I have worked in an academic environment for a number of years. My main interest is in language - its development, its uses and the ways in which people bypass linguistic barriers. One of my academic publications is a book on how children develop language. I have a gift of being able to talk and listen to children.

I am intrigued by the role of narrative and its role in the development of attention span, interactive skills, literacy and cognitive development, and ultimately as a strategy of resilience and survival. My work in the field of paediatric HIV/Aids in Africa has lead me to hear narratives of hope and joy in the bleakest of places. Children love the escape of the story. Stories can empower children as protagonists of their own destinies.

I am a member of a creative writing group and have written several short stories and poems. I was recently awarded the Order of Mapungubwe - Silver - by President Mbeki for my contribution to the field of communication and I was a category winner for the Woman of the Year award in 2008.

In developing my children’s books I focus on providing a visual and verbal environment for joint activity for the readers, one which creates a diversion and an escape but also a shared intimacy and conversation. Reading enforces a time of contemplation and mindfulness, in a world filled with distractions and often with horrible realities. We tell our lives in narrative, the repetition in narrative is a tool for learning; narrative provides survival strategies and helps develop a response to the world.

My books aim to provide the things that children love – a special private knowledge of their new world. I want to mix the headiness of new vocabulary with the simple structure of a story. By playing with words I hope to enhance appreciation of colours, smells and texture and provide an exposure to themes of culture, ecology and conservation.

I have written two children’s books (see below) and seek detailed illustrations which add texture to my words – possibly in watercolour and ink.

Claire Penn 2008