A visual feast
Poet Amy Knight and artist Laura Slade shared a book. Then one picked up a pen and the other a paintbrush.
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“The book had a profound effect on me”
Q1. to Amy: How did you meet the artist for this collaboration?
I dated Laura’s older brother in school, and I think I knew, then, that Laura was immensely gifted with a paintbrush. The three of us would walk home with our backpacks slung over our shoulders and our huge Art folders tucked under our arms, and I’d try to sneak a look at her work. It’s so wonderful to see Laura’s daughter now producing amazing drawings and paintings at such a young age — a lovely, creative family.
Q.2 to Laura: Please tell us about your connection to ‘The Butterfly Lion’ by Michael Morpurgo
I was first introduced to this book in English lessons and bought my own copy of it so that I could finish reading it at home. The book had a profound effect on me. It was the first children’s book I’d read that had genuinely negative experiences, where the main character went through some really rough times. It’s only a short book but there is so much packed into 128 pages.
“l’ve always been an animal lover, so I completely got the relationship between Bertie and his lion cub.”
Q3. to Amy: You wrote a haiku and also a longer poem for this collaboration. Why two, and what’s the link?
When I read ‘The Butterfly Lion’ I was struck by how cleverly and seamlessly Morpurgo had written a story within a story, and — despite it having quite a complex structure for a children’s book — how captivating and addictive it is for readers of all ages. Like Laura, once I’d started I had to finish it!
There are two main relationships in the book, and each has its own storyline: firstly, Bertie and the lion cub he adopts when they are both lonely in Africa. Then Millie and Bertie, who meet as children in England, become separated by war, and later find each other again in France when Bertie is wounded.
“It was just like our Sundays had been when we were little… we would sit in the cafe and talk, or walk along the river and talk. We had so many years to catch up on.”
The two threads weave in and out of each other throughout the book, and I felt moved to compose a poetic tribute to both. I really enjoyed this article about writing Haiku, and decided I’d try to encapsulate Bertie’s relationship with The White Prince in 17 syllables. You can read it here.
‘Years to catch up on’ is the longer poem I wrote to reflect Millie and Bertie’s enduring friendship, which continues in their letters during the time that they are forced apart.
Q4. to Laura: Which scene in ‘The Butterfly Lion’ have you painted?
“The White prince becomes a butterfly lion, and breathes again like a living creature.”
The last scene is such a visual feast, and always brings out an emotional response in me, so this was the inspiration for my painting.
“The rain suddenly stopped and the sun warmed the back of my neck. The first butterfly landed on my arm. It was blue. Then the sky around me was filled with butterflies and they were settling to drink on the chalk.”
Come in for a #collab! Email amy-l-knight@live.co.uk to share some words and elevate your art.
Look out for more of Amy’s poetry inspired by paintings in Paper Poetry.
