My Events During October - Dublin, Cork, Limerick

stories are for everyone

This is where I'll be during the Children's Books Ireland celebration of books in October- Stories Are For Everyone:

sally go

Dalkey Library 3rd Oct

Sally Go Round the Stars Nursery Rhyme Fun

The Library Cat Stories (Age 7+)

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Dundrum Library 6th Oct

Sally Go Round the Stars Nursery Rhyme Fun

How I Became A Writer (Age 9+)

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Cabinteely Library 8th Oct

Crazy Character Workshop (Age 9+)

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Schull Library and Skibbereen Library 14th Oct

How I Became a Writer (Age 9+)

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Cork Library 15th Oct

How I Became a Writer (Age 9+)

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Blackrock Library 22nd Oct

Sally Go Round the Stars Nursery Rhyme Fun

(To book library events - contact the local library hosting the event)

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Bualadh Bos Children's Festival, Limerick 30th Oct (with Oisin McGann)

Booking: www.limetreetheatre.ie

Ask Amy Green Wedding Belles Cover

It's Good to Talk - a Post for Teens

girls making a heart

My son dropped out of college last May. He'd failed his Christmas exams and was pretending to go to lectures for months. Every day he'd get up, shower and leave the house. Every late afternoon he'd come back and I'd ask him how his day went.

'Fine,' he'd say. But I knew something was up. He wasn't himself. He was quiet, withdrawn and didn't want to engage with the family. He just wanted to be left alone.

His summer exams crept nearer and nearer. I went into his room one evening and sat on the side of his bed.

'How's the study going?' I asked him.

'Fine,' he said. But he couldn't meet my eye.

I told him I was sitting there until he talked to me, even if it took all night. He knows how stubborn and determined I can be (I'm a writer after all, you don't get a novel finished without being both, plus a little bit insane, but that's a blog for another day) so he started to open up. He admitted that he hadn't been going to college for months. He told me how much he hated his lectures, how he felt so small, so insignificant. That the classes were so big (nearly 500 in his English lectures) that he hadn't made many friends, that he'd made a mistake, it wasn't the right course for him and he didn't know what to do about it. That he felt he'd let me down.

I was so upset for him that I started to cry. He was pretty close to it himself. I told him I loved him no matter what. That I didn't give two hoots about him failing his exams, I just wanted him to enjoy college, to make friends, and yes, maybe to learn something useful, but most of all to be happy. I told him that I was proud of him for telling me the truth, even if it had taken him a while.

There's nothing my son could do that would make me any less proud of him. He's a wonderfully funny, thoughtful, smart young man. Yes, sometimes he drives me crazy and you should see the state of him room, but right now he's down at the sailing club teaching young children how to sail.

girls talking on step

In the end we sorted things out - he re-applied to a different college - a much smaller college to do a different kind of degree. He is now in first year again and has already made loads of new friends. 

So why am I telling you all this?

Life isn't always easy. Sometimes we hold things inside, we don't tell the people closest to us - our family, our friends - how we really feel. We keep plodding on, hoping things will get better. But sometimes they don't and we need help.

If things are getting on top of you please be brave - reach out and tell someone. As the old BT ad used to say, 'It's good to talk'.

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on www.girlsheartbooks.com

Writing.ie Book Lunch - With Special Guest, Jennifer Johnston

Writing.ie Book Lunch – An Author at Every Table

In Association with Dubray Books

With Special Guest, Jennifer Johnston

Jennifer Johnston

Venue: Royal St George Yacht Club

Date: Saturday 18th October

Time: 12.00pm until 3.30pm (lunch will be served at 12.30pm)

Cost: e28.50 – includes a three course meal plus tea/coffee

Bookshop on site provided by Dubray Books – all the writers’ books will be in stock

To book: ring Kate at 01 2801811 (places limited, please book quickly)

You can book a whole table for your book club, or come with a friend or individually

To request to be seated with a particular author, please email sarahsamwebb@gmail.com before 10th October and we will do our best to accommodate you

About the Lunch:

Join some of Ireland’s top writers at this exclusive book lunch in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal St George Yacht Club on Dun Laoghaire’s sea front. Talk books and writing with your table host, and hear an after lunch conversation with the award winning novelist, Jennifer Johnston.

This lunch will be presented by Vanessa O’Loughlin from writing.ie and writer, Sarah Webb.

Our Author Hosts:

jennifer j books

Literary powerhouse, Jennifer Johnston (latest novel - A Sixpenny Song); writer and historian, Turtle Bunbury (published in October - The Glorious Madness: Tales of the Irish and the Great War);  bestselling authors, Sheila O’Flanagan (latest novel - If You Were Me) and Emma Hannigan (published in October - The Heart of Winter); author of the critically acclaimed The House When It Happened, Martina Devlin; award-winning author of The Playground, Julia Kelly; historical novelists, Kate Beaufoy (pen name of Kate Thompson, latest novel - Liberty Silk) and Lia Mills (latest novel - Fallen); crime novelists Liz Nugent (debut novel - the muct praised Unravelling Oliver) and Karen Perry (Paul Perry and Karen Gillece – debut novel, The Boy Who Never Was); and finally, TV3 chef, Andrew Rudd (latest book - Entertaining with Andrew Rudd).

www.writing.ie

www.dubray.ie

How To Get Published by Breakthrough YA Author, Louise O’Neill

Louise O'Neill

Louise will be appearing at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival on 13th September (details below)

Upon hearing that I’ve written a novel, some people want to know where I get my ideas from, as if there’s an idea-shop you can just pop in to on your way home from work. Lidl will probably start offering ‘Idee’s’ soon. They’re basically the same thing as ideas but far cheaper.  Others ask about the storyline. ‘It’s a dystopian tale exploring the contemporary obsession with the female body. Think The Handmaid’s Tale for teenagers.’  I answer, watching as every man in a two mile radius backs away. No wonder I’m still single. And then, of course, there are the frustrated writers, lips tightening with barely concealed envy when they hear my good news. I know these people. I was one of them, poring over a newspaper article about some child of fifteen who has sold their first novel for half a million euro, trying to ignore the hatred threatening to suck me under, as greedy as a slurry pit. There is nothing more disheartening than seeing someone else realising your dreams.

So, here are my top tips on how to finally write that novel.

• Read voraciously. Stephen King said ‘If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time to write.’ A badly written book will demonstrate what not to do and a well written book will inspire you. Be warned, a masterpiece will merely leave you with a general sense of hopelessness as your novel will never be anywhere as good. I had to take to my bed for a few days after finishing ‘Cloud Atlas’ like a Victorian maiden with a case of the vapours.
• Think of your writing skills as a muscle. The more you use them, the stronger they will become. The thought of completing an entire manuscript can seem so insurmountable we find ourselves unable to take the first step. Set yourself smaller tasks to begin with. Write an article for your local newspaper. Write a short story. Write five hundred words on your first holy communion. Julia Cameron, in her excellent book The Artist’s Way, recommends ‘morning pages’ and I’ve found freehand writing to be an effective tool of unblocking creativity.
• When you do decide to start your novel, make sure you’re passionate about your idea. This might sound obvious but you’ll be working on this project for the next nine to twelve months, or more. There will be days when you hate your book, you hate your brain for generating the original idea and you hate your laptop for having the audacity to record all these stupid words. If you don’t adore the idea at the beginning, you will likely ever reach the end.
• Set yourself a deadline. When I first moved back to Ireland from New York on September 1st, 2011, I decided to take a year out to work on the novel that I had spent the last ten years threatening to write. I finished the first draft on August 31st, 2012.
• I remember phoning my father from New York, complaining that my job in fashion ‘didn’t make my heart sing.’ I know. Oprah has a lot to answer for. He told me if I wanted to write so badly I should take any opportunity that I had to do so. Bring a notebook with you and write on the subway, he advised, unaware that I spent my subway journey gawking surreptitiously at barefoot crack heads or avoiding eye contact with anyone I might feel compelled to offer my seat to. (Apologies to that pregnant lady on crutches. My bad.) Once back in Clonakilty, I made myself sit at my desk from 7am to noon every day, whether I felt like it or not. Some days, the words came. Other days, I sat there, staring at the blank page. It didn’t matter. I still sat at my desk at the same time every day. Of course, I was lucky enough to have parents who provided a room ‘of one’s own’ and, more importantly, a new laptop to put in that room.  I don’t have children or a tyrannical boss or a crippling mortgage to pay and I’m aware that these must feel like truly impossible obstacles. But you owe to yourself to at least try to carve out some time every week that you can use to write.
• Social media, while beneficial for ‘research’, is really only a method of distraction. When asked how one of the authors on his roster managed to maintain such a prolific work rate, Jonny Geller, an agent with Curtis Brown, replied ‘He doesn’t have twitter.’ Until novels come in a 140 character size, it’s not helping you.
• Be prepared to make sacrifices. In my case, the first casualty was an active social life. Jodi Picoult describes writing as ‘successful schizophrenia’ and I found it very difficult at times to interact normally with other people when all I could think about was this world I had created in my head. Personal aesthetic standards also suffered. When I worked in fashion, I didn’t own any items of clothing that could ever be described as ‘practical’. Or, indeed, anyway comfortable. Things are so bad that when I wash my hair, my father asks if I’m going anywhere special and my mother claps her hands in glee, like I’m a toddler learning to use the potty.
• Some authors edit their work as they go along but I saved all my editing for the end, like the crappy pink and brown Roses at the bottom of the tin that no one wants at Christmas. There is a peculiar type of shame in reading ‘Slowly, she walked slowly down the corridor slowly.’ In case you don’t comprehend the subtlety of my brilliance, I was trying to convey that the character was very, very, very slow.
•  Once you finish the first draft, edit, edit and then edit some more. As Faulkner said, ‘...kill all your darlings.’ You’re just showing off anyway. Ask a friend who is an avid reader to take a look at your manuscript. Choose someone you trust to be both honest and gentle with you.
• When you have a finished manuscript in fairly good nick, you need to find an agent. An agent will take a proportion of your earnings (generally around 15%) but they are essential, as most publishing companies don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. When submitting to an agency, they usually want to see the first three chapters, a covering letter and your CV but check their websites for individual guidelines. Choose an agent that has authors you admire on their roster or who represents authors who are writing in similar genre to you. Make your covering letter engaging. If you’re someone’s love child, now is the time to mention it. Unless it’s someone embarrassing, like Mick Hucknell. Keep that to yourself. Forever.
• Be prepared for rejection and don’t take it personally. JK Rowling famously received twelve rejection letters and I think she’s managing to pay her electricity bill these days. You want your agent to fight for your book when they’re trying to sell it to a publisher. If they don’t ‘get’ it, then they’re not the right agent for you anyway.

Going Too Far? Panel Discussion on YA Fiction with CBI

Venue: dlr Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Date: Sat 13th Sept @ 4.30-6.30pm

Price: e8/e5 students

Age: Students and adults

only ever yours

Booking: www.mountainstosea.ie or 01 2312929

Writing Tips from Award Winning Author, Sheena Wilkinson

Writing Tips from Sheena Wilkinson

Sheena Wilkinson with Elaina Ryan of CBI and Writer, Deirdre Sullivan

See Sheena at the Mountains to Sea Book Festival (details below)

1. Everyone will say the same thing here; that’s because it’s so important. READ. Read everything. Read in your favourite genre and outside it. Read to see how stories work. Read to remind yourself that books are magic, and that you want to create that magic for someone else.
2. Find out what works for you. I faffed around with unfinished novels for years because I kept stopping to edit as I went along, always aiming for that perfect first chapter. For me, it’s better to write to the end of a rough first draft and then go back and redraft, and redraft, and redraft. It’s less work in the long run, and for me having a complete draft, even though it’s rubbishy, gives me a feeling of achievement and something to work on. This seems to work for lots of writers. It may not work for you but it’s worth trying if, like me until about six years ago, you find it hard to get to the end. And the first drafts are getting better.
3. Give yourself goals. It may be that you’ll write for an hour a day, or that you’ll finish a sort story by the end of the month, or that you’ll do a thousand words a day, or 500 or even 100. You can move the goalposts as you get more serious. If I think about the whole project of a novel, I feel a bit gulpy and want to go and lie down, but if I think that I aim to do 6,000 words a week and that means 1,000 words day with a day off, that seems more manageable. I have printed off a geeky calendar so I can waste time filling it in and adding happy/sad faces accordingly. You can get software to do this for you, but why bother, when you can use up hours of writing time colouring in and highlighting?
4. Fall in love. With your book. I can’t get into something and spend a year – or, in the case of my forthcoming novel, 2 ½ years (I took time off to write another book in the middle) – on it unless I love it. So don’t follow the market or write about something because you think you ‘should’: write what you love. It helps to have a bit of  a crush on at least one character. BUT, however in love you are…
5. Don’t be precious! You know how being in love is great, but it can make you a bit blind to someone’s actual qualities? That. So when your editor/agent/writing buddy/mum suggests that something in your book could maybe work better, consider that they might be right. After all, you want them to fall in love with your book too.

Sheena will be appearing on the Going Too Far? Panel Discussion at the Mountains to Sea Book Festival 2014 with debut novelist, Louise O'Neill, David O'Callaghan from Eason, reviewer and writer, Mary Arrigan and reader, Aaron Williams.

A must for anyone interested in writing or reading YA fiction.

Saturday 13th September, Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire (new library) 4.40-6pm

e8 adults/e5 students

5 Things You May Not Know About Writer, Kjartan Poskitt

Kjartan Poskitt in Action

Kjartan Poskitt, creator of the Murderous Maths books and the wonderful Agatha Parrot series will be in Dun Laoghaire next week for the Mountains to Sea Book Festival. Here are some facts you may not know about Kjartan:

1/ He's from Yorkshire but he has an odd accent (or so he says).

2/ He wrote the theme tune for children's art show, SmArt and children's show, Brum.

3/ Most of his books start life written on the edge of a soggy newspaper.

4/ His favourite author is Philip Reeve.

5/ He can play cat and dog noises on a synthesiser.

All absolutely true!

Catch his wonderful Murderous Maths show on Friday 12th September in the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire during the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival. Age 4th to 6th class  e3 per child  (Limited tickets still available) Log onto www.mountainstosea.ie or ring: 01 2312929 to book

One of Kjartan's Books

5 Things You Might Not Know About Writer, Alan Nolan

5 Things You Might Not Know About Alan Nolan

Alan Nolan

See Alan in Action at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival (details below)

 1. Alan was born with a full head of red hair. It fell out before he was six months old and grew back dark brown. It’s now falling out again!

2. His first comic was called Splat and featured a lazy superhero character called the Bedspread who travelled around in the Bedmobile (a double bed with wheels) and lethargically fought crime in Slug City. The Bedspreads arch-enemy was called Wakey Wakey.

3. Alan loves spiders, caterpillars and beetles (in fact, he loves all ‘creepy crawlies’), but he’s deathly scared of mice and rats.

4. He has read every Charles Dickens novel at least twice. His favourite is A Christmas Carol, which he owns fives copies of – one with illustrations by Arthur Rackham, and one illustrated with puppets made by Fluck & Law of Spitting Image fame.

5. He used to be a huge fan of Star Trek, and has a full Star Trek The Next Generation costume in his wardrobe. Unfortunately, over the years the shirt and waistband of the uniform trousers have ‘shrunk in the wash’.

fintans 15 cover

See Alan in Action at the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival

My Favourite Superheroes with Alan Nolan - Comic Book Fun for All the Family

Assembly Room, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire  Saturday September 13th @ 10.30 to 11.30am

e4 per child (age 7+)/e6 per adult  To book: 01 2312929 or www.mountainstosea.ie 

Picture This! Why I Love Picture Books (and Shaun Tan)

If I say ‘picture books’ what do you think of? Stories about bears who can’t sleep and hares who love each other ‘to the moon and back’? Books about caterpillars turning into butterflies, and families going on bear hunts? Books for young children in other words. Most people think children ‘grow out’ of picture books, that they are too simple for children who can read. Well, I’m in my 40s and I still adore picture books. I read them with my children yes, (age 11 and 8) but I also read them for myself. Some of the greatest art out there is sandwiched between the covers of picture books, plus they’re beautifully written, with not a word out of place. Haiku for aliens someone once described them as, and they were right.

I’ve always loved art and as a child I was lucky to have a dad who brought me to art galleries. After school I went on to study History of Art (with English) at Trinity College, Dublin, where I spent hours in the library pouring over the pages of the glossy art books. I also studied picture books – I was obsessed with Maurice Sendak (and still am). I’d like to share some of my favourite picture books with you and explain why I love them so much.

1/ Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

A Spread from Where the Wild Things Are

A Spread from Where the Wild Things Are

One of the most famous picture books of all. Originally published in 1963, at the time adults thought it a disturbing book. They thought the monsters would terrify children. But they underestimated youngsters, who recognised (and still recognise) the humour and mischief in the beasts. I bought  a hardback copy of this book for my son, Sam, when he was born. I was a children’s bookseller in Waterstone’s  and I loved reading this one aloud at story time. It’s so beautifully written, the words just flow off the page.  It really has stood the test of time and the artwork still looks fresh and original 50 years on. A true classic.

Monster Mama cover

2/ Monster Mama by Liz Rosenberg, illustrated by Stephen Gammell

An Interior from Monster Mama

An Interior from Monster Mama

I was a single mum for many years and I loved curling up and reading picture books with my son. This one is all about a mum who is a ‘monster’ and fights off the bullies who threaten her son. It’s about maternal love and the illustrations are highly coloured and very unusual.  It’s a book full of powerful emotion and reading it always reminds me how strongly I felt and still feel about my son (who is now 20!).

red-tree

3/ The Red Tree by Shaun Tan

An Interior from The Red Tree

An Interior from The Red Tree

The Last Page of The Red Tree

The Last Page of The Red Tree

I’m a huge fan of Shaun Tan’s work. He’s an extraordinary writer and visionary artist and I urge you to seek him out. His books are for all ages, especially The Arrival, which is more graphic novel than picture book. But my favourite is his ode to hope and renewal, The Red Tree. It’s a simple story about a girl with red hair who is having a rough time. On each page there’s a tiny red leaf, and at the end of the book, the leaves have become a bright, shining tree. The text is beautifully written but it’s the illustrations that really blow you away. Everyone has days (or weeks or even months) where they feel tired and down and lonely, and I find this book – and its message of hope and its inspirational artwork – so reassuring. Nothing ever seems as bad after reading it. His latest book, Rules of Summer is also pretty special.

Here’s some of the text of The Red Tree: ‘Sometimes the day beings with nothing to look forward to

And things go from bad to worse/Darkness over comes you/Nobody understands . . .

But suddenly there it is

Right in front of you/bright and vivid

Quietly waiting/just as you imagined it would be.’

More of Shaun Tan's Work

More of Shaun Tan's Work

Shaun Tan's Latest Book

Shaun Tan's Latest Book

owl babies

marshall arm

lost and found

To find out more about  Shaun's work see: www.shauntan.net  I also love Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (as it has 3 little owls – and my children used to re-name the owls with their own names and the dark, atmospheric artwork by Patrick Benson is superb); Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School by David Mackintosh (a book celebrating difference with stunning illustrations); and Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (which has a strong friendship theme and the most wonderful rowing boat illustration – there’s a whale gliding underneath it). And I also adore the work of Lizbeth Zwerger for her quirky imagination and her use of colour + line.

The Work of Lizbeth Zwerger

The Work of Lizbeth Zwerger

What’s your favourite picture book and why? I’d love to know.

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

This blog post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books blog: www.girlsheartbooks.com

Summer's Here - Let's Get Reading Part 2 (Books for Teens)

A holiday wouldn’t be a holiday without a good book to read. Is there anything as wonderfully indulgent and satisfying as curling up in the garden with a great novel and letting the hours slip past? I think not! So in part 2 of my summer reading post, here are some more titles that you or your teen might like to read over the holidays. First up is the very sweet and touching, Popular.

popular cover

Popular by Maya Van Wagenen

When I was in third year in senior school a new girl joined our class. She was Irish but had been living in Canada for many years. She had boundless enthusiasm for school activities, from hockey to the school musical and she was determined to introduce herself to everyone – rugby players and computer club members alike.

She’d appear beside you at lunch break and simply break into conversation. At first she was teased for being different and for not sticking with one ‘gang’ but soon we all realised that she simply didn’t care what team you were on or what clubs you belonged to, she wanted to get to know you regardless. It took a whole year and a lot of dogged determination on her part to be accepted, but by sixth year she was one of the most popular girls in the school. To this day she remains one of my closest friends.

Reading ‘Popular’, the teen memoir by Maya Van Wagenen’s which chronicles her quest to be liked and accepted by everyone in her American middle school 8th grade, made me realise just how bewildered and excluded my friend must have felt at times. However Maya, unlike my friend, had support in the form of a self help guide published in 1951: Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Popularity Guide.

Using this book to work out ‘what to wear, what to say, how to behave and who to be friends with’, Maya sets herself tasks inspired by Betty’s advice. She pays attention to her posture and tries out new looks, she bravely sits at different tables during lunch break and she invites people to attend the prom with her. As Maya works her way through Betty’s suggestions, she discovers a lot about the nature of school cliques and how they work, and what being ‘popular’ really means.

Maya is a highly likable girl and by the end of the book I was rooting for her. I even shed a few tears on the DART (train) when after all her befriending and kindness to others, she wasn’t invited to one of her new friend’s parties.

The overall message of this book – that we are all the same, ‘geeks’ and ‘jocks’ alike and we should all be kinder to each other – is an important one. Age 11+

half bad

Half Bad by Sally Green

If you like books like The Hunger Games and Divergent (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), this is the book for you. Half Bad hit the headlines recently after breaking a Guinness World Record for most translated book pre-publication. It’s already been sold into over forty-five territories and the film rights have been snapped up by Fox 2000.

The book opens with two boys playing with matches. One holds the match for too long, until his fingers burn, the other lets go. And so we are introduced to Nathan, a boy locked in a large cage, a fearless boy with remarkable healing powers. We learn that Nathan is a Half Code – son of a black witch, and a white witch. Whites are ‘good’ witches, rulers of the witching world and terrified of the more dangerous and unpredictable black witches.

Nathan’s father is Marcus, the darkest and most hated black witch of all, a man he has never met. The only person who can kill Marcus (according to an ancient prophecy) is his own son. So Nathan is stolen away from his family by the white witch Council, locked in a cage and trained to fight and eventually kill his own father.

Want to find out more? Read the book! (Teens)

fangirlcover

If you loved The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) you could try Rainbow Rowell’s Fan Girl or Eleanor and Park. Sarah Dessen’s novels – both wonderful American writers.

castle cover

And finally, a book I’m dying to read but I’m keeping for my own holidays is The Castle by Sophia Bennett. Here is Sophia talking about it (from her wonderful website): The Castle (published in August) is a story about a girl called Peta Jones, who has a special connection with her dad. He chose her unusual name, he’s a decorated army hero and he’s always been her hero too. But now he’s dead. Supposedly. Peta doesn’t believe it, despite the ashes which were returned to her mother from Iraq.

When she gets a strange warning phone message and odd things start happening to her at home, she’s convinced her father is alive and trying to contact her. Peta is not the kind of girl to give up easily. She’ll do anything to find him. Any stupid, dangerous thing.

Next thing she knows, she’s heading (unintentionally) for an island in the Mediterranean. The truth about her family lies hidden there. So do a few other secrets . . . (Age 11+)

A brave girl on a dangerous adventure, sounds like the perfect book for my summer holidays. Happy reading – talk to you all again in August.

Happy reading!

Yours in books,

Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on www.girlsheartbooks.com

Summer's Here - Books for Children and Teens

IMG_4299[2]

Every July I skip off for the whole month to West Cork to read, kayak, dream, think, eat and just do  a whole load of nothing. I pack up my jeep with a big box of books as I like to have lots of choice. All kinds of books: novels, biographies, picture books, bird books. Here’s a photo of some of those books for summer 2014: This year I started amassing my reading cache early (dare I admit it, in March). I ADORE planning my holiday reading. And nope, I don’t have a Kindle and I don’t intend to get one anytime soon. I spend a large chunk of my life in front of a screen, writing and the last thing I want is to spend my precious holiday reading time in front of a screen. And you can’t take a Kindle kayaking or sailing. Well you can, but if you tend to capsize like me or splash about, you probably shouldn’t!

So far I have about twenty books put aside including:

The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker – a novel by a Dutch writer I met at a book festival recently;

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald – a new teen novel by an Irish writer I greatly admire;

apple tart cover

and The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry – a thriller by a writer I know called Paul Perry and his friend, Karen Gileece. I can’t wait to get stuck in to all three.

What kind of books do YOU like to read on holiday? Do you have any recommendations for me?

Recently I’ve reviewed some books that I think would make idea summer holiday reads so I’d like to share them with you. In Part 2 I’ll share more great books with you including the new Sophia Bennett book, The Castle.

Sweet_Honey_book

First up is the brand new book by the one and only Cathy Cassidy: Sweet Honey in The Chocolate Box Girls series.  Here are the details from Cathy’s website:

Honey is going to live with her dad in Australia. Determined to make a fresh start, she couldn't be further away from the tough times at Tanglewood.

Her new life is a dream come true - until school begins. The girls are different from Honey's friends in England and the only person who seems to understand her is the cute boy from the beach she's chatting to online. But when he, the girls at school and even her dad start breaking promises, who can she trust?

All alone on the other side of the world, Honey's past is about to catch up with her…

And here is another book I enjoyed recently that you might like too!

Evie Brooks is Marooned in Manhattan by Sheila Agnew

Writer, Sheila Agnew

Writer, Sheila Agnew

Set in New York, this debut novel by Irish writer, Sheila Agnew is full of warmth and humour. Evie Brooks is a bright, likable twelve-year-old and the book opens just after her (single) mum has died and Evie is sent to live with her Uncle Scott, a New York vet. She misses Ireland and her friends and at first is reluctant to stay there.

Scott’s lawyer girlfriend, Leela isn’t impressed with his new ‘family’ lifestyle. A beautiful but selfish woman, she hates sharing him with his new ward and schemes to get Evie back to Ireland. But what is best for Evie? And will she ever feel at home in the Big Apple?

A resident of New York for many years, Agnew knows her stuff and the book has a brilliant sense of place. From city diners to Central Park, the reader gets a whistle stop tour of Manhattan and shares Evie’s sense of wonder and discovery.

Scott’s vet clinic is full of remarkable creatures and their equally remarkable owners, from a black rabbit called Dr Pepper, to Arnie, the overweight pot-bellied pig, and Agnew’s passion for animals shines through on every page.

Overall this is a charming, sweet and moving book that will delight any Judi Curtin or Cathy Cassidy fan. UK readers can order it online.

Other recommended books for the summer:

lookign at the stars

Looking at the Stars by Girls Heart Book’s Jo Cotterill

A tale of love and war, family and friendship. Jo writes beautifully and this book is well worth reading.

primperfect

Primperfect by Deirdre Sullivan 

Further adventures of the wonderful Primrose Leary. If you like sweet, funny and hard-hitting stories, this is the book for you.

flora in love

Flora in Love by Natasha Farrant

The life in words and film of Bluebell Gadsby. I read After Iris last year, the first book about Bluebell and I fell in love with this wonderful, quirky family.

Happy reading! Sarah XXX

This post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books website - www.girlsheartbooks.com

How to Get Your Self-Published Book into Bookshops - 10 Tips

I’ve worked in the book trade for over twenty years now – as a bookseller, a marketing manager and a buyer. As a children’s buyer I’ve looked at thousands of covers a year, read thousands of blurbs, dealt with hundreds of different authors – at shop signings, events and festivals (a blog for another day).  Recently I’ve been asked for advice from self self-published writers: how do I get my book into bookshops?

 I thought I’d give the self-published writers out there some advice with the help of experienced bookseller, Josie.  

Top 10 Tips for Self-Published Writers

 1/ Make sure your book is professionally designed, typeset and printed. A badly designed book will not sell to the public. A bookshop buyer (like Josie) will only consider a book that looks professional and will sell in their bookshop. Make sure it is professionally edited, copy-edited and proof read.

 Josie adds – make sure the type is the correct size and you use good paper stock.

 2/ If it’s a picture book, use a professional illustrator – don’t do the illustrations yourself, don't ask a friend to do them. Try www.writing.ie for information on this. Companies like www.kazoo.ie provide a professional design, editing, illustration and printing service. (A good friend of mine, Vanessa O’Loughlin is involved in this company and it's worth talking to her about your book - she's great.)

 3/ Make sure your price your book correctly. Do not over price or under price your book. Ask a bookseller for advice on the price.

 Josie adds – make sure your book has a spine so it can be found on the bookshelves.

 4/ Offer the correct discount. This is generally between 40 and 50%. It can be higher for wholesales like Eason. If you only offer 20 or 30% the buyer may not take your book as the margin is too low. (40% discount means 40% off the cover price of the book.)

 5/ Provide a valid ISBN and barcode. Print the price on the back of your book, just over the barcode. Again, check other books to see how this is done.

 6/ A good cover is vital – put as much time and thought into getting this right as you can.

 7/ Behave like a professional at all times. Josie suggests making up bookseller packs with information on the book and the press you have arranged. Print out professional order forms and invoices. Make sure you leave a phone number and an email address so the buyer can contact you with orders or returns.

 8/ Offer to do events or workshops in the shop. Practice these beforehand and make sure they are professional.

 9/ Be polite – if the buyer says no, don’t get angry. They may buy your next book. It’s not personal, it’s business. A buyer’s job is to select the titles that will sell in their shop. They only buy 10 to 20% of the titles they are shown.

 Josie adds - don’t have high expectations of quantities. The orders will be small but if the book sells we will reorder quickly. The average order might be for 3 to 5 copies.

 10/ Help with the marketing and publicity. Let people know which booksellers are stocking your book. Provide bookmarks or postcards (posters can be difficult as not many bookshops have wall space for them).

 Promote your book in an interesting way on Facebook and Twitter – try to be inventive. Set up a blog or website for your book. Offer to do a piece for the local newspaper.

 When in doubt, ask a bookseller for advice. They need good writers just as much as writers need good bookshops – it’s a team effort! You just need to give them the right books to sell.

Good luck! And thanks to Josie for her time and expertise.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

The Kids are All Write - the Irish Children's Book World

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Divergent - the movie

Sarah Webb – Published 18 May 2014 in the Sunday Independent

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THERE has been a lot of doom and gloom about the state of the Irish book trade in the press recently. Happily, however, children's books are holding their own and now account for up to 25 per cent of overall book sales, a figure which is increasing year on year.

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Irish writers are in great demand internationally, and rising star of the Irish children's publishing world David Maybury has just been appointed to the important post of Commissioning Editor of Scholastic Children's Books, UK.

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Watching Back to the Future with my children last week, I was amused to see the flying cars and insane clothes predicted to be all the rage in 2015. Books were also a thing of the past, with all children reading electronically. Many thought this would indeed be the case, that children would be the first to switch over to e-readers. However, we underestimated children's love of physical books.

The supremely talented Eoin Colfer, who was inaugurated as Children's Laureate na nOg last week, put it perfectly when he said: "Every 50 years something comes along and people say 'That's the end of books'. We'll have to adapt, but physical books will definitely endure... Books will never die."

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"Books are tactile," he told me. "You can hug a book. You can sit down with your dad or mum and read a book together. Books are a badge of honour. A way to be identified. What is on your shelf says a lot about you. I had The Lord of the Rings and all my Batman comics (on my shelves). If anyone came into my room they knew who I was."

Colfer is right – books define who children and teenagers are. My own daughter is an avid fantasy reader and her shelves are crammed with Skulduggery Pleasant and Manga books. She has never expressed an interest for an electronic reader. Many of her friends own them and use them only when travelling. The statistics are there to prove that children love physical books: less than eight per cent of children's books are read electronically.

"Only four per cent of our children's book sales are electronic sales," says Ivan O'Brien, MD of O'Brien Press. "There's still a huge appetite for good, strong children's titles and potential for books to break out." O'Brien has had great success with its translation sales and has sold books by Irish authors like Judi Curtin and Marita Conlon-McKenna into many different territories.

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Books for our younger readers now account for 22-25 per cent of the overall book market, according to David O'Callaghan, Children's Book Buyer at Eason. "They've really entered the mainstream," he says.

"The big trends for us at the moment are Minecraft and Divergent. I think reality based YA (young adult) novels like John Green's The Fault in Our Stars are definitely going to be the next big thing. And the new Irish writers coming through the ranks, like Shane Hegarty are worth watching."

The spotlight was on Hegarty recently when the news of his "substantial six figure deal" hit the headlines. Darkmouth, his first book for children with HarperCollins, will be published next year.

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Last month, 26-year-old Cavan man Dave Rudden signed a deal with Puffin for his YA fantasy adventure trilogy, The Borrowed Dark, due in 2016; and journalist Darragh McManus's debut YA novel, Shiver the Whole Night Through, will be published by Hot Key Books in November.

And it won't just be little people reading their work. Adults are reading YA and crossover books like never before, and many authors are reaching rock star status.

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US writer John Green filled the RDS last year with more than 800 screaming fans. Who says teenagers don't read? Titles like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the Harry Potter books, Twilight, The Hunger Games and most recently, the Divergent series are openly read by adults on the DART, and discussed at book clubs.

Colfer is an inspired choice for the third Children's Laureate. A brilliantly funny speaker, his love of words is infectious. He says, "I want to tell a story to every child in Ireland." He has exciting plans to put together a show based around stories and books and to tour it internationally.

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"Ireland's history is story," he says. "We've always been a nation of storytellers. It's in our blood."

Previous Laureates Siobhan Parkinson and Niamh Sharkey are tough acts to follow. Parkinson set up a Laureate Library which still travels the country, introducing books from all over the world to Irish children.

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Niamh curated the Pictiur exhibition, work from 21 Irish illustrators which has travelled to Bologna and Brussels and was recently seen by more than 45,000 people at IMMA. You can catch it in Lismore Castle Arts, Waterford, in September, the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, in October and finally in the new Library and Cultural Centre in Dun Laoghaire at the end of the year.

Children's Books Ireland is also behind the prestigious Children's Books Ireland Award (previously the Bisto Award), which was announced last Tuesday. The overall winner of this year's Award was Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick for Hagwitch, a novel about theatre, puppets and magic, set partly in 16th-Century London. Oliver Jeffers won the Children's Choice Award for The Day the Crayons Quit; and Honour Awards went to Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, P J Lynch and Paula Leyden.

The next big event on the calender is the Children Books Ireland Conference, where our newly minted Laureate will be joined by fashion illustrator and milliner turned book guru David Roberts (Dirty Bertie), spoken word darling and best friend of Adele (yes, that Adele), Laura Dockrill, and US picture book maker, Leslie Patricelli.

Taking place at the cool Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, Dublin, next Saturday and Sunday, it's a must for anyone who wants to find out more about children's books.

For further info about the world of children's books visit www.childrensbooksireland.ie

Sarah Webb is a writer and a children's book commentator. She is the Children's Curator for the Mountains to Sea DLR Book Festival

Eurovision Sweepstake Kit 2014

Don't say I don't look after you - here you go - c/o the Mirror. Cut them out, pull your own Euro 'team' out of a hat and decide what the winner gets! Happy Eurovision, SarahX

eurovisionsweepstake

Long Live the New Irish Children's Laureate, Eoin Colfer!

eoin colfer

Eoin Colfer was announced as the third Laureate na nÓg, Children's Laureate of Ireland, at a special event at the Arts Council today. He was awarded his Laureate’s ‘medal’ by Minister Fergus O’Dowd who said Eoin was a ‘magical’ writer who would open up the minds of young people over all the world in his new role. Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council with the support of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Children’s Books Ireland, Poetry Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The honour was established to engage young people with high quality children’s literature and to underline the importance of children’s literature in our cultural and imaginative lives.

Eoin Colfer was born in Wexford in 1965. Having qualified as a primary school teacher, he worked in Wexford before travelling and working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was published in 1998, based on his experiences in Tunisia; it has since been translated into many languages.

He attained worldwide recognition in 2001, when the first Artemis Fowl book was published and became a New York Times bestseller. His latest novel, Warp: The Reluctant Assassin has been nominated for the CBI Book of the Year 2014. He currently lives in Wexford, Ireland with his wife, Jackie, and two children, Séan and Finn.

Speaking about his appointment as Laureate na nÓg, Eoin Colfer said: ‘I feel incredibly honoured and incredibly petrified to be taking on the Laureate mantle after Niamh (Sharkey) and Siobhan (Parkinson). I feel I am representing my family and my county and indeed all book people in Ireland which is not something I mean to take lightly. I intend to spend my time spreading stories to every nook and cranny in the country. Nobody is safe. It doesn't matter where you hide – I will find you and tell you a story.’

At the announcement he quipped that the Laureate medal gives him special powers. ‘All writers have to do what I say,’ he said. ‘Sarah and Niamh have to swap (the type of books they write) and John and Derek have to swap . . . I look forward to reading John Boyne’s new Skulduggery Pleasant book in the future.’ He also added ‘This is the proudest moment of my professional life.’

Elaina Ryan, Director of Children’s Books Ireland said: ‘Laureate na nÓg stands for so many things: honouring the talent of Ireland’s extraordinary writers and illustrators; celebrating children’s literature and recognising its crucial place in the lives of children; and bringing people together in Ireland and internationally to talk about children’s books and the possibilities they represent. Children’s Books Ireland is thrilled that Eoin Colfer will be Ireland’s third Laureate na nÓg – his imagination, energy and accessibility to so many audiences are among the many attributes that will make Eoin a wonderful Laureate.’

Sheila Pratschke, Chair of the Arts Council, said: ‘The Arts Council is delighted to award this honour – the highest to be awarded to a children's writer or illustrator in Ireland – to an artist of such high achievement and with such generosity of spirit.’ And Nóirín McKinney, Director of Arts Development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland added her support for the new Laureate: ‘Following in the trail-blazing footsteps of Siobhan Parkinson and Niamh Sharkey, Eoin Colfer is an inspired choice for the third all-island Children’s Laureate.’

Spotted at the announcement: the team from Penguin Ireland; Eoin’s agent, Sophie Hicks; children’s book commentator, Robert Dunbar; Director of Children’s Books Ireland, Elaina O’Neill; RTE’s David Murphy; and columnist and writer, Martina Devlin.

If you’d like to invite Eoin to your festival or event, the Laureate na nÓg team will be inviting invitations during the month of June from arts organisations and groups to suggest projects for the new Laureate. See www.childrenslaureate.ie for details. A great opportunity to hear from an amazing writer.

I would like to congratulate Eoin on his appointment and I look forward to the next two years of his reign! Long live Laureate Eoin!

Sarah Webb is a writer and children’s book commentator. She is the Children’s Curator of the Mountains to Sea Book Festival.

How to Write Short Stories (and Win Writing Competitions)

ghb comp

Want to win the Beyond the Stars Short Story Competition and be published along with Eoin Colfer, Judi Curtin and Derek Landy? Or simply want to find out how to write a brilliant story? Then read on.

1/ Before you start writing, think about your story and your characters. Go for a walk and mull it all over in your head, then grab a notebook and start scribbling down some ideas.

2/ You could start with your own memories or things that have happened to you or a friend – as this is what will make your story different. For example: Is there a favourite place you love to hide? Do you have a tree house or a club house? Have you ever had a fight with your best friend?

3/ Or try using a traditional story as your starting point and re-write it in a new or unusual way eg an Irish or English (or Welsh or Scottish) Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, based in your home town. You could re-write a traditional legend using modern characters and setting.

4/ Your characters can be children, teenagers, giants, talking animals or astronauts – the sky is the limit. But make them realistic and give them carefully thought out names that suit who they are. Think of Matilda, Charlie and James in Dahl’s books. The Harry Potter books are full of great names, as are Cathy Cassidy’s books.

5/ Once you have mapped out your main characters (for a short story don’t use too many main characters – two or three is plenty), and your plot, give your story an exciting or intriguing opening. Start at the point where the action begins – you don’t need to add back story. Avoid any long descriptions, readers will be eager to learn what happens in the story, not what the sky looks like.

6/ Think about the setting of your story – where will it take place? And add details – icicles, food. Use your senses to add depth to the tale – smell, taste, touch. What does the forest/back garden smell like?

7/ Conflict is vital in any story. Without the Big Bad Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood wouldn’t be a very interesting story. Think of the favourite traditional tales – Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, even Pinocchio – they are full of larger than life characters and HUGE emotions. Love, hate, revenge . . . think big and don’t be afraid to use strong emotions.

8/ Keep rewriting the story until it’s as good as you can make it. I rewrite each of my Ask Amy Green books many times before handing them over to my editor. And finally, ask a trusted friend to look over your work before you submit, a second pair of eyes can make all the difference.

Good Luck!

Yours in writing, Sarah XXX

(Editor of Beyond the Stars)

This post first appeared on the Girls Heart Books website.

All Star Irish Line Up - Beyond the Stars - to Support Fighting Words

Roddy Doyle

Harper Collins Press Release HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISH ALL STAR IRISH LINE UP IN SUPPORT OF RODDY DOYLE’S CREATIVE WRITING CENTRE AND SEEK NEW TALENT TO COMPLETE THE COLLECTION HarperCollins is delighted to announce the acquisition of Beyond the Stars, a collection of short stories from a stellar line up of Irish authors and illustrators, edited by bestselling author Sarah Webb. World rights were acquired by Publishing Director Ruth Alltimes from Philippa Milnes-Smith of the Lucas Alexander Whitley Agency.  All profits will go to Fighting Words, the centre for creative writing set up in Dublin in 2009 by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love. Based on David Eggers’ US-based 826 Valencia project and run by volunteers, it offers free creative writing tuition to children. Beyond the Stars features twelve tales of adventure, magic and wonder, written by some of the most outstanding talents in children’s fiction today, including John Boyne, Eoin Colfer, Judi Curtin, Roddy Doyle, and Derek Landy, with stunning illustrations from the likes of Chris Haughton, Chris Judge, P. J. Lynch and Niamh Sharkey. It will be published as a gorgeous hardback gift edition in October 2014. The Irish authors have contributed eleven short stories and to complete the book HarperCollins is launching a search for the twelfth and final winter-themed tale, to be written by a child between the ages of 8 and 16. The competition closes at the end of June 2014 and the final choice will be made by a panel of experts and illustrated by Irish Children’s Laureate, Niamh Sharkey. The winner will have the chance to work with an editor and see their story published; their school will also win a selection of books for their school library. Full details can be found at http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/beyondthestars. Ruth Alltimes said, ‘We are proud to be able to support the wonderful work done by Fighting Words and to bring our publishing passion to a project which builds on the strong relationship we have with Irish talent. Sarah Webb and the writers and illustrators involved have been extremely generous with their work and time – it is truly a creative writing project from the heart, and we’re delighted to be part of it.’ Sarah Webb said, ‘It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with some of the best children’s writers and illustrators on Beyond the Stars. I am extremely grateful for their support. I can’t wait to see the competition winner’s story nestling alongside their stunning work – what a prize!’ Roddy Doyle said, ‘Fighting Words is not state funded, and our existence is dependent on people who believe passionately in what we do – like the writers and illustrators of these brilliant stories. We are especially grateful to a great friend of Fighting Words, Sarah Webb, the creative and driving force behind this wonderful collection.’

Issued by: Mary Byrne, Publicist, HarperCollins Children’s Books T. 020 8307 4541  E. mary.byrne@harpercollins.co.uk Rights Enquiries: Carla Alonzi, Head of Rights, HarperCollins Children’s Books T. 020 8307 4289  E.  carla.alonzi@harpercollins.co.uk NOTES TO EDITORS • HarperCollins UK publishes a wide range of books, from cutting-edge contemporary fiction, to block-busting thrillers, from fantasy literature and children’s books to enduring classics. It also publishes a great selection of non-fiction titles, including history, celebrity memoirs, biographies, popular science, dictionaries, maps, reference titles and education books, and its digital business is thriving. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins publishes some of the world’s foremost authors, from Nobel prizewinners to worldwide bestsellers. In addition it publishes the works of Agatha Christie, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. It was the first major UK trade publisher to go carbon neutral in December 2007. HarperCollins Children’s Books is one of the leading publishers of children’s books, recognised for nurturing new talent as well as boasting a reputable list of established best-selling authors. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many children’s classics, including The Chronicles of Narnia, Hello Kitty, the Paddington stories, The Cat in the Hat and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and to some of the biggest names in children’s literature past and present, including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, Dr. Seuss, David Walliams, Derek Landy, Louise Rennison, Lauren Child, Judith Kerr, Oliver Jeffers and Michael Morpurgo.

Book an Appointment with The Writing Doctors - 4th April

east coast fm balloon

Exclusive Slots with with The Writing Doctors, Vanessa O'Loughlin and Sarah Webb at East Coast FM's Coffee Morning in Aid of Wicklow Cancer Support Services The Beach House, Greystones Friday 4th April 10am to 12pm e10 for a 15 minute session with Vanessa or Sarah (e20 for 30 minutes) - please pay at the door (all money will be donated to cancer support services in Co Wicklow)

Writing a book and want to know how to get it published? Looking for the right literary agent? Or just need some writing help? Join publishing and writing experts, Vanessa and Sarah for some expert advice.

Vanessa runs the highly successful writing website, writing.ie and is also a literary scout for several UK and Irish agents; Sarah is an experienced writer and writing teacher. Together they are the Writing Doctors. If they can't fix your book, no-one can!

To book a time slot with Sarah or Vanessa (4th April, 10-12, The Beach House, Greystones) please email Sarah before 3rd April - sarah at sarahwebb dot ie - stating which Writing Doctor you'd like to see and your ideal time – 10.00, 10.30, 11.00, 11.30 etc Places are limited, please book asap

(Last year over e46,000 was raised for cancer support services in the Wicklow area – please help this year by attending one of the coffee mornings or our clinic and bring your friends. PS There will be a certain Irish X Factor singer entertaining the troops in Greystones - so come early!)

Inspiration, Travel and The Great What If - Paris 2014

I was in Paris with my daughter, Amy and my two sisters for the St Patrick’s Weekend. I love travelling and I especially love visiting cities that have amazing art galleries. Paris is full of art and culture – you can’t walk around a corner without finding a wonderful church or historical building. It’s my favourite city in the world – and I can’t wait to go back again. We visited the Louvre and the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world; and the Musee D’Orsay, full of Impressionist paintings that you would instantly recognise.

At the Pompidou Centre I spent ages staring in awe at the Black and Red Rothko painting – my favourite artist – marvelling at his colours and how his paintings make me feel. My daughter loved this gallery as it had a wonderful Frida Kahlo exhibition especially for children. She lay in Frida’s ‘bed’ and tried to draw lying on her back; she had her photo taken with some of Frida’s favourite things; she watched short movies about Frida, her paintings and her huge love for life.

Amy at the Frida Kahlo Exhibition

Amy at the Frida Kahlo Exhibition

We also spent time on one of the ‘Lock Bridges’ – where sweethearts, sisters or best friends leave a lock engraved with their names to mark their love for each other.

One of the Lock Bridges in Paris

One of the Lock Bridges in Paris

While watching happy couples and groups of friends placing their locks on the bridge and taking a photograph to mark and remember the occasion, I started to think about the different kinds of people and why they might put a lock the bridge. What might happen if they fell out and their lock was still there? Would they go back and remove the lock? Would they remove it at night? Or first thing in the morning? What if they’d lost the key – would they have to cut it off? What if they meet someone else on the bridge in exactly the same situation? Maybe one of them has a small saw to remove the lock and the other happens to need a small saw . . .

That’s how writers’ minds work – they question things all the time. It's the great 'What If?' What if twin sisters put a lock on the bridge but one of them died? What if three best friends visited the bridge together, swore to do it again in ten years at exactly the same time, on exactly the same day and then fate pulled them apart?

My mind is always hopping with ideas while travelling. I think it’s a combination of being in a new place, not having to worry about the day to day things like buying milk, and also being inspired by my surroundings.

The Lock Bridges are pretty special. Maybe you’ll get the chance to visit them some day. And maybe they will inspire you too.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

This post originally appeared on the Girls Heart Books website www.girlsheartbooks.com

Oliver Jeffers and Eoin Colfer - Together!

Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers

Exciting news from Bologna - 2 of my favourite children's book talents, together in one book! Here's what Harper Collins say:

BESTSELLING TEAM OF EOIN COLFER AND OLIVER JEFFERS SIGN MAJOR GLOBAL DEAL —

IMAGINARY FRED publishes in the UK & LONDON/NEW YORK/ BOLOGNA

HarperCollins UK & US have joined forces to acquire Imaginary Fred, an extraordinary collaboration from Irish dream team Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers. A World Rights deal was concluded by Rachel Denwood Publishing and Creative Director at s Books UK, alongside Kate Jackson, Senior Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief, and Nancy Inteli, Editorial Director, HarperCollins US with Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor Ltd. Oliver Jeffers is represented by Paul Moreton at Bell Lomax Moreton. Imaginary Fred is a unique take on the concept of imaginary friends. It’s the story of two little boys and their shared love of movies, music and comic books. It is about how a little bit of electricity, a little bit of luck, and a little bit of magic can spark a friendship like no other… The perfect chemistry between Eoin Colfer’s text and Oliver Jeffer’s artwork will make for a dazzlingly original colour gift book. The launch date for Imaginary Fred is set for Autumn 2015, with HarperCollins publishing simultaneously in the US. There will be two formats on launch, a hardback aimed at the picture book audience and a special small format hardback for the wider gifting market. A major global marketing and PR campaign will support these spectacular publications. HarperCollins Children’s Books has published Oliver Jeffers since the launch of his 2004 debut, the award winning and bestselling How To Catch A Star. Celebrations for the 10th anniversary of How to Catch a Star will kick off at the Bologna Book Fair this week. Internationally bestselling Eoin Colfer is welcomed to the HarperCollins list for the first time.

Rachel Denwood said “An Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers collaboration is pretty much the stuff of dreams – they are simply two of the finest children’s book creators on the planet. Imaginary Fred is a complete one-off – it’s funny, poignant, original. It’s genius.” Kate Jackson added “We’re thrilled to help bring to life Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers’s IMAGINARY FRED, a story that’s sure to become an instant children’s classic, with its unforgettable characters and clever storytelling. It’s filled with hilarity and heart, and we knew right away we wanted this dream team on our list.”

Eoin Colfer is the internationally bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series as well as several standalone novels including the highly acclaimed Airman. His newest series is W.A.R.P. Eoin was born and raised in Wexford in the south-east of Ireland, where he now lives. Oliver Jeffers is an outstanding talent and has won many high-profile awards, including the Nestle Children’s Book Prize Gold Award, the Blue Peter Book of the Year and the Irish Children’s Book of the Year.

(Information from the Harper Collins Press Release)

Tips for Writers - How To Approach Venues With Event Ideas

Sarah at the West Cork Literary Festival

I was at a very interesting day for professional writers recently - Mindset. It was programmed by Children's Books Ireland in association with the Irish Writers' Centre. I've already blogged about Mary Byrne's great talk about marketing yourself and your work (children's writers) and here are notes from another of the talks.

Linda Geraghty from the Riverbank Theatre and Arts Centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare (a wonderful venue that I've had the pleasure of working with in the past) told us how to approach venues with event ideas.

At Riverbank they have a theatre and also workshop spaces and a gallery space and they are always looking for great events to fill those spaces.

Here are some of her suggestions:

Illustrators - approach venues and offer to design their brochures or programmes - it's a great showcase for your work. You could also offer workshops for children - make them fun and original.

We like off the wall ideas - talk to the venues about your ideas, however whacky.

Schools - it's harder to get them into venues these days - think about how you could work with the venue to bring the event/talk/workshop out to the school. Links with libraries and schools are vital for venues.

Take out the mobile library on tour - a simple idea that sounds great fun.

Shortworks - there are theatres in Ireland who are very interested in new work for children:

Linenhall in Castlebar

Driocht in Blanchardstown

Riverbank

The Ark

Think about approaching these first - or maybe putting together a tour that covers several of these venues. This way the budget, expenses and pr are all stronger.

Target your proposal - what age is it for?

How to approach venues:

1/ Send in a strong proposal.

2/ Email and ring for feedback.

3/ Ask for work - venues have to programme.

4/ Consider the time of year - we tend to programme in 4 month blocks - Jan to April and so on. Spring and autumn are best for school events. Also the summer holidays and half terms for family events and workshops.

5/ Think about summer workshops - children have more time in the summer.

6/ Give the venue lots of time to consider and work with you on your proposal.

Think about events for special needs children - there is a demand for them.

Give the children something to take away - a bookmark, a recommended reading list.

Thank you, Linda for sharing your time and expertise with us.

Yours in books,

Sarah