Alice Grimm Larsson, 21 years old, has just released the children's book Turbofart! The idea for the book was born when Alice was about to start a UF company in high school. Alice, who herself was born with CP, hopes that the book will empower children with disabilities and spread knowledge about CP to both children and adults.
Hello Alice! Who are you?
My name is Alice and I am 21 years old. I am an active girl who likes to invent a lot of things and have a lot of balls in the air. I love to write! On my blog I write about both CP and life in general. I want to show that even though you have CP, you can live a normal life. I want to break down prejudices and spread knowledge!
How did you come up with the idea for the book Turbofart?
It started with me starting a UF company at school, and then I realized I wanted to write a children's book. Since I'm in the bubble with blogging and Instagram, I want to build on that. I created an idea and then I contacted different book publishers and got in touch with VARIETY.
What do you hope for with the book?
That it will get a great response from others, parents and children with CP. I don't just want it to reach children without disabilities, but also reach children who themselves have a disability. I want them to be included in fiction and feel a connection with other children. That they will feel that if Agnes in the book can do it, so can I. I hope so! The book is also needed for parents so that they can more easily explain what CP is.
I really like the CP school at the beginning of the book! So cool that I'm the one narrating it. When I saw how it turned out I felt: wow! This is my book through and through!
Do you want to come out and talk about the book?
That would be really fun and cool! Then the book would get even more exposure and readers would get a picture of me too. When I was a teenager I thought I wanted to lecture about CP at some point in my life. It would be fun to go out to preschools and lecture.
Have you experienced a lot of prejudice in your life?
In primary school there was a lot of prejudice. In my CP bubble where people know me and know how I work, I feel safe. But when I get outside the CP bubble it feels hard because many people have prejudices, but I have been lucky not to encounter too many. The prejudices exist but it is also a lot about ignorance.
Do you have any role models?
I think Jenny's crafts on Instagram are really cool, she has CP and shows off her everyday life with two children and stuff, I think that's really cool!
What do you dream about in the future?
To continue with books, develop my writing and for my Instagram to become much bigger so that I can reach more people with my message. Giving lectures would be really fun and to become a mini-celebrity!
What would you like to say to anyone who has no experience with CP?
I want to say that even if you have a CP injury or disability, you can live a normal life. That it doesn't have to mean that 90% of your life is about the CP injury and disability. My life is not about my CP injury, except when I go to the doctor and such. I just live with it and for me it's natural because I'm so used to it. All people are different and that's what I want to convey. I want people to open their eyes and think: well, is this how it is?
Thank you so much Alice for the chat!💜
Here you can find Alice on Instagram
Here you will find Alice's blog
Turbo speed!
