‘My grandma worked on a cosmetics counter and knew every drag queen in Brighton’

"Two things inspired this book," says Lancet-Grant. "The first is my real Grandma Jo.

“I sent photos of her to Rose, and when I received the illustrations, it was so moving, because Grandma Jo passed away 12 years ago.”

Grandma Jo (Photo: courtesy)[Missing Credit]

Besides Grandma Jo, Lancet-Grant had two other grandmother’s – her mum's stepmum and her dad's mum. “They were much more usual grandmothers. We went to my grandfather and stepmum every Friday for Friday night dinner and to my dad's mum for bagels on Sunday.

"And then I had this other hugely glamorous grandma, who lived for many years like a character in a novel on the top floors of the Metropole Hotel in Brighton, in an apartment full of knick-knacks, and worked on the cosmetics counter at Hanningtons department store. She knew every drag queen in Brighton, and when you went for a walk with her, she would be stopped by drag queens thanking her for her makeup."

Lancet Grant recalls Grandma Jo’s “incredible” clothes. “I still have her fake fur coat and a vintage Burberry trench from the 70s. She would breeze in, being glamorous and exciting and different. So, I've always wanted to write about her.”

Grandma Jo (Photo: courtesy)[Missing Credit]

The other inspiration for the story was Lancet-Grant’s first job in a PR agency. “One of the clients was Banksy. I worked with him on his first exhibition in Dalston. His stunts where he snuck his artwork into galleries were so full of joy and subversion."

Colourful art in the author’s books become a metaphor for diversity. "I started writing children's books [with Pirate Mums] because I wanted to see diverse families like mine, including with two mums," says Lancet-Grant.

"My second book had two dads. The third just had kids, and I felt like I'd moved away a bit from my core reason to write books – to show families that don't look like traditional families. I wanted to return to that.

"It's so rare to see older queer people [in books] at all," she says. "And I also wanted to explore a story where the child character loves that about his family."

Her favourite page in The Glamorous Grandmas is the one where the grandmas are transporting the wrapped artworks through town in the dead of night. No drab gear for these catwalk burglars – they're dressed for the pages of Vogue. Grandma Jo even has a hat with a veil.

Glamorous Grandmas by Jodie Lancet-Grant, illustrated by Rose Gerrard, is published by Oxford University Press[Missing Credit]

Lancet-Grant and her wife have 11-year-old twins. The grandparents are very involved in the childcare and Lancet-Grant's mother-in-law has recently moved closer to her home, bringing challah and bagels as a bonus.

"My kids' relationship with their grandparents is so great and so special. I wanted to convey that," she says. "The old representation of grandparents just doesn't fit with the grandparents I know. My mum is the most fearless person I've met.”

Another bonus of having grandparents very active in their grandchildren’s lives – including reading with them – is that “books give a really great way for grandparents to connect to a child," says Lancet-Grant. "Children who enjoy reading go on to have more success and happiness – that's a great gift to give a grandchild.”

The Glamorous Grandmas by Jodie Lancet-Grant, illustrated by Rose Gerrard, is published by Oxford University Press