Elizabeth Peck
I live in Cambridge with my husband and nine year-old year old daughter, and teach Religious Studies in a secondary school just a ten-minute cycle away. I would say I write whenever I have the time, but that’s not quite true; it’s more that when the writing bug bites, other things get put on the back burner for a while until all the ideas are down on the page in just the way I want them!
Here are some things that people sometimes like to know, when I visit schools and other places as an author…
When did you first start writing?
I have always liked writing and books, and like many children, I enjoyed making up stories. I made little books with paper, staples, and Sellotape, some of which I have kept for all these years, as you can see in these photos.
As a teenager I wrote countless songs and poems, none of which I have kept because I thought they were too cringe-worthy! (To be fair to my teenage self, my poetry can’t have been entirely objectively terrible, as I did win a regional poetry competition with Ottakar’s – who were later bought by Waterstones – but all the same, I do not look back overly fondly on my compositions from that time!) But I enjoyed writing them, and they did help me develop my style and skills all the same.
I didn’t write a huge amount between the ages of 20 and 30, other than copious school resources, but once my daughter was born, the passion came back as I suddenly had things I wanted to say to her and teach her. She has been the catalyst and inspiration for all my writing since 2015.
Why do you write?
As I mentioned, most or even all of my writing today arises from a desire to teach, entertain, or tell something important to my daughter. This in turn often comes from my love of thinking about theological and philosophical questions.
For example, God Is Not A Man In The Sky arose initially because, as a Catholic, I wanted a story book that narrated God’s creation of the universe and life through the Big Bang and evolution, to teach her from a young age that both science and religion were wonderful, but I couldn’t find one and so I wrote it. It developed into something that taught her the fundamentals of the whole Christian faith, and is my biggest writing project to date.
A couple of years later, I wanted to communicate to her my husband’s and my absolutely unconditional love for her, which was the reason I wrote the poem, You Can Tell Me Anything, which was illustrated and published in 2023.
My latest book, Table Manners, began quite literally as I was trying to teach my daughter, who was four at the time, how to behave at the table. We found ourselves listing lots of Dos and Don’ts, and it got a bit silly.
I also have an interest in Franciscan theology, especially in how it can be lived out through education and parenting, which is what led to my contribution to the book, Forming Franciscan Minds and Hearts in 2023.
In short, I usually write in response to thinking and learning about religious and philosophical questions, but the odd poem in response to everyday life creeps in as well.
What do you like most about being an author?
The writing process itself, for sure. I love it when an idea takes hold in my mind and takes up all my mental space; and the process of crafting and expressing it just as I want it is so energising, and deeply enjoyable. Second to that, the moment when I see a book in print for the first time is wonderful, as it’s when so many months of hard work by a whole team have come to fruition. Thirdly, when people buy a book and say how much they love it, that is just brilliant!
What’s your favourite book?
It’s hard to name just one, but if I had to pick, I’d say Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky). My favourite authors in general, after Dostoevsky, are Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis. In terms of children’s books, I love Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery), The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis), and The Lost Princess (George MacDonald).
What do you like doing other than teaching and writing?
Top of the list is spending time with my family, often playing board games or, quite honestly, sharing good food! I also love playing the piano – a practice which I was quite devoted to earlier in life and which I’ve recently been able to revive somewhat – and playing the ancient strategy game, Go. I do enjoy attending ballet classes, which I only began as an adult, but I’m under no illusions about my skills in that area.
My personal recommendations for table-top games would be Hive, Code Names (original version, not the picture version!), and Cockroach Poker.
Two of your books support charities. Why did you choose these particular charities?
I was introduced to EducAid, which we support via sales of You Can Tell Me Anything, when Miriam Mason (co-founder and Country Director of EducAid) came to speak at the school where I work. Being keenly interested in education already, I was especially inspired by the difference they make to so many people’s lives through their schools, and to the lives of girls and women in particular, and I wanted to do something to help. It also just so happened that my mother lived for a period in Sierra Leone when she was a child, and I remembered her telling me about her time there when I was little, so I had an existing emotional connection with the country, despite never having visited myself.
When it came to Table Manners, I chose Jimmy’s Night Shelter because living in Cambridge, I frequently see first-hand the heart-breaking problem of homelessness, and again, I just wanted a way to help. The team at Jimmy’s do such extensive, loving, and life-changing work, that I knew supporting them would really make a difference to people.
And lastly, a slightly more academic question, but one that is of interest to some! What qualifications do you have?
I attended the University of Oxford (Worcester College), and have a MA in Theology. I have QTS and have been teaching RS in secondary schools for over fifteen years.
Author Visits and Events
Lizzy very much enjoys sharing her work with children by visiting schools and libraries. Those she has been welcomed to locally, often more than once, include St Faith’s, St John’s College School, The Perse Prep School, Heritage, Upwood Primary Academy, St Mary’s Junior and Senior Schools, and Cambridge Central Library. Feedback has included comments such as:
The presentation was excellent. The details about Sierra Leone and comparisons with life in the UK were very powerful.
Lizzy presented beautifully. The girls, they were all extremely engaged and they loved the message of the presentation.
I really enjoyed [You Can Tell Me Anything]. As a class we found it to be engaging, emotional and gave us a lot to talk about.
I love it, its message is perfect and I think it is exactly supportive of our school ethos. It’s exactly what we want our children to feel – you can mess up, you will mess up because you are a human but its OK … completely opposite to the idea of shaming children for getting things wrong.
If you would like Lizzy to visit your school or other institution, please do contact Dr Brenda Abbott: info@caritatebooks.com on get in touch with me directly at lizzy.peck@caritatebooks.com
News & Reviews
Lizzy and her writing have been featured and reviewed numerous times in the media; you can find some examples of articles, interviews, and reviews below.
God Is Not A Man In The Sky
- https://www.rcdea.org.uk/cambridge-author-takes-a-more-scientific-look-at-god/
- https://catholicherald.co.uk/people-need-to-know-the-church-is-not-anti-science/
- https://radiomariaengland.uk/just-life-god-is-not-a-man-in-the-sky/
- Networking: Catholic Education Today, vol. 24, issue 1 (2022–23), pp. 45–46
You Can Tell Me Anything
You Can Tell Me Anything is such a beautiful work. It moved and inspired me, and the drawings were the best emotional depictions for a children’s book I have ever seen. It’s rare to find an illustrator who can capture feelings in such an accurate and moving way. It warms my heart to imagine a parent reading that book to a child on their lap. With a guide like this, you can give your child all the emotional security they’ll ever need.
In any institution around the country which deals with children or vulnerable people of any sort, safeguarding is a major issue today. It’s not just something concerning those whose job entails guaranteeing that standards of safety are met for the purposes of compliance. It’s a question facing every parent or responsible adult who has care of children: how do I get the child in my care to tell me if anything is wrong? How do I help them to know that it’s safe to confide in me any fears, concerns or questions they may have? It may not be as dramatic as a safeguarding issue, but if children misunderstand or misinterpret something they have been told or witnessed, they can easily blame themselves or develop anxieties which a timely intervention from a trusted adult could prevent from growing into unnecessary pain and distress.
Elizabeth Peck’s beautifully illustrated poem, You Can Tell Me Anything offers a wonderful resource for parents, teachers and carers of any sort and the children within their care. It offers reassurance by opening up the conversation in a way that is unobtrusively encouraging and supportive while offering a way through which children can voice their concerns without feeling disempowered or threatened. It’s a remarkable piece of writing by a teacher with an instinctive knowledge of children and a surefooted way of navigating potentially challenging conversations. The poetic style avoids anything doctrinaire or overly didactic and the illustrations are sufficiently in storybook mode to make it accessible to young children, while sophisticated enough not to make older children feel they are being spoken down to. All in all, it’s a considerable achievement and a much-needed resource in a difficult area of child development.
Oh my, it’s beautiful! I’m not ashamed to say it moved me to tears. It’s my firm belief that every parent should have a copy and read it regularly to their children! Not only is it a beautiful book but it reminds us to stop and slow down and listen to our children. I love it so much I’m sharing it on all the childminding Facebook pages I belong to, along with a link to buy a copy.
Franciscan Theology
Lizzy presented papers at Franciscan conferences at the Centre for Catholic Studies (University of Durham):
2019: The Role of Franciscan Theology in Secondary Education
2024: A Vision for Franciscan Education in Homes and Schools
https://www.durham.ac.uk/media/durham-university/research-/research-centres/catholic-studies-centre-for-ccs/Franciscan-Tradition-conference-delegates-booklet-v0.2.pdf
God Is Not A Man In The Sky
God Is Not A Man In The Sky comprises two parts: a beautifully-illustrated, hardback children’s book, and the Companion Guide, an accompanying booklet for adults.
The children’s book, quite possibly the first of its kind, tells the story of existence from both scientific and biblical perspectives through the Franciscan lens. Beginning ‘before’ God’s creation of the universe, the narrative unfolds through the Big Bang, evolution, the development of humanity, and the covenant, culminating in redemption through Jesus Christ.
Suitable for five to thirteen year-olds, younger children are able to learn valuable truths through both text and artwork, while older readers may appreciate the book independently. The Companion Guide provides helpful explanations of the themes encountered in the book.
God Is Not A Man In The Sky is an innovative, fascinating and brilliant tool for any parent, teacher, or catechist seeking to present the fundamentals of Christianity to children. It would also make a wonderful Baptism or First Holy Communion gift.
