Elmer at 30 – An interview with David McKee

The backstory

Today celebrates 30 years of Elmer with Andersen Press. I was attending London Book Fair and was offered an opportunity to interview the creator of Elmer, David McKee, along with some other bloggers. So, a couple of weeks later, I turn up to find I am the only person there. I had twenty fabulous minutes chatting to David and finding out more about what Elmer means to him.

Who is Elmer?

The story of Elmer the patchwork elephant is known around the world. Published in more than 40 languages, Elmer tells stories of how it is OK to be different.

What is Elmer Day?

Elmer Day marks the anniversary of Elmer first being published with Andersen Press. But today is extra special as Elmer is 30! Or is he 51? David explains all in his interview.

A note about the interview

I was going to transcribe the interview and write it up but David has such a wonderful voice and tells stories, even his own, beautifully so I thought it would be better to break down the interview into smaller audio files.

Please accept my apologies for the background noise, I did my best to filter as much as I could out, but the venue was very busy. For those who need transcriptions, these will be made available soon.

I am not a podcaster or journalist, I am a total amateur, so please do not expect NPR quality! Thank you.

The Interview

Thank you

I’m afraid I didn’t get to round off the interview neatly as David was greeted by some very enthusiastic fans passing by! I’d like to extend my thanks to David for his time and also to the lovely Paul Black from Andersen Press.

Also thanks to Midas PR for offering me the opportunity in the first place. I’m very grateful.

Comment below

What memories do you have of Elmer? Let me know in the comments below.