Who doesn't have childhood favourite characters, picture books, or animations? I especially liked storybooks. When someone crumpled or scribbled my book, I cried until my parents bought me a new one. However, I couldn't buy all the books I wanted. So I drew the characters and pictures I liked and wanted to keep, and I think I might have wanted to be a person who draws something I love from then on. Especially for pictures with stories. So From then to now I just didn't stop. I went to art high school, university, and finally came to London, the place of illustration lovers.

I liked the story of animal characters that don't give up. For example, I still remember the penguins who hated the cold. The penguin did not give up despite numerous attempts and frustrations to get to a warm place. I really liked it. Even the boldness and courage to spur an environment that is stable and familiar but doesn't suit him.

When you create something, difficult things happen. Sometimes the problems seem impossible to solve, alone. This requires kindness to be willing to help and cooperation by sharing the issue. I don't want readers to be afraid of creating something and I hope that they are willing to help each other when difficulties arise.

It all starts with imaginations. I enjoy creating something unfamiliar by combining familiar things. For example, hats and animals, stars and builders. If I find these materials I start imagining, polishing them with doodles. After that, I make it up to something that can be used for the storybook and arrange it at the end.

I was a third-grade at this time who wasn't sure what to do after graduation. If I hadn't won this prize, could I have the courage to publish a children’s book? Especially as a foreigner, I don’t think I would have had the courage enough to visit the publishers with my dummy books and explain these fluently. The award-winning experience made me aware that there was a prize for the effort, and gave me the opportunity to meet experts in the publishing field. It also gave me the opportunity to enter the next competition. Of course, the best reward was my precious first storybook.

In my memory, children’s books seem to have always been accompanied by words and pictures. But how was it before I could read? We must have created our own story by seeing pictures. So I think silent picture books are a collaboration between the author and the reader. That's why I think it's most important to catch empathy for the topic I'm trying to convey.

I was worried whether the audience might understand the content of my book or think it was unrealistic. But one of my child audience’s words made me a fool. “I knew it!”, She said she already knew about this secret process of making stars. It made me more entertaining than any response, because I really didn't have to explain anything, it was totally silent. 

I am not an expert to analyze. So just to explain what I have felt, UK illustrations have a distinctive colour style and mix well with faces and lines. The composition and form are more abstract and more artistry than descriptive. In Korea, lines are more distinctive and more descriptive.

In fact, this question is the simplest but most difficult to answer. Of course, I'm planning to publish my third book, hoping it's more unique and fun than the previous two. And after that, I wish to have a fourth and fifth book if possible. Also, I am trying to build an entertaining character like the Moomins or the  Gruffalo, which is my dream for now. I rather to be known as a delightful character or story than my name. I want to remain in the memories of childhood, like I still remember the old favourite fairy tales.

Thank you to Soojin for making time to be interviewed and for generously allowing us to share some of her illustrations which are well worth exploring below.  To see more of Soojin's work, why not visit her website at https://www.kwaksoojin.com/