FR – Through her colourful and inspiring books, aimed at children aged 8–11 (or grown-ups who want to learn more about the history of the Midi region!), Oksana Leprince Dubarry, an illustrator with a passion for history and drawing, shares The Adventures of Ofelia, her young heroine, who is as charming as she is endearing, and whom we see grow up through her adventures.
Literary encounter
Hello Oksana,
Welcome to UzEssentiel,
To begin with, when and how did you get started in illustration and writing?
Hello and thank you so much for welcoming me to UzEssentiel!
Even as a very young child, I loved reading and writing. I spent all my time at the Uzès Media Library, which quickly became my second home. There, I learnt and understood the power of words, and I started writing short stories which I printed at my mum’s shop (she went through quite a few ink cartridges because of me!) and handed out.
Drawing came later, in a style completely different from what I do today.
In 2022, I set about writing, illustrating and self-publishing my first book, ‘Je me souviens de tout’ (I remember everything). I loved the experience and soon wanted to do it again. But it took me a while to officially see myself as an author and illustrator; imposter syndrome can be terrible at times!
Is Ofelia... your very first heroine?
Absolutely! In “L’Oracle des contes et légendes d’Occitanie”, there are several tales and therefore several main characters. And in “The ABC of Basque Mythology”, I bring to life a myriad of Basque entities. For “Ofelia’s Adventures in the Midi”, the approach is different.
Since these books are mainly aimed at children, I wanted to create the character of a little girl who guides them by the hand through all these stories. I wanted a heroine who was endearing, easily relatable, and who resembled them… And who resembled me too!
And, ultimately, by bringing Ofelia to life, I embarked on one of the most wonderful adventures of my own life.
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The Adventures of Ofelia in the South (Les aventures d'Ofelia dans le midi) : Ofelia, aged nine, lives in a pretty village in the south of France. In this second volume, she once again uses her magic medallion, which allows her to travel through time for new adventures! After witnessing the Winegrowers’ Revolt, battling the Drac, chatting with the Cathars, and discovering how a mill and a lock work. The second volume, still aimed at children aged 8 to 11, focuses on five new stories: Ofelia in the Age of Prehistoric Man (discovering prehistory in the Midi), Ofelia and the Minervois Battalion (the Second World War), Ofelia discovers the marble quarries (Caunes Minervois marble), Ofelia and the Mitounes (legendary fairies) and Ofelia in the days of the Aéropostale.
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You recall some of the great moments in local history and, above all, ‘the cultural richness of the region’… Where do you draw your inspiration from (history books, tradition – in short, how do you craft your stories?
It depends on the stories! I was already familiar with certain themes (such as the Canal du Midi, marble, the Drac river…) but I chose to start from scratch.
I did a lot of research on all the topics I wanted to cover: reading books, watching films and/or documentaries, visiting museums and specialist centres, trawling through archives, meeting people with expertise in certain subjects… I wanted to have a solid foundation of information before tackling the writing and illustration.
And then, through my wanderings and chance encounters, I came face to face with other themes. For example, I knew nothing at all about the hat-making tradition of the Upper Aude Valley, and it was whilst visiting the Hat-Making Museum in Espéraza that I had the idea for a new story for Ofelia. Chance often works out well!
Once I’d gathered all the research, I set about writing and then illustrating. Where possible, I have my regular proofreaders (my fiancé and my mum) read through it, along with any of the people who provided me with information, and then my publisher.
I soon realised that Ofelia would not be a solitary endeavour in which I simply shared all my knowledge. Ofelia has introduced me to fascinating and passionate people, lovers of their land who are equally committed to passing on their knowledge, traditions and craft.
Ofelia is a collective endeavour. If I write these books, it is for myself and, above all, for them. I want to give them, in my own humble way, the recognition they deserve.
Are you also on Spotify and YouTube with podcasts? The organisation must be quite different from that for your books, isn’t it?
It really is a completely different venture, but I have the same desire to do a lot of research and create content that I enjoy, with high standards.
The audience isn’t the same as for Ofelia, as this time I’m addressing adults and tackling darker and/or lesser-known themes. Writing for children requires summarising and sometimes toning things down. For the Chroniques Occitanes, I can go into greater detail and cover the subject in its entirety, even if it’s sometimes complex.
The process is the same at the start of the work: I do my research first and write the script. Then comes the recording and editing phase, which I’ve had to learn as I go along. I must be honest, I do it for ‘fun’ using whatever I have to hand, so a microphone, headphones and my laptop. But I’m happy to be able to develop other skills, step out of my comfort zone and gain different expertise on other subjects. The main aim is to shine a light on my region, which is my greatest love.
Ofelia is now on her second volume. Are you thinking of another character for a new series of books, or would you like to see Ofelia grow through her adventures?
Ofelia will always be nine years old, although I do, of course, hope to write quite a few volumes. The second one came out recently, the third will be out before the summer, and I’m already working on the fourth. As long as I have ideas for adventures, there will be more books!
And I won’t hide the fact that once Ofelia and I have explored (almost) everything in the Midi, the idea would be to travel to other regions and departments. Whilst keeping a foothold in the south, of course – Ofelia will always be Occitan, no matter where her travels take her!
However, my publisher and I are already preparing another series of books featuring a different heroine. The setting will be completely different, as this time we’ll be venturing into the world of fairy tales.
As you write for young people, do you ever collaborate with educational institutions or youth clubs to present your books and your passion for history through talks or writing workshops? Children are indeed very keen on this sort of activity!
I haven’t had that pleasure yet, but it would be a way of presenting my work that I’d love!
Making a name for yourself in this field is quite difficult, especially in children’s literature, because there’s already such a huge range of books out there. But if your article allows me to put out a call to educational and cultural organisations that might be interested in my work, I’d be delighted. I’m a big fan of these kinds of encounters myself – they’re so enriching.
Do you take part in book fairs as well as book signings in bookshops?
Yes, I’ve been lucky enough to present my books at several book fairs, in the Basque Country and Occitanie, and it’s an absolutely fabulous experience every time. Being able to chat with the public is an integral part of an author’s life.
Would you like to share any further information or details?
Your regions, your departments, your towns are magnificent. Do pay them a visit! You’ll come away enriched, moved, and inspired, with a desire to learn even more – that’s for sure!
As for me, you can find me on my Instagram, my YouTube channel and Spotify. Please do get in touch if you’d like to have a chat with me!
Many thanks to Oksana Leprince Dubarry for her contribution to UzEssentiel.
The right address : oksana.leprince.communication@gmail.com.