Meet the Creators: Max Hamilton and Vikki Conley

A peek behind the curtain at a CBCA award-winning picture book duo

One of the things I miss most about working in magazines is having the perfect excuse to ask interesting people anything you want. So for this edition of the newsletter I did just that, and superstar creators Max Hamilton and Vikki Conley were kind enough to indulge me. Vikki and Max are the award-winning creative team behind 2023 CBCA Book of the Year Where The Lyrebird Lives (Windy Hollow). Pour or brew yourself a drink and settle in to hear what they have to say about their early influences, creative process, and what they’re dreaming up next.

Q&A WITH MAX HAMILTON

Can you remember the book that made you want to be an illustrator?
My favourite books as a child were Bread and Jam for Frances, Possum Magic, Richard Scarry books, Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie and The Book of Gnomes. All these books made me want to be a children’s book illustrator.

When did you decide you wanted to be an illustrator and how did you go about it?
I decided I wanted to be an illustrator when I was about five years old, but took me a lot longer to do so. I studied fine art, then graphic design and illustration. After working in design for many years I decided to pursue my children’s book illustration dream. I started by sending my portfolio to lots of publishers, attending conferences, doing manuscript assessments and showcasing my work through SCBWI, the ASA Style File, Illustrators Australia and on Instagram. I got my first break from Cristina Pase at Windy Hollow after she spotted an image on my Instagram feed that suited a book she had just contracted – Catherine Meatheringham’s My Possum Plays the Drums.

Your books all have a very Australian focus – is that by chance or by design? 
This is purely by chance. I have a collection of artworks of Australian animals and birds so people got to know me for this type of artwork. However I would definitely like to illustrate books that aren’t just Australiana, and could be sold overseas more easily.

Was there anything that surprised you about the publishing process? 
No, I had done my research for many years about what being a children’s book illustrator entailed so there weren’t any surprises. The income compared to the endless hours put into illustrating a book is still a “surprise” though.

How do you divide your time between illustration, graphic design and textile design? 
These days I work on children’s books five days a week. I use to allocate one day a week for my textile design gig but this recently ended sadly. The financial security of one day a week of regular income was a godsend. I am getting busier with my book work though, so having five days a week to work on my books is also a godsend.

What are your preferred mediums to work with?
I really love to use watercolour (tube paints), lead pencils, coloured pencils and aquarelle crayons.

A new book project has just landed on your desk. How do you tackle it? Do you have a set process, or is every project different?  
I approach each book in a fairly similar way. I read the manuscript a few times. Then I switch my brain onto this subject matter and story and start gathering reference imagery, inspiration and scribble down ideas. Next step is to create tiny thumbnail storyboards. These usually take two or three rounds of changes to get right and once my publisher is happy with them I draw them up larger scale in black and white, making sure room for the text has been considered. Once these are approved I transfer my drawings to watercolour and get painting on the final illustrations, which is my favourite part of the process.

Huge congrats on your CBCA win! What does it mean to you? Has it changed anything? Do you think it will?
Thank you so much Cassy. To have the honour of a CBCA win, alongside my co-creator Vikki Conley, is one of the happiest moments I have experienced to date. Illustrators I greatly admire such as Alison Lester, Anna Walker, Julie Vivas, Zeno Sworder, Shaun Tan, Emma Quay, Sara Acton, Pamela Allen, Freya Blackwood and Andrew McLean [are all past winners] so to share this honour with these creators means the world to me and hopefully means my work has been recognised to be of a similiar standard. I am not quite sure if it has changed anything as yet (it's early days) but achieving this childhood dream has been so rewarding.  I do hope that in the future it will open up more publishing opportunities for me as an author/illustrator, and hopefully I will be able to earn a little more in terms of book advances.

What's on your creative bucket list?
* To illustrate a book I have written. Erica Wagner and Susannah Chambers at Allen and Unwin are making that dream a reality which is very exciting. I just need to get on with completing writing my book now!
* I am also working on ideas for a non fiction historical picture book – getting a contract to allow me to carve out more time for that story is high on my list. 
* Seeing a book I’ve illustrated read aloud on Playschool.
* I would also love to have books sell overseas, not just in Australia.

Is there something you would love to be asked in an interview but haven't been yet?
Do you ever dream of going to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair? Answer: MOST DEFINITELY! What is your favourite animal? Answer: DOGS.

Find out more about Max: maxhamiltonillustration.com.au

Q&A WITH VIKKI CONLEY

Can you remember the book that made you want to be an author?
Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree transported me to a world of wonder. In my mind I climbed the branches alongside Moonface and Silky to discover what lands lay waiting in the clouds above. The playfulness of The Gingerbread Man is also something that has stuck with me: “Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Tell us a bit about your work with World Vision. How has it influenced you as a person and as a writer?
It was a time in my career where I was disillusioned by the corporate world, seeking something more meaningful. The job jumped out because I was familiar with the great work that World Vision does. Working alongside the world’s poorest communities to create sustainable solutions sounded like a path I wanted to explore. My journey with World Vision lasted 10 years, working in Africa, Sri Lanka and Melbourne in roles spanning journalism, photography and marketing. I interviewed many children and families with extraordinary stories. I delivered readers to children in war-torn Somalia who had never seen a book. I talked to child soldiers who’d been injured in the crossfire of conflict. I saw schools and lives broken by war. This experience deeply shaped my perspective, instilling empathy and a sense of responsibility in my writing. It’s a constant reminder of the power stories can have to inspire change and encourage compassion, inclusion and friendship.

When did you decide you wanted to be an author? How did you go about it?
I’ve always loved writing, perhaps even been obsessed with words. As a child, they seemed to unlock worlds for me. My journey as a children’s author began during a period of significant change in my life. Towards the end of my World Vision era, my mother sadly died from ovarian cancer. My deep grief sent me into a period of reflection, assessing life’s priorities. At the time, my children were very young and picture books were a lifeline of comfort, escape and joy. It was at this moment, rediscovering their magic, that I decided to quit my job and try my hand at writing picture books. I threw myself into writing intensely, followed by completing a few picture book courses. Afterwards, I submitted, submitted, submitted to publishers.

Once you have an idea, what is your writing process?
My writing process is an organic one. I often start with a kernel of an idea, allowing it to simmer and grow in my mind. Then I dump it down either in my writing journal or directly onto the computer. Writing itself is a mix of disciplined routines and moments of creative flow. I believe in the power of editing and refinement, and I’m open to the story evolving as I write.

Huge congrats on your CBCA win! What does it mean to you? Has it changed anything? Do you think it will?
Thank you! Winning the CBCA Book of the Year Award is a tremendous honour. I am delighted to see Where The Lyrebird Lives being acknowledged for resonating with readers and inspiring them to connect with nature. The recognition encourages me to continue crafting playful stories that ignite curiosity and foster a love for our environment. Has it changed anything? My cup is full. Media requests have increased! School bookings are stacking up. My creative nerve is slightly twitching, contemplating whether it can magic up another story of this quality. Questions of doubt do slip in. Can I do it again? Who knows. But more than anything, it has spurred me on to write, write, write. At the end of the day, I hope the award will help open doors to reach a broader audience for my work, for many years to come.

What’s on your creative bucket list?
*I’m currently trying to finish a few chapter books for middle grade. I’ve also got a personal goal of having at least 20 picture books on the shelves. Just seven more to go!
*To write a classic like The Magic Faraway Tree or The Hungry Caterpillar.
*My collaboration with Orchestra Victoria has been incredible. They composed music for my book Little Puggle’s Song. We have been on tour together for the last two years with me narrating alongside a quintet. As Puggle would say, it has been “magic upon magic.” More creative collaborations like this, or with media partners, would be brilliant – allowing audiences to experience multiple art forms simultaneously, lifting the story off the page in the most magical way.

Is there something you would love to be asked in an interview but haven’t been yet?
Do I think AI will ever replace picture book authors? My answer? No. It will never replace the enchantment and vision of imagination and originality created by talented, hardworking authors. Writers, as artists, create magic through storytelling. Chat GPT is a curator of what already exists, not a creator.

Find out more about Vikki: vikkiconley.com