What do you like about Lord of the Flies?
I love the depth of the characters and of the themes, I just find it so fascinating in the way it can draw out such disgust in the reader and yet so much familiarity with the characters and the way they react with the setting.

In your drawing, did you try to bring out any particular themes of the book?
I tried to show the grittier side of the book in my picture, especially trying to draw out the darkness of the boys' nature and the connection of that with the "beast".

How did you get into art: at home, at school?
When I was ten I started art classes because I saw a few of my friends doing them, and I fell in love with drawing and creating.

Do you aspire to be an artist? If so, what type?
I love drawing and art however my passion lies with writing, so hopefully I can combine the two, maybe even write a novel and illustrate it myself! I'm also really interested in graphic design so I'm really looking forward to meeting the designers at Faber.

Do you plan to go on to art school?
I would love to, but I've not quite decided where I'm headed yet.

What made you decide to enter this competition?
I discovered a poster for the competition in my local library and didn't act on it. However I came across it again in the last week of the Christmas holidays and thought I'd give it a try since I love the book and had a lot of ideas.

How did you come up with the idea for the picture?
I was really interested in showing more of the imagery of the book, instead of just one element, since there is so much of it in Lord of the Flies. The idea to combine it into one boy came after I was reminded of the first time I read it, when I kept getting confused between the names of the boys, and that was really the first time I realised the connection between the mind sets of the boys.

Did you do a few different versions before deciding which to send, or was this the only one from the start?
Before I started I did doodle some different compositions on the back of a piece of paper to try and get it right (I wasn't quite sure where to place the pigs head on a stick), but the final version is the only one I drew properly.

Your drawing is incredibly detailed, did you plan all the details beforehand or let your imagination flow as you drew?
The only part I planned was the head and the hands, I drew the outline of them and then just, as you put it, let my imagination flow, but I did have some images I wanted to put in there, like the parachutist and the conch shell.

How did you set about making the picture? i.e. did you use watercolours, ink, pencils?
I started the picture as a pencil sketch of the outline of the face and hands, and then I used water colour to splatter the outline. Once that had dried I drew in black fine liner and that was that!

Do you look at the work of other illustrators, are there any in particular you like?
Before I began I looked at all the previous covers of the book, and my favourite was what I believe is one of the original covers, which depicts some boys in a rainforest, but what struck me was the blankness of the faces, which really inspired my drawing.

Who are the artists who are the most important to you?
Danny Roberts is a huge inspiration to me – I follow his website religiously and his art is so creative and quirky, and it really fascinates me. I discovered his website about three years ago so I've been learning and drawing from his art since I first started, I think he's really wonderful.

Do you think illustration is important in books? (a lot of people think you grow out of picture books when you are about five)

I think illustration is incredibly important in books, especially the cover design. Growing up I was intrigued by pictures artists had drawn of main characters and settings, and seeing how different it was to my own imaginings. I think that illustration in book also provides building blocks for the imagination, to help you see the world the book describes for yourself.

Finally, what is your favourite book?
To tell the truth it depends what mood I'm in, it can vary from The Help to A Little History of the World! I love any book that can change my perspective, my way of thinking, so I'll give anything a go.

An exhibition of all the shortlisted pictures runs at the Guardian gallery, Kings Place, York Way, London until February 29, admission free.