A Q&A Interview with Rachel Tilda Wolf

Rachel Tilda Wolf’s debut picture book is the story of Wolf, a statue who leaves her quiet plinth in the hope of find more attention in the big city. Full of humour and warmth, Wolf in the City will prove popular with readers of all ages.

Rachel answers our questions in this interview.

Wolf makes an unusual protagonist for a story. Where did the idea come from?

The spark of the idea came to me when I was on my first trip to Rome a few years ago. I was blown away by all the statues. The character of Wolf started off as a lion, inspired by the lions in Piazzo del Popolo, they looked so sad. I imagined them leaving their plinths and exploring the city. As the story developed the lion became a she Wolf, which has been a symbol of Rome since ancient times.

Did sketching the book involve a trip to Italy or was it from memory?

I spent a lot of time sketching around Rome, I then went to Bologna and sketched there. So I would say the city is a mixture of things seen and sketched in both cities, getting the feel of Wolf’s square and Wolf wandering the city was the most important thing to me.

Can you tell us about the technique you used to create the story, and its Italian setting?

After working out a colour palette I created the illustrations by layering gouache, watercolour and household emulsion. Then drawing over them with coloured pencils and pastels. I work in quite an experimental way and am always trying to get the fresh energy of initial sketches into the final artwork. After scanning in the paintings, I then do some digital layers.

How did you go about developing Wolf as a character?

I went through a lot of painted versions before landing on Wolf. I wanted Wolf to be quite simple in her design as a statue, but also reflect the colours of the city. So I made her white, with a little texture, and used different colours to draw her outline.

Which illustrators do you admire and who would you cite as an influence?

I admire so many illustrators! Here are just a few: Gerald Rose, Tove Janson, Sarah Massini, Victoria Semykina, Sydney Smith, Julia Sarda, Marc Majewski, Beatrice Alemagna and Marta Altes. Particularly I’m loving Ludwig Bemelmans at the moment.

Will there be another adventure for Wolf (if not, can you tell us about your next idea picture book)?

Never say never, but at the moment Wolf is happily enjoying her square… but if there was another adventure, it could be other statues arriving in Wolf’s small square and the chaos that ensues! I’ve just finished my second book, which I’m super excited about. The main character is Bear, who loves to dance, but faces the perils of perfectionism.

Wolf in the City is published by Scallywag Press, ‎ 978-1915252838, £12.99 hbk