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Kirsten Ealand

Genres: Picture Books

Publications:

Debut picture book Like a Gannet is forthcoming in October 2024 with Windy Hollow and second picture book in March 2025 with Affirm Press

Member Bio

Kirsten Ealand lives in a little patch of rainforest in northern NSW where she enjoys an alternative lifestyle with her family and closest neighbours— mostly a lot of Wompoos, drongos and turkeys. She writes fresh, relatable books for kids that she hopes will leave the world a better place. She won the 2022 Write Links mentorship, was runner-up for the 2022 CBCA NSW Branch Aspiring Writer Mentorship Program and her debut picture books are forthcoming in 2024 & 2025 with Windy Hollow and Affirm Press. When not writing, she loves deep water running at her local pool, exploring in her van, and working in her regional library getting kids excited about books and reading.

 

Questions with Kirsten

• Which author(s)/ illustrator(s) inspire you?

Jane Godwin for her breadth of style and her longevity, Maxine Beneba Clarke for her ability to say so much in so few words and Marcy Campbell for writing Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse

 

• What draws you to writing for children specifically?

I love the sense of wonder that kids have and I suppose I write for my own inner child who I still feel very connected with.

 

• How long have you been writing?

I started in 2017 after a Byron Community Centre Course with Zanni Louise when she only had 1 book out and 1 about to come out – wow she has been prolific! I finally found something I totally loved every aspect of, and I was hooked.

 

• Which professional writing bodies are you a member of?

ASA, Write Links

 

• How do you extend on your writing skills? (e.g. which course, writing groups, or conferences etc.)

By having a wonderful monthly online picture book critique group, getting to Writelinks meetings as much as I can and attending at least one conference a year eg Story Arts, CYA, KidLitVic. Another way is by choosing a picture book that I love, or think is exemplary in some way, and studying it to try and work out what it is that makes it special for me. Then I try and write something that has that thing or quality. It’s like a little personal masterclass between me and the author and many of my manuscripts start out that way.

 

• What are your writing goals?

To keep dedicating time, learning and finding joy in writing. I have lots more dreams, but these are the three things I can control.

 

• Are there any other creative projects you are working on that you would like to share?

I am enjoying writing my first narrative NF PB – a sparse rhyme of the short/long history of a beguiling river island near where I live

 

• Is there a particular theme or underlying subjects that run through your writing?

My books often have themes of nature, friendship or community and I hope they make the world a tiny bit better place.

 

• Who/ what inspires you?

My stories are often inspired by an emotion — I think of a time when I felt like that and go from there. They are often about one child, one friendship, one class, one street or one neighbourhood but because they are based on universal emotions or themes, really, they are about every child, every friendship, every class, every street, every neighbourhood.

 

• Have you got any inspirational writing quotes you would like to share?

 Mary Oliver’s instructions for living: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”