Helen is one half of Binary Fable, the animation company behind The Lost Book. Helen originally dreamed up the concept of a booky animation last summer, and is delighted that the idea’s taken off. It’s basically her ideal project.

This is Helen captured in a rare moment away from the computer. She’s doing some cut-out animation. These Aileen and Watson character cut-out models, plus a step-by-step animation workshop, will be available to download from tomorrow in the Get Involved! section of the website. (Plus you’ll be able to watch the film Helen’s making here.) Creating short cut-out films is quick, easy and fun, so give it a go.

Here’s Helen’s One Minute Interview if you want to learn more about what makes her tick…

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One minute interview: Helen Jackson

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Occupation:
Animator

Where were you born?
Kent

Where do you live now?
Edinburgh

How many books are there on your shelves? (Approx.)
Over a thousand

What’s been the most fun thing about this project? (The first word of your answer must begin with L and the last word begin with B!)
Lots of books!

Oh, and lots of people with great ideas and enthusiasm. And, a chance to bring new characters to life and tell a new story – brilliant!

Do you think that constraints are creative?
Yes. Give me a completely blank, infinitely big page and allow me to do anything at all, and I’m paralysed by the limitless possibilities. Constraints give something for my imagination to play with.

Who do you think stole the book from the National Library?
An alien ninja called Xurpejix

Which book would you most hate to lose?
My Fontana Lions paperback edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, cover price £1. It’s inscribed ‘To Helen with love from Grandma 4/12/83′. It’s the only book my grandparents gave me.

Who’s your favourite fictional detective?
Dirk Gently

Who’s your favourite fictional dog?
What-a-Mess – an Afghan puppy created by Frank Muir and brought to life in Joseph Wright’s illustrations. I’ve always identified with What-a-Mess – both his scruffiness and his constant questioning – and the illustrations are amazing, with all sorts of other little characters and stories in the background.

Which book has affected you the most?
Any of Barbara Trapido’s novels – my best friend and I first bonded because we loved Trapido. The friendship was sealed when we both adored Carol Shields and Robertson Davies too.

When and where do you read the most?
Everywhere and every-when

Where’s your favourite ‘booky’ place?
Any bookshop with a cafe. You can’t beat the coffee/cake/good book combination. A few real favourites: The Watermill in Aberfeldy (bookshop, café and gallery – ideal!), Barter Books in Anwick (brilliant train set!) and Waterstone’s Edinburgh West End (my local).

What do you like most about a book apart from the story: its size, its smell, its cover, its…?
The way that, in a good book, the characters live inside your head after you’ve finished.

For you what does a book lack the most – music, moving pictures, …?
Nothing – a book plus a bit of imagination contains everything (including a ginormous effects budget).

Have you ever used a book as a 1) doorstop, 2) missile, 3) an excuse not to do the washing up?
Excuses, all the time. Doorstops and missiles, never.

Have you ever regarded a book as a friend, or indeed a monster?
My Sony Reader e-book is my friend. It makes sure I never run out of stories to read, wherever I am.