The Luka & Bukowski Adventures grew out of real life, long before they became books. They began as stories I wrote for my son, after years of searching for children’s books that reflected the emotional language and values I wanted to pass on. I read widely books described as profound, different, and popular, yet night after night I found myself quietly correcting the language as I read aloud. Often, the stories raised more confusion than clarity. My son would pause and ask simple, honest questions: Why did he do that? Why would she say that?
And I realised how much effort it took to explain behaviours and emotional dynamics that didn’t feel thoughtful, attuned, or necessary. Over time, the exhaustion turned into clarity. It became easier to write my own stories than to keep translating someone else’s.
The Chronicles are shaped entirely by lived experience, by conversations at home, moments with friends, ordinary situations every family recognises. Many of the lines spoken by Luka or Bukowski were first spoken out loud in real life. Some came from my son directly, phrases so perceptive, abstract, or quietly profound that I wrote them down as they were.
The stories grew organically from these moments, shaped by relationships, observation, and attention.