An Interview with Debut Author Kinga Tavasz and Visual Artist Beáta Kadlicskó: Creators of the Enchanting Children’s Book Fairy and Goblin

Kinga Tavasz never planned to become a writer. She stumbled upon this form of self-expression by chance when, while putting her daughter to sleep, a story emerged in her mind—a tale about Zilla the Rose Fairy and Thorn the Rose Goblin, their friendship, and their tiny enchanted world. Following her inner voice, she decided to turn this story into a beautifully illustrated picture book. Fate then took care of the rest: Kinga found her creative partners, and together they brought her imagination to life, much to the delight of children everywhere!

Kinga, how did you come up with the idea of writing a children’s book?

Kinga: My daughter was about a year and a half when I started writing the book. One afternoon, while she was napping, the idea suddenly popped into my head. I found myself in a state of flow, almost as if I were just a tool for the story to come to life. It was an extraordinary and joyful experience. The entire process felt special, and I also got to feel that I was doing something that truly resonated with who I am. The first positive feedback confirmed that I was creating something of value for others as well.

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Kinga Tavasz author of Fairy and Goblin children’s book

What’s your relationship with books and literature? Where do you think your love of storytelling comes from?

Kinga: I think it comes from my family. We always had lots of books at home—my parents loved reading, and I read a great deal as a child too. We often received books as gifts. We even had a slide projector, which we still have today, and my daughter loves watching the old slides. My mother remembers that I could recite many stories by heart.

What type of literature do you gravitate towards? Do you have any favourite authors? Which influences helped shape your writing style?

Kinga: I’ve always loved novels, fairy tales, and fantasy books—anything that could take me completely out of reality. I don’t have a particular favourite author or literary influence. If I’ve found my own voice as a writer, it has come from within. That said, there was an early hint of my writing ambitions: when I was about six or seven, I won a school competition for writing a fairy tale.

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Kinga Tavasz author of Fairy and Goblin.

Beáta, who are your artistic role models? What influences your work the most?

Beáta: I love the drawing style of Toulouse-Lautrec, the surrealism of Salvador Dalí, Monet’s colour palettes, and the playfulness of Joan Miró. But I find inspiration in many things, from refined works of applied art like unique porcelain pieces to intricate beadwork. However, nature is my greatest source of inspiration.

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Beáta Kadlicskó visual artist and graphic designer

Who is the target audience for ‘Fairy and Goblin’? Which age group do you recommend it for?

Kinga: Every child is different, so we recommend it for ages 4 to 10. We believe children of various maturity levels will enjoy the book.

Kinga Tavasz and Beáta Kadlicskó have perfectly complemented each other in creating this beautifully illustrated children’s book. How did you two find each other? How did you become co-creators of Fairy and Goblin?

Kinga: A mutual acquaintance recommended Beáta to me. Although I reached out to several illustrators, it was Beáta’s style that most closely matched the magical atmosphere of the story. Interestingly, I didn’t have a fixed idea of what the illustrations should look like—I hadn’t imagined how the characters would appear. So, I gave Beáta complete creative freedom. I’m so glad we connected. We’re very much in sync personally as well; we understand each other well. We attend book fairs and events together. Recently, we presented Fairy and Goblin at the Book Festival in Budapest, and I hope we’ll be able to showcase the English edition at The London Book Fair next spring. I’m also grateful to Zsuzsi Czeiz, who did the book’s layout.

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Living in the Rosebush, artwork by Beáta Kadlicskó. Illustration for the picture book Fairy and Goblin.

Beáta: I’m equally happy to have met Kinga and to have been asked to illustrate Fairy and Goblin. I hadn’t illustrated a children’s book in a long time, so I had a lot of ideas I wanted to express through this project. Fortunately, Kinga and I share a similar aesthetic sense, and she gave me plenty of room to create, which motivated me. The illustrations have become standalone works of art. As a result, we’ve decided to produce a limited edition of posters featuring images from the book, printed on special watercolour paper. These fairy-tale characters could make lovely additions to children’s rooms.

The book was self-published. Kinga, could you tell us why you chose this route and what challenges you faced as a first-time author?

Kinga: At first, I considered traditional publishing. I sent the manuscript to several publishers, but none of them even responded. Publishers are hesitant to take a risk on unknown authors. I felt—encouraged by my friends’ children who read the story—that the book deserved better. So, I decided to publish it myself by Christmas. However, publishing is a whole profession in itself, and it wasn’t easy. I spoke to people with experience in self-publishing, sought quotes from printers, and found an editor, proofreader, and graphic designer in addition to the illustrator. By the time everything came together, we had little time left, and the book needed to reach readers by Christmas.

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“Rosebuds chatting”. Another illustration by Beáta Kadlicskó for the picture book Fairy and Goblin.

Beáta: Yes, I only had about two and a half months to complete the illustrations.

Kinga: To my surprise, the biggest challenge came after that—making sure the book reached as many children as possible. As a single mother, I can’t compete with a big publisher’s marketing budget, but I still need to find ways to connect with readers.

How far along are you in this process?

Kinga: Fairy and Goblin has a website (in Hungarian language) where you can buy the book and order limited-edition posters. Many magazines have written about us, and I have an author page on Facebook. Whenever we get the chance, we attend events to present the book and the beautiful illustrations.

As an author, you’ve had to build your personal “brand” since your book launch put you in the public eye. Is that difficult? How mindful are you about brand building?

Kinga: Yes, it’s part of getting the book widely known. Of course, it requires some awareness and planning regarding what aspects of my life I share with the public. I’ve never been one to post on social media, but now I feel somewhat “forced” into it. What I’ve found, though, is that personal connections work best. We are well received by children and parents at book launches and fairs. That’s been the most effective way to sell the book so far. However, my daughter is still my main focus, so we haven’t been able to attend too many events.

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Kira, Kinga’s daughter

As mothers and freelancers, how do you balance your work with raising children and managing your household responsibilities?

Beáta: Raising three children while working in my profession has always taken up a lot of time. Now that they’re more independent, I have more time to delve into my work. Alongside Fairy and Goblin, I’ve been creating special wire-paper figurines and am excited to collaborate on other projects as a graphic designer and visual artist.

Kinga: Since my daughter is still quite young, and I’m raising her alone, time management is a big challenge. During the day, I focus on her. I only have time to work while she naps or during brief moments when she plays by herself. Besides the Fairy and Goblin tasks, I also have other work I do from home. It’s definitely not an easy period in my life.

What advice or encouragement would you offer Boast Magazine’s readers to help them overcome life’s challenges?

Kinga: Writing this book has taught me the importance of daring to be yourself and following what you feel called to do. It’s an incredible feeling to experience this authenticity and to be doing something that’s truly “me”! Of course, my daughter gives me immense strength for the daily challenges. It’s such a special feeling when I can tell her that I wrote this book.

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Fairy and Goblin picture book

Beáta: Every experience deepens my respect for life. I see the continuous progression and personal growth we undergo, and I know we are constantly building and becoming more. My faith, family, friends, and love for nature give me the strength to face daily challenges.

What are your plans?

Kinga: We will publish Fairy and Goblin in the UK soon. The English ebook version is ready and we’ve also started working on a sequel. I want my story to reach as many people as possible, for the characters to decorate children’s rooms, and perhaps to create handcrafted dolls, colouring books, and calendars based on them—the sky’s the limit! Besides Fairy and Goblin, I have several other stories waiting to be finished. I love them all, and I hope they’ll be published one by one. My big dream is to write a novel based on autobiographical elements. I’ve already come up with the concept, but it will take time to fully develop.

Beáta: I’m continuing to experiment with my wire-paper characters. Kinga and I love working together, and we have several other joint projects planned. I’m also already working on illustrations for the Fairy and Goblin sequel!

Thank you both for the conversation, and I wish you continued success!