Paperback Picture Book Picnic

I'm taking a picnic and a walk in the park this Thursday 2nd July to celebrate the publication of our paperback edition of The Quiet Woman and the Noisy Dog

"Oh Woofy! Oh Woofy! I love you, Woofy! La-La-La-La-La!"

Professor Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson signed books for fans after her lecture at Roehampton University last Thursday evening. The children's author is a professorial fellow, sharing her expertise with students on the Creative Writing and Children's Literature courses. She parted with valuable tips for those of us learning the craft of writing for children.

You are not alone. Everyone wants to write for children nowadays.

We laughed and inwardly cried and sighed at the thought of those wanting 'to dash off a little children's book.'

What will make your submission different from all the others? Here are a few of her tips from the top:

What ever it is, your heart has to be in it. You have to care about your characters. 'Imagine what it's like for the child.'

Keep writing more and more. Don't stop at the first book! Make the most of your lucky breaks.

Don't re-read as you write. Finish the draft first before you judge it.

For those writing historical fiction, 'imagine it as fiercely as you can.'

Jacqueline Wilson has just completed Hetty Feather which was commissioned by the Foundling Museum and will be published in Oct 2009. She says she tried to write with an authentic Victorian voice whilst keeping it lively and direct.



And in a pleasing circle of events, JACQUELINE WILSON MAGAZINE will be published by D.C.Thomson who named their comic for girls after their most junior journalist in 1964 - JACKIE.

Kyle Cassidy's Small Art Project

A couple of weeks ago I commented on a photo of Neil Gaiman and his dog by photographer Kyle Cassidy in his post about collaborative art. It was his fan letter to musician Nicki Jaine that was the seed to his eventual meeting and photographing Neil Gaiman.

I stumbled across this post after following a Neil Gaiman Twitter to Kyle Cassidy's livejournal blog inviting artists to collaborate on a small art project. All you had to do was say 'Yes' in the comments.

I immediately responded and landed on the first page of comments under my livejournal name Pixzzzart and for the next few days watched as 600 people replied with the word 'Yes.'

The positive replies have reached the 800 mark and Kyle Cassidy set up a separate community for creative souls in search of inspiration and, as it turns out, a collaborator.

In a subsequent blog post, Kyle Cassidy revealed the random pairing and we were pushed out of the nest and into creativity.

My collaborator is a young photographer with a sensational collection of Pink pics. We have emailed after initial contact via Twitter. Two weeks to go before we report back with 'What came of it' and as nothing has come of it yet - we have work to do.

All we can say at the moment is it may involve photos and a children's story and it's all happening online as my collaborator lives in Northern Ireland.

Wish us luck!

Anthony Browne New Children's Laureate

Congratulations, author/illustrator Anthony Browne on becoming the next Children's Laureate
He wants to focus particularly on the appreciation of picture books. Hooray!

'We have in Britain some of the best picture book makers in the world, and I want to see their books appreciated for what they are – works of art.'

Willy's Pictures (Willy the Chimp)is one of my favourites. The chimp is painting a portrait of Anthony Browne on the cover of the hardback edition I bought. But the picture on the cover above gives more of an indication as to the astonishing achievement of Anthony Browne as a fine artist. This picture book is literally a work of art.

Books and Hats at the Hay Festival

I arrived in time to see new Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy reading Mrs Aesop and 6 of her other poems (listen to the event here on the Hay Festival website). She had sold out of The World's Wife but I bought some of her children's poetry.

The Hat

I met author, Jenny Valentine in her delicatessen in Hay the day after hearing her talk about Writing Children's Fiction. She writes for 3 days a week, from 9-3 and works 2 days a week in the shop and is writing 3 novels a year! Her latest is The Ant Colony


Michael Morpurgo read I Believe In Unicorns and talked about his life as a writer. His advice to aspiring writers:

'Live and interesting life and write down the single most important thing that happened that day.'

I discovered that Apple may have the answer for Mac users wishing to find an electronic reading device in the future. Jamie Byng was obviously very excited by the Apple Tablet. I could get in to digital reading and handwriting on this net book. The Sony Reader is not yet Mac compatible or Wi-Fi connected and is in black and white. Sony were selling their reader at £30 discount for £199.

As well as a few new books, I bought secondhand books in Hay town centre.

Booth's Books, Hay

My most exciting find was the first UK edition of Caldecott & Co. Notes on Books & Pictures by Maurice Sendak (1989). It includes his acceptance speech in 1964 when he won the Caldecott Medal for Where The Wild Things Are.

With Where The Wild Things Are I felt that I am at the end of a long apprenticeship. By that I mean all my previous work now seems to have been an elaborate preparation for it.

Thanks to Addyman Books in Hay town centre for tucking this book into their children's books' corner.

Thanks also to Yvette Jelfs hatstand on the festival site. At last I have a hat for the Ascot Ladies' day and I had a sun hat for reading at Hay.