The Great Unicorn Rescue: A Chat with Author & Illustrator Diane Ewen

We sat down with Diane Ewen to chat about her debut author-illustrated title, THE GREAT UNICORN RESCUE which has hit shelves TODAY! Published by Pan Macmillan, the story follows a young girl named Lou and her Unicorn named Norrie as Lou faces her fears and learns about the power of friendship. This is Diane’s first author-illustrated title, and we are so thrilled to hear about her experience creating this project, as well as a few tips and inspiration for those who are curious about creating their own author-illustrated title.

What inspired you to create Great Unicorn Rescue? Was there a specific moment or idea that sparked the story?

The initial idea for a unicorn story came from a potential illustration project I was sampling for. The project didn’t go ahead, or at least I wasn’t chosen to do the project. But at the end of it I had designed this amazing black Afro-haired unicorn. I posted the character on social media, as you do, and surprisingly it got quite a few ‘likes’. So, then I had the character but no story which is so frustrating and for a while this was the case. I came up with ideas that were either too fanciful or not good enough and the search for story themes and messages tripped me up. But I read a book called Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett and suddenly I had the theme of being afraid of the dark and conquering fears. It’s a theme that’s relevant in a child’s world, and chances are we all know someone who is or was afraid of the dark. The story idea originally began as a little girl who was afraid of the dark and at bedtime a unicorn would appear outside her window to calm her and let her know that it was all going to be alright. One night the unicorn doesn’t materialise, so the girl sets off to find her. But it has grown since the original idea into this final story and now contains many unicorns. The theme and message is still the same though.

Can you share a bit about the main characters?

There are quite a few characters in this book, but the main characters are a unicorn called Norrie, and a little girl called Louella, they are best friends. They both live in and around an enchanted forest and have friends who are also paired; one unicorn to one child. Norrie and Louella’s favourite thing to do is to collect shells from the enchanted stream. Norrie is a little like Louella’s guardian. When things get dark, she is there to illuminate the way with her magical horn.

GREAT UNICORN RESCUE is your first author-illustrated title! Congratulations! How did the experience differ from working solely as an illustrator?

Thank you! I think that the experience of working on something all of your own in quite daunting initially. You have so much expectation on yourself because it’s down to you to make it as good as it can be. Having said that, I owe so much to my editor Grace Gleave and to my designer Lydia Coventry who were by my side all the way. A great team effort. I think I felt more relaxed doing the illustrations, if I can say that. I kept reminding myself that this was my vision and it’s ok to create more freely.

Did you always know you wanted to write your own stories, or was it something that grew over time?

I think the yearning to write had been with me for many, many years. I have loads and loads of folders, document wallets and computer files crammed with lots of ideas for stories. I was an artist first though and always put that ambition first. Way before I got my first agent, I was making dummy books of some of the stories I had written and when I submitted my stories, to publishers, I sometimes sent illustrations with the stories; obviously wasn’t successful in my endeavours then, (I really can’t understand the reason …). Many years later when I was fortunate to become an established illustrator, my ambitions to be a published author-illustrator were re-ignited.

Do you have a preferred medium, tool, or technique you relied on for this book?

I work mainly with the following: hand-drawn images initially, then on to digital enhancements. I often use mixed media. For instance, I used a lot of watercolour painting in this book on things like trees and flowers. I had just bought a set of bright watercolour inks, and some new felt tip pens around the time I got to the colour artwork stage of the book so there’s a bit of that in the book too. What can I say? I’m an eclectic media artist. I think you have to go with what you feels right, so I never rule out any medium or technique.

Which scene or image from Great Unicorn Rescue are you most proud of and why?

I am so proud of it all. There are some scenes that took a lot of thinking and planning and shuffling around to make things work. Looking back, this book took a lot of character creation, and I wonder how I did it all. I love the fairies with their jets of stars. If I have to choose just one illustration, I will choose the page where everyone is running to find Norrie. The scene is set in a pinky-mauve setting because it’s in the evening and they all look determined, it screams to the power of friendship, to the message of ‘if my friend is in trouble, I don’t care if I’m afraid of the dark, I will find you.’ I think that is a such a sweet message about the strength of true friendship.

What advice would you give to illustrators who hope to one day write and illustrate their own books?

Go for it! It’s doable but you will have to be determined as it’s not an easy path. Unless you are very very lucky, you will face moments of doubting your ability and your talent coupled with many disappointments along the way but keep trying. I would recommend competitions like the Jericho Prize created by Fabia Turner, which I entered in 2021. Take advantage of offers of feedback on your written work, for example, The Jericho free script feedback offered in 2024. These types of opportunities, and there are a few out there offered by fantastic people, will help you to gauge your writing skills and offer amazing feedback. It’s a long and bumpy road to travel but now I’ve done it. I would wholeheartedly say to any illustrator who has the urge to become an author-illustrator - go for it!

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Diane is represented by Susan Penny. To work with Diane, get in touch here.