Monica Kulling
Photo by Monica Kulling
Monica Kulling was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She received a BA in creative writing from the University of Victoria. Monica Kulling has published 26 fiction and nonfiction books for children, including picture books, poetry, and biographies. She is best known for introducing biography to children just learning to read and has written about Harriet Tubman, Houdini, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Amelia Earhart, among others. Monica Kulling lives in Toronto, Canada.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I loved all of Beverly Cleary’s books, as well as, Betty MacDonald’s stories about Mrs. Pigle-Wiggle. Those stories were laugh-out-loud funny.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
- "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
- Right now I’m reading Arthur Slade’s The Hunchback Assignments and Mary Swan’s The Boys in the Trees. So right now my two favourite authors are Arthur Slade and Mary Swan. I also love the work of Anne Tyler and Kate DiCamillo.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I don’t honestly know the answer to that question. I know I love a good story and funny characters. I was passionate about children’s literature when I was introduced to it through a university course. I also began writing poetry as a teen. I still write poetry. It’s the perfect means of expression.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
A person who loves to write should be more interested in perfecting her craft than in publishing what she’s written. In time, publication will come along but not before you’ve really mastered your ability with words.