Catherine Barter
Georgie Lord
Catherine Barter grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, a market town in the middle of England best known as Shakespeare’s birthplace. When she was eighteen I moved to Norwich to study American literature at university, and stayed there for the next ten years (except for one year living in Plattsburgh, New York). She has worked in libraries, bookshops, universities and an organization campaigning for the rights of garment workers. Currently she lives in East London and co-manages Housmans, a radical bookshop in King’s Cross.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Sherman Alexie, David Foster Wallace, and Margaret Atwood
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I can’t stop making up stories and I wanted to share them with other people.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Read all the time, write the book you want to read, and don’t be afraid of a terrible first draft.