Elodie interviews author and comedian Rosie Jones
This morning, we could all watch Treloar’s student Elodie on Newsround. Elodie met with author, actor and comedian, Rosie Jones to discuss her latest book ‘The Amazing Edie Eckhart: The Big Trip’.
Before the meeting, Elodie had prepared a long list of questions about the book. “I prepared eight or nine questions,” said Elodie when we asked her about the interview. Elodie and Rosie talked about the importance of representation and embracing who we are. Rosie said that the book isn’t about Edie’s disability but about her going out into the world and being proud of who she is.
Elodie loves reading and was really excited to meet the author. Meeting Rosie Jones has inspired Elodie who is now considering a career in acting or writing herself.
Elodie on her experience of meeting Rosie Jones:
When I first heard about it in assembly, I never thought I would be the one they would pick to interview Rosie Jones, but after an interview and a chat with the Newsround producer and a lady called Tanya, they decided straight away I would be perfect for the job. They liked that I knew that Rosie was a comedian and said they would send me copies of Rosie’s books to read and help me think of what questions I would like to ask. It was a big shocker! I was ecstatic that they wanted me to do something so important.
Preparing for the big day
I started doing some research on Rosie, looking at TV and video clips. I even saw her being interviewed at the Edinburgh festival. It was good to find out more about her, but it didn’t really help me think of questions to ask about her latest book! I decided to read her first book about Edie Eckhart and got some great ideas from that. The publisher sent me a copy of the new book which arrived four days before the interview. In the end, I didn’t have long to read the books, but it was ok. I was determined to meet the deadline and get my questions prepared. Fortunately, the books were really interesting, and I started getting into the different characters. The day finally came. I was starting to get nervous, because I had never done anything specifically like this before! The interview was taking place at Kensington Central Library and Tanya had arranged a taxi to get us there. There is a taxi disaster story to tell there, but I will save that for another occasion.
Meeting Rosie
It was so exciting to meet Rosie. I’d been hyped up beforehand, but seeing her, I was speechless and a little starstruck. Even though I have some experience with performing, I had butterflies in my tummy. But as soon as I was with Rosie, I didn’t feel nervous anymore, in fact, I felt like an expert! The interview went really well Rosie Jones was open to all of my questions, and we just couldn’t stop chatting! It was so nice to know that there was more than one person out there that had similar experiences to me. Also, she was an amazing asset for me. She is now a person that I can say inspires me!
The Books
It was really inspiring to read a book where the main character has Cerebral Palsy like me; it was very different to any of the books that I had read or heard about before! It was refreshing to hear about the normal teenage stuff she does and situations she encounters, not just focused on her disability and I really enjoyed it. I don’t mean to brag, however, I can kind of see myself in Edie Eckhart’s shoes when I look at the character! I am funny and kind and getting more and more confident by the day. I would highly recommend the book for anyone with CP or anyone who has a disability that might feel like they’re not wanted in the world to remember that they are special!