Author of Franklin children's books to speak in Charlottetown

Fans of Franklin are in for a treat this Thursday in Charlottetown, as the author and creator of the popular children's book series will be in town.

Actually, she's already on the Island, as she is every summer Paulette Bourgeois has been a summer resident for decades.

Now, the PEI Writers' Guild is taking advantage of her proximity by having her appear at a fundraising event for the group and for Reading Town PEI, the annual festival that promotes literacy and writing on the Island.

Bourgeois will be interviewed by Island Morning host Matt Rainnie, and she appeared on the program Tuesday to promote the event with Matt Rainnie.

She said her connection to P.E.I. goes back almost to the time of the first Franklin book.

"We'd been visitors to the Island, a week here and a week there, and kept getting ocean-view cottages with no view but Highway 2!" Bourgeois said.

Summer Island resident

"So we decided to buy some land and for many years we were up in Rustico and have wonderful memories of the kids being able to ride their bikes and learn to play golf at the Rustico Resort and tennis down there on a grass court and the Gallant kids up and down the road, that was great."

From humble beginnings, the Franklin books have gone on to sell an estimated 60 million copies worldwide, translated into at least 35 different languages.

The series started when Bourgeois, home with her first child, decided she needed to keep writing to help with mortgage payments.

Idea came from M*A*S*H

"I'd make this decision to write kids' books, but sadly I had no idea of where to begin. I'd started reading How to Write A Kid's Book, and thought that based on my journalism background it would come," she said.

"It didn't come, until one night late, my daughter was wailing, she was still a newborn, and I was nursing her, and I turned on the TV because she wouldn't settle down, and it was an old episode of M*A*S*H. It was an episode in which the main character, Hawkeye, and his cohort Hot Lips, had to go into a cave, and Hawkeye wouldn't go in.

"He said, 'No, you don't understand, I am so claustrophobic. If I were a turtle, I'd be afraid of my own shell.' Honestly, it was a lightbulb moment. I looked at my daughter, and said, 'That's it! I'm going to write a story about a turtle who's afraid of his shell,' and I did, the next morning. That was the start, and that was Franklin In The Dark."

Known around the world

The Ontario author still finds it shocking that her work has touched so many people, both parents and children, around the world.

"It's amazingly gratifying but it's also surprising to me. I don't think when you create something you have any idea of the impact," she confirmed.

"You don't know what you're doing. You sit in your little office and you write the books and everybody does their magic in creating it and sending it out, and then to find out especially so many years later ... that children around the world have been impacted. It's very humbling and enormously gratifying."

Bourgeois hopes to spread a little inspiration to writers and readers Thursday evening in her talk with Rainnie.

The event will be held at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery at 7 p.m., with admission by donation, and Bourgeois will be signing Franklin items as well.

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