Very Hungry Caterpillar Takes a Winter Nap

Hey Folks,

This caterpillar needs to take a little bit of time to prepare for hibernation so things are going to be quiet around here until January 2010. I promise to return to the blog but for the moment I need to take a little  time off to get some other work done.

Who know perhaps I’ll re-emerge as a butterfly?!?!

In the meantime you can keep up with CBI on the main site, via Facebook or via Twitter (@kidsbooksirel)

If you are hibernating too you might enjoys this

Dave McKean

Like David, I am very excited that Dave McKean in Dublin this week – he’ll be taking part in Offset and if you are lucky enough to have a ticket, you can see him on a special illustration panel with Oliver Jeffers and Pj Lynch on Saturday at around 2pm with this very VHC in the chair.

If you aren’t going to make it to Offset then fear not, Dave will be in Eason’s O’Connell Street, Dublin this evening at 6.30pm taking about his picture books and other work. See you there……

Children’s Books and Celebrities

The Children’s Column in BookBrunch is always a pleasure -

Particularly good piece last Friday about celebrities and children’s books

There is a general assumption by publishers that celebrity influences children. The results showed that it was a long way down the list of reasons for reading anything.

Only 5% of children said they were attracted to a book if someone famous said they liked it, or if someone famous (eg, Madonna or David Walliams) wrote it. Which goes to show that the deals these books command are based not on what children want to read, but on what parents buy.

Festival Fatigue = Lots of Links

Festival fatigue has well and truly taken root. Its been a great week of Children’s Book Festival events  all over the country. I was lucky enough to get to Monaghan, Newbridge, Naas and Blanchardstown. There is lots happening next week as well so don’t forget to check out the event guide for things in your area.  You can read more about projects in action on the festival blog and via The Write Stuff

Festival means no time for proper blog post – but in the meantime here’s some lovely link stuff-

SLARI host special conference focussing on teenagers and it feature author and blogger extraordinaire Nicola Morgan.  You’ll find Nicola over on the always delightful An Awfully Big Blog Adventure.

Lord Sir Maybury has been busy on Newstalk, meeting Miss Wilson and also getting some up-to-date blog recommendations.

Bookwitch meets Meg Rosoff – Two of my favourite writers in one place!

A piece of Sendak (the art not the person!) would make me very very very happy but  in the meantime I’ve tracked down this great poster. This will make me a little bit happy.

innocent smoothies have a writing competition at the moment – worth a look

The Writers Centre have some relevant events and course – look our for halloween storytelling and Siobhán Parkinson’s writing course

Jim Carroll on the case for funding arts people not arts buildings

And lastly but not leastly- New documentary film about children’s literature and you can follow progress via their blog

Linkage for Friday

Some links for Friday afternoon -

• Eavesdrop on a author residency project in action -The Write Stuff
• ICLA conducting a survey on writer’s income – Survey Here
• Children’s Books Festival on twitter and Children’s Books Ireland on Facebook
• Alternative career for CBI’s Programme Officer
• Mal Peet takes the Guardian Fiction Prize
• Illustrator Annie West adds new work and captures Heaney
• Yet more reminiscing about books from childhood on Pursued by a Bear

Friday frolics

I saw this and wished it was December – December is our official silly season here in CBI when we have time to take up challenges like this. And by take up I meet BEAT.

August

Normal Service will resume on September 1st.

Meanwhile watch the three trailers below- all movie adaptations of books and all due for release before Christmas

1. Darren Shan’s Cirque de Freak
2. Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox
3. Maurice Sendak’s – Where the Wild Things Are

Something for the weekend

Poetry Ireland event on google and digital publishing

For anyone in Dublin on Monday you might want to attend

The Google Book Settlement and the Future of Digital Publishing

Poetry Ireland present an information seminar on the Google Book Settlement alongside a discussion on the future and present state of digital publishing. Primarily for and in the interest of writers and poets, the event is open to all. The panel is to include: chair, Seamus Cashman, author and CBI board-member; Sam Holman, ICLA; and Oisín McGann, author and CBI board-member.

Venue: Cheyne Theatre, Royal College of Surgeons, York St Entrance, D2

Time: Monday 20th July at 11.00am

T: 01 4789974 E: RSVP info@poetryireland.ie

Some Link Love

What books people worldwide are buying right now

What to do when a ten year old wants to read Twilight

Reach Out and Read – Coming Soon to Temple Street Children’s Hospital

A reminder about OFFSET

The relationship between publishers and bloggers

Guest Post on Eoin Purcell’s Blog – An Author’s view of Electronic Publishing

VulpesLibris on Losing and Finding her reading Mojo and being a teenager

BookTrust Teenage Prize Longlist

The Secret of Kells wins Audience Award at Edinburgh Film Festival

What’s a baby worth (to a bookseller)