Patricia Forde

Now, if Paddy and I were talking over a pint, I might be saying, well, now, listen, make the picture a bit smaller, love.

But when it's the publisher, it's easier.

But it doesn't happen, weirdly.

They are incredibly intuitive illustrators.

They get the hints from the text.

And I've never really looked at a book, I looked at the pictures and thought, oh, I'm disappointed in that.

It's always, you're surprised.

You're surprised at what they bring, what they add that you didn't think of.

That's incredible.

No, it doesn't really.

They seem to know what's in your head.

The good ones, they absolutely know what you're thinking about.

Now, that was a strange book because I sold it on a false premise.

When we're full of full transparency, now we're on the national airwaves.

False premise to Puffin.

I could have been cancelled, Clare.

Go on, tell us the lie.

I wrote to the editor at the time when I pitched the book.

I said, oh, after they'd bought the book, I said, it's based on an Irish legend.

Now, I wasn't telling a lie.