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With her forthcoming title, Me and
Aaron Ramsey, Carnegie Award winning author Manon Steffan Ros conjures a
beautifully nuanced slice of Welsh life that celebrates football, family and
finding your feet. Alison King caught up with Manon prior to publication to
talk about her powerful new story.
As someone who has never engaged with
football, I am fascinated by the culture and the community that it
encapsulates. You capture both of those things so well in Me and Aaron
Ramsey - I was utterly swept up in that world, despite having no real
reference points. Where does your own passion for football come from?
I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in football
until 2016. The idea of it bored me; I didn't understand why people got such a
sense of identity from the bunch of people they happened to support kicking a
ball around a field!
Wales qualified for the Euros in 2016, which sparked
an interest in football in my eldest son, who then got me interested. I was
firmly on the bandwagon, and I'm still on it now! There's such grace and skill
and beauty in football, and I can't unsee it. I've been surprised by the sense
of belonging one gets from supporting a football team, and the joy of being
tribal. I think I'd always thought of the tribalism aspect as a bad thing, but
now I can see that it's not about hating the other team and wanting them to
lose- It's about loving your own team.
I've
been in the Kop in Anfield, underneath the huge banners that the fans pass
around, singing You'll Never Walk Alone. There is absolutely nothing like it.
It's the opposite to loneliness.
Following
the success of Nebo, I imagine it must have been quite difficult to find the
story you wanted to tell next. I'm curious as to how you landed on Me and
Aaron Ramsey - it's very different, perhaps that was part of the appeal?
Nebo
came out in 2018 in Welsh, and so those questions of what to do next were
answered some time ago! The first thing I wrote after Nebo was a crime novel-
very different, and that was no mistake. I didn’t want to write the same thing
again, because I want to respect each novel within its own space and theme.
This novel is translated and will be published in the autumn.
Me
and Aaron Ramsey made sense to me as the next step, but also just as a novel in
its own right. The whole mood and feel and meat of it is so different, but
there are similarities thematically. I think they’re both novels about the
relationship between a parent and a child, and that tricky bit between
childhood and adulthood.
In Me
and Aaron Ramsey, the reader spends time with a family that is coming apart
at the seams, and although there are some very tense moments peppered
throughout the story, the atmosphere created is one of hope, and trust and
love. Did you set out to depict it this way or did it happen naturally as the
story evolved?
I
write a lot about parents separating, and also parents who stay together but
are unhappy. When I was younger, there were a lot of middle grade books which
tackled this- Paula Danziger, in particular, tackled it masterfully. But I
think there’s a danger now that because it’s a more common occurrence in
children's lives, we think it maybe isn’t such a big deal, and so we don’t
write about it so much. Or we tend to write parents who are together and happy,
or are separated - not much in between.
I
always try to write with empathy, and am aware that I don’t really want to
write goodies and baddies. It’s just not my style, and I don’t really believe
that people are like that.
I
want to ask you about Sam's brushes with anxiety, which colour his experiences
throughout the book. What did you want to achieve by exploring this, and how
did you approach shaping Sam's emotional journey?
To me, Sam’s anxiety was a natural progression from
having to hear parents arguing often at home. I think that we all experience
some level of anxiety- it’s a natural and often useful reaction to worrying
situations. I wanted to explore how to deal with the feeling when it does
surface, the different coping mechanisms people have. This is admittedly close
to home for me- I remember being quite an anxious child, worrying about war and
nukes and whether my friends really liked me until very late at night. I came
up with ways to stem the worry, and Sam does the same.
in a house
Let’s
talk about Mattie - there's a real sense of freedom in her and I found her to
be a lot of fun and also unexpected, in terms of the way little sisters are
depicted in children's fiction. Where did she spring from and did you enjoy
writing her?
I
love Mattie! I think that there’s a lot of sibling rivalry and tension in
books, and although that is often a reflection of real life, it isn’t always
the case. When there is tension between adults hold, siblings can be allies.
Siblings can also be friends! I really wanted a cool and happy little girl in
this novel, whose brother really loved her and who was more than the
stereotypical annoying younger sibling.
I
don’t know how much you can say but I’m sure everyone reading would love to
know what's on the horizon for you, in terms of writing projects.
What’s
on the horizon? Lots I hope! I absolutely love my job and I get antsy when a
few days pass where I haven’t written anything. I have a few books coming soon-
Feather, is another middle grade novel, and there’s thecrime I mentioned earlier, which is set in my
home town of Bethesda. But I’m itching to write something new now, a YA book,
but I’m not going to jinx it by telling you about it novel before it’s taken
root…
A big thank you to Manon Steffan Ros for the interview, to Alison King for
conducting this and to Firefly Press for the opportunity.
We are delighted to welcome C G Moore to
the blog to talk about his new novel, Trigger which has published with YLG
Publisher of the Year 2023 in Ireland.Trigger
is C G Moore’s third novel for young adult readers and is a gritty verse novel
based around sexual abuse and raising important considerations around
consent.You can learn more about C G
Moore at his website.
'Gut Feelings' won the KPMG Children's
Books Ireland, Children's Book of the Year Award, how did it feel receiving
this recognition and can you tell us about how the selection process for this
works?
I was shocked. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Gut
Feelings was a strong book but rather, I thought with some more established
names contending for the title, I was just there to enjoy the day with my mam.
I had no expectations that I would win. I scribbled some names on the back of a
tram ticket just in case.
For the selection process, Children’s Books Ireland seek
out independent judges for the awards including two readers aged 15+ as Young
Judges. Publishers submit books they believe to be outstanding reads and the list
of submissions is judges against the awards’ criteria including engagement, and
how well written and conceived the story is. The list is whittled down to ten
books and there are five awards in total including the Book of the Year Award.
Your new verse novel is called 'Trigger'
and is publishing with Little Island books, can you introduce us to its themes?
Trigger is about a boy who
wakes up in the park with no memory of what happened to him. He slowly comes to
terms with the fact that he may have been sexually assaulted. He can’t move on
until he knows what happened to him. While sexual assault and trust are key
themes, Trigger raises awareness around consent in and out of
relationships as well and hope and recovery from trauma.
Jay is struggling to piece together events
that have happened to him and who he can trust, although the horrific events
that he has been through have been very specific, in some ways this is a rites
of passage.In what ways do you think
Jay changes by the end of the book?
Jay is very trusting before the events of the book and
a part of him finds validation in being in a relationship. Even when he comes
to terms with what happens to him, he still holds tight to his naïve beliefs
that nothing happened and his boyfriend could not have been involved. There’s a
poem in the book – Honey and Glass – that captures the before and after
of his life-changing experience perfectly.
Like 'Gut Feelings,' it has been quite a
personal book and it cleverly weaves narrative around trauma and
resilience.Do you find exploring your
past through fiction helps to make sense of elements of your past?What do you hope readers get from this?
There is always a cathartic feeling when I write about
some of the difficult experiences I’ve endured. Spending a lot of time writing
about these moments does unlock a different perspective that helps me to make
sense of the past.
I’ve read some alarming statistics recently that The
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published in which they found that 72% of young
people aged 18-25 do not realise they can say ‘no’ after initially say ‘yes’ to
a sexual encounter when they meet. Just as troubling is that a further 58%
believe that rape cannot be committed in a relationship or marriage. I think
many adults find it difficult to talk to kids about issues that are widely
regarded as taboo like sexual assault and rape but with instant access to
digital media via smartphones, children are growing up in a technological world
where they are being exposed to smart devices as young as two. It’s naïve to
think that teenagers can’t access more explicit content and with this in mind,
it’s important to have these more difficult conversations at home and in
schools. I can see how teachers and librarians might worry about students
reading content that exposes them to issues like sexual assault, but surely
it’s better done in a book where they can question and discuss these themes in
a safe environment rather than being kept in the dark and becoming a part of a
set of alarming statistics. Besides, young people are regularly subjected to
sexualisation in the media and violence in video games and TV shows. I hope my
book offers a discussion around consent and gets young adults to think about
it. I know one book won’t change these damning statistics but if the book
reaches and helps just one young person, I’ll be happy.
'Trigger' explores some complex issues and
emotions what opportunities and challenges are there in exploring these through
the verse form?
Verse novels limit your word count dramatically and can
take you longer to find your voice. With prose, you have more time to develop
the story and narrative voice but with verse, you have to be more precise while
still allowing smaller moments for the reader to breathe. If you’re talking
about complex issues like identity, disability or sexual assault, you still
need to give the reader moments of relief. I also find it easier to plot a
prose novel by chapter whereas my verse style doesn’t have chapters in the
traditional sense so I might have an outline of what I am going to do, but not
every part of the story is mapped out. It’s exciting and it challenges me to find
new ways to tell my stories.
What is it that appeals to you about the
verse form and in what ways does the process differ from standard prose?
Verse allows me to say what I need to say in a way
where every word on the page matters. If I’m talking about something that’s
quite personal to me, I want to make sure that every poem is doing what it
needs to do and contributing to the overarching narrative. With prose, you can
take your time in building up a scene and fleshing out characters and story. In
verse, your words need to be concise and for me, I need to be able to balance
story and characterisation without adding any superfluous details.
You've just become part a Champion of
Reading with Children’s Books Ireland, what will this involve and do you have
any particular plans for how you will use this opportunity?
I am so proud to be a Champion of Reading for two
schools in Ireland. As part of the scheme, the schools selected each received
250 books as well as a Champion of Reading who is tasked with engaging students
and encouraging a ‘reading for pleasure’ culture within the school. I have my
own plans on how I would approach this, but I am guided by the schools (what
age groups they would like me to work with, reading abilities, interests etc.)
to understand what type of activities they would like me to explore in
workshops. One of the schools has asked for a workshop around creating suspense
and character-building. I will be drawing inspiration from thrillers and murder
mysteries to create an immersive series of activities that will invite students
to solve a murder mystery in their own stories.
You work with The Reading Agency on their
'Reading Partners' programme.What does
your work entail and has it given you an ideas for your own writing and
development?
As a Campaigns Officer with The Reading Agency, I get
to support libraries and schools across the UK with offers including free
author visits, read and review opportunities and library display packs and
resources to help make libraries a more inviting and accessible space for all
readers. I’ve grown and developed in this role professionally and being able to
access a diverse range of reading opportunities has allowed me to read lots of
different stories that have challenged my own writing.
Are you reading anything that you're
particularly enjoying at the moment?
I’ve just finished reading Wise Creatures by
Deirdre Sullivan – an exceptionally talented Irish author. It’s about betrayal,
secrets, family and ghosts. I was a bit sceptical at first as I loathe reading
about ghosts, but Deirdre managed to weave a story in lyrical prose and play
with narrative voice to create a compelling read.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently working on an inside-out coming-out story
(that’s a mouthful to say!) told in prose. I’m afraid I can’t say much more
than that.
Thanks to Chris Moore for the interview and
to Little Island Books for the opportunity.
If you are interested in finding out about some of the hottest new books for children and young people publishing in 2023, connecting with 22 publishers, meeting an amazing array of authors ( including S.F. Said, Phil Earle, Carnegie Medal for Writing winner 2022 Katya Balen, Jenny Pearson and more!), signing up for free promotional materials or taking part in competitions and much more, the Children's Reading Partners Roadshow - run by The Reading Agency - is for you. Details about how to sign up for you free place and what to expect in each session are below.
When: Wednesday 9 November from 9.15am - 3.15pm
Where: Zoom Webinar (link provided after registration). You need to register for each of the sessions you would like to attend as they have different log ins.
Session 1: 9.15 - 10.20am. The publishers presenting in this session are: Gecko Press, Usborne, Chicken House, Hachette Children's Group and Macmillan Children's Books. Register for session 1 here.
Session 2: 10.45 - 12.00pm. The publishers presenting in this session are: Andersen Press, Bloomsbury, Buster Books, Little Tiger, Rebellion Publishing and Welbeck Children's Books. Register for session 2 here.
Session 3: 12.45 - 1.55pm. The publishers presenting in this session are: Bonnier Books UK, b small Publishing, Faber & Faber, HarperCollins Children's Books, New Frontier Publishing and UCLan Publishing. Register for session 3 here.
Session 4: 2.15 - 3.15pm. The publishers presenting in this session are: David Fickling Books, Farshore, Nosy Crow and Simon & Schuster Children's Books.
The Reading Agency also run our Chatterbooks newsletter which regularly runs read and review campaigns for Children’s reading groups and offers free physical and digital resources and displays to school and public libraries as well as author visits. If you would like to hear more about our opportunities for librarians and teachers, you can sign up to our newsletter here.
Kenneth Oppel
is the author of numerous award-winning children’s book.His first book, Colin’s Fantastic Video
Adventure was published in 1985.He
has won the prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award for Airborn which
was also a Printz Honour Award.Kenneth’s
latest novel is Ghostlight which is published in the UK by Guppy Books.
Past Chair of the Youth Libraries Group, Alison
Brumwell interviewed Kenneth and discussed his fiction and latest novel Ghostlight.The fascinating session was recorded and is
available to watch below.
Thank you to Guppy Books and to Liz Scott for the opportunity.
We are delighted to welcome Emma Finlayson-Palmer, to the
blog.Emma is an author, artist and
illustrator and runs the #ukteenchaton Twitter
and is one of the mentors for #WriteMentor.Emma discusses her involvement with social media and how this has
supported her own writing including the brilliant new chapter book Autumn Moonbeam: Dance Magic,
illustrated by Heidi Cannon and published by UCLan Publishing.
We’re in a world where it is virtually (no
pun intended!) impossible to avoid social media or digital aspects of life. It
can be addictive and a drain on precious writing time if you’re not careful.
But it can also bring opportunities, friendships and a sense of community and
belonging.
For me, Twitter has been a huge writing
base ever since I joined in back in June 2011. It was a place I could be
myself, and be a writer, unlike Facebook where it was filled with people who
didn’t know I was a writer. Twitter provided a platform for me to openly talk
about writing with other people who were writing and industry professionals
too.
I first found more writers through
#AskAgent sessions, where I went from seeing names of literary agents in books
such as the Writers and Artists Yearbook to suddenly being accessible. Here
they were online and open to answering the burning questions aspiring writers
had about each stage of the writing process and publishers and talking about
their favourite biscuits.
Social Media has been a huge part of my
career as a writer. There are so many different events, festivals, both online
and in real life that I’d never have known about if it wasn’t for social media.
I’ve become an active part of writing
communities on social media over the years and seen some start up and grow
because of places like Twitter, without which they wouldn’t exist. It brings
writers from all over the world together in one place, giving a level of access
and inclusion that wouldn’t exist without it.
This has been especially important in
recent years, if it hadn’t been for the communities and writing friends I’ve
made online I’m not sure how I would have managed during each lockdown. I love
how this new hybrid way of life has evolved out of a terrible situation and now
we have a blend of online and in person events, allowing access to individuals
that wouldn’t be able to attend in person events.
Twitter is host to many different writing
related chats that cater to every genre and age group people are writing for.
One area that seemed to be lacking in the market I found was Teen, for that gap
between MG and YA, where there needed to be more of a bridge between the two.
And from this and a discussion with other writers and literary agents, that my
own writing chat came about. #ukteenchat came about to champion Teen fiction
and help people understand exactly what it is. Over the years since I set up
the chat back in February 2016, the chat has evolved into a community where
writers support others and we talk about all aspects of being a writer. The
chat has also given me the opportunity to talk to so many wonderful writers and
industry professionals from agents to competition organisers and publishers
too. It started off as a fortnightly chat, but it’s now become weekly to
accommodate the interest and being able to give a platform for me to shout
about writers and stories that I love. I feel very lucky to be part of such a
wonderful book related chat!
After swearing I never would, I have
recently joined TikTok and have found it to be great fun to create book, nature
and writing related videos. As long as I don’t post any embarrassing dance
videos my children might not be totally mortified at having their mother on
there! It’s a great community for writers and book reviewers, and more and more
indie bookshops, publishers and writers are joining. I love the more immediate
and visual side with TikTok, couple with music and the random mixture of cute
cats, asmr relaxation videos, BookTok and more.
Whilst I have to be careful not to allow
myself to give too much time to social media, and it’s a good idea to set aside
a certain amount of time for this each week, it’s also influenced my writing.
Social media filters into my own writing in various ways whether it be through
my characters and their use of it, or for research purposes. But one thing I
have found about social media that influences every aspect of my writing life,
and that’s community.
The communities I’ve found myself part of
and wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for being on social media, have been
integral to making me the writer I am now. So whilst it might have its
downsides, for me social media has been a place of friendship, fun and finding
my feet in the world of writing.
A huge thank you to Emma Finlayson-Palmer for the blog and to UCLan Publishing for the opportunity. Don't miss the amazing activity pack based around Autumn Moonbeam below.
We are delighted to
welcome Nansubuga Isdahl and Nicole Miles, author and illustrator of
First Names: Nelson Mandela published by David Fickling Books
to the blog to talk about the book, Nelson Mandela and their work and
research!
1)
Please can you introduce yourselves and tell us a little about your
background and interests in children’s books?
Nansubuga
Isdahl, author: Thanks! I’m Nansu. In short, I was born in the US
and am of Ugandan heritage. My family and I currently live in
Tanzania, but I’m typing this from Florida (US), where we’ve been
taking cover for the past year. I write for international NGOs and UN
agencies during the day, and I work on children’s books by night.
I’ve always loved books, but became particularly interested in
children’s books when I had my daughter and realized that the range
of voices telling stories was severely limited and the industry was
skewed towards certain perspectives.
Nicole
Miles, illustrator: My name is Nicole and I’m from The Bahamas. I
came to the UK for university and lived here since then. I find it
difficult to explain my interest in children’s books because it’s
so hard to imagine why anyone wouldn’t love children’s books!
Haha I actually find the category to just be really engaging and
accessible and there is a sincerity in kids’ books that can often
get replaced by a cooler cynicism in books for older readers and,
although that’s sometimes what I’m in the mood for, that
sincerity in books for younger readers is just really lovely to me.
(2)
How did the commission come about?
NI: My agent brought it
to me after DFB had seen a travel series manuscript of mine. I had a
call with the editor and they introduced the series. Serendipitously,
I had been living in South Africa for years and the opportunity to
write about Nelson Mandela fit perfectly with my interests.
NM:This
story is maybe not so exciting, but David Fickling Books contacted me
and asked if I would be interested in working with them on the series
and I was available and interested.
(3)
What kind of research was involved in planning the book?
NI:
On my end, I read widely. This included Nelson Mandela’s
autobiography, The Long Walk to Freedom, and other texts. I
also did extensive on-line research, watched many movies, listened to
the freedom songs from that time period, etc. I had already visited
the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, so felt I had a grasp of that.
Also, simply by living in Johannesburg, I was afforded a considerable
amount of perspective about Nelson Mandela because his legacy is
reflected throughout the city.
NM:
On my part, there was a lot of visual research
and, because photos of Black South Africans and their living and
working spaces and so on at that time are likely very rare, there was
a fair bit of sleuthing involved too. For anyone mentioned in the
book I obviously would have to look up as many photos of them as I
could find to draw them, but if Nelson is ever driving a car, for
example, and the make and model are not named, I was looking up which
cars of the time were popular and accessible, whether he would have
had the newest model or a car that had been in circulation for a few
years, which side of the road they drive on in South Africa and which
side is the steering wheel on, and so on. I looked up police uniforms
versus other official authorities’ uniforms and the political
parties’ flags but made sure I got the emblems from the right era,
and what kinds of casual clothing Nelson would have worn at
university when he wasn’t in traditional dress or a suit. Basically
a lot of time was spent searching online historical photo archives!
(4)
What did you learn about Nelson Mandela that you didn’t previously
know?
NI: I didn’t know that he had such a tremendous
sense of humour. He was very charming, it seems, and I think his
sense of humour was part of that charm.
NM:Maybe
I should be embarrassed to admit it but, prior to reading Nansu’s
manuscript, for me it was as though Nelson Mandela’s life started
in middle age when he was sent to Robben Island in 1964, then there
was another big gap in my knowledge spanning 27 years, after which he
simply existed as a hero because of some vague ideas about fighting
apartheid here and there. I respected him before coming to this book
and understood that he was an important person, but it is truly an
understatement to say I learned a lot working on this project.
How
important do you feel biographies are for children and young people,
and what can we learn from them?
NI: I think biographies,
especially those about people who are lesser known or who live in
different parts of the world, are particularly important. Historical
texts, including biographies, shape how we view the past and the
present. I think biographies can help expand young people’s
worldview and hopefully allow them to realize that not everything
we’re taught reflects the totality of an experience or event.
Rather, what we're taught often reflects an interpretation
or one side of a story. I think it’s very important for
children to learn that distinction early and to gain those critical
analysis skills. Biographies are a great way to do this.
Biographies can also put a personal face to historical events, which
I think makes them far more engaging for children. Learning about
apartheid in history class is one thing. Learning about it from
Nelson’s life, and the impact it had on him and the people around
him, adds a richness that is invaluable. It also helps children to
develop empathy – another critically important life skill.
NM:I
am not someone who is disinterested in history or global civil
rights movements and yet here was a huge oversight on my part about
a man who made big waves globally and was the face of a massive
movement. I imagine many people, especially anyone (like me) who was
too young to have been aware of the events surrounding Mandela as
“current affairs” as it was all unfolding, are similarly
ignorant (or even less aware) than I was about him (and others in
the movement who are also mentioned in the book). That ignorance is
an important thing to correct because, as the saying goes “those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” and a
past with so much avoidable cruelty and discrimination and pain for
so many people would be a horrible thing to senselessly repeat.
Biographies for young people are not simply a warning though.
Historical biographies can serve as a source of inspiration to
children to see that, even with so much against you, it is possible
to overcome and that is not just pretty words; it happens. People do
great things and overcome great difficulty. I think that’s
important.
(6)
It feels as though schooling was a very important point in Nelson
Mandela’s life, how formative do you think being educated in a
British-style school was for him and what changes did he have to
make because of this?
NI: I think Nelson’s formal
education helped to widen his perspective about the world. It also
gave him access to jobs (i.e., being a lawyer) that would have been
unlikely otherwise. I think given that he was a country boy, as he
put it, he certainly had to acclimate to a more formal
environment during his schooling. He also learned through
his formal education that what was being taught in school differed
greatly from what he was learning at home (e.g., about South African
history). That tension was formative in helping develop his
views about equality and justice. So, Nelson essentially
gained the skill of living in two worlds--the Western one through
his schooling and the South African one. His ability to “cross
over” worlds, if you will, was critically important in building
bridges when he came President.
NM:
This is a fantastic and complex question. My
understanding is that, while it benefitted him and made certain
opportunities available to him that may not have been otherwise, the
colonial school system also took from him his culture, his history
and even his name — one could fairly say much of his sense of
identity… There’s a part in the book where this confusion is
expressed as he compares what he is learning in formal lessons with
what he is learning from elders in his village. It’s interesting
because, as someone who grew up and was educated in an ex-British
colony (The Bahamas), I found this particularly interesting. It
speaks a lot to colonisation and whether the benefits outweigh the
many damages and how those subjected to the system can use it to
their advantage (and, I would hope, to help those who didn’t
benefit from it as Nelson did). When talking about the ills of
colonisation, there is often a knee-jerk reaction from descendants
of colonisers (and the pro-establishment colonised) that the meagre
benefits (roads, education, etc.) were worth it in exchange for
subjugation and being second-class citizens. I personally disagree,
but I don’t think it’s a topic around which anyone need feel
defensive. It will always be of huge benefit to be able to conform
to the established norms (whether those established norms set by
colonial powers, class expectations, gender expectations, etc), but
I think it’s vital that people keep hold of who they are as well
because no one story is more valid than another. I guess that’s
what “code-switching” is essentially.
(7) How
easy was it showing the growth and maturation of Nelson through the
book?
NI: I was working from an outline that I had
developed before I started writing and so once I charted the
decisive moments at each stage of his life, this became easier.
NM:
I think around middle age was the trickiest
and I started to sneak a little greying in his hair to show that but
I didn’t want him to read as being suddenly quite a lot older,
especially since elderly-Nelson was narrating the book and that
might get confusing towards the end. It was very helpful having my
Art Director Katie pointing to when he needed to be older or younger
in certain illustrations.
(8) Did you use any
photos or source materials as background for characters and indeed
for the village of Qunu and the Xhosa people?
NI: I’m
quite sure that Nicole did as I remember sending through some images
that I thought might help.
NM: Definitely!
As many photos as I could find haha! In some instances, it was just
hard to find examples that seemed to match up to time, place and
description, but I was always looking up images before I started
sketching anything.
(9) The book could easily feel
very serious but the illustrations play a wonderful role in infusing
warmth and humour, how did the collaboration work?
NI:
Working with Nicole (via the series editor) was lovely. I’m not
sure how many rounds of the illustrations she did before they got to
me, but the editor would send through roughs and final versions at
various stages and I could provide my feedback or comments, based on
what I understood of the context and Nelson’s life. I felt very
fortunate to have been able to contribute in some small way to
Nicole’s really brilliant interpretation of the book.
NM:
When I first started the project I was
initially a little nervous that it needed to be serious, almost a
little distant in tone. So, even though I probably enjoy being
playful and humorous in my work more often, when I submitted my
first samples they were all pretty stiff and serious. The feedback
was that the team wasn’t keen on that direction and actually
wanted the lighter tone that I preferred.
After a conversation with Katie to talk things over and her pointing
to some things in my portfolio that she felt had a closer tone to
the one they were going for, I was much clearer on (and happier
with) the direction and sent over a sample that employed more of the
humour you see in the book now. I was very relieved that we were
actually on the same page. I feel it’s much more engaging than a
more classically “educational” approach would be, without being
disrespectful where a more sombre tone is required.
(10)
What is next for you both?
NI:
I’m currently working on (writing, drafting, brainstorming) more
middle grade novels than anyone should
be at one time!
NM: I’ve
got a few books coming out this year including Walking
for Waterby
Susan Hughes which is based on the true story of a little boy
in Malawi who realises the world is quite different for him and his
twin sister and that is coming out 1 June. Then in autumn of this
year the first book in Joel Ross’ funny Alley
& Rex middle
grade series is coming out. I’m illustrating Viviane Elbee’s I
Want My Book Back about
a dinosaur-obsessed kid who wants his library book about dinosaurs
back, which is out in spring 2022. Then autumn of that year
sees Groundhog
Gets It Wrong hitting
shelves.
It’s
a real joy for me to be able to work on so many great book projects
and I’ve got a few exciting non-publishing projects popping up
this year too. My Instagram is probably the best place to keep up
with what I’m up to.
A big thank you to Nansubuga and Nicole for the interview and to David Fickling Books for the opportunity.
This year as part of our virtual offer for shadowing, we have arranged a number of special events. Information about these is listed below. These are free to attend but must be booked in advance. We do hope you might join us and happy shadowing!
03 March Picturebooks For All Ages 12.30pm
Kate Greenaway Shadowing offers an exciting and dynamic opportunity for all young people to access a world of reading and illustration. Join co-hosts Jake Hope and Amy McKay for a free CILIP webinar on how to get the most out of shadowing the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist and to learn how to use illustrated texts with all age groups. Places are free but you must register at www.cilip.org.uk/events.
13 MarchJackie Morris and Shaun Tan2.00pm
The 2019 and 2020 Kate Greenaway medal winners will take part in a special Litfest discussion about their winning books, their work and approach to art in this special event scheduled in the lead up to the shortlist announcement on 18 March.Places are free but book here The Art of Nature: Jackie Morris and Shaun Tan – Crowdcast
13 March Jackie Morris The Lost Spells 7.30pm
Kate Greenaway winner Jackie Morris will be in conversation with Nicola Davies in this Litfest event where they will be discussing The Lost Spells her latest collaboration with Robert MacFarlane. Places are free but book here The Lost Spells: Jackie Morris and Nicola Davies – Crowdcast
18 March Kwame Alexander 11.00am
Kwame Alexander’s book illustrated by Kadir Nelson was the winner of the Kate Greenaway Shadowers’ Choice 2020 with The Undefeated. Kwame has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie with his verse novel Rebound. Join him as he talks with Amy Mckay about his work. Places are free but must be booked in advance here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-event-with-kwame-alexander-tickets-140089143399
This free CILIP webinar hosted by Jen Horan, 2021 Chair Elect and Ellen Krajewski, the 2021 Chair of Judges offers practical guidance on how to take part in Shadowing, including how to engage with the website and resources plus a fantastic panel of Shadowing Group Leaders who will be sharing some of the creative and innovative ways they have engaged their reading groups in CKG Shadowing. Places are free but you must sign up when registration opens on 15th March at www.cilip.org.uk/events.
Posted By Jacob Hope,
06 August 2020
Updated: 06 August 2020
We are pleased to welcome Joe Wilson to the blog as part of his blog tour for his debut novel, The Island that Didn't Exist a compelling adventure story with a conservation theme. Here Joe discusses finding a nest, the space and time, in which to write.
I’ve just been watching Roald Dahl in his little hut. Have you seen it? You might even have visited it. It was 1982 when I joined him there, this morning, on YouTube. In the BBC film Roald Dahl explains his routine and demonstrates his writing environment. It is eccentric, idiosyncratic and utterly charming, of course it is. In short, it runs like this:
Dahl walks to his hut, which is located at the end of a short garden path. He sits in a specially configured armchair and pulls the rug up over his knees (in winter he, tells us, he sits inside a full sleeping bag). Having lowered a special writing tray to rest on the arms of the chair he then sharpens six pencils with an electronic device. There are always six, he stresses, and they must all be sharp before he proceeds. He then pours something from a flask and he’s ready to write. He’s created, as he puts it, his nest.
I think to myself, ‘how wonderful’ immediately followed by, ‘how utterly unattainable’. I would love an author’s nest. In reality I often struggle to find a perch.
I’m in awe of anyone who decides to dispense with their everyday life completely and immerse themselves solely in writing their first novel. I, in contrast, tried to fit mine in around everything else. In that way, I suspect I’m like a lot of other new authors.
The time and space I found to write The Island That Didn’t Exist was normally the train; commuter with computer. That was me. It may be you, too. So, here this the benefit of my experience; the trials and travails of writing on the rails.
Find a seat. Sitting down may seem like the fundamental right of the train traveller but on my line, like many others, it was more of a luxury. The only guarantee of getting a seat was to take a slow service. This involved arriving at the station earlier than necessary to allow for the extra stops the train would take on its route to London. Sometimes there was no choice, it had to be the quickest and so (market forces demanded) the most crowded. There is something rather humiliating about crouching cross legged on the floor with your nose sniffing the bin having bought an expensive ticket for the privilege. In these moments, I must confess, the creative headspace to write was difficult to locate. There is, of course, no excuse. But I am suggesting this comes close.
Don’t miss your stop. The dream scenario of train writing is when the pattern of your mind blends with the rhythm of rails. You become one with the movement of the train. There is a kind of creative harmony the Buddhists probably have a name for. You are only vaguely aware, in fact, that the train has actually come to a halt. Panic hits you when you recognise the platform as belonging to your station. From that point there are approximately 15 seconds to save your work, stuff the laptop in the bag, grab whatever additional possessions you’ve strewn near you, climb apologetically over the adjacent passenger and dash through the doors. In this heightened state I have lost two scarves and one coat but, thankfully, I never lost what I’d just been writing.
Rail Replacement Service. The three dreaded words. A late shift in the office always carried with it the potential that engineering works would render the lines out of service. A train would transport you beyond the outer fringes of the capital but no further. What came next was a wait in a windswept car park, standing silently with a few other helpless souls. Eventually we would all mournfully parade on to a coach as the clocks (on our phones) ticked past midnight. I’ve never liked reading on coaches and writing is even harder. But I now wonder if the cramped darkness and overpowering sense of nausea contributed to the script. The scene where Rixon Webster is trapped in a cave, partially written on a rail replacement service, is the only part of the book which survived unscathed through the whole redrafting process.
The purpose of this blog is not to complain, far from it. The whole point is that writing escapist adventure fiction was my own way of escaping the commuting routine. If I had to be there in body I didn’t have to be there in mind. That, I think, leads to the broader purpose of a book.
When you’ve got a good one you carry it with you like a treasure. It is somewhere to travel to, to be thrilled by and to feel safe inside. In fact, long after the writers have ceased their labour the book itself becomes a kind of portable nest.