Author Richard Swan revealed his new children’s book <em>The Listeners</em> was a result of his inquisitive four-year-old daughter Erin.
The book is Swan’s first and evolved from short stories he had written to share with his daughter in order to answer some of her questions about experiences in her life.
“I was trying to answer her questions but I was really struggling to do that. I knew that she really enjoyed bedtime stories and because writing has always been a hobby to me I would just jot down a few ideas on a notepad,” said Swan.
“Eventually I got to the point where I had some of these stories that were all working together…when I had it at that point, I though instead of just doing this with Erin, this could actually help other kids,” he explained.
The author revealed that he kept the publication of the book in the family. Not only did his daughter inspire the book, but she appears on the front cover with her cousins Cian and Conner, while his mother provided illustrations and his uncle photographed the cover.
Far from fairy tales and wizards, Swan’s book seeks to tackle important issues that children face in life as they grow up including bullying, bereavement, fear and frustration, told through interweaving tales.
Swan hopes the books will help guide children to use their own instinct and wisdom to cope with such issues, bringing them independence, confidence and happiness.
For more information visit Richard Swan Books
