Page 5 - AIT0418_Kinderbuchautorin

M rs Damm, you are an architect but have worked as a successful author and
illustrator of children’s books since the year 2000. Countless young and older
readers take pleasure in your books. Can you still remember how it came about that
you submitted your first manuscript to a publisher?
After the births of my first two children, I participated in numerous competitions. I
used the free periods in-between these and drew children’s books. Not, however, with
the intention of ever having them published. Quite by chance, I got to know a female
employee at a publisher of children’s books who encouraged me to send my ideas for
books to publishers. I chose five publishing companies which I myself liked very much,
among them also Moritz Verlag where my books are now regularly published. But my
first books were released by the Swiss Atlantis Verlag. At the time, I didn’t really realize
how fortunate I was when the letter of acceptance came. It was my entry into the scene
of children’s books and I later learned about how much work is involved in finally get-
ting a book on its way.

r Your book „Der Besuch“ is illustrated with room scenarios which you yourself
built with cardboard, then coloured, illuminated and, finally, photographed. How
much of an architect is still hidden inside of you?
Of course, as an architect I used to build many models. I always liked it when these
models were also models to work with and not only served to perfectly present an idea
for architecture. Based on a model, the spatial notion simply works better. The „Der
Besuch“ picture book is based on a simply constructed room scenario representing the
home of an old, lonely woman. The surprise visit of a child succeeds in changing her
life. In the model, this can be seen by colour and light gradually entering the flat. My
point was not perfection but building something which would inspire children to grab
a piece of cardboard and get going themselves. This is also what I do in my workshops
with children and it is a tremendous lot of fun

r How much of your autobiography is reflected in your books? Your story „Kiki“ is
based on experiences from your own childhood …
A lot of what I experienced myself is in some of the books but it is also mixed with what
I invented. Kiki used to be my best friend who sadly died in an accident when she was
ten years old. I missed her very much because she was such a highly unusual, special
child. We went for archaeological digs on fields together, looked after farmhouse cats
and kittens, built a lot together, created heaps of drawings and even stole vegetables in
a small village shop. Although it also describes Kiki’s death, the book is often funny.

r In your latest book Was wird aus uns?, you focus on the topic of nature in a philo-
sophical way ...
Yes, my father made us children aware of nature. I am a “child of nature” who would
like best to live in a remote cabin in the middle of the forest. What is nature, anyway?
How would it be to live in the wilderness? Which is the question you would like to ask
an animal? These are issues I collected in this book and added my own photographs
and illustrations. These can be used as a start for interesting talks with children. When
philosophizing with children, we as adults are not ahead of the little ones but we can
approach subjects together.

r Which marketing measures are required on the part of the author to be successful
in the business?
De
De
De
De
D De
De
De
De
De
Deeckckckckcckc eneneneneneneene lilililiichchchchchchchhcht t t t ttttt ohohohohohohohhhhnenenenenenenenn D DD D DDDDDDDDececececececececececkekekekkekkekeek nlnlnlnlnlnlnnln eueueueueueueueuuchchchchchhcc tetetetetetetetet : : : : : :: StStStStStStStrerererererererr amamamamamamamam ii i i iiststststststsst a a aa a aandndndndndndndderererererrrs.s.s.s.sss D D D D DDDDDDerererererererer
Giving readings and workshops is an important part of an author’s work. I very much
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
ho
hoochchchchchchchhhwewewewewewewwwweeertrtrtrtrtrtrrtigigigigigigggge ee e e eee LeLeLeLeLeLeLeLLeucucucucucucuucu hthththththtthhteneneneneneneneneeeene kökökökökökökökööörprprpprprppppr erererererererererer i i i iistststststststsst L L L LLLLLLLLiciccicicchthththththhthh ququququququu lelelelelelellelelelelelee, , ,, ababababababababerererererereree n n n n nnicicicicicciccchththththththhhthh
like to do this to get feedback and to see how children react to my questions, stories
Mi
Mitttttttttttttttttttt eleleleleleellllpupupuppupuppup nknknknkknkkt t ttt t t dededededededed r r rr rrr LiLiLiLiLiLiiichchchchchchcchhchchhtwtwtwwwwtwwtwtwwwtwahahahahahhahahahhhhrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnehehehehehehehehe mumumumumumumumuungngngngngngngg. .. . . ... DiDiDiDiDiDiDiD e e e eeee DeDeDeDeDeDeDeeckckckckckckckkke e e ee ee e seseseseseseeees lblblblblbbbbstststststsststststss ii i i iiistststststststsststt dd d d ddddieieieieieieie
Mi
M M M M
Mi
Mi
and images. But I am also invited to advanced-training events for educators, teachers M Mi
R
Re
Re
Re
Re
Re
Reeflflflfflflfffllf exexexexexexxexioioioioioiooionsnsnsnsnsnsnsn flflflflffff ääcäcäcäcächehehehehehe, , , , , auauauauauuuauauf f f f ff f fffff dededededededdedddd r r rrr r sisisisissisichchchchchhchchhcc dd d d d ddififififiifi fufufufufufufuseseseseseseses ss s s s ss LiLiLiLiLiLiLichchchchchchchcht t ttt ttt enenenenenenentftftftftffttft alalalalaalaa teteteteteteetet t tt t t t ununununununund dddd dd füfüfüfüfüfüfüür rr r
Re
Re
Re
and students or to readings for adults. In order to be noticed, good press work by the Re
publisher is essential. I get the impression that this is becoming increasingly more ei ei ei ei e ei ei e e ei e neneneneneneee g g g g g gggg gggganananananana z z zzzz zz bebebebebebebebb sosososososoos ndndndndndndnddderererererrrrre ee e e eeeeeee AtAtAtAtAtAtAtAAAA momomomomomomoospspspspspspsphähähähähähähärerereererere s s s s sssorororororo gtgtgtgtgtgtgtg . . . . . StStStStStStStSStttttrererererererer amamamamamamam s s ss ssschchchchchhchcc afafafafafafaffafftftftftftfftff m m m mm mmmmititititititt
difficult since newspapers are reviewing fewer and fewer children’s books. re re re re re re re re reeinininininininnin i i i iiiindndndndndndddnndn iriririririii ekekekekekekeke tetetetetetetetetetetett r rr r r rrrr BeBeBeBeBeBeBeBBeBB leleleleleeleucucucucucucucucuu hthththhthththtunununununununuung g g g g ggg – – – – gagagagagagaaararararararraantntntntnttntieieieieieeertrtrtrtrttrtrr b b b b bbbblelelelelelleendndndndndnddn frfrfrffrfrffrfrffff eieieieieiee – – – ––– g g g g ggggggeneneneneneneneneee uguguguguguguggug
R
Ra
Ra
Ra
Ra
Ra
Ra
Ra
Ra
Raumumumumumumumummmmmhehehehhehehehheheheheeellllllllllllll igigigigigiggigigkekekekekekekeeitititititititi u uu u uu undndndndndndnd e e e ee entntntntntntntn spspspspspspspririririririr chchchchchchchc t t ttttt dadadadadadadadaabebebebebbbeeeb i i i i i dededededededeeeeen n n n n n NoNoNoNoNoNooNoNormrmrmrmrmrmrmmmvovovovovovovovorgrgrgrgrgrggabababababababba enenenenenenenn f f f fffffürürürürürürürür
r What would you recommend to ambitious writers who are also hoping to gain a Bü
Bü
Bü
Bü
Bü
B Bü
Bü
Bü
Bü
foothold in the market for children’s books? Bürorororororororoobebebebebebebebebebebeb leleleleleeleelleucucucucucucucuccchthththththththh ununununununu g.g.g.g.ggg. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww w.w.w.w.w.wwww rererererererer gegegegegegeg ntntntntntntntnntntntt.c.c.c.c.c.c.c.chhhhhhhhhh
I would recommend to all those who want to gain a foothold in the market for chil-
dren’s books: Just simply forget the market! Catch up on good books and publishers and
thoroughly analyse them. Do what you can do really well, what thrills and interests you.
Write books which take children seriously and where adults also find something for
themselves. Books for everyone!