Authors never know when isolated moments in time can spark a writing inspiration.
Such a moment occurred to Kelowna author Sally Quon, one day as her attention was drawn to a child walking alone.
“I started thinking, ‘Why was the child alone? Where were his parents? My head was filled with all the terrible things that could happen to a child by themselves,” recalled Quon.
“That is until I remembered that my own childhood was full of such moments, moments during which myth imagination flourished. Almost immediately, my thoughts turned to all of the interesting things that could happen.”
Her thoughts percolated in her mind for a time, until she felt ready to tell a story, leading to a book of poetry project titled Bill and the Dragon.
Making the book complete was Quon partnering up with artist Billie Blue, who turned out to be the daughter of a childhood friend, to provide vibrant illustrations to accompany her story.
In the book, the boy character Billy meets a young dragon named Jim on a cold winter day. Explaining he is lost and alone, Jim shares how the fire in his belly has gone out, and if it doesn’t get reignited he will freeze.
Billy is determined to help, and the two head off on a snowy adventure to visit his grandma, drawing on the themes of family reunification, forging a friendship and coming to the aid of another.
Quon says the book is definitely aimed at children from age two to about eight, reiterating to her target audience how friendship is important, imagination is important and how “grandmas know everything.”
The 57-year-old has previously written a book of poetry geared to adults. She is working on a follow-up with Billie Blue and a poetry book of Japanese Haiku.
From Red Deer, Alta., Quon has lived in Kelowna for five years, living with a spinal cord disability which limits her ability to stand for long periods of time.
“I have the freedom to write more because you can’t do much else when your mobility is limited,” she said.
While she was familiar with the Okanagan from family vacation visits when she was a child, Quon said since moving her permanently she has gained a greater appreciation for the natural landscape and the inspiration she draws from the local writing community.
“Some of us share our work together. We call ourselves the Soup Group. We meet once a month at a member’s house, have lunch and share our poetry,” she said.
She enjoys poetry as opposed to longer-form writing because it is more precise in words used to express an emotion.
“I think it is the conciseness of the form as to why I enjoy poetry,” she explained.
Billy and the Dragon is available at local bookstores, and online at OkanaganPublishingHouse.ca. or Amazon.ca.
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