KZ: Hi Annabel! Tell K-Zoners about your job at Little Literature Co.!

A: I invent games! I get to play with lots of toys, read lots of books, write story ideas, and experiment with new technology. I also get to be the boss, which means mostly writing emails, solving problems and looking at spreadsheets with numbers. I started Little Literature Co. with my incredible friend Deb. Deb is an illustrator/animator and is amazing at drawing and then making those drawings come to life and wiggle around!

KZ: What experience did you have before starting Little Literature Co.?

A: Before I started Little Literature Co. I was on the Australian ski team for a sport called slope style skiing. This meant lots of training, cold toes, crashes, broken limbs and going over scary jumps. It taught me a lot about working hard, how to teach myself new things, and how to ski over big jumps even though I was terrified. While I was skiing, I also studied psychology at university, which taught me a lot about people, research and how to think like a scientist.

KZ: What is the hardest part of your job, and the best part?

A: The hardest part of our job is doing boring paperwork, which isn’t as fun as inventing games, but is really important. The best part of my job is getting to work with friends every day inventing games!

KZ: What’s next for LLC?

A: We’re building more games, this time with sound effects! We love technology and are working on some new ideas to make a storytelling game that you can play with sound; bleeps, bloops and fart noises.

KZ: Are you part of any other projects that might interest K-Zoners?

A: Deb and I both work in other jobs when we’re not inventing games for Little Literature Co. I work in a neuroscience lab at the University of New South Wales where I ask big questions like, 'How do humans work with artificial intelligence?' and 'What does it mean to be creative?' Humans are very very complicated, and there’s still a lot of questions we don’t know the answer to! We run experiments to try and understand how people's brains are working and figure out what they are thinking. In my job I get to take big (sometimes complicated) science and I break it down into fun, easy to understand bits that helps other people learn about the brain. Deb works as an illustrator/animator and gets to draw and design every day!

KZ: Did you study anything or have any hobbies when you were younger that helped with your career and gave you skills that you use now?

A: Reading! When I was growing up I read, and read and read. I read whilst I was walking (dangerous), I read whilst I was on the toilet (smelly) and I read whilst I was definitely meant to be asleep (naughty). Reading about science fiction has helped me think about artificial intelligence and technology, and helps me think about science in my work at the University. Reading fantasy stories with magic helps me think like an inventor and imagine new ideas!

Want to read more of our interview with Annabel, or just want more gaming news? Check out the December issue of K-Zone, on sale now!