Creative chat: Annemarie Anang and Natelle Quek

Tell us a bit about yourselves. When did you know you wanted to be an author (Annemarie) and illustrator (Natelle) of children’s books?

Natelle: I have pretty much been drawing my whole life, ever since I could hold a pencil! I carried on drawing and painting until I was grown up, and one day I decided to start a small business selling my art. I didn’t particularly enjoy the business side of things, but I knew I wanted to keep making art.

I started considering a pathway for myself based on what I already liked to draw, and when I picked up a picture book again as an adult, I found so much excitement and possibilities in the illustrations. And I was hooked!

Annemarie: For me, it was when I couldn’t find many diverse books for my daughter to read in the UK or in Sweden. I started exploring the reasons for this in the UK and the statistics in the CLPE Reflecting Realities report published in 2020 showed that, ‘in 2019, 33.5% of the school population were of minority ethnic origins.’ In stark contrast, only 5% of children’s books had an ethnic minority main character.

In addition to this I learned from a BookTrust Represents midterm report published in 2019 that from 2007 to 2017, less than 6% of children’s book creators were people of colour. I could not believe that all these years after my own childhood, children could still only access such a narrow range of books, so I decided to write, to change that.

Natelle, there are beautiful illustrative similarities between I Am Nefertiti and Dance Just Like So, eg, the musical staves swirling around the room and the use of movement and dance. Can you tell us how you approached illustrating the two books?

Natelle: I always start each project by familiarising myself with the characters. With both books, I worked closely with Five Quills and Annemarie to finalise the characters. It’s a strongly collaborative process and I love that I can bounce ideas back and forth with everyone involved. In addition to characters’ authenticity, we also wanted the musical instruments and environmental details to be true to life, so I spent a lot of time learning about different instruments for I Am Nefertiti, and types of dance, textiles, food and decor for Dance Just Like So!.

Both books also had a lot of movement, and using the musical staves was a great way to guide the reader through the pages. In I Am Nefertiti, sounds are depicted as abstract objects so the reader can visualise the dynamism of music, and in Dance Just Like So!, I endeavoured to give the characters exciting dance poses with quick strokes of mark-making to show energy and movement.

Both books are also full of joy, with a range of children beautifully represented. How important is inclusivity and authentic representation in your books?

Natelle: It’s very important, and being an illustrator where I am visually representing the characters and their surroundings, I try my best to research as carefully as I can for the characters as well as the smaller, surrounding, environmental details that complete the pages.

Annemarie: Representation is vital in children’s books and everywhere including, but not limited to, TV, magazines, commercials, sports, hospitals and places of learning. Everywhere! It’s the main reason I write. Research shows that children feel validated when they see themselves reflected in these mediums thus making them feel valued and being able to see themselves accomplishing anything.

There were two years between the publishing of I Am Nefertiti and Dance Just Like So!. Do you feel your writing/illustration style and approach changed in that time?

Natelle: Absolutely, and I hope that my illustrations continue to grow over time. While I have a few core, mark-making and colouring techniques I like to use in my illustrations, I also enjoy trying new techniques with each book I work on so I can keep growing as an artist while still being able to produce work that is identifiable as made by me.

Annemarie: I deliberately wanted to write in a similar style to I Am Nefertiti, with rhyme and rhythm.

Do you have any tips for readers who might like to become authors or illustrators?

Natelle: I think perseverance and being curious will help you with your creative growth as aspiring authors and illustrators (and I firmly believe this is also important for published creatives too!).

Annemarie: I agree with Natelle. I think readers should just start without overthinking or finding obstacles to writing. Just start and take it from there, a step at a time. It would be helpful to learn about the publishing industry too and follow related accounts on social media, keeping an eye out for opportunities for new writers.

When you’re not creating children’s books, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Natelle: I love exploring nature trails, discovering new pastries, gardening and bird watching!

Annemarie: When I am not writing, I work as an actress and musician. When I have free time, I enjoy being in the forest, ice bathing in lakes and dancing. I also enjoy curling up on the sofa in front of the fireplace with my family to watch a classic movie.

Finally, what’s coming up for you? Do you have any more books coming out together or separately, or any other exciting plans?

Natelle: I’m currently working on a couple of picture book projects which I cannot wait to share with readers. I would love to continue working with Annemarie in the future too as she’s such a talented author!

Annemarie: I am also working on a few other picture books at the moment and will have some exciting news to share soon! I would love to continue working with Natelle too as I am a big fan of her work and love collaborating with her.

I am Nefertiti and Dance Just Like So! by Annemarie Anang, illustrated by Natelle Quek, are both available now, published by Five Quills.

Read our IBC reviews for I am Nefertiti and Dance Just Like So!.

Huge thanks to Annemarie Anang, Natelle Quek and Five Quills for their kind permission to use images and sketches from Dance Like So! in this blog post.