Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Ziggy Hanaor!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Ziggy Hanaor
Ziggy Hanaor is a writer and publisher living in London. She is author of the V&A award-winning Alte Zachen (Cicada, 2022) and the Carnegie-nominated The Egg Incident (Cicada, 2024), as well as picture books including Fly Flies (Cicada, 2019), Alex and Alex (Cicada, 2022) and The Pocket Chaotic (Cicada, 2021).
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About the Book: Life (As We Know It)
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Firstly the prospect of working with Sarah Lippett. I love her work, and I wanted to write something specifically for her. Music is a big part of her life – she’s always played in bands – and that led me in the direction we ended up in.
Also, I have two daughters ages 16 and 14, and the house is always full of young people and their dramas. It was an exciting prospect to capture some of that energy.
YABC: What research did you find most helpful?
Talking to my kids, connecting with my inner teenager, thinking about how music taps into some vital emotional ley line. Listening to a lot of female musicians.
YABC: Which fact did you find most interesting to learn?
I enjoyed reading about Sonia Pottinger – I hadn’t heard of her – and that took me into a Jamaican Dance Hall rabbit hole. And also watching videos of Sheila E.
YABC: How did you ensure that the book is engaging to your audience?
I just wanted to write a book that captured an authentic contemporary teenage experience. I wrote it quickly and tried not to overthink, so that there’s a speed an immediacy to it. Sarah carried this forward with her instinctively dynamic illustrations.
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Oh I hope that I never have to write in one genre for the rest of my life – that would be terrible! I love all the genres I work in. Non fiction opens my mind up to new areas of interest and keeps my mind flexible. The graphic novels are a canvas on which to explore more complex ideas and the picturebooks are like a little song that reveals itself fully formed. I’d also like to write for television one day.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
Once the characters are formed, I let them dictate the voice. If the characters are young people, I try to listen to them and understand how they might behave in certain situations.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
I’d like to think that they can find an immediacy that is fun and engaging, and occasionally touches upon a deeper, more universal reality. But what they can definitely find in my books is stimulating visuals. Working with great illustrators is what I most enjoy and is at the heart of all the books that I write and publish.
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
It varies. Kallo’s salt and vinegar rice cakes are my go to. Which is why my office floor is covered in crumbs.
YABC: If you were able to time travel would you want to visit where your book is about?
Well it’s set in today’s world, so it’s wouldn’t be much of a time travel hop! But I am happy to be alive today. Even though the world is a mess, I don’t think there’s another time I’d want to live in.
YABC: What’s your least favorite word or expression?
Unfortunately.
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
The usual. Social media. Vinted. NYT Spelling Bee….
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Another graphic novel (adult one this time) with Benjamin Phillips is coming out in Spring 2026. More fun stuff with other illustrators. Maybe something even longer form? We’ll see!
~ Giveaway Details ~
Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Life (As We Know It) (Ziggy Hanaor) ~US Only!
I’d be interested in reading this book primarily I like to share science knowledge with young people. My other comment is that, in addition the author’s current genres, there is also an expressed interest in television work. I wish Ziggy succeeds! 🙂