it better. That’s what I do, and what every writer I know does.