«We all come from childhood»,as Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said. Someone remembers it, and someone has long since erased warm memories of grandma’s tales and fascinating stories. Often the attempt to plunge into childhood gives the opportunity to find yourself, to recover … It is only necessary to remember a fairy tale! About how works are born Zhytomyr storyteller Maria Ponomarenko, author of more than fifty collections, fairy tales, poems, plays, on the books of whose generations of Ukrainians and grew

«The sisters told fairy tales because our mother did not have time – she went to work at the collective farm. There were lots troubles, and fairy tales … You know, there were no fairy tales, although our mother knew and loved them. She was a very experienced woman, and three of us were educated. but all the time she said, «We must study, study and study.» The 12-year-old sister graduated from our Pedagogical University with a degree in philology, while her second sister dreamed of becoming a journalist all her life. She hit me so hard with this journalism that I thought nothing of it. Mathematics is not mine, I am closer to the humanities»

«I really like to speak to everyone. Imagine: I come, such a miracle, tortoise Tortila, and start telling tales. Well, imagine when I say I have over 300 poems about cats? A normal person will not do this or write it, but where have you seen a normal writer? (Laughs) A writer can never be a normal person. One thing to always remember: every writer is brilliant, and all of this is given by God»

«Writers who write for adults find their literature much more necessary. But I tell them, «Guys! Who would understand your poetry if the child did not learn these verses?». And to write poetry, one must have one defining characteristic: to remain in childhood, otherwise nothing will turn out, though cracking. Child psychology should be known, and even today, when children are completely different. Now, when I talk to my granddaughter, it seems as if I’m talking to an alien. She is very similar to me. She is 14 years old, but she is more modern, more relaxed. We didn’t have it – I fed the cow until I got married, so I read all «the old-fashioned». I re-read all the classics, what else was there to do about the cow? God knew where I would be born, because if it were not for the ravine and the pasture, I would not have become a writer. As you graze the cows, look at the sun, on the bugs, you follow everything. I still remember that stone in the middle of our river. That’s how a whole cycle of fairy tales came to me»

«Once, my fairy tales sounded on Republican radio, and I was sent letters in sacks»

«I went to work at a flax plant. First, we were taught there, and for three years in high school, we studied at the plant, working with fabrics. Flax plant is a unique phenomenon, I will never forget it»

«I didn’t even have good clothes after 11th grade. One sister then married and the other graduated from the Institute of Technology and was sent to Lugansk. But everything is in God’s hands, because who knows if I would do it then. The following year I’ve heard an announcement that the Kyiv State University was accepting a recruitment of 12 people: deputy editors of district newspapers, correspondents who had taken girls like me,who had no education. By the way, I was sitting there at one table with Vasily Skurativskuy, who wrote «Bereginya»

«I studied, and at the flax plant the editorial office was opened. I almost did not break my luck! Imagine: 6500 women, and I produced «Girlfriend» – some romantic materials. This is the page in our Polissya Textile. They were so waiting for this «Girlfriend», you can not imagine. We released it twice a month, we had an editor and I was a radio editor»

«We came to work as young girls, married, gave birth to children, and now we have grandchildren. And when we meet with these women now, it is happiness. These are the closest people in the world»

«It depends a lot on where you work. If I had not been so «embroiled» in a flax plant, then it would probably not work. Writing prose is very difficult. I was very lazy, and to sit for prose is really something. However, fairy tales were the first for me, and they became classics. Once the director of the flax plant said to me: «Well, I listened to your poems on the radio, so one of your lines was a bit bad, be careful» (Laughs)

«I was published in «Woman», I paid 35 rubles for the article on morality – that was half the salary of a cleaning lady, and not so easy. In the fourth year I had twins, and a year later I went to university. I arrived, asked the «runner», explained that has happened, and the dean said: « Oh,come on! Pass!» And so in twh months I passed 24 exams and tests! Imagine my tongue hanging out. I read so much literature at the time that knowledge was enough and everything else is a matter of technology»

«The case helped to get into children’s literature. I went to the market, saw a girl selling a basket of snowdrops, and then it was forbidden. How did the police allow her? She was standing with a basket, and these snowdrops are so beautiful! How could I get past it? I come and say, «What is your name?» And she: «Nadiya». I said, «Aren’t you sorry to tear these flowers?» She looked at me and answered nothing. I used to go home and think, «How can it be written for children that they should know that flowers cannot be torn?»

«I wrote my first fairy tale, which was called «The Gift.» This fairy tale was printed, I was very praised, and suddenly a very interesting metamorphosis happened. I did not write a single poem before, I was not drawn to the poetry at all, and the poems suddenly fell. I sent my first poems to Rainbow and then printed two little books without any fuss»

«Many today have literary agents who help print, and I am an agent myself. I don’t need it. And what will I pay a literary agent for?»

«In Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Canada, my poems were printed only in Ukrainian, but it was under Soviet rule … They offer $ 45 for printing a children’s fairy tale in Poland. My son worked in tax agency and said, «Mom, more will be taken from you, and you will have to worry.» I give up all this … I type in Crane, and it goes to Canada. Recently, my books have flown to Australia»

«I heard I was called Astrid Lindgren. I am a little out of the question because Astrid Lindgren was climbing trees in the 90s. Plant me on a tree, I will break all branches» (Laughs)

«I do not feel famous at all, there is no speaking about it. I have never felt, because I am a human who believes in God. When you come, sit down to the last place. If you are asked to move first, it is respect. And if you sit first, and you will be told to sit back, it is already a shame»

«People often come up to me in a trolleybus and say: «I read your books when I was in kindergarten.» And then I feel like a true Tortilla tortoise»

«I write only on the topics of Christian morality. I have great respect for Joan Rowling for starving, struggling to get it printed, and reached her aim. But I do not accept her «Harry Potter». I read one book and I think we don’t need all this mysticism. What does it mean that you can do anything with a magic wand? Everything can be done only by hard work, nothing more! This is a total horror – hope for someone! It is better to do it yourself. We have such people calling themselves poor, but where are they poor? Everyone goes full, well dressed, and only walks and whines. And what about saying «Thank you?» How did our parents live? How did they live before? They were poor, hungry, and now what? There is so much time and opportunity today why not use it?»

«I like Father Bogdan – a very interesting personality with charisma. Women of my age and I often go to talk with our fathers next to the Near the Cultural space where the church is being built. We love each other so gently! And what else do we need at this age? Love, respect, and when you really live for anyone»

«I live for my children in the first place, though I have not added much to them. When I think how much I could do and how much I didn’t do, it hurts. Now I already understand these mistakes, I know how to make them, but most people do. There are no old people who would not think of mistakes and past in their age»

«If it was easy for me to live in the world, then the writer really would not be, because I was clambering, no matter how hard it was»

«I don’t care about this fashion and imposition! Talent will manifest itself, but you know where the most talent is? In the cemetery because they died with people. The Lord has given everyone so much talent that we would seek and develop. When my granddaughter went to the drawing, I went with her, and on the third day I started painting. As you have drawn, there is no meaning, but those to whom I give my paintings call them «Feng Shui.» Well, Feng Shui, then Feng Shui. (Laughs) If someone told me that I would ever paint, I would be very surprised»

«I’ve already had two exhibitions. I was also praised, but you know, you can be praised endlessly, but when you understand, see and evaluate your work, that’s another matter»

«Am I strong? I think not, but probably yes»

«My readers have the national Lesya Ukrainka Prize. I am the only author in Zhytomyr to have the two highest state awards for children’s literature. You know, I really love Lesya Ukrainka – she was born in Zhytomyr. Today, to be the one who has such a prize and to represent Zhytomyr region – to me there was no one like that»

«Do you think I love my works? I wrote something, it seems that it is «it», but then the next day I re-read it and I don’t like it anymore. If you already think you’re a very big genius, the business is gone»