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Manchester Children's Book Festival 2015

6/29/2015

I get incredibly excited every time the Manchester Children's Book Festival comes around. We're not talking tingly tummy, slow to sleep excited here. Oh no. I mean arm flapping, feet tapping, hair shaking, legs quaking, song singing, sick bringing excited! I just can't wait to dive into all that story, booky goodness!

But this year I was even more excited than usual. "How?" and "Why?" you may ask.

Well for one, it's only been a year since the last one. MCBF has graduated from being a bi-annual event to an annual one.

And for two... this is the best bit... I was invited to tell stories as part of the Family Fun Day. All because the lovely people at MCBF Towers partnered up with the wonderful people of SCBWI* Ville to create even more story telling fun!

Family Fun Day in Geoffrey Manton Building's Atrium

So armed with my best hats and my trusty ukulele (name of Wylie in case you're interested) I entered the storytelling tent. In there I soon created a world of pirates, princesses and pets all with rather twisty tales to tell. And yes, there was song, lots and lots of sing-a-long songiness. So a big thanks to all the fantastic kids, mums, dads, grans, grandads, aunts uncles and second cousins twice removed next door neighbours that helped me out with those! It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without you.

Photos by Dom Conlon

The festival is continuing until 5th of July. You can keep up with all the fun at their blog or join in the writing relay.

Thanks very much MCBF Towers for having me, and I hope to see you again soon. Less than a year to wait I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!

*Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

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National Libraries Day-What a Hoot

2/7/2015

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Happy National Libraries day everybody!

I've had a lot of fun down at my local library today with some feathery friends. The owls from the North Wales Owl Trust were there and I had a cuddle from the lovely Egbert.

I had to follow that with some owly stories, including this brand new poem written especially for today. I hope you have a hoot with 'Twit to Who?'

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Conference Catch-UP

11/15/2014

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You don't have to travel far down this blog to discover just how much I love the SCBWI annual conference in Winchester. Where else can you hob-nob, chit-chat and pow-wow with so many authors, editors and agents? Not to mention catching up with all your on-line author pals. There are industry panels, workshops and intensive sessions a plenty, just pick the ones that best suit you, plus the chance to have a professional 1 to 1. The conference has never failed to recharge, inspire and open doors for me.

But this year there was a difference. I was no longer just a delegate but a member of the committee with the fancy title, 'Assistant Conference Chair.' I have to say, despite the name, I really didn't get to sit down much! With the introduction of the new PULSE stream, it was our biggest conference yet.

There was not one, not two but three key note speakers. Cathy Cassidy, Nick Butterworth and Sally Gardner all reduced us to tears, be that through emotion or laughter they had a lot of time, wisdom and passion to share.

Photos by Candy Gourlay

After a busy Saturday on campus it was straight on to the Guild Hall for a spooky Mass Book Launch. A chance to celebrate the many achievements of our members and volunteers and (after a glass of wine to build courage) pitch wonderful story ideas to the new wave of industry professionals who had arrived especially for the party.

I believe for some people the party went on till 3 in the morning! I gave up at 1, after all I had another busy day ahead.

Sunday dawned, delegates arrived and, despite lack of sleep, everyone's enthusiasm remained in tact. I spent much of the morning preparing for the 'What Teachers Want from School Visits' panel that I was chairing. I've never chaired a panel like this before. Nervous?Me?

Terrified actually, especially when I spotted Sally Gardner in the audience! But encouraged on by our lovely guests Joy Court, Trisha Adams and Adam Lancaster it flowed smoothly. In fact we could have talked another hour, but there was lunch to be had, awards to award, intensives to finish, thanks to be said and cake to be eaten.

Photos by Candy Gourlay

As I waved goodbye to delegates and speakers leaving to do battle with the Sunday replacement bus service I was very glad that I had manged to wangle a day of work and have an extra night. There was time to celebrate with the last scoobies standing before collapsing into bed ready for the long journey home in the morning. Yes, I was shattered, but also creatively recharged by the experience. I have manuscripts to polish and pitches to follow up.

But while others suffer the post conference sadness that follows after saying goodbye to friends for another year, for me the conference is still going on. I'm still sending thanks and replying to e-mails, I'm beginning to go through the feedback to look at what we can do even better next year and, most excitedly of all, I am already talking with people about what date next years conference will be. So while I get on with all that, I'll leave you with some of my favourite pictures from the weekend.

See you next year!

With thanks to Candy Gourlay for allowing me to use some of her photos. You can see more of her wonderful conference photo journalism here and here.

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Telling Tales at The Wellington Literary Festival

11/9/2014

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On the first weekend of October I was lucky enough to be invited to take part in The Wellington Literary Festival Children's Day. I was pleased to agree and soon found out that actually I was the headline act!

I was thrilled when I arrived at the venue. A completely newly built library with the most wonderful children's area full of comfy cushions, hidey holes and a stage made from giant books.

Wellington Children's Library

Through the day, using a mixture of well know stories alongside my own tales and poems, I took my audience on a real adventure. We went down on the farm, aboard a pirate ship, to fairy tale castles and went in search of our perfect pets, often helped along by trusty ukulele Wylie.

Wylie ukulele is made from Bocote wood.

There was was a man called Sue, And he worked in a scruffy old zoo. He mainly ate slop Which he bought from a shop, Then he met a lady called Stu.

The afternoon was rounded off with a trip to the funeverse, a place that I usually in habit with 9 other nonsensical poets like myself. On this occasion myself an my audience entered the limerick laboratory where we mixed up our rhymes to see what brand new poetry concoctions we could create.

So thanks for having me Wellington library, I had amazing fun I hope you did too.

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National Poetry Day

11/7/2014

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National Poetry Day,
Was hectic in every way,
I was invited into a school
To rhyme and write and play.

I love being a part of the funeverse, especially when I get invited into a school to work with their classes as part of National Poetry Day.

St. Mary Magdalen's in Penwortham did just that and I was able to work with every class from Reception up to Year 6 both performing and writing poems, just for fun.

In Key Stage One we created some monstrous performance poetry inspired by the funeverse's poems and Kate Pankhurst's monstrously funny illustrations.

Years 3 and 4 pulled up the anchor and set sail on a piratical poetical adventure. Helped along by the illustrations of Sally Kindberg and Mike Brownlow.

While Years 5 and 6 learned how to build dramatic tension and then twist the ending for a funny punchline. Sam Zuppardi created the images that inspired us.

The kids were brilliant and really entered into the spirit of poetry day producing some amazing poetry. Let me leave you with Year 3's collaborative poem, 'The Pirate Party.'

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Summer Reading Challange

11/7/2014

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Okay I admit it, the more observant of you will notice that this post is being written a long time after summer. The truth is that recently my diary has just been so packed with storytelling, literary festivals, re-writes, edits, conferences and... (something else, now what was that? Oh yes...) teaching that I haven't been a very good girl at keeping you all up to date.

I hope to remedy that over the next few days and give you a whistle stop catch up and to do that we have to go back into the mists of time and remember a summer just gone.

Now I love the summer reading challenge and I always get involved with activities down at my local library but this year's was extra special. Partly because all the supporting illustration had been done by one of my most favourite illustrators, Sarah McIntyre, but also because I got to team up with local artist Andrew Holland for some brilliant mythical fun.

Over the weeks we ran several events focusing on dragons, we read stories, sang songs, wore hats (lots of them), did yoga and created the most fantastical piece of collaborative dragon art that now has pride of place in the library. A permanent reminder of the mythical magic we conjured up at the reading challenge.

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Read All About It

5/13/2014

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Wondering just how Manfred and I got on on at Oxford University Press?

Well wonder no more. Just jump the hyperlink express over to SCBWI's on-line magazine to find out just how we made the most out of our Slush Pile Challenge prize.

OUP Slush Pile Challenge- The Whys, Wherefores and What Nexts?

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Oxford University Press Slush pile Challange

3/25/2014

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For a cat whose only ambition in life is to break the world record for longest ever cat nap (currently held by Tabby McFlabby) Manfred is having a very successful year.

Following the long listing of 'Man Up Manfred Cat' in SCBWI's Undiscovered Voices competition the ginger hair ball has now won the latest SCBWI Slush Pile Challenge. Next month Manfred and myself will be off to dream among the Oxford spires. We will meet the lovely Clare Witson at OUP for a meeting where, among other things, we will discuss how Manfred might develop the relationships with his friends Goren and Arthur.

Manfred says he'd rather not develop them at all, but I'm sure we'll talk him round... eventually.

Manfred does not appreciate having his nap time disturbed even with news of a win.

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Undiscovered SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE

12/9/2013

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Manfred Cat here.

Apparently 'Man Up Manfred Cat,' George's story all about me, has been long listed for something called,

George is supposed to be blogging about it right now. But every time she tries she just runs around going- SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So far she has 'squeeed' though my:

lunchtime nap
afternoon nap
late afternoon nap
tea time nap

So if I'm going to get any nappiness I'm just going to have to get it done for her.

I am pretty pleased about it too. Mainly because when my brother Fallacious hears he'll get his whiskers into a real wot-not. No one's ever bothered to write a book about him.

YAAAAAAAWN! That was hard work. Time for my post blog nap now.

Manfred

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I Love the SCBWI Conference Because...

11/25/2013

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I have a very serious confession to make, I hope I don't shock and disappoint you too much, but here goes.

A week ago I wasn't really sure I wanted to go the the SCBWI conference in Winchester! I know I know, how could I? Let me put in context for you.

I was feeling in a bit of a writing slump. Loosing my momentum and my direction, and to be brutally honest some of my hope. I e-mailed a close scoobie friend and admitted...

"I think I'll have fun at the conference, but I'm not feeling like I'll gain much from it."

I was right about one thing. I did have fun,

Fun like a somersaulting puppy,
Fun like popping candy on your tongue,
Fun like a fairground waltzer,
Fun like carnival maracas.

But I'm glad to say I was very wrong on the other point. I did gain something from the conference, in fact I would go as far to say I gained EVERYTHING from the conference.

An encouraging, helpful Friday night critique group. (Thanks guys)
A positive and productive one to one session. (Hooray)
Some fantastic advice from the break out sessions. (Writes to-do list)
A 'wow' from our fantastic children's laureate Malorie Blackman. (Claps hands together)
And of course lots and lots of friendship.(Group hug)

I am back home with a renewed sense of direction, purpose and hope. So I'd just like to say...

I love the SCBWI conference because it recharges my writer batteries!

See you next year!

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<<Previous

Forward>>

Manchester Children's Book Festival 2015

National Libraries Day-What a Hoot

Conference Catch-UP

See you next year!

Telling Tales at The Wellington Literary Festival

National Poetry Day

Summer Reading Challange

Read All About It

Oxford University Press Slush pile Challange

Undiscovered SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Manfred

I Love the SCBWI Conference Because...

I love the SCBWI conference because it recharges my writer batteries!

See you next year!

George Kirk

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