Preview from award-winning author of books for children and adults. Scottish launch of latest Illustrated tale

Ever since Oscar the Hebridean cat went missing on a ferry to the Western Isles over a decade ago, his adventures have been enchanting children and adults for a decade.

Molly Arbuthnot, is the inspiration behind Oscar and his adventures. The Siamese cat was a real family cat, who travelled with its owners wherever they went, including on regular trips to a family retreat on South Uist.

On this particular journey he managed to step on the button to wind the window down, make good his escape and could not be found anywhere on board the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry.

“He was a very amazing cat,” says Molly fondly. “He was kind and brave.” Her book was written partly as a tribute to Oscar and partly as a way to release and heal the sadness of losing him.

We caught up with Molly, who has just released her 16th book, Eddie the Duckling, at the Edinburgh Bookshop and is working on an animation of Oscar’s adventures and writing Eamonn the Bat, to find out more about her books, the characters, her ideas and her life.

About the author

Molly was a teacher for seven years, in Kenya, in London and in Italy – a hint of the nomadic lifestyle she continues to have.

Her formal study has included a Masters in Children’s Literature at Glasgow University, and her books, beautifully illustrated stories, have won several awards.

At the heart of them all is a deeper understanding of life and its trials and tribulations, love, loss, joy, sorrow, acceptance, the light and shade of life.

Writing is a cathartic experience for Molly which she says helps her, and her readers, make sense of the world they inhabit and the their emotional responses to it.

Molly herself is something of an enigma. Someone happy in her own company and who freely admits could happily stay at home, her life is a succession of trips all over the world, she takes her books to readings around the globe, travelling alone. It’s a lonely life, she admits.

With strong roots in Scotland – her father ran a business in Perth – she still has a deep affinity with the country and visits and works here a lot. Although her base is in London, she is in the process of buying somewhere in Edinburgh for her many frequent trips here.

“I have imposed this on myself,” she laughs. “I love being at home but I force myself to travel.”

The business brains of her father and creative nature of her mother are present in equal measure in Molly, she says she is a balance of the two. Her her chosen profession – both a creative writer and the driving force behind selling and marketing her books – requires an equal mix of both skills.

This quest to travel and spread the stories she writes about is taking her and her books to readings in Bologna, Italy, to Abu Dhabi and Dubai this year, and she’s planning more trips including a tour of the United States. She arranges the trips, visits to local schools and talks, herself, taking samples of her books with her and doing live readings. She takes part in literature festivals all over the world and closer to home here in Scotland, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences.

About the books

The books all have animals as the central characters.

“I can hide people in an animal more easily,” she says. “They are not controlled. Animals retain a degree of freedom and are not restricted by the constraints of human beings.”

Although the books are all beautifully illustrated – Molly works with different artists who bring her characters to life – but they are not necessarily ‘childrens’ books.

“My books appeal to all ages and all people,” says Molly “l don’t believe, just because a book has pictures, that it is just for children.”

She has no shortage of ideas for stories and says she probably has enough outlined stories on her computer to last a lifetime. So,where do the ideas come from?

“They used to be projections of everything I dreamed of,” says Molly. “Now they are still projections of things and places that are important in my life.”

A lot of travel and moving about has meant there has been a lack of some permanent people and places in Molly’s life. This is just one thing that’s explored in the books.

“I enjoy writing and love it when both children and adults find joy in the books,” she says. “All my books are in some way about going against the trend and finding unique gifts within ourselves.”

Book previews

Eddie the Duckling was officially launched on March 27 at the Edinburgh Bookshop at Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh. It follows the story of Eddie, an outsider who can neither quack nor paddle. When he spots a hawk eyeing up the other ducklings in his family he begins to shake with fear. His shaking sets off a ripple which becomes music, warning the other ducklings and saving them from the impending threat. There’s a twist at the end, which involves hawk poo – no spoilers here, but every child loves poo in a story!

She is also working on Eamonn the Bat. Eamonn makes friends with a flower, which can only come out at night. He has an ingenious plan to cover the flower with sycamore leaves, allowing it to peek out during the day,whilst remaining in darkness. The book is due to be published later in the year.

She’s also working with animators to bring Oscar the Ferry Cat to life as an animated story, which should be shown around the UK, including venues in Edinburgh and Dumfries in December this year.

Find out more about Molly, and her books on here website here. Her books are available to buy online through her website and on Amazon