Illustration alumnus to release debut children’s book inspired by Cornish landscape
29 August 2025
Illustration BA(Hons) and Illustration: Authorial Practice MA graduate Katherine Child is set to release her debut children’s book this autumn with Flying Eye Books. The Notted Island – described as an ‘extraordinary debut full of treasures’ by Ross Montgomery, Waterstone’s Children’s Book of the Year Winner – centres on the story of the last island to exist in black and white, and its journey towards becoming a place full of colour.
Having been inspired by Cornwall’s calming and thought-provoking landscape, Katherine is now preparing to share her vivid writing and illustrations with the world. We chatted with Katherine to find out more about how the story started and how Falmouth played its part in honing her skills to help set her up for a career as a published author.
How did you find your time studying both your undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Falmouth University?
I loved Falmouth for both the illustration courses and the area. I never wanted to leave, but work took me out of Cornwall. While I was a student, I spent a lot of time wandering the coast paths, daydreaming, rock pooling or snorkelling and doing those things stood my work in good stead. My forthcoming book is imbued with the Cornish landscape.
The BA taught me practical skills such as how to communicate through colour, tone and composition. It also prepared me for the realities of tight deadlines and a competitive industry. I had the chance to explore life drawing, reportage drawing and the practice of keeping sketchbooks.
The structure of the MA course was freer, but there was still ample opportunity to learn practical skills and techniques. One of the most memorable aspects of the course was the workshops. These were always playful; they still influence the way I work.
How did your time studying at Falmouth help you to get where you are now?
It definitely helped me to get where I am now! As well as the drawing and conceptual skills I developed at Falmouth, the courses gave me time to experiment. The constructive feedback from the tutors and fellow students was invaluable, too. I was introduced to unfamiliar artists through the campus library, and the fact that the course tutors were all practicing illustrators gave us valuable insight into the illustration industry.
How did you find the process of both illustrating and writing a book?
Time-consuming, but I learned a huge amount. I first sat down to write something in 2013, and the ideas and characters changed hugely over the next decade or so. I signed my publishing contract in January 2020, but even at that stage the draft was a long way from being publishable. Gradually, the designers and editors at Flying Eye Books helped me hone the story until it became coherent. Because I worked with the publisher over a long period, I worked with three different editors and designers. They all had really varied approaches, and I think the book benefited from that.
Can you tell us more about how you first got the idea for The Notted Island?
My original idea centred on a scaffolder and a volcano, neither of which made it to the final book! Ideas that survived the edits were inspired variously by Norse mythology (specifically the character of Nott, who pulls the night sky across Last Island each night); my own love of the night sky; concerns about light pollution; a love of wildlife; and over a decade spent working at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
The character Colour, and the colouring in of the island came when I set an approximate date for the story. Years ago, my brother assumed that the world before 1861 (when colour photography was developed) must have been black and white. So, I wondered – if the world was coloured in 1861, what impact would that have on the islanders in my story? What would happen if they were forgotten? How would it affect the main character?
In writing this book, I learned so much about storytelling and making books, and I've probably got enough ideas left over for a dozen more!
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