From feminist activist Jessica Vander Leahy and illustrator Heymill comes a warm and joyful tale for children of all ages about self-love and body positivity: Loved People Love People, a book that celebrates bodies of all shapes and sizes.
Today, Jessica Vander Leahy is on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …
Jessica Vander Leahy
1. To begin with, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born in Australia but I spent my early childhood in Papua New Guinea, where my father is from. We lived in the highlands in a town called Mount Hagen. It was a beautiful jungle upbringing and then, in my later childhood I moved to Sydney, Australia. It was all beaches and Aussie bush in the Sutherland Shire, and made for a lovely juxtaposition.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
I think at 12 I wanted to be a news reader on TV—I thought it was very glam.
At 18 I thought I wanted to be a masseuse and I actually went to school to study this but I realised I don’t really like touching strangers so I didn’t really think that one through.
And at 30 I stopped making plans about what I wanted to be because it never quite worked out the way I thought — good and bad. By then I realised life seems to have its own rhythm so I thought I enjoy it more when I just roll with it. I think it’s nowadays about working your ass off but also balancing living in surrender.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
Honestly, at 18 I held too many obscenely ignorant, silly and flat out wrong beliefs. I’m just greatly appreciative Twitter didn’t exist then. But then I think, if you aren’t cringing at the person you were when you’re 18 then you were really, exceptionally (impossibly?) wise or, you’re still really damn foolish.
4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
Possum Magic. Frida Kahlo. Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a children’s book?
I think children’s books are really important especially when it comes to greater messages that we carry on through our adult lives.
‘When it comes to body image and how we might negatively feel about ourselves, it’s really a deep symptom of the way we learned to love ourselves and each other as children.’
6. Please tell us about your latest book!
Loved People Love People is a tale of love. Love you have for yourself, and how that self respect and love allows you to show others love and grace and empathy. And, at the end of the day that’s the direction we all need to grow, right?
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
When it comes to body image and how we might negatively feel about ourselves, it’s really a deep symptom of the way we learned to love ourselves and each other as children. I feel like if people can really take away what I’m trying to put down in this book it will hopefully impact their near future positively, but the words could echo into decades and generations from now.
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
I’d admire anyone who puts themselves out there to share their honest view of the world. We’re a global community on this planet and I think we’re all put here to be inspired by the first best thing here; nature. And then we try and humbly express some of that inspiration to create the second best thing; art. Be it writing or painting or fashion or anything! We’re just here to show people how the world looks to us and authors do that with their books so that’s very admirable.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
I’d like to just keep creating until I die.
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Just try.
Thank you for playing!
—Loved People Love People by Jessica Vander Leahy, with illustrations by Heymill, (Tablo Publishing) is out now.
Loved People Love People
From feminist activist Jessica Vander Leahy and illustrator Heymill comes a warm and joyful tale for children of all ages about self-love and body positivity.
Loved People Love People is a book that celebrates bodies of all shapes and sizes. Utterly original and irreverent, this life-poem helps children understand the perfectly imperfect art of being human.
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