Author Care Everywhere

Last month over 100 hundred authors visited more locations than you can count on all said authors’ fingers and toes. It was terrific fun and most of the events were rip roaring successes. Inevitably we do hear of the odd event where things did not go completely smoothly. Few and far between as they are,  its always important to figure out what didn’t go according to plan and why.

The word ethos came up several times – more specifically how a host venue feels about a visiting author or illustrator.  It can vary from being the highlight of the month to a vague annoyance for venues where they grudgingly rearrange the furniture for the author and barely tolerate the presence of young readers.

Coincidentally two authors both posting about author care this week Amanda Craig on literary festivals and Sarah Webb on school and library events. Two different styles of events  but  it would seem that word ethos is common to both their concerns….

I’d have to keep doing it…

It’s a particularly busy time for everyone with Children’s Book Festival.

Want to know how everyone is getting on this October?  go here, here, here, here, here and here.

In the meantime here is something to ponder, it might give us all a reason to do more and better all year round.

Overheard in a bookshop last Thursday evening. A mother talking to her friend about her young son. “I wouldn’t want to start reading to him at night because then I’d have to keep doing it”

Shaun Tan, words and pictures

Today’s Guardian has a great piece with illustrator Shaun Tan – who as you all know is a VHC favourite.

All fiction is false; what makes it convincing is that it runs alongside the truth. The real world has lots of incidental details, so a painting also has to have that element of imperfection and irregularity, those incidental details.

There’s also a slide show with the story of Eric, as contained in Tales from Outer Suburbia here.

Browne begins to beat the drum

New children’s laureate Anthony Browne has fired his first shot as laureate. As an illustrator, he has been clear that much of his laureateship will focus on words and pictures.

Read his piece in yesterday’s Guardian about the role of  visual art in schools.

Awards Awards everywhere

The Carnegie and Greenaway are announced on Friday – Both have very strong shortlists so it is impossible to pick a clear favourite.
Also the Reading Association of Ireland have announced the shortlist for the biennial RAI  Book Awards. Winners announced in September.

RAI SHORTLIST

1. The Poison Throne – Celine Kiernan ISBN-13 978-1-84717-170-2
2. Move – Conor Kostick ISBN-13 978-1-84717-010-1
3. The Story of Ireland – Brendan O’Brien ISBN-13 978-0-86278-881-0
4. Hal’s Sleepover – Maddie Stewart ISBN-13 978-1-84717-034-7
5. Wild Dublin – Éanna ní Lamhna ISBN-13 978-1-84717-142-9
6. Adolf sna hArda – Author and Illustrator: Marvin Halleraker, Translators: Treasa Ní Bhrua agus Magnus Vestvoll ISBN: 978-1-901176-81-

Congrats to all, its another strong shortlist – lot of them about these days!

Axel and Julia talk about two sides of the Gruffalo

I am making a firm resolution to get to the Hay Festival next year. Not only is the line up always fantastic, and I have heard great reports from former attendees but the background to these web videos make it looks like a cross between Electric Picnic and a Buckingham Palace garden party.

Anyway onto the content – a short interview with both Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler below. Interesting that they both touch on the nature of their relationship as author and illustrator – It is not a collaboration as often people presume. Instead their work is managed by the publisher involved and each works independently.

well worth the watch -

Axel Scheffler – http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2009/jun/10/gruffalo-axel-scheffler

Julia Donaldson – http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2009/may/26/hay-festival-julia-donaldson-gruffalo

Anthony Browne is the new Children’s Laureate

via Bookbrunch

Anthony Browne was announced this morning (9 June) as the new Children’s Laureate. He succeeds Michael Rosen, and will serve a two-year term.

Browne is the author and illustrator of acclaimed books including Gorilla, Voices in the Park, and Zoo. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice, the Kurt Maschler Emil award three times, and the Hans Christian Anderson award.

Edited to add that Michael Rosen outgoing laureate has yet another lovely piece in the Guardian today. and More information from Anthony Browne also in the guardian.

2010 Wish List

Now that the 2009 Children’s Books Ireland conference is behind us, we’ve been evaluating the weekend and beginning to think more about who we might feature in 2010. This can be the most fun part of programming – wish lists and notions and ideas floating around. This year’s speakers were so fantastic though that we are quite nervous that expectations for next year will be even higher.

We asked delegates to suggest some speakers  – have a look at their wishlists below and for those who attended and are still hungry for some more Shaun Tan – BookBrunch has a great post that mentions him today.

Delegates Wish List

Robert Munsch
Kelly Armstrong
Katherine Patterson
Holly Black
Madeline L’Engle
Oliver Jeffers
Alexis Deacon
Emily Gravett
Carol Ann Duffy
Philip Pullman
Quentin Blake
Neil Gaiman
Jon Berkeley
Anthony Browne
Maurice Sendak
Marcus Sedgewick
Mal Peet
Judi Curtin
Jenny Valentine
Jane Mitchell
Kevin Waldron
Malorie Blackman
Philip Reeve
Chris Riddell
Michael Scott
Elisabeth Zwerger
Lisa Evans
Darren Shan
Roddy Doyle
Conor Kostick
Sarah Dessen
Megan McDonald
Mo Willems
Raymond Briggs
Clare Benton
Leslie Patricelli
Scott McCloud
Kveta Pacouska
Jane Ray
Jan Pienkowski
Sally Nicholls
Mini Grey
Cressida Cowell & Neil Layton
Russell Ayto
Peter Horace

Events Epidemic

Lots of events happening in the next week……..

First up is Pj Lynch, in St Patrick’s College on Thursday 23rd April at 6.30pm. In celebration of UNESCO World Book Day, Cregan Library, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Dublin, will present a special event with P.J. Room E201, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra.To RSVP, email info.library@spd.dcu.ie

Also on Thursday, in Cork city library- French graphic artist Stéphane Heuet will be in town not only to launch a new graphic novel by teenagers with author John Sexton and illustrator Alan Barrett but he will also be participating in a public event on Thursday afternoon. For more information please contact cork libraries 021 4924900- libraries@corkcity.ie

On Saturday Walker Books and Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines are presenting ‘The Story in the Picture’ on 25th April 2009 in the College in Rathmines. Featuring illustrators Patrick Benson, Bruce Ingman and Niamh Sharkey along with Deirdre McDermott and Lizzie Spratt from Walker Books.Cost €35 (students €20) to include coffee/tea and lunch. For further information contact vcoghlan@cice.ie or telephone 01 4970033.

On Saturday April 25th from 2.30pm, Derek Landy will be celebrating in the National Gallery of Ireland as part of Family Fun day. Derek will be in The Shaw Room from 3pm and will be signing books as well- more info from the National Gallery of Ireland – www.nationalgallery.ie or info@ngi.ie

On Monday 27th at 7pm, US academic Jack Zipes will be addressing the theme of The Reconfiguration of Children and Children’s Literature in a Globalised World. St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. More information from celia.keena@spd.dcu.ie or janeohanlon@poetryireland.ie

Irish Reading Stars Start perhaps?

You might have spotted mention of Premier League Reading Stars over on achuka and The Independent last week. Fantastic scheme and a really creative reading partnership.

In summary (and I do it no justice here) each premiership club nominates a reading champion who shares their book choice and then each club adopts local library branches to work with for the duration of the project.

The book selections are often entertaining in themselves – including

• Bacary Sagna – The Soul of a Butterfly by Muhammad Ali
• Brad Friedel – Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
• Jamie Carragher – War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
• Wayne Rooney – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
• Robert Green – The Iliad by Homer
• Emmerson Boyce – Wallace and Gromit: The Bootiful Game
  

It got me thinking what would an Irish Reading Stars look like, I’ve started a list below, to amuse me on a gloomy day. You’ll notice that its not confined to sports people, you can decide if that means either my knowledge of sports is limited or if I simply can’t resist the option to include some other targets options. Mine are pretty lame – I’m sure you can all do much better………….

• Brian O’Driscoll – Amy Huberman Green, Teen Agony Queen
• Andrea Roche – I will not ever never eat a Tomato
• Ronan O’Gara – The Silver Sword
• Brian Cowen – The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Miriam O’Callaghan – Friday Nights
• Brian Lenihan- My First Book of Numbers