Reflections of grief, memory, and inspiration.
Liz is a mixture of real-life and historical events, and my own imagination.
Prescilla Goraya
In this interview, we talk with Prescilla Goraya, author of Liz, a children’s story that imagines the days following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing through the eyes of her royal dogs. Written during a challenging time in Prescilla’s life, the book touches on themes of grief, memory, and resilience. She shares what inspired the story, how writing became a personal outlet, and what she hopes readers will take from it.
What inspired you to write Liz, and why did you choose to tell this story through the perspective of
her canine companions?
I wrote Liz when I was very sick. I began to write stories to express my worries and thoughts. It was
therapeutic. Writing stories became a project that I was able to continue at home and in hospital. I
worried that I would die and leave my two young children without their mother. Therefore, topics of
loss, death and grief reflect the stories that I wrote at that time.
When Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed on, I watched the events on television, and wrote
Liz as it all unfolded. I wondered what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall inside of the
palace, and what was going to happen to her famous corgis. Were the Queen’s dogs grieving too?
What happened to the dogs? I learned that the Queen also had a cocker spaniel named Lissy
(formerly named Wolferton Drama) who is the main character of the story.
Liz is a mixture of real-life and historical events, and my own imagination.
Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II meant so much to people around the world. What personal
memories or feelings did you draw upon when creating this tribute?
A few people knew that I followed the British Royals and adore (our Australian) Queen Mary of
Denmark. I am not a huge follower of the royals but I do take interest. My interest goes back to my
childhood. My mother adored Princess Diana and I remember my grandmother buying Woman’s
Weekly, New Idea and those sorts of magazines to get the latest stories on the royals.
My most memorable memory of the Queen Elizabeth II was when she created a short film sketch
with Paddington Bear.
When Queen Elizabeth II passed on, I was saddened because the Queen was iconic, a great leader,
funny and a woman in reign – it is something that we may not see again for a long time.
I was sad to think that in years to come, children will not know or forget about Queen Elizabeth II. I
realised that my own children did not know who Princess Diana was, which I found interesting. I
hope that Liz keeps alive the memories of not only Queen Elizabeth II but Princess Diana, Queen
Eliazbeth’s parents and the Queen’s husband as I pay homage to them all through illustration.
You mentioned writing Liz as a way of working through your own feelings after the Queen’s
passing. How did the writing process help you personally, and what do you hope readers will take
away from it?
Yes, writing Liz helped me to work through my own feelings and worries because at the time, I was
going through a very challenging stage. I was able to express my feelings onto paper and then do
something positive with it. I enjoyed busting my brain on Liz instead of sitting around being
consumed with what I was going through – physically, emotionally and mentally. Liz was actually not
my first story. My first story (unpublished) was titled, Mama has lost her Llama.
Sadly, when Queen Elizabeth II passed away, the thoughts and feelings surrounding that event really
resonated with my own living experiences. To the rest of us, she was our Queen but to her loved
ones, Queen Elizabeth II was someone’s mother, grandmother, Master, and more.
Queen or a commoner like me, love is love and life is life. We are all the same in the end.
Grief can be a difficult topic for families to talk about. How do you hope Liz will open conversations
between children and adults about loss and resilience?
I hope that by reading Liz, adults and children can open up conversations about loss, resilience,
mourning, the importance of memories and the circle of life. We will all go through these themes at
some point and at varies times. It is important to remember that we all grieve differently and that
the death of someone impacts people in different ways. In Liz, we see that the people immediately
around the Queen, her pets and the world all grieved differently because they all had different roles
and relationships.
The cat in the story also brings another view as being a character who is not exactly part of the pack
of royal dogs but is also grieving, allowing the reader to think about another perspective.
I hope Liz helps to guide these difficult topics but is also a heartfelt story to simply enjoy.
What has the response been like so far from readers?
My children and the publisher were the only ones to have read Liz before it was published, so I was
very nervous about its response. To see the encouraging reaction and response from my family and
friends was incredible – it was nothing I had ever imagined. Then to get positive responses from
strangers just brings me so much joy. What is great is that many people have said that I have inspired
them to write their own books, or that they wrote stories and tucked them away, which they now
want to bring to light. That is pretty awesome!
What’s next for you as an author? Are there any upcoming projects or stories you’re excited to
share?
My two beautiful children had been by my side from draft to publication and on this journey with
me. They were actually sad that Liz finished and have had so much joy from the process that they are
begging me to publish another book, so at this stage – it’s a “watch this space.”
Mmm… Will this Mumma go and find her Llama?
GET LIZ ON AMAZON
Find out more about this exciting author at https://prescillagoraya.com/
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