Thursday 3 September 2020

Ellie Fleur Johnson, "Phonetic A Bee Seas"



Hello fellow Creative Writers, let me formally introduce myself to you: I’m Ellie Fleur Johnson. I graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Leicester last year, and since then I have been working on a novel which centres on themes of feminism, sisterhood and rape culture. I have also freelanced in marketing, shadow-writing and copy-writing. But that’s not what I’m here to discuss today!




Ladies and Gentleman (and non-binaries), I'm here to tell you I have written and illustrated a book, which I have self-published. The book is called Phonetic A Bee Seas, a rather hilarious pun on ‘ABCs,’ if I say so myself. Follow Tommy Fire-Tiger and Daisy Wood-Dog as they explore the Phonetic Alphabet together. You may be fooled by the cute cartoonish drawings inside, but this book is strictly NOT for children. Phonetic A Bee Seas includes the following: sex and drug references, adult language, graphic images and bad puns. 

What started off as a silly inside joke between myself and my partner quickly developed into random doodles and nonsensical scribbles. I found that the project was something to focus on  during lockdown, a release and diversion.

My partner is a pilot and uses the Phonetic Alphabet on a daily basis. It's something I have neither remembered nor understood. My anxiety builds every time a person uses it to spell out their postcode: 'Echo Tango Foxtrot Six Seven Nine Bravo Sierra.' I’m left trying to form some sort of sentence out of the mess, flabbergasted. Aghast. Or worse, they ask me to use it. Why not 'Egg Toe Fishfingers Six Seven Nine Bumblebee Sausage-Loops'? It’s beyond me. 

My book explores the ‘real’ Phonetic Alphabet whilst also suggesting a fun alternative. It’s for those who use it on a daily basis, those who want to learn, or those who enjoy an easy laugh. You can find it available to buy here.

If you’d like to delve deeper into my writing then my website here is the place to go.

Here’s a cheeky preview of Phonetic A Bee Seas ....






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