February Artist of the Month – Mark Lemon
We caught up with author Mark Lemon for our February 2020 interview.
About Mark Lemon
Mark Lemon started writing and publishing books after noticing a lack of diversity in children’s books, and as a father of two dual heritage children himself, knew something had to change. Mark's series of books feature his own children, Otis and Thea Lemon, and his debut title Otis Lemon & The Spectacular Submarine was awarded the Platinum Junior Design Award for the Children’s Book of The Year in 2016.
What a visit from Mark entails
With each school visit, Lemon Drop Books offers school assembly readings and workshops for key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4. Working alongside each book are schemes of work linked to the national curriculum. The schemes of work have been introduced to bring an interactive and collaborative session with the children, and teachers.
As an example, a workshop for two year 3 classes will last for up to 40mins-1hr. With an entire day visit, we can fit in 4 sessions of up to 40mins to 1hr, plus an assembly reading/Q&A at either the beginning or end of the day.
Feedback from Mark’s previous visits
“It was fantastic - we really enjoyed it. Both older and younger children were equally engaged and did some lovely work on imagination and collaboration.”
Frome Vale Academy
“...The workshops you did enabled all children to get involved and offer ideas. They were able to work in groups and really get creative and imaginative. When they had a chance to share their work at the end they used lots of great vocab and language and adjectives to describe their submarines! The children can now go on to use these ideas in their writing in class and use the skills that they learnt. Thanks for an exciting and productive morning inspiring story writing.”
Barton Hill Academy
“The children were captivated by the stories of Otis and Thea and their adventures. Mark retold the stories in such a beautiful way that engaged all of the children in the room from 4 to 11 year olds. It was also great to hear how Mark came up with the idea of writing the stories and he was an inspiration to children who want to be authors when they are older.”
Oasis Academy New Oak
“The children were thoroughly engaged when Mark visited them in class. They were completely absorbed in his story telling and the characters in the book. It was a fantastic experience and we definitely want to invite Mark back again to work with us at the school.”
Ashton Gate Primary School
Read about Mark and his author visits on his author page here
Interview with Mark Lemon
When and why did you join Authors Abroad?
I joined Authors Abroad back in 2017 after searching for an agency that works with schools across the UK. The team are fantastic and I am happy to be working with this wonderful agency.
What peaked your interest in writing?
I have always enjoyed writing, but only began to take it seriously in 2015. During my commute to my previous job in Cardiff, I started writing stories for my children, Otis & Thea. After writing the stories in blog form I decided to publish my first two children’s titles. My children continue to inspire me today.
Do you feel diversity is increasing in children’s books?
It’s slowly improving, but there is still a lot of work to do. The children’s publishing industry are making positive steps to introduce more diversity, and this is great to see. But after recent reports the statistics show that there is still a gap in the mainstream bookstores. Let’s hope we see a change in 2020.
How do your children feel about book characters being named after them? Is it just their names or have you given the characters aspects of their personalities also?
Otis & Thea love seeing themselves in the books. I recently read a Thea Lemon book to Thea’s reception class and it was magical seeing the look on her face. Maia Walczak has captured the children perfectly in the books.
Why did you feel the time was right to write the magical wood?
After sharing my grief story over the last two years it felt like the right time to write a book for bereaved children. At the beginning of 2018, I made the important decision to publish, The Magical Wood. The impact of trauma at an early age has instilled a passion in me to help children struggling with their own grief and mental health. The devastation of grief at an early age can stay with a child for the rest of their lives, but it doesn’t have to affect their mental health. The Magical Wood, was written to help open up the difficult conversation around grief and death. I wanted to write a book that would’ve helped me after my dad was killed.
The earlier we start to introduce the conversation around death and grief in our schools, the earlier we can break the taboo in the UK. In my opinion, children should be explained to honestly what has happened, in words that they can understand. Let them see how you feel. Children learn about feelings by watching the adults around them and I always appreciated adults speaking to me about how I was feeling, giving me a space to express myself.
Was it painful or therapeutic to write about grief following your own loss?
Writing, The Magical Wood, was a cathartic process that helped a lot with my grief. The hardest part of the process was coming up with a concept that would sit well with both children and adults. Thankfully, it’s resonated with a lot of people. We’re about to release an audiobook version of the book for children to listen to in a quiet and safe space.
Why did you choose to support the charity Winston’s Wish?
A friend told me about Winston’s Wish and the wonderful work that they carry out to help bereaved children. I reached out to the team and started donating proceeds from book sales to the charity. Last year Winston’s Wish asked me if I would like to be an official ambassador for the charity and I jumped at the chance.
How much of an impact can a good book have?
A good book can transform your life and alter your mindset. It doesn’t matter what age you are, there’s nothing better than losing yourself in a book. I believe it’s important that all children find a love for books at an early age.
What books do you read for pleasure?
I like to read biographies and learn about people and how they have achieved their goals. I am fascinated by a good life story and how people have overcome challenges to succeed in life.
What do you hope to achieve with your author visits? What would you like children to go home saying to their parents?
I want the children to go home saying how much they enjoyed my assemblies and workshops. I want to inspire future authors & illustrators and, hopefully, instil a passion to read more books.
What is your fondest memory from visiting a school as an author?
My fondest memories are school assemblies and the interaction with the children. Stories should be read with enjoyment and excitement and it’s wonderful to see the children’s faces when getting involved in the assemblies.
What do you think parents can do to cultivate a love of reading within their children?
I think it’s about reading with them at bedtime. Take time out to dedicate 15 minutes every evening before bedtime to read a book that the children will enjoy. Visit your local bookshop and support your local libraries to choose books together. Let the children know that books are not just for school and that the power of imagination is one of the great enjoyments in life.
What are your future plans and ambitions?
I’m about to release an audiobook version of, The Magical Wood. I want to continue to create books that inspire and make a difference to children and young people. My podcast, Grief Is My Superpower, has been a fantastic platform for connecting with young people struggling with their grief.
Quick Fire
Paperback or Kindle? Paperback
Favourite childhood TV programme? Danger Mouse.
Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or see through walls? Breathe underwater.
Cake or ice-cream? Cake.
Cat or dog? Dog.
If you were Prime Minister for the day, what law would you introduce? To keep all libraries open across the country.
Arrange for Mark Lemon to visit your school
To make an enquiry about Mark, 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