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Hooked on The Conference

11/20/2018

I have a confession to make. That was my last SCBWI conference.

I went to my first in 2011 and was immediately hooked which is why I’ve been back every year since, five as part of the committee. They’ve all been utterly amazing, but also utterly exhausting which is why I thought maybe it’s time to move on. But first I’d like to share my 2018 highlights.

The Road Trip

Travelling is always much better in company and the company doesn’t get much better than my fellow North West Scoobies Catherine Whitmore and Marie Basting. I can’t think of many other car companions that would be happy for me to bust my ukulele out.

Moving Right Along... To Winchester!

The Scoobie Doobies
And I wasn’t the only one with my uke this year. Candy Gourlay, Mo O’Hara and Tania Tay had brought their ukuleles along for the weekend too. So we were soon all busting our best chords in the hotel bar. I had worried the other hotel residents would complain, but in fact we were encored.

The Scoobie Doobies!

The Hook
The Hook, in case you don’t know, is a Dragon’s Den style pitching competition where hopeful authors pitch their story to a panel of agents. I was a finalist and had poured my heart and soul into my presentation for the last two weeks.

But are the panel hooked?

There was one winner, but no losers. Every single participant, myself included, did themselves really proud with original and compelling ideas that are communicated in their own unique styles. I honestly couldn’t see how the judges would choose. But they chose the amazing Catherine Whitmore. How could I be disappointed when I was so over the moon for a friend who really deserved this. Plus I did get to play my uke... again!

The Hook captiured by the talented Imogen Foxell.

Party People
I’ve spent two days trying to work out what to write here. But c’mon, how does anyone describe this kind of crazy?

This wonderful display of colourful characters are my friends. Some for the whole eight years, some since last weekend. But however long it has been I’m already missing them in the annual post conference slump.

Mass Book Launchers 2018

So let’s have that confession again, but this time in full.

That was my last SCBWI conference... until I realised I can’t do without it!

I MEAN WHAT WAS I THINKING?

There’s no way I could miss out on my annual dose of Scoobie shenanigans! What would keep me going the rest of the year?

So I’ll be back in the future. After all, I’m hooked!

The SCBWI Conference takes the biscuit! (It really does, I took this one home from the uni.)

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UV III - The Return of the Longlist

12/2/2017

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First there was a cat, his witch and her magical snot.

Then there was an orphan, a half-pint highwayman and an unrobbable stagecoach.

Now there is… THE TIME TOILET!

I’ve done it. I’ve made it a hat-trick! This is the third time I have been long listed for the Undiscovered Voices Competition. And in honour of all things hat-trickery it seems only right that there is a strong football element to my new story.

‘School footy hero ‘Great’ Scott Gray has no time. No time for homework, no time for friends and no time for Mum’s vintage home improvements. But when Nana accidentally flushes herself away on a reclaimed Victorian time-travelling toilet he has to make time. With the help of science geek Jahid and the toilet’s crackpot inventor George Cavendish they go in search of Nana. But will Scott make it back for his school’s first-ever cup final?’

'The Time Toilet’ is a story a long time in the plumbing and wasn't inspired by my love of football but my love of toilets! I mean, it is completely normal to hang around old Victorian public loos and photograph them isn’t it?

‘The Time Toilet’ is a latrine punk novel that’s going to yank your chain and leave you flushed! It's packed full with football mad heroes, mad crackpot scientists, knitting, near misses, friends, Romans, and medieval countrymen. Quite frankly it has more twists than the spaghetti junction sewers!

So, in the true tradition of trilogies, will this third UV encounter lead to a satisfying resolution? Only time will tell. I’ll just have to sit down, buckle up and wait to see what lies around the u-bend.

(Purple is my favourite colour, just sayin’).

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Are you sitting uncomfortably...?

11/24/2016

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So this week I’ve been basking in the afterglow (or is it an exhausted fog?) of another fabulous SCBWI conference. I always like to put a quick thought up here after the event but this year all I can think is how uncomfortable it made people, and how wonderful that was.

I watched so many people taking huge strides out of their comfort zones. Whether it was the nervous newbie just turning up, an author receiving industry feedback, the person placing their pitch for all the world to see, someone opening a conversation with an editor at the party or even the keynote allowing themselves to be hugged by an over excited organiser (whistles nonchalantly). And if those things weren't knee knocking enough what about the brave individuals who live pitched to an agent panel in front of a packed audience? My collies wobble at the very thought!

Last weekend people put themselves on the line time and time again. They were prepared to be uncomfortable because the conference gave them a comfortable environment to do it in.

And the results? Fabulous friendships formed, opportunities opened, competitions won, manuscripts asked for, light bulbs switching on all around. It made me realise that just as we push our characters way beyond their comfort zones so stories can happen to them, we have to push ourselves out of ours so OUR story can happen to us.

This was my third year working on the conference committee. For most of the time I have been Co-Chair and, if the truth is told, it was never really my intention to have that role, I was pushed out of my comfort zone and it happened to me.

Never really having done anything beyond the classroom I work in I did wonder whether to run screaming from the chair. I’d never organised such a big event or been responsible for a team of people before but then again, if you don’t try something you never know if you can do it.

It turned out I could do it, mainly down to the fantastic people around me that have worked so hard to see things through. I am so grateful to them all, they have supported me but also shown me that comfy is not good. From discomfort I have developed both friendships and confidence that I will keep for a very long time.

Next year I am happy to let someone else sit in the un-comfy chair for a while, though I have no intention of leaving volunteering alone. You won't get rid of me that easily. But I just wanted to say, if you enjoyed the thrill of an uncomfortable conference maybe you could consider volunteering in some way to see what it will do for you.

Slip into something uncomfy- a volunteering role!

And if you're wondering what uncomfortable zone I entered during the conference... I busked for the very first time and there is uncomfortable video evidence to prove it!

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Poems in the Nick of Time

10/28/2016

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I'm always thrilled to be asked by the lovely folks from the Manchester Children's' Book Festival to come and tell stories. I never have to think about it long even, when it is short notice.

MCBF- George will you come tell stories in the story tent on Saturday?

Me- Of course.

MCBF- We'd especially like poems about pets, and bring the ukulele.

Me- Even better.

MCBF- They'll be events going on all day, you can join in if you'd like.

Me-I'd love to.

MCBF- Nick Sharratt is coming.

Me- SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So I tuned up Wylie Ukulele, perfected my pet poetry, practised my performance and on October 22nd I arrived at Manchester Central Library and made myself comfortable in the tent. It wasn't long before I had eager families queuing up to come to join in the fun.

We met homework eating dogs, super powered cats and learned why not to worry about our manners when meeting a crocodile. Everyone joined in and I even earned some hugs!

But later on the queues started queuing right past my tent. And no surprise, everyone was joining Nick's Sharratt's book signing queue after his brilliant session.

So what is a lonely story teller to do?

Go and join in of course!

I left the tent and mingled with the queue reading from Nick's poetry anthology 'Vikings in the Supermarket'. And there were plenty of people carrying their own books that they were keen for me to read. Time flew by as everyone waited to meet Nick and...

Reading 'Shark in the Dark' to a queuing crowd.

...it turned out that was a great way to make friends!

Me and my new pal Nick Sharratt.

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Derian Dreams Bedtime Story Collection

6/16/2016

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This week I am bubbling over with excitement! It's spouting out from the top of my head and making a mess on the floor and you know how hard it is to get excitement out of the carpets!
All because of the launch of 'Derian Dreams Bedtime Story Collection.'

Artwork by the fabulous Nick Sharatt!

Just why has this got me so excited?

Is it because this is a wonderful collection of original stories by top children's authors including Jonathan Meres, Steve Hartley, Mo O'Hara, and Alan Durant to name but a few?

No.

Is it because it is voiced by a stellar cast of British talent including Jane Horrocks, Dave Spikey and Steve Pemberton?

Not a bit of it.

Maybe it's because the anthology includes my own story 'Rotten Robin and the Crooked Cutlass' voiced by the incredible Ted Robbins?

Ted Robbins

Rotten Robin

Not even that.

No, the reason why I can't contain my excitement is that I am privileged be a part of the Derian Dreams Campaign.

The campaign has been launched by Derian House Children's Hospice to mark 23 years of caring for life limited and life threatened children throughout the North West of England. They provide a service that is crucial to these children and young people, supporting them and their families through the highs and lows of their illnesses and beyond.

The aim of Derian Dreams is to raise enough funds to provide every family the opportunity to access respite care and the chance to get a good night's sleep.

So I'm excited because every time anyone downloads my story, or any of the others, or even ALL of them, that money is helping make Deriann House's dream a reality.

And you should be excited too! Because all you need to do to support the heart felt work of Derian House is to click a download. Then you, your little ones and the families Derian House supports can drift into..... sweet dreams!

Derian Dreams Bedtime story collection currently available through Amazon and i-tunes.

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Blazing a Trail

3/31/2016

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I don't often get to be a bona fide trail blazer, but the lovely of organisers of the Manchester Children's Book Festival have allowed me to be just that. On Saturday 19th March they let me loose in Manchester Central Library for an afternoon of story, poetry, fun and song!

There was a Belle Vue Circus theme to the day so I donned my best top hat and 'tale' coat before we 'Squashed and Squeezed' into the story tent. Soon I was filling it with a real motley crew! We followed 'Ten Little Pirates' to sea and sailed through a tale of misadventure with 'Rotten Robin and the Crooked Cutlass' followed by a hearty rendition of 'Hooks, Parrots, Pegs and Legs!'

'Rotten Robin and the Crooked Cutlass' is my exclusive story for Children's Hospice, Derian House's, Dreams Campaign. A download a version, narrated by the multi-talented Ted Robbins, will soon be available to help the charity raise much needed funds. And while you are waiting for that you can always learn how to join in with 'Hooks, Parrots, Pegs and Legs' here!

As well as sailing with pirates we flew kites, looked into a magic bucket and managed to train a very naughty puppy called Rascal! When the children weren't joining in with the stories they were taking part in crafts, games and interactive poetry all linked to the Belle Vue theme.

Collaborative Poetry Creation

The Manchester Children's Book Festival, organised by MMU, is committed to celebrating and sharing the best that children's story and poetry can offer right here in our region, not just on our doorsteps, but often over the threshold too, in our schools and public spaces.

This Trail Blazing event was one of many planned in the upcoming months all leading to the festival itself in June. There will be a whole range of events going on, including the brilliant family fun day (see you there) many of which are FREE! So keep a close eye on their programme to see who or what is landing on your doorstep.

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National SAVE Libraries Day

2/6/2016

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Hat and stars on, ready to story tell!

As a huge supporter, appreciator and user of my local library I always turn out for National Libraries Day. And I'm not the only one. It's always packed with local families and community groups all coming together to share skills and time.

Portrait painting by budding artists.

This year was no different. Local artist Andrew Holland was busy helping children paint portraits, the North Wales Owl Trust were along with some feathered friends, the African Drummers raised the rhythmic roof, Arty Party celebrated Chinese New Year by creating dragons and everyone was made to eat their words... on biscuits! All this as well as face painting, henna, baby yoga, tai chi and Asian cuisine.

What did I add to proceedings? Stories of course! A mixture of stories from books, some of my own oral tales along with a good ukulele sing song (adult participation a must), and a cheeky puppet puppy named Rascal!

Rascal making friends at the Arty Party table.

It sounds a whole lot of fun, and it was! But I don't mind admitting that this year it came with a bitter edge. With over 50% of the libraries in my local Lancashire under threat of closure and no one quite sure where the government cuts axe will fall, this could potentially be the last Libraries Day in our very much valued, very much used local library.

Of course there is a campaign and a petition. Please go and have a look and offer your support.

So today the feeling was very much make the most of what we have while we still have it. I added a very special book to my performance.
'How the Library, (Not the Prince) saved Rapunzel'
words by Wendy Meddour pictures by Rebecca Ashdown.

This wonderfully quirky picture book tells the perfect tale of just how life changing and affirming a library can be.

Okay, I am probably a bit of a story telling King Cnut. Reading this won't stop the tide of closures we're facing, but I hope I made the people hearing it think a little harder about what they stand to loose and persuade them to fight that little bit harder. I also really hope the librarians busily working on the periphery heard it and realised just how important they are.

So Happy Libraries Day everyone. And if you really want to show how much you love your local library then Speak up for Libraries and help save it!

illustration with permission from Sarah McIntyre

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Undiscovered Voices Stands and Delivers

11/30/2015

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When I was 6 years old this was my favourite thing ever...

Highwaymen were cool!
(Remember I said that).

I read every book I could get my hands on that had a whisper of a highwayman in. A sniff of a Dick Turpin or a whiff of a Claude Du Vall and I was there. Highwaymen were exciting, dangerous, flamboyant and galloped about on big black horses. I wanted to be one.

Later, when I was a older than 6 and writing for children was now my favourite thing ever, I wondered 'Where all the highwaymen gone?' There are loads of kids' books full of the baddies we can't help but love. Pirates, wizards, dragons, werewolves, vampires are all still there, but the only highwaymen stories I could find were the icky sicky romantic ones.

But highwaymen are still cool!

And so I wrote 'The Lowayman'

'Mystery, adventure and a life on the open road, that’s what young George Beckett wants. What George has is a shrieking aunt, a bed in a hayloft and a collection of highwaymen posters. So George goes in search of ‘The Phantom’ who turns out to be half the man George thought...literally! '

A few months ago I sent 'The Lowayman' to Undiscovered Voices. UV is a biannual competition run by the British Isles Region of SCBWI. Its aim is to help fresh, new voices in children's literature- both writers and illustrators-find agents, publishers and ultimately readers.

Today I heard that 'The Lowayman' has been LONGLISTED!

See! I told you Highwaymen are cool!

So now I'm 41 years old and this is currently my favourite thing ever...

(black, leather gloved fingers crossed for the shortlist)

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How to Tion the SCBWI Conferenecne

11/23/2015

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I hear there's a bit of a race to get blog posts out about this weekend's SCBWI 'New Readers Ahoy!' conference in Winchester.

I would love to join in, but as on of the Co-chairs that organised it I have spent months planning it, the weekend delivering it and most of today getting home form it. I'm exhausted so I'm going to have to tion this blog post.

No not shun, TION, you'll soon see what I mean.

Foundation- Previous conferences have already set a high standard.
Preparation- Started almost as soon as last year's finished.
Cooperation- A crack team of organisers have worked closely together all year.
Motivation- The desire to make the conference better and better each year.
Distraction- Working on the conference when we probably should have been doing other things instead.
Creation-Creating an exciting programme that caters all day, every day for all our members.
Information- building a constant on-line presence through websites, social media and email so that you have all the up to date conference information.
Nation- Bringing together SCBWI members from all over our region and beyond.
Interaction- getting to know our delegates, especially those coming for the first time.
Promotion- of all our members, writers and illustrators, published and pre-published.
Celebration- the achievements of our members big and small all at the same time.
Exhilaration- The adrenaline rush as the weekend moves forward at lightning pace.
Medication- There were a few headaches on the way.
Satisfaction- of a conference well done.

So there you have it. I have well and and truly TIONED the 2015 SCBWI conference.

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Horse + Bamboo Puppet Festival

7/5/2015

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Setting up The Boo garden for its annual puppet festival.

I am lucky to live close to 'The Boo', home of the Horse + Bamboo Theatre and have been a regular attender of their puppet festival for years. So I was thrilled to be asked to take part this year and tell stories in their beautiful garden.The festival combines a mixture of free street performance alongside some of the most acclaimed puppetry from around the world in their theatre spaces. One thing was sure, it was the perfect opportunity to get my puppets out!

The sun always shines on the puppet festival and this year was no exception. We all soaked up its friendly rays surrounded by colour, music and theatre. There was something for everyone, fascinating tiny puppets presented by Hungary's Mikropodium in the yurt, surreal street theatre 'Brain Wave' and many shows for one audience member. Not to mention the brilliant Chinese Circus that I had the privilege to share the decking with.

I'll be honest, with so much going on all around I was a little worried about drawing a crowd. But as I always say, if one child wants to hear a story then I'll tell them one. Each session started with a small select group and ended with a crowd. The children were enthusiastic and interacted with me through the stories while their families joined in with audience participation, including the songs.

A Captive Audience!

In fact this was obviously an expert audience who could be anything I asked them to be, pirates, princess and monsters! They were very talented little monsters and had a great time joining in with performance poem 'Ready, Steady, Monsters Roar' by fellow funeverser Maureen Lynas, always always happy to join in with Wylie Ukulele in a sing-a-long.

Wylie Ukulele likes an audience to play to.

I had a wonderful time taking part in the festival this year, and even managed to nip back on the second day to be I the audience of 'Monkey!' written by Michael Rosen. So great thanks to The Boo for hosting me and another wonderful puppet festival. I hope the sun shines on us again next year, I'm sure it will!

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<<Previous

Hooked on The Conference

UV III - The Return of the Longlist

Are you sitting uncomfortably...?

Poems in the Nick of Time

Derian Dreams Bedtime Story Collection

Blazing a Trail

National SAVE Libraries Day

Undiscovered Voices Stands and Delivers

How to Tion the SCBWI Conferenecne

Horse + Bamboo Puppet Festival

George Kirk

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