Meet the illustrator sketching women who shaped the world

Kate Pankhurst is no stranger to fleshing out strong female characters. Other than the fact that she's the woman behind the Mariella Mystery books that follow a young female detective ('no mystery too mysterious, no problem too perplexing!'), the British author also penned and illustrated Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World. Since being published in 2016, it has sold more than 100,000 copies, been translated into 15 languages and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2018. It's also sparked several sequels, including Fantastically Great Women Who Made History and Fantastically Great Women Who Worked Wonders.

So, what led her down this 'fantastic' path? "Well, I don't actually remember reading a book, when I was a child, that really focused on women," she says thoughtfully during a sit-down interview at the now-concluded Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. "I can't think of a single history lesson where we looked at women who shaped the world we live in today - other than queens! And I think it's really important to write these stories down and celebrate these women. They might have been ignored before but they should obviously not be ignored anymore."

Funny, bright and bubbly - much like her books - Kate always loved drawing, even as a child. So, when she found that it was possible to actually make a career out of illustrating children's books, she was thrilled. She got started with illustrating books other people had written before trying her hand at writing as well. The rest, as they say, is history.
Speaking of history, there's another factor that led her down this path - one that almost makes it possible to say that feminism is in her blood. Growing up, Kate was often asked if she was, in any way, related to Emmeline Pankhurst, the British suffragette who helped women win the right to vote. Kate's standard answer to that question would usually be 'no' - although the family did love to speculate and gossip about it, she confesses. It wasn't until she was in her 20s that she found out she was a distant relative, by marriage.

"I've always had that awareness of who Emmeline was at an early age," says Kate. "And the stories you hear when you are younger do have an impact. I think a lot of people would agree that the books they've read as children have influenced their lives."

It definitely planted the seed that would later grow into Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World. The book paid tribute to Emmeline along with other women like Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and Rosa Parks. And, as you already know, the reaction was phenomenal. Was she surprised by that?

"Actually, I was a bit blown away," she laughs. "Usually when a book comes out, there's a bit of a buildup and then the attention dies down eventually, but here it was different. It just kept on building and building. There were videos going viral about brothers reading to their little sisters and lots of comments about how people were inspired by it. It made me realise that so many parents wanted to have these conversations with their children - not just their daughters but their sons as well. This opened the door for those conversations."

There are countless women who have shaped the modern world we live in today - and narrowing it down and picking just a few is no mean feat. How did she manage to choose the right women? "Well, each book has a different title so we usually begin by coming up with a long list. We try and stick to the brief - if it's women who have changed the world, how they've managed to do that. And then we just try and pick out women from all over the world."

"Of course, you always feel bad saying goodbye to the women who don't make it," she laughs. "But I've always found that I'm able to feature their stories in subsequent books. We're not saying they aren't great enough - just maybe not right for that particular title."

Researching these books has given Kate a wide glimpse into the many accomplishments of women in history - many of which are far lesser known. And she's now brimming with nuggets of wisdom and information ("Did you know that Mary Wollstonecraft - a famous advocate for women's rights - was the mother of Mary Shelly, author of Frankenstein?!"). With society shining more of a light on early female accomplishments - the 2016 movie Hidden Figures is just one example - Kate's job of informing the next generation is all the more important.
"For now, I'm working on more books about great women. There's going to be one on pioneers of careers and I'm really enjoying finding out about some women I didn't even know about before. But then again, I'm not a historian - I'm an illustrator looking for a new way to tell their stories."
No matter how distant their relation, we bet Emmeline Pankhurst would have been proud.
janice@khaleejtimes.com