Couple who lived in Harborough both have new books out

An artistic couple who lived for many years in Little Bowden, near Market Harborough have both got new books out.
Mario Minichiello and Liz Anelli with their latest books just back from Austraila and spending christmas in Little Bowden.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER NNL-180201-180446005Mario Minichiello and Liz Anelli with their latest books just back from Austraila and spending christmas in Little Bowden.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER NNL-180201-180446005
Mario Minichiello and Liz Anelli with their latest books just back from Austraila and spending christmas in Little Bowden. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER NNL-180201-180446005

Mario Minichiello and Liz Anelli are both illustrators, but in very different fields.

Mario worked for BBC Newsnight, the Guardian and many others as a reportage illustrator, making drawings at war scenes, court trials and pre-television coverage of the House of Commons.

Liz is a children’s book illustrator, with 18 books to her name, as well as illustrations, maps and murals.

Mario’s new book, with fellow illustrator Gary Embury, is called ‘Reportage Illustration: Visual Journalism’. It’s packed with vivid illustrations.

His publishers Bloomsbury say: “The power of reportage drawing is in the immediacy of the images that are created and the feeling of the illustrator’s presence on location.”

“It’s like visual authorship” said Mario. “For example I was in the former Yugoslavia when absolute mass murder was going on.

“There was no photographer on the scene at the time, so there were just the journalist’s report and my drawings.”

In court too, drawings are often used to illustrate reports, because photographs are not allowed in the courtroom.

“The Spycatcher Trials case generated a flood of witty political cartoons, but one of the most memorable contributions were the sketches by Mario Minichiello of the court room drama” said Law Lord Anthony Lester QC.

While Mario worked on the “hell” of war or crime in one part of the Little Bowden house, Liz worked on the “heaven” of children’s book illustrations.

Her new book is ‘Grace and Katie’, written by Susanne Merritt, with all the charming illustrations by Liz.

“Kids are learning to read with picture books, so there aren’t many words and the pictures are very important” said Liz.

“A new book takes me about nine months – it’s like a pregnancy!”

The couple have recently sold their Little Bowden home and plan to settle permanently in Australia, where Mario has a job as Head of Design at the University of Newcastle.

– Both ‘Grace and Katie’ by Susanne Merritt and Liz Anelli and ‘Reportage Illustration’ by Gary Embury and Mario Minichiello are available at Quinns bookshop in Market Harborough.