‘Feeling different is something everyone can relate to’ - local author pens inspiring new children’s book

A new book which aims to help children aged 6-8 consider the idea of feeling different is due to go on sale at the end of this month (November). Hello, I’m New, is the first book written by March native Emily Voss, who went to school at Kings in Peterborough before moving to London to work in fashion at the age of 21.

She told the Peterborough Telegraph how relocating to the capital from her rural home planted the initial kernel of inspiration in her mind:

“Coming from a small town in rural Cambridgeshire – and very proudly so – I couldn’t help but think how scary and different being new to the capital had felt. It was so different from the leafy fields and quiet riverside March, of my hometown.”

This led her to conclude that “I was/must be different from London and its residents, too.”

This train of thought, that “feeling different… is something that everyone can relate to”, returned to the 32-year-old sales manager a year later when she visited The Shard:

“I began to think about how both The Shard and I were new to the city.”

The swirls of inspiration eventually formed into a narrative within Emily’s mind:

“I began to piece together the concept of a children’s story that I could use The Shard’s central character - his meeting of the different landmarks we all know and how they might receive him! Would they like him? Would the older fellows like Tower Bridge understand The Shard’s design? Would the more modern buildings, particularly the Eye, feel jealous?"

Emily eventually concluded that telling a story using the London landmarks – and how different they are from each other – would be a very effective way of “incorporating a message focussing on self-esteem, addressing ‘imposter syndrome’ and how to feel more confident.”

In addition, Emily also believes that Hello, I’m New may inspire children from rural areas to seek out experiences in pastures new, saying she hoped her book “will inspire children from rural areas to be brave and go further afield.”

Hello, I’m New is published by Austin Macauley and will be released in hardback and eBook formats on 30 November.