Elizabeth Neal
Elizabeth Neal lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and daughter. They have a rescue dog who enjoys couch parkour, grumbling in her sleep, and things that squeak. Visit her online at efneal.com.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
It’s impossible to pick just one, but I was entranced by any story where a child discovered a weird secret world: the Narnia series, Fog Magic, Alice in Wonderland.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
To be honest, I don’t think in “lines.” For me, taking a sentence out of its home in a story sucks some of the life out of it. The magic is in the emotion of the scene.
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Another impossible question! But I will read anything and everything by Vera Brosgol, Anne Ursu, and Tracey Baptiste.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
It’s a true form of magic, the telepathy that takes place between a writer and a reader, and the alchemy that occurs when a reader brings their own imagination to the story on the page.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Read! And play, and go on long walks, and listen closely, and observe the world around you with all the curiosity and appreciation you can muster.
