Meet Bronwen Scott-Branagan, Author of Joan and the Great Depression and other stories
What inspired you to become a children's author?
I've always enjoyed writing since I was a small girl and I first trained as a teacher for Primary School (in those days that was from Preparatory to Grade 8 and Post-Primary. My first published children's book was The Panadanus People. It was inspired by finding some Pandanus seeds when I was walking along the beach on the Queensland Gold Coast with grandchildren. Something had bored into the seeds and the holes looked just like eyes and each seed had it's own character, so I imagined them into people who lived in a house that was the pineapple-shaped fruit in a Pandanus tree.
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How did you come up with the idea for Joan and the Great Depression? I was visiting one of my daughters who is married to an American and lives in Alaska. My grand-daughter showed me some lovely little books that told about US history and I thought, "What a great idea!" |
Pandanus Seeds
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Authorities on writing always tell aspiring authors to begin with what they know. I was actually a very small child during the Great Depression, but I've been blessed with many memories of events that happened when I was quite small. I used my memories as a basis for my research and then wrote it for children a bit older. I intend it to continue on, planning that Joan will see WWII from her perspective, too.
How many books have you written?
When I was younger I wrote some books that were rejected by publishers, but now that self-publishing has become so popular, I mostly publish that way. There are seven of my books in print and two of those are children's books. Actually, the one that got me started again was after I'd spent about eight years researching my family-tree. I usually call it my Family Forest, it has so many branches. I noticed an ad for a competition for a family tree book, decided to enter, and Cornish Kinsfolk: from Cornwall to Castlemaine won first prize. That was so exciting, I just had to keep going!
What was your favorite book as a child?
I had a fairly wild imagination and did not like scary books, so as we grew older I usually made my little sister who was five years younger and an avid reader, read them first if I was doubtful about any in the Sunday School Library. I don't think there was ever just one favourite. As a youngster, I loved May Gibbs' Nuttybub and Nittersing and The Little Round House by Gladys Lister. Oh, yes, later there were the Anne books, Dickens, Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare; I could go on and on!
What do you hope children will learn from Joan and the Great Depression?
Firstly, I'd just like children to enjoy my book and to love reading. Then, we've been going through a recession and many families have been badly hit. However, here in Australia and in some other countries there is now government assistance for people who are experiencing difficulties. That just didn't happen in those days. We are so lucky that we live now and not back then. In other ways life back then was more simple, there was no TV, electronic games or mobile phones, but the problems and struggles were huge. People then were closer to nature and I think it's important for children to learn to care for and respect the world around them, and to value, love and respect family and friends.
Are you currently working on other books?
How did you guess? I have so many ideas, I'm sure I could keep writing until I'm a hundred! The one I'm working on at the moment is called Dithyrambles: Poems of the Heart. I made up the name from the word 'dithyrambic,' which means wildly irregular or enthusiastic. It is a collection of some of my poems, or should I say verses? I have written since I was in Primary School, and this one is nearly finished. There is also a book languishing at a publisher's, written for children about 4-6 years. It's called Chips Quackety. As with most of my books, I have done the illustrations. In this one, there are thirty-two illustrations and that took ages. It's about a little girl called Jane and a pet duckling.
You can find out more about Bronwen Scott-Branagan and her books by visiting www.bscott-branagan.org.
How many books have you written?
When I was younger I wrote some books that were rejected by publishers, but now that self-publishing has become so popular, I mostly publish that way. There are seven of my books in print and two of those are children's books. Actually, the one that got me started again was after I'd spent about eight years researching my family-tree. I usually call it my Family Forest, it has so many branches. I noticed an ad for a competition for a family tree book, decided to enter, and Cornish Kinsfolk: from Cornwall to Castlemaine won first prize. That was so exciting, I just had to keep going!
What was your favorite book as a child?
I had a fairly wild imagination and did not like scary books, so as we grew older I usually made my little sister who was five years younger and an avid reader, read them first if I was doubtful about any in the Sunday School Library. I don't think there was ever just one favourite. As a youngster, I loved May Gibbs' Nuttybub and Nittersing and The Little Round House by Gladys Lister. Oh, yes, later there were the Anne books, Dickens, Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare; I could go on and on!
What do you hope children will learn from Joan and the Great Depression?
Firstly, I'd just like children to enjoy my book and to love reading. Then, we've been going through a recession and many families have been badly hit. However, here in Australia and in some other countries there is now government assistance for people who are experiencing difficulties. That just didn't happen in those days. We are so lucky that we live now and not back then. In other ways life back then was more simple, there was no TV, electronic games or mobile phones, but the problems and struggles were huge. People then were closer to nature and I think it's important for children to learn to care for and respect the world around them, and to value, love and respect family and friends.
Are you currently working on other books?
How did you guess? I have so many ideas, I'm sure I could keep writing until I'm a hundred! The one I'm working on at the moment is called Dithyrambles: Poems of the Heart. I made up the name from the word 'dithyrambic,' which means wildly irregular or enthusiastic. It is a collection of some of my poems, or should I say verses? I have written since I was in Primary School, and this one is nearly finished. There is also a book languishing at a publisher's, written for children about 4-6 years. It's called Chips Quackety. As with most of my books, I have done the illustrations. In this one, there are thirty-two illustrations and that took ages. It's about a little girl called Jane and a pet duckling.
You can find out more about Bronwen Scott-Branagan and her books by visiting www.bscott-branagan.org.
Stacie Theis / beachboundbooks@yahoo.com / copyright 2012