Welcome to #TheQuickSixInterview with Bec Nanayakkara and Kim de Haan!
We’re delighted to welcome back talented author, Bec Nanayakkara, together with fantastic debut illustrator, Kim de Haan, to chat about their upcoming picture book, The Jolly Swagman. Based on the famous ‘Waltzing Matilda’ by Banjo Paterson, this rich Australian story has been reinterpreted by Bec with such heart, inspiration and humour. This tale beautifully captures the bond between young Will and Ollie the swagman, as a man of the land with deep lessons of living under the stars and connecting with nature. Despite Ollie’s eventual disappearance, Bec keeps the story light and filled with hope. Kim’s digital illustrations are masterful; showcasing stunning outback landscapes, apt imagery for the 19th century era, with characters that are honestly so expressive, and well, jolly! Complete with an author’s note on the original Banjo Paterson poem and a glossary, The Jolly Swagman will be an asset to classroom settings with its power to ignite discussions around social injustice, poverty, perseverance and friendships.
A divine re-telling of a classic! Congratulations, Bec and Kim! 🙂
About the Author
Bec Nanayakkara is a children’s author with a background in wellbeing-based education. She writes stories to engage, inspire and promote growth mindsets. Her first picture book, Grow Big, Little Seed was published by Hardie Grant in 2024, her second book, The Book Star, was published by Affirm Press in 2024, and her upcoming release, The Jolly Swagman, will be published in 2025 by Woodslane Press.
Bec lives in the New England region of NSW with her husband and five children.
Please find Bec Nanayakkara at her website: Bec Nanayakkara – Australian Childrens Book Author and on Instagram.
About the Illustrator
Kim de Haan is an illustrator and writer who enjoys creating stories for kids that are warm and optimistic. She has always been a bookworm, but it took over a decade working in architecture and design for her to realise she wanted to be on the other side of the book too. Now she draws and writes every day.
Kim lives with her family on Guringai land in Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches.
Please find Kim at her website: http://www.kimdehaan.com/ and on Instagram.
The Jolly Swagman is available for pre-order purchase through Woodslane Press.
WHO wrote, illustrated and published this book?
The Jolly Swagman is written by Bec Nanayakkara, illustrated by Kim de Haan and published by Woodslane Press.
WHAT is it about?
BN: The story is about Will, who lives on a big sheep station with his family, and about Ollie, the swagman who comes to help out every shearing season. Will hopes to one day go waltzing Matilda with Ollie, and Ollie is helping Will learn everything he needs to know to be a real swagman.
But when Ollie is accused of stealing a jumbuck and suddenly disappears, can Will use his swagman skills to make things right?
KdH: It’s about a young boy called Will who lives on a sheep farm around the turn of the 19th century. He befriends the indigenous swagman who visits every shearing season and dreams of going waltzing Matilda with him. But then Ollie goes missing, accused of stealing a jumbuck. It’s a new interpretation of Banjo Paterson’s Waltzing Matilda.
What is your favourite part of this book?
BN: My favourite part is when Will sets out to find Ollie. Not only has he finally become a real swagman, but he is on a mission to find his best mate and make things right. And, to top it off, this part of the story is accompanied by stunning illustrations of our Australian landscape.
KdH: I love Ollie and Will’s relationship. There is a mutual admiration and respect there. I love how Will stands up for Ollie and advocates for the truth. I also love all the beautiful Australian landscape scenes. They were a pleasure to paint.
Image: Kim de Haan
What media did you use to illustrate it?
KdH: This book was illustrated digitally, using Procreate on my iPad.
WHEN is its release / launch date?
BN: The Jolly Swagman is due for release in March, 2025 and can be pre-ordered from December, 2024.
WHERE did the inspiration for this book come from?
BN: My inspiration came from Banjo Paterson’s Waltzing Matilda. The song tells such a great story. Not only does it give insight into a pocket of Australian history, but it tackles themes of poverty and social injustice which are, of course, still relevant today. I wrote The Jolly Swagman to bring the Waltzing Matilda story to life for young readers.
KdH: When I read the text I was immediately inspired and excited to bring it to life.
WHY is this book meaningful to you?
BN: The Jolly Swagman is meaningful to me because it is about friendship, perseverance and social justice – all things which I am passionate about.
KdH: I think it’s a beautiful story that encourages empathy and compassion. The main character uses his voice to advocate for justice. I feel like this is an especially important message to share now.
This is also my debut picture book, so that makes it extra special.
Why would its message resonate with readers?
BN: Ollie tells Will, ‘the best swagman never give up’ and this motivates Will as he learns everything he needs to know to be a real swagman.
We all have hopes and dreams and plans. And at times we all hear the whisper that it’s too hard, that we can’t do it, that there’s no point trying. Will’s determination will certainly encourage young readers to keep trying and to never give up.
Also, the world is full of injustice. And injustice can feel overwhelming. The Jolly Swagman’s message is that we can all make a difference in our own small way. It encourages readers to look out for others, sometimes even to speak up for others, and to value friendship. I hope this will resonate with us all!
KdH: This story’s message of compassion for others is universal and it’s delivered in a gentle and engaging way. I think readers will love Will and Ollie and will feel connected to their journey.
HOW long did it take to write?
BN: I worked on this story for a few months. The ending was my struggle – I didn’t want a tragic ending, but I did want to stay true to the song. Eventually I chose ambiguous wording which invites young readers to assume that Will has found Ollie, and allows parents and teachers to guess that this may not be the case.
How long did it take to illustrate?
KdH: I’m sure every illustrator says this…but a LONG time. There was a lot of detail, and I wanted to make sure I was doing the beautiful story justice. I also spent a lot of time researching the history behind this story and the period it’s set in to understand not only the context, but also the fashions and architecture of the time.
Image: Kim de Haan
How do you feel about the text / illustrations? Do they convey the feeling or mood you envisioned?
BN: I love the way the text and illustrations work together to celebrate nature and our beautiful Australian landscape.
KdH: I’m so proud of how this book turned out! I like to think that the text and illustrations work well together to convey a hopeful, optimistic message. I loved Bec’s story from the first read and I still feel that way after having worked on it for many months.
OTHER information or experiences you’d like to share?
KdH: I feel very fortunate to have had this as my first publishing experience. Both Bec and Woodslane Press were wonderful to collaborate with.
Please share your some of your favourite promotional ideas for this book.
BN: I’m still brainstorming… so please follow me @becnanayakkara for exciting updates!
KdH: We’ve spoken about doing an online launch so we can both be present. I’d love to create some fun colouring pages or activity pages for kids. There is also a string game that appears on the first page of the book that references indigenous string games, so I’d love to share resources to show people how to do those.
What a magical collaboration, Bec and Kim! You’ve both brilliantly captured this rich Australian story! Congratulations! 🙂
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