EVERYONE A WINNER AT WIK'18: Pat Cummings Talks Tips (And Pastries)!

Hey Illustrators, we haven't forgotten you! And so we caught up with Pat Cummings, author and illustrator, who's presenting a couple of brilliant break-outs, plus an illustrator's dream of an intensive: Illustrators Matchbox. We asked her the same questions we put to Linda Sue Park, and here's what she had to say!


Southern Breeze: Any tips for writers or illustrators who might be a little shy about saying hello?

Pat Cummings: The children's book community is, hands down, the friendliest one I've encountered. Everyone in attendance is guaranteed to have something in common with anyone they talk with, including the speakers. 

I once sat one seat away from Madeleine L'Engle throughout the first half of a play, not daring to speak to her. In between us was my husband, Chuku, who works in a totally different field and had no clue who she was. After I went out for the intermission, I returned to my seat to find them laughing and chatting like old friends. He introduced us, clearly surprised and delighted to report, "Pat, Madeleine does children's books, too!" She was lovely. The only thing that made me nervous talking to her had been MY hesitation. One thing I LOVE about SCBWI conferences is meeting fellow writers and illustrators. So do say hello.


SB: What is the last great book you read?

PC: I finished two recently that are truly worth recommending. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond. Both books were informative, compelling and left a strong impression.


SB: Who is a writer or artist you'd like to have coffee with and why?

PC: I think I'd choose Haruki Murakami for coffee and Philip Pullman for pastries (got to have a pastries option).

I first got interested in Murakami when I read several reviews of his books that raved about them but  couldn't explain or relate their plots. I like a mystery. In fact, he does do something magical in his stories. He can set up a mystery, wind you down to the last few pages, when your brain is screaming, 'Pull up! Pull up!', and then, rather than crash, the ending glides smoothly into a satisfying conclusion that doesn't rely on a neatly tied up resolution. Not sure how he does it every time. But his fiction books are, to me, adult fairy tales. 

Having spent part of my childhood in Okinawa and Germany, getting a healthy does of ghost and fairy tales, I'm drawn to stories with otherworldly elements. Pullman, on the other hand, is just pure fun. His delicious, engaging fables make me suspect that he's lively and entertaining and someone who appreciates good pastries.


SB: How about industry news? Is there anything new/surprising/exciting that you'd like to comment on?

PC: I like the nonfiction trend that is going on. Because any topic that you find fascinating, you can use as the foundation for a book. I also see that heavily illustrated books have become very popular (thank you Brian Selznick for some genre-bending standouts that I think increased their popularity).


And thank you to Breezer Sherri Dillard who interviewed both Linda Sue Park and Pat Cummings as well as a couple of our wik'18 agents and editors. Those interviews are available in the members-only Tradewinds at the Southern Breeze website. Join SCBWI today and you'll get ALL the inside information from Tradewinds, plus much more!

How much more? Come to wik'18 and meet our authors and illustrators, plus all the speakers. We can't wait to show you how you'll be a winner in SCBWI!


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