Writing Antarctica experience for kids
Antarctica has no native inhabitants, and it’s very remote, which means everyone who goes there has a special reason for wanting to go.
In December 2016, Philippa Werry won a place on Antarctica NZ’s community engagement programme (formerly Artists and Writers to Antarctica). She decided to write Antarctic Journeys, a book targeted for 8 to 14 year olds about her experience.
How did you feel when you won a place?
Excited, and soon afterwards completely daunted. I was worried I’d be out of my depth, but everyone at Scott Base was very kind and helpful. It was just amazing to think I’d be going to a place that I’d read about and thought about for so long.
Was it there you decided to write this book?
I knew I wanted to write a book, but it took me a while to process the experience. After I got back, it was in my head all the time. There is so much you could say about Antarctica, and so much that has already been said. I wanted to find a way to write a book about it that felt right for me.
Why did you decide to write for children?
A lot of my books are written for that age group. It’s an interesting age to write for, when children are starting to find things out for themselves and to develop passions.
What were your first impressions?
After hours in a noisy cramped plane, to stand up and look out the window and see sea-ice floating on the water, then the snow-covered mountains stretching away into the distance was breath-taking. We landed so smoothly that it was hard to tell when we’d actually touched down. There was hardly any wind and it was just like a crisp winter’s day. On the minibus to Scott Base and McMurdo the windows steamed up and I was so impatient to get outside and have a look around.
What do you hope children take away?
A sense of wonder; a desire to know more about Antarctica — the history, science, animals or whatever interests them most. I’ve tried to introduce a lot more stories about women, and what they have achieved. So I hope both boys and girls will realise they can push to open doors.
Were you interested in Antarctica as a child?
Yes , because my mother was English so she had been brought up on stories of Robert Falcon Scott as a great hero and the tragic outcome of his trek to the South Pole. One of her favourite books was The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico, illustrated by Peter Scott, Robert Falcon Scott’s son, who was only a few years old when his father died.
Would you go back?
I would love to go back! I would know what to expect and would spend less time feeling like I was experiencing culture shock. But apart from scientists, not many people are lucky enough to get two trips.
What’s next?
I’m writing another children’s nonfiction book and it does have elements of history in it, but it’s quite different from the other books I’ve written. I’ve just started to contact people (in NZ and overseas) about permission to use photos or quotations, and they’ve all come back very enthusiastic, saying they love the topic. No more clues! But it will be coming out next year.