'Daniela Sosa: 'The Suitcase'
Discover more about her here: Books - Suitcase - Daniela Sosa Illustrations
Daniela Sosa, is an author/illustrator originally from Romania and currently based in Cambridge, UK. She studied Children’s Book Illustrations MA course at the Cambridge School of Art.
Apart from writing and illustrating children's books, she also enjoys doing other types of illustration work in which she blends traditional techniques with digital editing. She enjoys working with textures, collage, pencils and limited colour palettes. When she is not illustrating, she likes walking, reading and crafty projects.
She is represented worldwide by Good Illustration Agency
Published by The Suitcase | Book by Daniela Sosa | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com)
Very kindly, she answered some questions about the inspiration for 'The Suitcase':
1- When did you start and how long did it take you to finish the book?
This book took a very long time from idea to publishing. I first got the idea in 2020, while visiting my parents' house. The initial manuscript was very different from the final story, it went through many changes but the main idea stayed the same. I set the story aside for a few years and got back to it in 2022, when I showed it to the team at Simon & Schuster and they liked it and decided to publish it. I then finished the illustrations in around 5 months. It was a long process and it felt great to finally see the printed book!
2- Where did you get inspiration for the story?
The story is very much based on my own childhood, I used to love going through the attic in my childhood home and look at photos and all the old stuff that was kept there. The idea for the story came to me when I was visiting my parents a few years ago and I was looking through old photos and realised how strange it was even for me as an adult to imagine my parents and grandparents when they were young. So I thought I could write a story about that and help children realise that all the adults in their life, be it parents or grandparents, used to be kids just like them and there is so much to discover about them.
3- What memories do you have from childhood with your grandparents? If any.
I have a lot of memories of my grandparents from my childhood, we lived in the house next to them so we spent a lot of time together. Their house was so fascinating to me, I loved looking through all the drawers and wardrobes, but my grandpa did not like that at all haha! So I would sneak in a lot. My grandma was very gentle and loving, and I have lovely memories of her cooking and going to the market where my grandpa used to sell parrots, playing in the garden and many more. It was a beautiful and fun childhood.
4- How did the idea of the suitcase appear? The attic was already a place full of things!
The attic in my parents house actually has a lot of suitcases in it, they stored all kinds of things in them. And there was even one with old photos, so I took inspiration directly from reality.
5- How did you select the items in the suitcase?
I wanted to show objects which would give clues about the grandparents' past and what they enjoyed so there were photos, a concert ticket, maps, cycling medals, a cassette, a painting, newspaper cuttings, but also random things that might be found in an old drawer: some thread, a stamp, a pencil, a bottle cap, and so on, to make it more realistic.
Thank you Daniela!!!
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