The verdict on last night’s Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon with Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler signs books at the end of yesterday’s Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon

Last night Kate and I returned to The Book Club in Shoreditch for the second edition of the Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon – featuring special guest Axel Scheffler, best-selling illustrator of modern picture book classics including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man, and A Squash and a Squeeze, as well as Nosy Crow’s Pip and Posy series, Flip Flap books, and The Grunts series.

It was another fantastically interesting evening – giving a fascinating and unique insight into the life and work of the UK’s best-selling illustrator. Axel spoke brilliantly on a whole range of subjects – his career to date, from some his earliest childhood drawings through to his extraordinary partnership with Julia Donaldson; the artists that he admires; the ways in which his work has changed and evolved over the years; the differences that he’s observed in children’s book markets around the world, and more. And he also brought along some of his sketchbooks, which offered an incredible demonstration of how he has created some of his most beloved characters, from initial drawings to finished artwork.

I though that it was particularly interesting to see how the evening differed to our previous Salon, with Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam illustrator Steven Lenton – Steven produces all of his finished illustration work digitally, whereas Axel still uses physical material to create all of his artwork, resulting in different creative processes, different styles and techniques, a different set of inspirations… and different challenges.

The long signing queue at the end of the evening seemed to be a sign that our audience enjoyed the Salon as much as I did – and here’s what some of those who’d been there had to say on Twitter:

@NosyCrow @NosyCrowBooks @tombonnick Thank you so much for letting us meet such a great man .We really enjoyed it. pic.twitter.com/FcJXaSGvGC

— Jo Byatt (@JoanneByatt1) January 12, 2016

Thanks @NosyCrow @NosyCrowBooks for an interesting and insightful illustrator salon with Axel Scheffler last night. pic.twitter.com/d0FwLqr6OC — VLH (@_victoriahaslam) January 12, 2016

Tonight I went to see #axelscheffler do a talk for @nosycrowbooks. What a talented illustrator!… https://t.co/XxkFC4qXVi

— Danikuzzi (@Danikuzzi) January 11, 2016

Splendid turnout for @NosyCrowBooks‘ Illustrator Salon- w Axel Scheffler! -downstairs in atmospheric @TheBookClubEC2 pic.twitter.com/u05sKSE5QQ — ImogenRussellWill (@ImogenRW) January 11, 2016

@NosyCrow Really enjoyed this evenings Illustrator Salon with Axel Scheffler. Thanks. pic.twitter.com/DM1xLf4cSF

— Fiona Lumbers (@fionalumbers) January 11, 2016

Had a wonderful evening listening to the incredible Axel Scheffler @NosyCrow illustrator salon :) — Nutshell Studios (@nutshellstudio1) January 11, 2016

thank you @tombonnick and kate @NosyCrow for another great event. Thoroughly enjoyed this evening’s salon with Axel Scheffler.

— Kate Poels (@KatePoelsAuthor) January 11, 2016

@NosyCrow thank you for a great night, loved getting a peek at Axel’s sketchbooks