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Ruth Paul

writer/illustrator, profile published in The School Library, Issue 2, 2009

I started my career as an illustrator, and illustrated three picture books for other authors before writing my own. I started writing because I had some ideas that
I thought were funny and I got twice the amount of money than when I was just an illustrator. What I didn’t factor in was that twice diddly-squat is still diddly-squat.

I have degrees in literature and design, and half a law degree – which is useful when dealing with publishers. I’m also involved in local body politics and often think about how people get on together, and how humorous and misguided our efforts can sometimes be. This is a theme that has crept into my stories.

School visits have been fun for me because I don’t really believe that anyone has read my books. Having pictures to show and talk about helps create interest, and knowing my stories off by heart means I can spin them out swiftly as small performance pieces. We always end up talking about language, and my favorite feedback ever was from a little girl at a Cannons Creek school who said: ‘Wow – Ruth Paul – you’re an author and an alligator!’