Welcome to the Author Interview. This time, it features the lovely Vivian Santos author of The Flying Hat Goes to the Farm.
If you’re an author who’d like to take part in the series, email me: debbie@myrandommusings.co.uk
Now over to Vivian.
- Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself
My full name is Maria Vivian Gabrielly da Silva Santos, but Vivian Santos is how most people know me and is also my author name. I am a Brazilian author based in New York. I love writing poetry, children’s books, and letters to my family and friends. A lot of my work explores belonging.
Through my books, I hope to help children understand themselves a little better, understand the world around them, make sense of big feelings, and learn about some of the things they encounter as they grow. As a childcare specialist with a decade of experience, I’ve gained insight into how children think, communicate, learn and experience the world.
- Tell us a little bit about your books
My books are quite different from one another, but many of them share themes of belonging, identity, emotions, curiosity, and understanding the world. Some of my books are very personal, while others come from curiosity, humour, or things I notice in everyday life.
When My Heart Feels Tight, New York Hugs Me Tighter is about finding comfort and belonging in a big city. From Recife to New Amsterdam introduces young readers to a little known connection between Brazilian and New York history. What a Silly, Silly Cat! and Emotional Damage Dog are much more playful and humorous, inspired by the funny personalities animals can have.
I also write books like God Knows Who You Are and Your Heart Knows Who You Are, which focus more on identity, self-worth, and reassurance.
- Where do you find your inspiration for your books?
In many ways, but mostly from everyday life, from ordinary days spent asking questions and learning. As an immigrant, I share much of a child’s curiosity because everything is new. Just like them, I want to learn and understand, and that is how many ideas emerge. Also, years of experience in childcare have given me insight into how kids see and experience the world.
- What, for you, is the best thing about being a writer?
The best thing is living in a world I create myself, a world of imagination. Writing lets me extend my memories, turning feelings, experiences, and observations into something that outlasts me and can be shared with others. Creating a new world is fascinating – I get to invite people to discover it.
- And the worst?
The uncertainty can be difficult. Uncertainty is the hardest part: you never know what will happen with a book, how people will react, or what your future as a writer holds. Being an indie author also means doing many jobs at once. I get to create the story, which is the part I love the most, but then I also have to think about illustrations, book dimensions, production, publishing, promotion, marketing, and so many other details. It can be a lot for one person! So, I need to be careful with my time and manage all of this well, but I’m not perfect.
- If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
This is difficult because I would probably want several! Teleportation would be amazing because I absolutely love travelling, but I also get motion sickness. Being able to simply appear anywhere in the world without the journey would solve that problem perfectly. But I would also love the ability to multiply myself. I always want to do so many things and there never seems to be enough time. Or perhaps I need Hermione’s Time-Turner from Harry Potter. Then I could go backwards and forwards in time and somehow manage to do everything I want to do!
- Do you have any tips for anyone wanting to write their first book?
Do it. Sometimes we spend so much time trying to make everything perfect before we begin. Of course, you should care about doing something well, but perfection does not exist. You can study and study and prepare forever, but eventually you have to actually create something. When you do it, you learn. You make mistakes, you discover what works, you understand what you would do differently next time, and you grow. So, my biggest advice is start. Write the book.
- Tell us one random fact about you
I have a very random collection of photographs of me and fire hydrants. The first time I remember seeing a fire hydrant, I was around twelve years old and living in Brazil. Fire hydrants are not something you commonly see there, and I happened to be visiting a small town called Belterra, which was developed as part of Henry Ford’s project in the Amazon. Parts of it had this very American, old-fashioned feeling. I saw a red fire hydrant and immediately ran to my dad and said, “Dad, take a picture of me with the fire hydrant!”
I loved that photo so much that, ever since then, whenever I find an unusual fire hydrant somewhere, I take a picture. The funny thing is that I hardly ever post them or tell anyone about this. They just live in my photo gallery. I have found a pink fire hydrant in California, one covered in glitter, and one painted in the colours of the Italian flag in Little Italy. So apparently, I have accidentally been collecting fire hydrants for years.
- Who is your favourite author?
I would say Cora Coralina, but there are a lot of other writers I adore, so that is a really tough choice. I adore how she incorporates poetry and significance into everyday life. Because Oh, the Places You’ll Go! has been such a significant source of inspiration for me, I also have a great deal of affection for Dr. Seuss.
- And your favourite book(s)?
I have loved so many books throughout my life. Different books have helped me, inspired me, and shaped me at different moments, so choosing only one is almost impossible. Since we are talking about children’s literature, I’d pick Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss. There is something about its message of movement, possibility, courage, and continuing forward that has always stayed with me and really inspires me. It is a children’s book that speaks to all ages.
- What book are you reading right now?
I am currently reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman.
- Where is your favourite place to write?
I like the quiet and tranquillity of the library, so I occasionally write there. I occasionally write in a garden, in my bedroom, or even while I’m sitting in the bathtub when inspiration strikes. When it happens, I reach for my phone and begin typing before I forget. When I’m ready to fully write things down, I occasionally record voice notes to myself and listen to them afterward.
I think I “write” more while strolling around New York than anywhere else. Though it might not be my favourite spot to write, I’ve learned to capture my ideas wherever I am because they often come to me out of the blue.
- Do you prefer to write in silence, or do you have a writing soundtrack?
Definitely silence. It is very rare for me to write with a soundtrack. I like being able to concentrate completely on my thoughts and follow them without having anything else competing for my attention.
- What can we expect from you next?
More books! I wish to write as much as I can and share this love with the world. Additionally, I want to learn more about topics that are engaging, significant, and important for kids. I have many ideas, probably more ideas than time, so I hope readers can expect many more stories from me.
- Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’d like to mention The Flying Hat Goes to the Farm, which is one of my books for younger children. It plays a lot with poetry, rhythm, onomatopoeia, and animal sounds, which I think can be especially fun for little kids. At that age, children are still discovering language through repetition, sounds, movement, and play, so I really enjoy writing stories that they can almost participate in while someone reads aloud.
I would also like to say how happy and grateful I am for this interview, and I hope that sometime in the future I can speak with you again with even more stories, more books, and more news to share. Thank you so much for giving me this space.
- Where can we find you?
You can find me on Instagram at Vivian Viajada. It is not an account dedicated exclusively to my books because I share many different parts of my world there, which I think makes it a more personal way to follow my journey.
You can also visit my author website, where you can learn more about my books and find links to places where they are available to purchase, and of course, my Amazon author page.
I am very grateful for your time and for everyone who takes a moment to discover my stories.
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