Lela Nargi
Lela Nargi wrote her first story in a notebook with a marbled cover that her mother bought her the summer before she started first grade; she’s been writing ever since. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and daughter, and a very large rabbit.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Just one?? Little House on the Prairie, The Wind in the Willows, Crictor, The Lorax, Eloise.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
I never remember quotes. However, I can tell you that as a child I absolutely hated when characters in the books I was reading suffered in any way. It was okay if they faced challenges, or had terrific adventures; but “watching” them undergo hardship, without knowing for sure they’d make it through in one piece, would inevitably fill me with anguish. Therefore, my favorite line or unspoken sentiment in any book was always, “They lived happily ever after.” Sometimes I would flip to the end, just to make sure that line was there.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I’ve been a writer since I was very small, and a reader since I was even smaller. Words have always been my world.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Look closely at the world around you, listen carefully to the stories people tell you, always ask questions.
