Celebrating the Spirit of Halloween: An Interview with Leslie Feore, Author of Antonia's Pumpkin

As Halloween approaches, it's the perfect time to explore the enchanting world of Antonia's Pumpkin, a children's book by Leslie Feore. Beautifully illustrated by her daughter, Melissa Pinkstone, the book delves into the heart of Halloween, blending the author’s Chicago childhood traditions with London’s multicultural charm.

Inspired by her granddaughter Antonia, this story celebrates self-expression, creativity, and the deeper, spiritual side of Halloween. Leslie, who now lives in Ealing and Hanwell, was moved by the diverse community she’s become part of and drew on that for the book. As Leslie explained, Halloween is about much more than commercialisation: "It’s about celebrating being yourself, creativity, and not being afraid of things."

At the core of Antonia's Pumpkin lies a real-life event—a discarded jack-o-lantern in Leslie’s garden, which sparked the idea for the story when pumpkins began to sprout unexpectedly. This combination of reality and fantasy is what makes the book so engaging for both children and adults.

With a commitment to staying local, Antonia's Pumpkin is available at The Pitshanger Bookshop W5, Amreen’s Gifts & Balloons Boutique W7, and Fox Market W7 on Saturday, 19th October. It’s also available online at Etsy.

Additionally, Leslie Feore will be storytelling at Open Ealing-Southall on the 30th of October, bringing the magic of Antonia's Pumpkin to life for children and families.

Q&A with Leslie Feore

'Antonia's Pumpkin' draws inspiration from both your granddaughter and your own childhood traditions. How did your experiences growing up in Chicago influence the way you portray Halloween in this story, especially compared to how it's celebrated in London?

Growing up in Chicago, Halloween was a highly anticipated event, full of creativity and homemade costumes. We would ask each other, “What do you want to be for Halloween?” and then try our best to create it. It was all about using what we had—cardboard boxes, bed sheets, foil, glitter—and sometimes things didn’t work perfectly, but that was part of the fun! Moving to London in the 1980s, I noticed that Halloween wasn’t as celebrated here, apart from parties we had. But now, I’m amazed by how many people in Hanwell decorate their houses and join in the fun.

You mention that Halloween has a deeper, spiritual meaning for you beyond its commercialisation. Could you expand on the key messages in 'Antonia's Pumpkin' that reflect this ethos, particularly for younger readers?

Halloween is traditionally about feeling safe and believing in light and goodness as protection against what we perceive as scary. Unfortunately, commercialisation and horror films have given it the wrong image. For younger readers, I want them to understand that Halloween is really about light, creativity, and looking after each other. The story of Antonia's Pumpkin also focuses on the comfort of family, patience, and spending time together—values that I think are sometimes lost in today’s fast-paced, throwaway culture.

The story's inception came from an unexpected event—pumpkins sprouting in your garden. How did that blend of real-life occurrences and imaginative storytelling shape the narrative, and how do you hope readers, both young and old, will connect with that?

When my granddaughter Antonia was born, I wanted to write her a story but didn’t know where to start. One day, I noticed little green plants sprouting from my garden pots—pumpkins that had been planted by a squirrel from an old jack-o-lantern. That’s when the idea for Antonia's Pumpkin hit me. The blend of real-life urban nature and imaginative fantasy helped shape the story, and I hope it encourages readers to see the magic in everyday occurrences, to be patient, and to believe in growth and possibilities. For anyone wanting to write, I’d say start with one simple idea and let it grow, just like those pumpkins!

Leslie's story invites readers into a world where creativity and family tradition bloom—an inspiring read for the Halloween season.