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Raymond Huber
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About Me When I was a child my father made me slide down mountains and my mother trapped me in a dungeon of books. But in a good way: Dad was a skiing instructor and he gave me a love of the outdoors; and my mum worked in a children’s library where I’d go every day after school, which inspired my love of books. The library was like Dr Who's TARDIS for me; a doorway into fantastic worlds. Among my favourites books were Calico the Wonder Horse, the Moomin series and Tintin books (which had everything that other children’s books didn’t in the 1960s: comic strips, realistic action and flawed adult characters). Tolkien also kindled my imagination with his small hero facing great evil, which directly inspired my first novel, Sting, about a honey bee facing the world. My adult jobs have been as a community worker, a gardener, a bug counter, a school teacher, and now a writer and editor. My wife, Penelope Todd, is a fine novelist and we have 3 grown up children and 2 grandsons. My Work I’ve always had a buzz from writing; it started at age 7, with a teacher who praised a quirky report I wrote. I also love science and it’s given me many ideas for my books. Especially insect science: I studied entomology at university and on my 40th birthday a friend gave me a beehive for a present (that was some surprise party!). After observing the bees for years, I wrote two novels (Sting and Wings, both Walker Books) about a bee’s adventures. I write because I have so many ideas in my brain which need a home. While writing I consult my inner audience – a 10 year old boy – who likes a quest and action. For example, in Flight of the Honey Bee there’s a wasp attack, a hail storm, and a bird chase; probably more action than a bee meets on the average day (I wanted to call it ‘Fly Hard’). The biggest challenge of a writing a picture book was to integrate science with a gripping narrative, while showing how essential, even appealing, honey bees are – all in 500 words. The worst thing about being a writer is not having enough time; the best thing is the moment when I open a copy of my new book when it first arrives. My advice to aspiring writers is: don’t read, stay inside, watch TV….no, not really. You should read great books, go out, have adventures, and remember that nobody else sees the world exactly like you do. Also, learn to edit. There Things You Might Not Know About Me1. I look a little like Tintin (it's the tuft of hair). 2. I love to carve limestone sculptures while listening to 1970s’ pop songs.3. I remember my dreams every night.
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