HARRY WOODGATE AUTHOR STUDY by Fisher, Kelsey

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Harry Woodgate (they/them)

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Harry Woodgate is an award-winning author and illustrator. They write diverse, inclusive stories that inspire young readers. They want young readers to be creative, compassionate, curious, and proud of what makes them unique.

They won Best Illustrated Book at the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2022 and Children's Illustrated Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2023.

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British Book Awards 2023

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrywoodgateart/?hl=en

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kc7f5rtbdy33kic33h3oe27a

Website: https://www.harrywoodgate.com/

TikTok

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Bluesky App

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Timid Peritextual Features

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Timid By: Harry Woodgate is not only colorful, with a cover that attracts the eye from a distance and vibrant features, but also has many hidden details that are enjoyable. For instance, from the cover, it doesn’t push the idea that the lion is scary, but shows that he is nearly equal to the kid, and I love how the back cover shows his tail peeking through the other end of the curtain. Every aspect of the book feels personalized and fun, appealing to children while also teaching essential values. The title "Timid" conveys a tone of shyness and vulnerability. The cover design of “Timid” is bold. The energy and vibrancy of the cover suggest picking it up and buying it. The color palette reportedly references nonbinary identity, using pinks, purples, and yellows as part of the visual strategy.

Grandad's Camper

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Woodgate explores grief in this picture book by retelling the story of a deceased husband, Gramps. Gramps and Grandad were a loving couple who traveled the world, in their pink camper van, exploring, surfing, and climbing mountains. The granddaughter, inspired by the stories of adventure and seeing her Grandad's grief, comes up with a plan. She convinces him to fix up the old camper so they can take a new adventure together. The story concludes with the Grandad and his granddaughter setting off on a trip, honoring Gramps. The overall vibrant and colorful illustrations help convey the joy of Grandad and Gramps' past adventures and the warmth of the Grandad-grandchild bond. The visual style and inclusion of what look like photographs reinforce the theme of treasured memories and storytelling. Also, the end pages switch from initially Gramps and Grandad to Grandad and Granddaughter.

Grandad's Pride

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Message to Harry on Instagram

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(We will include a response if/when we get one)

License Plate (Gordon)

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In both Grandads Camper and Grandads Pride, the camper can has the license plate NOD RO6. This represents the name Gordon, which is Harry Woodgate's grandfather's name, and to whom Grandad's Camper is dedicated. In an interview, Harry talks about how the inspiration behind the book was from their family talking about their grandfather Gordon

Stonewall Book Awards (The power behind the award)

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Grandad's Pride

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Grandad's Pride is the sequel to Grandad's Camper. It follows Milly and Grandad on another adventure. Milly learns about how Grandad and Gramps used to go to the Pride Parade. Milly decides that she and Grandad are going to hold their own pride parade in their village. They work together to join the village in volunteering and setting up the parade. Milly learns that pride is a big party where everyone celebrates the diversity of their communities and that everyone should be treated with equality and respect. On the day of the parade, Grandad is nowhere to be seen until he pulls up in the camper that he and Gramps used to travel in. At the end, Gramps shows up in the symbol of a rainbow.

Controversy about Grandad's Pride

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While searching for information about Grandad's Pride, I found there is quite a bit of controversy, especially when it comes to a certain couple in the illustrations. In the US version of the book, there is a couple kissing while in outfits that look like bondage. In the UK version, the couple is wearing different outfits and are not kissing. Many people have seen this illustration as inappropriate and too sexual for a children's book.

Visual symbolism- Pink Triangle

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In both Grandad's Camper and Grandad's Pride, there are multiple times that a pink triangle shows up. During the Holocaust, around 15,000 gay men were sent to concentration camps and forced to wear a pink triangle to show that they were LGBTQ+. This showed the other people in the camps that they were "bottom tier" and they received harsher treatment because of it. The pink triangle has now been reclaimed by LGBTQ+ spaces as a symbol of pride and remembrance. In the book Grandad's Pride, the trinalge is first seen on a sign from Grandads and Gramps' pride parades in the past with the words "Silence=death". There is also a sign that reads "A.I.D.S: We Need Research Not Hysteria". In the mid-1980s (which we can assume the parade that Grandad and Gramps were around the same time), a group of gay activists made a poster with the triangle and the phrase "silence=death" to publicize the inaction and homophobia of institutions during the AIDS epidemic.

Sources: https://www.nclrights.org/the-significance-of-the-pink-triangle/

https://www.facinghistory.org/ideas-week/paragraph-175-origins-pink-triangle

Representations of History and Social Issues

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In Grandad's Pride, there are many representations of gay history. Along with the pink triangle, one character holds a sign that says "Repeal paragraph 175". Paragraph 175 was a German statute that criminalized sexual relationships between men. Another sign says "Happy Christopher Street Day". The Stonewall Inn is on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, and was a bar that was freuqneted by the LGBTQ communities. On June 28th, 1969, police raided the bar, people started to fight back, and police started arresting them. This led to several days of protests. These protests are seen as the start of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Now, every year on June 28th, people join to celebrate LGBTQ people and raise awareness.

Significance: These two signs signify both the struggle and celebration of gay rights. They are there to honor those who have struggled for equality in the past

Sources: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/paragraph-175-and-the-nazi-campaign-against-homosexuality

https://nationaltoday.com/christopher-street-day/

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In this interview, Harry discusses the inspiration behind the story Grandads Camper, which centers on LGBTQ+ themes and multigenerational relationships. They emphasize the importance of representation in children's literature, particularly for queer elders, a group often underrepresented in media. They also share the reasoning behind becoming an author and illustrator. They say that since they were a child, they knew they wanted to be an author/illustrator. They also share that they were an eager reader, and writing and illustrating always stuck with them. Harry says that an art teacher encouraged them to study illustration at university, and then they started writing stories.

Connections between books

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All three of Harry Woodgate's books that we studied contain LGBTQ+ themes and include LGBTQ+ representation. Harry wanted to write books that inspire young readers to be "creative, compassionate, curious, and proud of what makes them unique".

Motifs: Seagull

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There are a few times that seagulls appear in Grandad's Camper and Grandad's Pride. Seagulls typically represent freedom, adaptability, and communication.

Connections to life

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In the book Timid, the main character Timmy uses they/them pronouns, and so does Harry Woodgate.

Timid

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Timid is a book about a child named Timmy who loves to imagine themself performing, and dreams of being on stage. However, their shyness and fear of being noticed by others for the wrong reasons often hold them back. Timmy’s emotions take the form of a lion, in this case, representing their courage and creativity. Throughout the story, the lion feels the same feelings as Timmy but has the goal of helping them find their voice and share their talents. When a talent show comes, Timmy must decide whether to be in the audience or have the chance of stepping into the spotlight. With the lion in his head supporting him and reminding him of who he is, Timmy discovers that bravery isn’t about being fearless and perfect; it’s about being your authentic self, even when it feels scary. Throughout the book, you will be surprised by paratextual features and changes and shifts from the characters as we go on this adventure with Timmy.

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American Library Association. Stonewall Book Awards. Rainbow Round Table, www.ala.org/rrt/award/stonewall. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Character Position

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Timmy loves to perform when there’s no audience. The left page visualizes how Timmy feels when he performs, then zooms out to the bigger picture. On the right page, you notice, at the bottom left, that the lion is watching Timmy dance, and the larger character to the right represents how he feels powerful and full of emotion on his own.

Eye Contact and Body Language (Includes Macaw Symbolization)

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At the beginning of the book, you can feel the timidity. Timmy is to the left of the page, looking up at the lion. The lion is using the same body language as Timmy, appearing anxious and small through body language. They are looking up at the Macaws symbolizing freedom and joy, but the Macaws are flying away from them and towards Nia, who is to the right and is happy and confident.

Spatial Positioning

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This page, later in the book, it shows how quickly Timmy's confidence grew. They begin performing with their new friend Nia, and she allows him to be the primary image, front and center. The lion is now confused, cowardly, and concerned because Timmy, who usually follows the lion, is now finding their own voice and confidence.

Banner Symbolism - Throughout their books

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Party banners symbolize celebration, unity, and personalization, and the meaning can vary depending on their design, wording, and cultural context. In Timid, you notice that much of the banner features loud colors and patterns, and there is also an LGBTQ+ pride flag banner. The banners also show up in Grandad's Pride with bright colors and also includes a lot of pride flags as well.

The end of the book significance

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By the end of the story, Timmy confronts their inner “lion”, a metaphor for their shyness and performance anxiety, rather than being completely defeated by it. We are looking at Timmy facing his fears with Nia, who changed their perspective and grew their confidence. They can also see the lion in the audience waving with pride for Timmy, showing that being Timid shouldn't keep you from your passions.

Illustration Process

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In this interview, Harry shares their process of illustrations for the book Timid. They share that the first step is a rough draft, then they begin to do the thumbnail sketches. After that, they gradually edit, develop, and refine until they're ready to move to the final artwork. They share that "reading aloud helps me work out things like page turns and phrasing, and making a dummy book helps ensure there's a nice flow and variety of composition in the artwork". Harry also says that their illustrations are a combination of hand-painted, photographed, and digital textures that they collage together in Photoshop.

This is such a great insight into the complicated process of being an author and illustrator. Harry is an incredibly creative person, and you can see that through their illustrations. I also think that this shows that they are intentional and thoughtful when it comes to their books.

Connections between all 3 books

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All three books focus on self-acceptance and authenticity.

In Timid, Timmy is too nervous to perform, but he learns to be strong and do it anyway. They learned to trust themself and show the world who they are.

In Grandad's Camper, after Gramps passed away, Grandad stopped sharing the part of his life that consisted of adventure. Milly helps him become more comfortable and to start living his life again without Gramps.

In Grandads Pride, Milly helps her Grandad find the joy in the Pride Parade again and she learns about how pride is about love and acceptance.

Endpages

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The opening and closing endpages in each of the books are different. This signifies that the characters have been through some sort of change in the story. Grandad's Camper and Grandad's Pride are illustrated, which helps move along the story and relate to the plot, characters, and setting.

Timid's endpages are motif/patterned. The pictures change slightly at the end. Each little picture on the pages signifies something important in the story. For example, the lion changes from crying to hugging with Timmy.

In order: Grandad's Camper, Grandad's Pride, Timid

fish9476 — 2025-10-27 04:40:53 UTC

In this podcast, Harry Woodgate discussed their journey from an illustration degree to winning the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for the best illustrated book of 2022 for Grandad's Camper. Harry notes that they draw inspiration from fellow creators like Dapo Adeola for his dynamic character design, and Maisie Paradise Shearring for, "her illustrations' warmth and texture'." Harry also stated in the podcast that their connection to libraries as vital community resources stems from their own childhood, where their primary school librarian fostered their love of reading and poetry. In discussing their creative process and advice, Harry emphasized connecting to real-life by drawing inspiration from the clothes people wear to express their personality and the internal conflicts (like shyness versus a love of performing).

Illustration Inspiration

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Harry Woodgate is an author and illustrator whose work is deeply connected to art and personal experience. They love turning stories into pictures by consciously cutting down the text so the illustrations and words work perfectly together. Harry is inspired by illustrators like Dapo Adeola for his dynamic, emotional characters, and Maisie Paradise Shearring for the inviting, textural warmth of her art. When creating characters, Harry starts with visuals, like an outfit or a unique feature, because they believe that appearance is a powerful way to express personality. This focus on personal relevance and visual storytelling is seen in their work, from the award-winning Grandad's Camper to new projects like Butterfly House and the colorful, crowd-filled Grandad's Pride. Harry advises aspiring creators to simply write what is important to you.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYeUy8Q6qLo

Power & Agency

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Through this image, you can see the power and agency in the size difference between Timmy and the lion. The lion’s prominent figure, bold colors surrounding his image, and gaze symbolize the power of Timmy’s fear, feelings, and anxiety, making it feel big and overwhelming. Timmy, who is seen as small and timid, has their hands closed in front of their body, representing being closed off, with their eyes looking up. This suggests a sense of vulnerability and a lack of agency. The vast white space between Timmy and the lion emphasizes the distance emotionally and physically and pushes at the imbalance of power. The image shows how Timmy's fears could potentially dominate him and how their journey will be about finding the courage to reclaim their own agency.

Part 2- Sophie Portion of Video

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Woodgate, Harry. “Harry Woodgate Interview – Nibbies Studio – The British Book Awards.” YouTube, uploaded by The British Book Awards, 28 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zzez86mghg.

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Woodgate, Harry. “Grandad’s Camper: Author Harry Woodgate Celebrates ….” YouTube, uploaded by The British Book Awards, 16 May 2023, https://youtu.be/P3nz2mg0E7s.

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Kirichanskaya, Michele. “Interview with Harry Woodgate, Author of Grandad’s Camper.” Geeks OUT, 4 Dec. 2024, www.geeksout.org/2024/12/04/interview-with-harry-woodgate-author-of-grandads-camper/

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Eagleton, Ian. “TIMID: An Interview with Harry Woodgate.” The Reading Realm, 10 Oct. 2022, thereadingrealm.co.uk/2022/10/10/timid-an-interview-with-harry-woodgate/.

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Beattie, Tina. “Grandad’s Pride – Liberalism’s Shame.” Agender, Substack, 21 Sept. 2023, agender.substack.com/p/grandads-pride-liberalisms-shame.

Used Google AI Overview

sophiejsimmons — 2025-10-28 01:10:58 UTC

“What do party banners symbolize in a book.” Google Search, Google, accessed 27 Oct. 2025, https://www.google.com/search?q=what+do+party+banners+symbolize+in+a+book

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Volunteer Latin America. “The Magic of the Macaw.” Volunteer Latin America Blog, Volunteer Latin America, 4 Dec. 2023, www.volunteerlatinamerica.com/blog/posts/the-magic-of-the-macaw

Part 1- video reflection

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Visuals- Color

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Throughout all the books, all the colors are incredibly vibrant. The colors appear to young readers, create excitement and engagement, creativity, and work to tell a story.

part 3 reflection - kelsey

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Library Service - Hampshire County Council. (2024, December 19). Love Your Library | 21 Dec 2022: A Children’s Book Special | Jake Alexander and Harry Woodgate [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYeUy8Q6qLo

Blog Interview

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Nonbinary Knight. (2023, April 25). Book tour: GRANDAD'S PRIDE review + interview with Harry Woodgate. Nonbinary Knight Reads and Reviews. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://nonbinaryknight-reads.blogspot.com/2023/04/book-tour-grandads-pride-review.html