Putting a book out into the world comes as a real relief. The period in which it’s released isn’t always filled with the great sense of joy and accomplishment that you might imagine. The real beauty of it is knowing that once it’s in the world that countless people can encounter and engage with your creation. They can judge for what they perceive are your intentions, or they can dig into the layers that you put between the pages. Take it or leave it. By that point, it’s not up to me. Which makes it all the more rewarding when something you’ve made gets recognised by total strangers, people who have been drawn in by elements within the work that has encouraged them to dig deeper.
Getting nominated for prizes is far from my motivation for making books, and this one is a real surprise, because I had no idea that my publisher had submitted it. What a treat to be acknowledged alongside so many other wonderful publications.
Check out the really quite extensive list of books that have been shortlisted here.
(Thanks to Sarah for the portrait, one day the world may get to see more of what a stunningly talented creative person she is.)
