October 31, 2024
Non-fiction books play a crucial role in inspiring curiosity and fostering a deeper understanding of the world around us. One author leading this charge is Catherine Barr. With a background in Ecology and hands-on experience working with Greenpeace on wildlife issues and endangered species, Catherine brings a unique perspective to the stories she shares with young readers.
Recently recognised as the winner of the Primary Non-fiction category at the Renaissance 2024 Quiz Writers’ Choice Awards, Catherine’s work has captured the attention of teachers, parents, and children alike.
We reached out to Catherine for a Q&A to delve deeper into the impact of nonfiction literature on young readers, the importance of environmental education, and how her journey has shaped her mission as an author.
What is your approach to writing non-fiction and what makes it so powerful when it comes to educating and inspiring young readers?
I’m inspired to write non-fiction because I’m incredibly curious about the natural world, our relationship with it and how we might inspire children to improve that. Children aren’t going to be inspired to be conservationists or care about the planet if they’re not interested in the planet. I think the first challenge, especially in primary level is to engage those children in the world around them, in nature.
My books are a combination of sparking curiosity and encouraging children to take part and get involved, because there’s almost always a section at the end of my books about taking action.
Interestingly I’m told, I’m always the first non-fiction author that schools have had visit. They tend to invite fiction authors who dress up as characters and tell funny stories and I always go in and say, ‘I don’t dress up and I’m not funny but the kids will have a really good time’ – and they do!
I write narrative non-fiction. It’s very much a story to engage in, and it’s a true story. Children can dip in and out or read the whole book. Some books I write are more lyrical than others, that’s the way I enjoy writing, and a lot of the feedback I get from schools is that children who might not normally think of picking up a non-fiction book or don’t think they’re readers think, ‘oh, I can be a reader if I read non-fiction’, and that’s exciting.
You often cover significant topics like climate change and biodiversity. How do you decide what topics you’re going to write about?
I studied Ecology at University and then I worked for Greenpeace and thereafter trained as a journalist before working for the Natural History Museum. I’ve worked for a lot of social change organisations as well. So, my interests are rooted in environmental issues and the way we relate to the natural world. What I’m interested in is bringing that context to children. People tend to be frightened of talking about evolution or climate change to seven-year-olds but we should be starting that conversation. I end up chopping these huge global issues into 15 spreads in a picture book. I really enjoy opening the door on some of these big issues, whether it’s climate change, conservation, endangered species or rewilding and wildlife crossings.
What is your creative process like when transforming complex environmental topics into stories that are engaging and accessible for young readers?
It all starts with a massive amount of research and talking to people. It’s very much a team effort and there’s lots I’ve learned through this process. You can share stories beyond words in the illustration, so I’m very involved, usually in writing the briefs for the illustrations alongside my editor. That sort of research and creating these montages is important and working out what you can say in pictures that maybe you haven’t got the space to say in the words. We might change the emphasis of the text if a certain illustration works better. So, it’s a real fluid, organic process.
How do you ensure that the topics you’re covering are accurate and up to date especially when tailoring it for young children?
That’s critical! One of the most exciting things I get to do is talk to amazing academics and subject experts all around the world for my books because I’m not an expert on all of these subjects – I’m an author with a huge curiosity and interest. I reach out to all kinds of scientists from tiger experts to wolf experts to physics experts and crocodile experts. I’m building a fascinating network of contacts for whose help and advice I am endlessly grateful. People in general are very keen to help and to work together because it’s exciting that their academic subject, that they’re passionate about, has the opportunity to be talked about and get into primary schools. It’s important to me that everything is absolutely accurate.
What role do you believe schools and libraries can play in promoting environmental issues through books like yours?
It’s always important that the books are in the school and local libraries and that the children can access them. For me as an author, it’s not just about going into a school for a morning or a day, it’s when the school embraces the book and develops activity beyond the book. It might be a project where they’ve been reading the books beforehand, and the children have to answer questions or start a competition or do a creative writing task. That’s when it works really well. When the whole-school is engaged, or certain classes are engaged with the subject itself and the messages and stories spread beyond the book.
Do you have a favourite book from the ones you’ve written?
That is always a difficult question but right now Fourteen Wolves is because it was the first book that I wrote in a truly lyrical style, and I really enjoyed the process of researching it. I think it’s been translated into 15 languages now. It’s part of the first in a conservation series of books with Bloomsbury. The next was The Tiger’s Tale about tigers in India, and next year, there’s a book called A Bear Belongs, which I’ve loved writing.
I’ve been invited on a book tour of Wyoming and Yellowstone, where I’m so proud that our book, so beautifully illustrated by Jenni Desmond has recently won an award. I’m going to share the story celebrate the book, but also particularly thrilled to be meeting Leo Leckie, the wolf expert I worked with on the book. He’s offered to take me into Yellowstone Park to meet wolves for the first time and learn so much more about this ecosystem and its predators.
How did it feel to receive the Quiz Writers Choice Awards for primary non-fiction? And what did this recognition mean to you as a writer focused on educating young readers about important environmental issues?
I was absolutely delighted and so happy to discover that it was part of a wider initiative involving children. Any opportunity to raise awareness and ignite conversations around environmental issues in schools is so interesting and exciting for me.
What can we expect to see from you next?
After Fourteen Wolves, Bloomsbury published The Tiger’s Tale, and next year third in the series, A Bear Belongs will come out in April but can be pre-ordered now. It tells the extraordinary true story of three little sun bears rescued from the wildlife trade and rewilded in Borneo. I wrote it with the advice of Dr Siew Wong, world expert on the littlest of all the world’s bears.
Teaching nonfiction this term and interested in arranging a school visit with Catherine, find out more and get in touch.
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Follow Catherine’s socials and see what’s next: Instagram @Catherinebarrbooks, @Catherine_barr on X