Graeme Base

I was born in England in 1958, but have lived in since I was a kid. I always wanted to be an artist and studied graphic design at Swinburne College of Technology then worked for two unhappy years in a string of design studios before concluding that the world of advertising was not for me. So I decided to be a rockstar instead and formed a band called Rikitikitavi. During this time I also wrote and illustrated my first picture book, My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch (pub. 1983). Three years later came out – the book which turned a hobby into a career and is still the most popular title I have published. I've tried to stay involved in music over the years, composing an orchestral version of another book, , which was performed by the Symphony Orchestra in 2001 – an amazing experience! I've written musical stage adaptations of My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch and Jungle Drums and also co-wrote the theme for the animated TV series Animalia with Yuri Worontschak. My most recent picture book is Enigma, published by Penguin in October 2008. There was also a large format book entitled The Art of Graeme Base by Julie Watts, also published in 2008. I live and work in Melbourne with Robyn (she's an artist too) and our three teenage kids. Website: www. graemebase.com Author / Illustrator Questionaire

My earliest memory is …..falling on a lump of coal as I tottered down the side of the house and cutting my knee (I still have the scar). My parents say it‘s impossi- ble for me to remember this as I was only 18 months old. But there it is. At school I ….was ”the kid who was good at art‘ œ which was lucky coz I sure was- n‘t good at kicking the footy! I wish I had …..better eyes œ I need glasses for everything these days and I keep losing them. I wish I hadn‘t ….eaten that extra slice of lasagna last night. One was really enough. My happiest moment was …..eating that extra slice of lasagna last night. At home I cook …..when I really, really, really have to œ or when it‘s nice outside and we do a BBQ. When I was a child I wanted to …..be an artist! Some of the books I like are …..everything by David Weisner It‘s not fashionable but I love …..my daggy general-purpose brown walking shoes Friends say I am …..the least sartorially aware person in the world. If only I could …..get more interested in going shopping. What I don‘t find amusing is ….bigotry My favourite gadget is …..my Mac At the moment I‘m reading …..”Ulysses‘ by James Joyce - and will be for quite some time yet œ it is huge and dense and often borderline unintelligible. I often wonder …..why I started.