One of my favorite writers in the world at one point was Jayne Fisher. Not many know about her these days but she was the first writer who really inspired me. Why? She had written an entire series called The Garden Gang at the age of nine and published by no less than Ladybird Books! The characters were simple enough – fruits and vegetables. Pam Parsnip, Peter Potato, Alice Apple, the Pea Twins, Penelope Strawberry and several others!

Have you ever read about a vegetable character with an Indian name? Anyone listening?

I especially remember the blurb where Jayne would stand with her characters in their vegetable costumes. The simple text on one side of the spine and the accompanying drawing on the other were a highlight of my youth. I spent a lot of time trying to replicate the layers and layers of Olive Onion and remember thinking about the question that haunts me to this day every time I read something I love: How do they write like that?