Interview with Illustrator: Lucy Farfort

This week I thought I'd try my hand at interviewing, so I was thrilled when the supremely talented illustrator Lucy Farfot—an all-round lovely human—agreed to have a chat.

Lucy came to prominence in kidlit publishing when she won the inaugural Faber Children's FAB Prize for illustration in 2017. Her debut as a book illustrator, Afraid of the Dark, was released earlier this month and is the first exciting title in Little Tiger's Our Town series.

Lucy's beautiful mixed-media artwork is soft, comforting, and highly imaginative. It's so thrilling that she could spare a few moments to talk during this incredibly exciting time for Black creatives. 

So, without further ado, please welcome Lucy Farfort!

So Lucy, where do you call home?
Newcastle is my home now and I love it, but I didn’t grow up here. I grew up in Southend-on-Sea, on the south-east coast.

What made you decide to become an illustrator?
Anima and manga, which I became obsessed with at 14, were what drove me to get into illustration. From a young age, I knew I wanted to do something that involved drawing and being creative for a living, but I didn’t know what exactly. I was thinking along the lines of fashion designer, and then my cool cousin showed me Akira, and my jaw hit the floor! It was incredible, and the fire it started in me was like nothing I had ever felt before. I wrote a letter to a UK artist who worked for a manga magazine, to ask him how he got into his job. And that was that!

As for becoming a book illustrator, that never crossed my mind until much later on—like well into my twenties. I never saw or read a children’s book that featured a mixed-race or Black character when I was growing up, and I think that had a profound effect. I used to write and draw a lot—especially comics—but book illustration was something other people did—middle-class white people. I grew up in the 80s so it was really like that then. As you know it’s getting better but, back then, there was next to nothing.

Can you share a bit about your creative process?
I use both traditional and digital media for my work. I love the result this produces but it does mean it can take more time to do. Working with pencil and watercolours is hands-down my favourite part of the process. But one of the things I like about using PhotoShop or Procreate is the capacity for ‘do-overs’. It’s much harder to correct errors using paint and I’ve never been brave enough to go fully traditional in my process because of this. Still, nothing beats the feel of a graphite pencil or a brush on paper.

Which art supplies can you not live without?
Definitely 2B Derwent graphite pencils and a good quality eraser. Oh, and some paper to draw on, of course!

Tell us a bit about your debut picture book Afraid of the Dark.
In summer 2018 my agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes told me that Little Tiger Press had put a call out for illustrators, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, to basically tender for a new series of books they had planned. I submitted, but after not hearing back for quite a few months assumed what I had sent in wasn't what they were looking for. Then just before Christmas that year, Alice contacted me to say they loved my submission and wanted to meet with me. I was absolutely stunned!

After a really lovely publishing meeting with the series creator, writer and designer, I started working with the writer Isabel Otter and the designer Emma Jennings, who were just amazing to work with.

The story is about Amy and single dad Harry who move to a different area. Everything is unfamiliar and the new house doesn’t feel like home. In bed, Amy sees shadows on the walls made by a tree and unpacked boxes. She becomes afraid of the dark.

After a few nights of little sleep, Amy meets neighbors Sofia and Bilal who show her their incredible den, decorated with stars and rockets.

This gives Harry an idea. He shows Amy the sky at night, and together they decorate her bedroom ceiling with glowing stars. Amy finally feels at home, safe under a blanket of stars.

What's up next for you?
I am currently working on the second Our Town book, which features the twins from the first story, Sofia and Bilal. I'm also working on a commission with the publisher Knights Of, and writing an anthology story for a different publisher, both of which I am very excited about!

Favourite authors and illustrators?
Currently, I love the work of Nadia Shireen, Ebony Glenn, David Litchfield, Leo Espinosa, Dapo Adeola, Nicola Davies, and David Almond. To be honest, there are too many to mention!

Finally, tell us a fun fact about yourself.
My middle name is Doris. Which, to be honest, isn't much fun for me!

Website: www.lucyfarfort.co.uk
Twitter and Instagram: @lucyfarfort