November Artist of the Month – Claire Culliford
Our November ‘Artist of the Month’ is the fantastic eco picture book author Claire Culliford.
About Claire Culliford
Claire Culliford is an author, screenwriter, poet and lyricist who adores writing about the themes that matter to us all, from love and compassion to the natural world, equality and justice. For over twenty years she has also been a teacher and translator.
Claire is best known for her environmental and social children's book series "The Little Helpers", written to support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. It raises awareness among young children of global environmental and social issues and inspires them to come up with creative ways of resolving them. The books in the series have been translated into many languages and Claire tours the world with them to help educate children whilst having lots of fun!
What a visit from Claire entails
Most visits start with an ice-breaker to introduce the notion of being a writer and author to children and the type of topics included in Claire’s stories, which can be linked to a component of the curriculum (everything from creatively combating climate change and its effects - all kinds of pollution, natural disasters, renewable energies, biodiversity loss, wildlife exploitation and conservation – to healthy relationships and cultural equality). This is done through word games, Q & A and guessing games, for example.
Claire undertakes an interactive book read, asking questions about the text and illustrations, so that children are engaged throughout. In the case of The Little Helpers, Claire has toy versions of the main characters in her books, and she incorporates these, getting children to interact with them.
Following the book read, children can do creative, language or science/environment/social-based activities, depending on your school’s preferences, or a combination of these. Activities are differentiated so that mixed abilities and age groups can be involved, with extension activities where necessary. Activities are provided prior to the visit so that they can be modified in advance for children with specific educational needs.
Feedback from Claire’s previous visits
“The event with Claire went brilliantly. The children in the live audience and watching from their classrooms were very engaged and loved the story of Penny the penguin. Claire was very warm and engaging with the children and very professional to work with. Bookmark, the literacy charity who we partnered for this event were also very impressed with Claire. 75 classes and individuals joined the live broadcast and over 3000 pupils.”
The Grammar School at Leeds on their hybrid event with Claire where she performed to an in person audience that was also streamed as a virtual event.
“Claire has been coming into our school for over 4 years sharing her stories. The children love hearing them and talking to her about her role as an author. Claire makes the stories about current themes around the world. Therefore they are educational as well as suitable to the age she delivers the story session to. Claire is lovely, friendly and fun to have in school and the children particularly enjoy a Q&A session with her when they evaluate her books. We look forward to Claire coming into school more and sharing more of her stories.”
Beaumont Primary Academy, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Read about Claire and her author visits on her author page here
Interview with Claire Culliford
When and why did you join Authors Abroad?
I joined Authors Abroad mid-2020. I had been visiting educational and environmental institutions around the world with my children’s book series, The Little Helpers for a number of years. When I discovered that there was an amazing organisation with a worldwide network who arranged just such visits, I contacted them and our wonderful relationship commenced.
How was lockdown for you? Did you manage to find some positives from the situation we were forced into?
Lockdown was as challenging for me as it was for everyone else, I believe. I tend to have a naturally optimistic disposition, which I’m incredibly grateful for, so I definitely tried to focus on the positives that arose from the situation. I am very fortunate in that I have worked from home for years and am used to spending prolonged periods alone. I am also a creative, so I’m used to things like my income fluctuating, and adapting to new circumstances by coming up with new ideas. I therefore spent a lot of lockdown writing new material and creating other things, like a YouTube channel, music and ‘healthy’ baked goods. My chickpea cookies are pretty delicious, if I do say so myself! I adore exercising in the fresh air, so got in lots of walking with my dog. And I spent a large quantity of time communicating with family and friends, albeit virtually, to keep connected and ensure social interaction.
Do you think the adaptions we were forced to make to avoid covid could lead to more environmentally friendly lifestyles?
I think that many of the adaptations we were forced to make could definitely lead to us all having more environmentally-friendly lifestyles in the future. Working from home, exercising within our locality, engaging more with nature, neighbours and local businesses all mean that we are causing less damage to our natural world and living in a more ecologically sound manner.
What inspired you to write the Little Helpers Series?
Whilst co-running an environmental charity for young people and working with different governments and the UN, I came to realise that there was a lack of environmental education, and indeed information, for children at a very young age. I am a writer by profession and believe story is one of the most powerful tools available to help people learn about important issues. I therefore decided that a series of books with endearing characters would be a fabulous way to have children engage with and focus on the creative problem-solving skills needed to address global environmental, and social, issues. As I was walking past a field strewn with autumnal leaves one day, I saw a little hedgehog, and the idea for Hector Helps Clean Up The Park was born. Within a couple of weeks, Tyler Helps Find A New Home and Penny Helps Protect The Polar Ice Caps had come along and the rest is history.
Do you have a favourite character from your Little Helpers, or is it like asking you to pick a favourite child?
Ha! Ha! Yes, I feel it would be a bit unfair to all of the other Little Helpers if I had to pick a favourite one. They’d never forgive me! They are all just like my children and have an incredibly special place in my heart. There are many more to come and as their stories arrive in the world, my heart just grows and grows to ensure there’s plenty of room in it for them all.
What do you enjoy most about visiting schools? Do you prefer virtual, in person visits, or do both have their benefits?
My favourite part of visiting schools is without doubt the joy I get from engaging with young children and their amazing imaginations. I love meeting new groups of children, and teachers, and finding out their thoughts about the topics covered in my books. I love seeing children use their creativity, which is literally limitless, and being inspired by words and stories to do everything from helping the environment to becoming a writer themselves.
Do you think the younger generation is appreciating nature, understanding the climate emergency and valuing the environment– are we going the right direction?
I think the younger generation are wholly connected to nature. We all are when born and the world we have lived in up until now has tended to distance us from that connection in many ways as we grow up. I think the strength of young people’s connection to the natural world is why young people understand the need to address climate issues as a priority and value our natural environment. Thanks to what they have achieved globally as a generation already, I think we are definitely headed to a place where the human race as a whole respects nature much more again and understands that our own existence relies upon its well-being.
You don’t have to travel far to see amazing wildlife. What’s your favourite animal that you have seen in the UK?
Ooooh, good question! I think my favourite animal in the wild here in the UK are the family of deer who regularly cross our path in my local area. They’re truly beautiful.
What message do you hope young people take away from your visits?
I hope that they will take away the message that imagination, creativity and problem-solving are key to combating the issues we face in our world. I also hope many of them will go away feeling inspired to use words to express themselves, tell stories and convey the messages to the world that they too wish to share.
What small habit can people adopt that will help make a big impact on the environment?
I think the biggest small habit people can adopt that helps make a big impact on the environment is to stop buying ‘stuff’. The stuff we own all has to go somewhere. The less we have, the less there is to throw away and cause waste or pollution. If we as consumers show that there is a reduced demand, then fewer items will be produced and this can only bode well for our natural world.
The COP26 is being hosted in Glasgow – do you think world leaders realise the severity of the climate emergency? Are they looking into practical solutions? Are you doing anything to mark the fact such a globally important event is happening in our country?
Yes, I think global leaders are aware that the climate situation needs to be addressed with the utmost emergency. Many solutions already exist and even more are being investigated and implemented. But as with all things, when politics at a global level are involved, action can be slower than anyone would want.
I’m planning to do readings of my books on social media to mark the event. It’s really special that it’s happening in our country this year. I’ve also been asked to speak at an event and do some author visits in Madrid, Spain, so I’ll be ensuring that I take the environmental message out to as many young children as possible.
What can we expect next from the Little Helpers – are there more books planned?
Yes, there are a lot more books planned. Thirty in total. Future books will be introducing you to lots more species of animal, many of them endangered, around the globe. So there will be an opportunity to learn about all the creative ways in which they solve the environmental and social issues we face worldwide.
What is your favourite fact about animals/nature?
This week’s favourite fact (because there’s a new one most days!) is that in a single colony in a beehive, there can be up to 30,000 bees! I find that absolutely amazing given the small space into which they all fit. Bees live the absolutely optimal community life.
You’ve worked as a translator before – what other languages can you speak and why did you choose to learn them?
I speak Spanish, French and German and I opted to learn all of them because I developed a fascination with foreign cultures and languages at a very young age. I wanted to be able to communicate with, and learn from, as many people around the world as possible.
My mum was also a huge Julio Iglesias fan when I was growing up – hence my absolute passion for Latino music now! Despite loving his music, she could never understand the lyrics to his songs. I remember one day, very young, deciding I would learn Spanish so that I could tell her what he was singing about, and from that desire grew a love of overcoming linguistic barriers.
You write for adults also, which audience do you find easier to write for? Or does it depend on your mood?
It definitely depends on my mood. True creativity, I feel, is inspired. So the best ideas come to you when they decide the moment is right. Then you just run with them. Writing for children and young people is incredibly challenging, much more so than most people realise. They are the most critical of audiences, in a very humorous way at times. Producing a succinct, effective story or poem using inclusive language that ensures the writing is accessible to as many readers as possible is a true test of my linguistic skills.
Equally, I love the freedom that writing for adults brings. You can let your imagination run wild, include complex concepts, and play around with all sorts of genres, styles of narration and literary techniques. It’s a bit like working out in the writing gym.
What are you looking forward to about the future and what inspires optimism in you?
I’m looking forward with a passion to writing more. I simply adore every new writing project I work on. And I love getting to take my work out in to the world personally to see how readers engage with it. I also get to collaborate with lots of other creatives these days. I find that incredibly stimulating and motivating. I thrive on variety, so in some ways I’m looking forward to all the things that I don’t yet know are going to happen. I find the unpredictableness of life one of the most amazing things about it. It keeps things vibrant and exciting.
I think the thing that inspires optimism in me most is all the love and imagination I see in the next generation. It’s incredible. I feel so positive about the future when I’m around young people. They’re full of the potential to create a more beautiful, just, compassionate, nature-respecting and art-appreciating world; a world that I’m looking forward to living in during the decades to come.
Quick Fire
Paperback or kindle?
Paperback. Although I’m trying to reduce my collection of paper books because I don’t read many twice. So I’m using Kindle a lot more these days.
A trip somewhere sunny or snowy?
Sunny!!!!!!!
Would you rather be able to become invisible or fly?
I’d love to be able to fly. I adore viewing the wonderful landscapes on our planet from up above and think having the ability to just head up and off somewhere without needing transport would be so cool and very environmentally-friendly!
Which cartoon dog is best – Scooby Doo, Pluto or Snoopy?
Pluto. He’s a mixed breed, just like my own little dog Agnes. And he’s complete romantic at heart. If I were a dog, I’d probably marry him!
Which animal would you most like to be able to talk to?
My dog Agnes. I would love to be able to have conversations with her. She’s super intelligent, feisty, playful and incredibly affectionate. I would love to be able to hear he thoughts on lots of topics, and to find out what she really wants for dinner (instead of just the same old biscuits!)
If you were Prime Minister for the day, what law would you introduce?
I would introduce the Love Law. Everyone would be required to perform as many acts of love each day for those around them as possible. And there’d be financial incentives for doing so. Friends, neighbours and families would be encouraged to report you for overwhelming acts of love. I think that could definitely help make our county, and the world at large, a better place.
Arrange for Claire Culliford to visit your school
To make an enquiry about Claire, or any of the other authors, poets & illustrators listed on this website, please phone Trevor Wilson on +44 (0) 1535 656015, or email him at trevor@caboodlebooks.co.uk