Kadono Eiko and the Power of Imagination

　I have written many children’s stories/for a long time.// You may know one of my works,/Kiki’s  Delivery  Service .// It was translated into English,/French,/Swedish,/and many other languages.//
　A young witch,/Kiki,/is the main character/of the story.// At the age of 13,/she leaves her home/in order to become a real witch.// She flies on her broom/to a new town with a cat/named Jiji.// She starts a delivery service/and works hard/to be accepted/in her new community.// She shows readers/how to live in a positive way.//
　I have always enjoyed writing stories/throughout my life.// So I am honored/that I received the Hans Christian Andersen Award/in 2018.//

　Kiki’s Delivery Service  and my other works/were born from my imagination.// It developed during my childhood.//
　When I was five,/my mother passed away.// During the obon  period,/my father used to speak to her/as if she were there.// He said to her,/“Welcome back.// We moved the furniture.// Be careful/not to bump into anything.”// Although I could not see my mother,/I believed/that she was with us.// I became curious/about the invisible world.//
　I always liked stories/when I was a child.// I often asked my father/to read stories to me.// When I became a teenager,/I read books every single day.// I especially loved stories/with happy endings.//

　When I create a story,/the images of the characters/are important.// Kiki’s Delivery Service  was born/from my daughter’s drawing.// It was a simple picture/of a witch on a broom.// The picture made me imagine the character.// I imagined/that a young girl like my daughter/was flying over skyscrapers/in New York.//
　The names of the characters/are also essential.// When I was young,/I didn’t like school.// However,/my teacher remembered my given name/and called me “Eiko chan ”/one day.// I felt very happy.// So when I write stories,/I think carefully/about the names of the characters.// Once I named the witch “Kiki”,/I felt/that she was next to me.// She whispered,/“Let’s fly together.”//

　I like to experience something new.// This influences my stories/as well as my life.// When I was 24,/I decided to live in Brazil/with my husband.// I was really looking forward to seeing/a new world.// I felt my heart beating.//
　Kiki has a similar experience.// When she leaves home/for an unknown town,/Jiji asks,/“Are you sure/you want to be a witch?”// She replies,/“Yes.// I’ve already made up my mind/by myself.”// Actually,/Kiki is happy/when she leaves.// She says,/“I am so excited.// It’s like opening a gift box.”//
　This feeling is/exactly how I felt/when I headed for Brazil.// Jumping into a new world/always inspires me/and expands my imagination.//