Vampyre By: Margaret Wild

I am Vampyre. Feared. Despised. I live in darkness. I long for light.

CBCA Book of the Year Award winner Margaret Wild teams up with talented newcomer Andrew Yeo to debut stunning new picture book Vampyre this September.

From the depths of his dark vampyre world a young vampyre boy reflects on his joyous childhood, juxtaposed with his current life and his longing to join the ‘light’.

A darkly emotive and atmospheric tale of a young boy’s search for identity; Yeo’s haunting illustrations coupled with Wild’s lingering and distinctive prose create a seamlessly interwoven story that will resonate with both children and adults alike.

Speaking from her home in Sydney’s inner west, Margaret says the plot for Vampyre came to her almost accidentally.

“I never planned to write a story about a vampire boy, but when I stumbled across the word ‘vampyre’ the unusual spelling sparked my imagination. It seemed ancient and evocative, and I liked the fact that ‘pyre’ with its connotations of burning was part of the word.” She says, going on to explain further:

“From this I started thinking about the pressure that some parents put on their children to join the ‘family business’, and I wondered what would happen if a vampire teenager decided he was going to take a different path, and how he would achieve this”.

What results is a beautifully crafted tale about making choices and being true to oneself that will surely be heralded as a classic in years to come.