Here is a bit of my interview with Lisa Kenway from her monthly newsletter introducing the Debut Crew 2024.

What has most surprised you about the publication process as a debut author?

I was surprised by how much input I had into the publication process. Once I stopped feeling worried about asking questions and checking in with anything I didn’t understand, and I started advocating for what I thought were the best outcomes, I realised that I was a valuable part of the publication team. I definitely remained flexible and open to ideas, but I really think we ended up with a better book because I was an active part of the process.

How are you planning to celebrate on publication day?

My launch is later in the month, so release day will be low-key. I should go jump off the high diving board at my local pool, but I will probably take some photos of my book on the shelf at my local indie bookstore, then go out for lunch with my family.

Read all of Lisa’s newsletter here.

Meet Francie!

She can glide like a swan, dabble like a duck and cut through the water like a cormorant. So when she sees her older cousins diving like gannets from the high diving board, she wants to do that too.

Inspired by my memories of being a child with a bigger body shape who wasn’t very sporty but who felt capable and graceful in the water, I really wanted Francie to have a bigger body type. It’s slowly getting better, but I still think there’s a lack of representation of diverse bodies in children’s books.

I hope Francie shows kids that, with courage, they can face their fears and strive for things out of their reach, learning along the way to accept their limitations and do it their own way. Just like gannets whose short legs and webbed feet make them slow, clumsy waddlers on land, but who transform into Queens of the Sea when they dive.

I’m so happy with how @debi_hudson has illustrated Francie and I can’t wait for everyone to meet her in this joyous celebration of one little fledgling who wants to be a gannet.

Like A Gannet is out October 1st by @windyhollow Publishing.