Interview: Sarah Wilkins

Award Year
2025

Why did you choose to enter this work?
I decided to enter this project because it represented a departure in style for me and I was keen to get some peer feedback. What better way that to be shortlisted for the WIA!

What’s your favourite thing about your shortlisted project?
There was such rich visual imagery to draw on from within the text, and as a result the illustrations seemed to flow together very spontaneously.

What excites you most about being shortlisted?
It's such an honour, especially considering the immense illustration talent on the long-list. I live in New Zealand and, surprisingly, being shortlisted makes the world feel a little smaller.

Where do you usually work?
I do all my sketching and painting in a shared art studio and I have a separate setup at home with my computer and A3 scanner for digital editing —I like to keep the two parts of my process separate.

How long did it take to complete your project?
The book took about one month to complete from woe to go, which is speedy for me.

What is your dream commission?
I'd love to illustrate The Summer Book by Tove Jannson.

What’s your favourite thing to draw?
I prefer to draw the natural world over the mechanical world. I'm a big fan of irregularity, curves and flowing lines rather than hard edges and perspective.

What is your best tip for other illustrators?
Believe in yourself rather than second-guessing what others want from you.

What are your plans for the future?
Making time in between commissions to illustrate and write my own book projects.


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