The Real Chrisparkle meets Claire Bramwell-Pearson!

Posted on December 3, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths

I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Claire Bramwell-Pearson, author of the new children’s book Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths. I hope you enjoy our chat!

Real Chris Sparkle: Greetings Claire! And welcome to the pages of the Real Chris Sparkle, it’s great to have you here! Perhaps we should start off with your telling us a little bit about Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths? Don’t spoil the story!

Claire Bramwell-Pearson: I always hate trying to summarise a story without giving away the plot! Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths is a Middle Grade action-packed adventure story about a special friendship across cultures. This of course is the unlikely friendship between Ukrainian born star footballer Vitalii Petrenko (10) and local Bath boy and bookworm Edward Austen, also ten. There also may be some scaly magic involved too!

RCS: I’ve read the book and it’s a delight! What gave you the idea in the first place?

CBP: I was approached by a Ukrainian charity, The Friends of Oleksandryia, to write a children’s story about a child refugee who had come to live in Bath. The founder Zhenya Shkil sent me lots of pictures of Oleksandryia which is an agricultural region in Ukraine and in one of them she was standing with a volunteer in front of a huge statue of a three headed dragon. As soon as I saw the photo I thought haha – I think that we have something here!

RCS: It’s full of entertaining characters – are they all products of your imagination, or have you sneakily based any of them on real people?!

CBP: What a great question! But no, none of the characters is based on real people – they are all products of my very cartoony imagination. However – I have ‘borrowed’ some the names from people I actually know…I hope that they don’t mind too much!

RCS: You live in Bath, so I can understand why you have set the story there, but where does the Ukraine connection come from?

Claire Bramwell-Pearson and Zhenya Shkil present a copy of the book to the Right Worshipful Mayor of Bath, Cllr Prof. Bharat Pankhania ©Chris Bramwell-Pearson

CBP: Bath is actually twinned with Oleksandriya and Zhenya Shkil comes from that part of Ukraine. However, she now lives near Bath where there is a very vibrant Ukrainian community.

RCS: That makes sense then! No spoilers, but the story does feature a three-headed Ukrainian dragon, so did you have to do a lot of research to discover more about Ukrainian myths and legends?

CBP: Yes, I did research Zmiy Horynych who is a well-known three headed dragon in Ukrainian folklore and everyone – in particular children – in Ukraine will know him well. However, in the fairy tales he is famous for kidnapping princesses and other dastardly needs. My Zmiy Horynych is a very different dragon indeed!

RCS: And did you have to do a field trip to Loch Ness?

CBP: I have visited Loch Ness many times. And my parents also lived in Scotland near another famous loch, Loch Leven, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned. But I don’t think that loch had a sea monster!

RCS: I know that in the past you have been an illustrator, but the artwork in the book has been created by Alexandra Dikaia. Do her illustrations bring an extra dimension to the book?

CBP: Yes absolutely! Alexandra’s illustrations are beautiful and very imaginative – and really add another wonderful perspective to the story. There is even a map in the front of the book of Zmiy Horynych’s journey from Ukraine. The illustrations also help the children in Ukraine who are obviously reading Vitalii Petrenko in a second language.

Children in Oleksandriya with the book

RCS: The book has already been distributed to some schools in Ukraine – what has the reaction been?

CBP: Oh, they simply loved the book! In Oleksandryia, at one of Zhenya’s school visits the children even dressed up as Vitalii Petrenko, Edward Austen and the three headed dragon Zmiy Horynych. I was so touched. And on one of our school visits promoting the book in the U.K. we had a live stream between a school in Bath and a school in Oleksandryia, which was an amazing and moving experience.

RCS: What next for Vitalii and Edward? Will they have some new adventures together?

CBP: Yes! I have already finished the first draft of the next Vitalii Petrenko book which is just as exciting. Without giving anything away, there is a magic snow globe which contains not just one secret – but two! The story has all the same charming characters and a few new ones too! And yes, of course, Edward Austen is there – as Vitalii’s valiant Dr Watson.

RCS: That’s fantastic news. The book sounds like a perfect children’s Christmas gift – who do you think would most appreciate the story and the characters?

CBP: Yes, Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths would make the perfect Christmas gift – either as a bedtime story (the parents will giggle at some of my nods to Jane Austen who lived in Bath) or for independent readers, and of course Ukrainian children will love the references to their culture’s fairytales.

Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths

RCS: Is there anything more we should know about your book?

CBP: I am absolutely delighted by the reception Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths has received by children of all ages and their parents. I have deliberately written the adventure story in a style which is easy to read by a wide range of children, both boys and girls, as Vitalii’s little sister also plays a pivotal part in the story. It’s immensely enjoyable for the parents to read too!

RCS: Thanks for taking the time to chat today, Claire, and best wishes for the book! Send our love to Vitalii and Edward!

You can buy the book on Amazon at this link!

Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths, a new children’s book by Claire Bramwell-Pearson

Posted on November 3, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths

The Charitable Association, The Friends of Oleksandriya, in Ukraine, announces the release of a new children’s novella, Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths by Claire Bramwell-Pearson. Set in the city of Bath, this is the tale of an unlikely friendship across cultures, sprinkled with oodles of dragon-filled magic. Now available in paperback, this new title is the perfect fantasy read for children aged 8 and beyond.

Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths follows talented footballer Vitalii, his mother Tetiana, and little sister Nadia, who flee the war in Ukraine and settle in the outskirts of Bath. Their arrival coincides with fish mysteriously disappearing from supermarkets and ponds all over Bath. Vitalii is befriended by hopelessly disorganised but history-loving Edward Austen who shows Vitalii Roman coins that he has discovered in his back garden. While waiting to consult the Roman Bath’s Curator, Vitalii accidentally drops magic coins into the warm water which awaken a Ukrainian three-headed dragon, Zmiy Horynych…and an unexpected adventure begins.

Author Claire Bramwell-Pearson, illustrator Alexandra Dikaia and Chair of the Friends of Oleksandriya, Zhenya Shkil

Both heartwarming and heroic, the narrative is complemented by captivating illustrations by Ukrainian artist Alexandra Dikaia, bringing the story’s characters and settings to life. Whether read aloud at bedtime, used in a classroom setting, or independently explored at the weekend, Vitalii Petrenko and the Secret of the Roman Baths ignites the imagination while spotlighting Britain’s solidarity with Ukraine in a spellbinding and strikingly original way.

Author Claire Bramwell-Pearson completed a Communication Arts Degree and subsequently worked on ITV’s successful cartoon series The Telebugs, followed by Walt Disney’s groundbreaking Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Following a stint in New York, she worked for Steven Spielberg on Balto, We’re Back and American Tail II, and Warner Bros Studios on Space Jam and Quest for Camelot. In 2019, New York’s renowned Gotham Writers Workshop led her to the wonderful Writing for Young People MA at Bath Spa University.

Alexandra Dikaia is a Ukrainian illustrator, writer, and concept artist with over fifteen years of experience in design and illustration. She is the author and illustrator of The Moonmill Fairy Tales and founder of Add Magic Academy, where she leads creative courses and challenges. She has been a featured speaker at Women Techmakers events inspired by Google and she illustrated a non-fiction book about chocolate for the prominent Staryi Lev Publishing House. Her art blends simplicity with profound meaning, embodying her philosophy of healthy minimalism and creativity as a path to self-discovery.

Children in Oleksandriya with the book

The Friends of Oleksandriya is a charitable association that promotes support and solidarity for Ukraine, particularly between Bath & North East Somerset and Oleksandriya. It believes that by working together, a difference can be made to people’s lives and a better world can be created. The team is made up of volunteers who are passionate about helping others and creating impact.

Since its establishment, The Friends of Oleksandriya, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Bath, managed to raise more than £100,000 to buy 13 7.5kW generators, a 70kW generator for the Children’s Hospital in Oleksandriya, and a 100kW generator for the Central Hospital of Oleksandriya. The Friends of Oleksandriya believe that everyone deserves access to basic human needs such as food, shelter, education, and medical care. In December 2024, Oleksandriya received a 200kVA generator from the charity for one of their hospitals, as well as over one thousand Christmas presents for children of all ages.

Zhenya Shkil, Alexandra Dikaia and Claire Bramwell-Pearson

Founder and trustee of The Friends of Oleksandriya Zhenya Shkil says: “We were extremely lucky to be introduced to a graduated writer for Young People from Bath Spa University, who has an incredibly original vision and vibrant imagination. When we first met, I told Claire about a children’s café I went to in Oleksandriya and how there was a huge statue of Ukrainian fairytale characters outside it. One of them was Zmiy Horynych and the other was Kotyhoroshko, who fought Zmiy Horynych, and I showed her the picture. She managed to take the antagonist of the story and transform him into a sympathetic character, moving him to Bath and creating a magical world, a new form of folklore.”

Now available in paperback, the book was featured as part of the Bath Children’s Literature Festival and can be purchased from a range of local independent shops, including Mr B’s Emporium, the Bath Abbey Gift Shop, Topping & Company Booksellers, Bathford Community School, and the bookshop in Bradford-on-Avon. The official book launch will take place on Saturday 8th November 2025 at 2pm at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. It’s free to attend and everyone is welcome; all the details can be found here. In addition, I hope to introduce The Real Chrisparkle readers to the author Claire Bramwell-Pearson in an interview very soon!