Задание 4 ЕГЭ по английскому языку

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Presenter: Hello everybody, and welcome to our weekly programme 'the Writer's Workshop'. Today in our studio, we are lucky to have Mandy Forrest, a renowned illustrator and a beginner writer. Mandy has recently published her second picture book, Farm Tales, as an author. Hello Mandy.

Mandy: Good afternoon. Thank you for inviting me here today.

Presenter: Tell us how the story of Farm Tales came to you.

Mandy: My editor and I wanted to create a companion story for Little Farm, another farm story, but with different characters. We decided upon a girl and a horse because of my experience with, and long-time love of, horses. At that stage, I was trying to move forward from losing my own beloved horse, but I couldn't make that the focus of the story. It was just too hard. While thinking about what angle I was going to tackle it from, I was talking to a good friend of mine, and she was telling me how her daughter was struggling with the reality of not being able to ride her Shetland pony anymore, because she had outgrown it. That pony was named Smudge, and the idea was born.

Presenter: You spent a year with the Shetland pony Smudge and his owner to observe their relationship and take reference photos for this book. Is that how you usually develop a picture book?

Mandy: I always try to put a lot of time into the research of my stories. It allows me to form a connection with the characters and to consider things from every angle. From observing how Smudge and her owner interacted, I picked up on little things that were unique and special in their relationship, like hiding the carrot in one hand and presenting both for the pony to choose. That's a real thing. These moments can only be captured through observation. It allows me to present a vulnerability that I hope the reader will feel privileged to be a part of.

Presenter: Most of your picture books feature animals. What is it that you love about drawing animals?

Mandy: I've always had a connection with animals and been a big animal lover. To be honest, most of the time I prefer their company. They're honest, and what you give to them, they give back tenfold. I remember back in high school, in English class, whenever we had creative writing or free writing time, I would research and draw different animals from all over the world. I think this frustrated my English teacher a bit, as she wanted me to write more fiction, but I was always intrigued by different animals and so wrote more non-fiction, kind of my encyclopedia.

Presenter: How does the process differ between being an illustrator and an author illustrator, and which do you prefer?

Mandy: I really enjoy both, honestly. I love illustrating books written by other authors because I learn so much from their writing and what they leave out. When I'm presented with a text, I feel like I'm entering a world which I haven't created. But through my images, I can bring it to life, expand upon it, and bring part of me to it and make it mine. And that's really exciting. When I write my own stories, I will tend to see them in pictures first. So most often, it will start from a sketch or a storyboard concept. I then try to find the words to support it, and it is a real process of switching hats between author and illustrator to find the balance. It's frustrating at times because I have no boundaries at that stage and that makes for quite a lengthy process for me. Still, it's a fabulous feeling though when the visual literacy evolves from my own words and that magic starts to come together.

Presenter: Thank you very much, Mandy. It has been very interesting talking to you.

Mandy: Thank you.