I write under a penname.
2. What is your nickname?
Mayesy
3. What is your greatest fear?
Being lost at sea.
4. Describe your writing style in ten words.
I like to write stories where age doesn’t matter.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Smoochy, fun, humorous, lively, intelligent, sparing.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web – oh to have her wisdom!
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
1978, the year I was born. Gosh childhood was fun – how lucky I was – I could do that again!
8. What would your ten-year-old self say to you now?
Climb more trees, go to the ocean more, be more naughty.
9. Who is your greatest influence?
Tim Winton, a fellow West Australian whose writing moves my soul, Margaret Wild who knows how to write for babies and toddlers like no other, and Jan Ormerod who told me to ‘get to it’ when I was contemplating writing my first children’s book.
10. What/who made you start writing?
My grandmother, she was a wonderful storyteller. When I was very young we read picture books, novels and poetry together, and made up our own stories too. Remembering these times made me pick up the pen.
11. What is your favourite word and why?
Cuppa? – when someone says that word with a question mark in their voice, I know I’m in the company of a good person and that I’m in for a good chat.
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Wind in the Willows – it has all the friends, adventure, fun, wisdom and love to last you through life.
Ruthie May is an Australian author of books for children including Count my Kisses, Little One and Stew a Cockatoo: An Aussie Cookbook. Her latest picture book, Count my Christmas Kisses, is published by ABC Books.
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