tall tales & short stories

COMPETITION: Win a Kindle copy of YA novel, Rapture, by Phillip W. Simpson

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:24:00 +0000

If you enjoyed tall tales and short stories’
review of Rapture & Phil’s great guest blog,
you can now...

WIN a Kindle copy of

RAPTURE, by Phillip W. Simpson

(if you haven’t got a kindle, you can download the Kindle app
and read it on your iPad, Smart Phone or PC!)

Rapture is the first in a trilogy but can easily be read as a standalone book.

It's easy to enter the competition!

Here's what to do!

Leave a comment on the blog, say hi and give us your name. If you want to leave your email address that's great, if not, we'll be announcing the winners after midday on the 6th February, UK time. So make sure to check in here and on twitter.

Or retweet the competition details on twitter. You'll find us at @TABwrite & @KLLaing

All entries go into a hat and one winner will be chosen at random.

The competition is open to anyone, no matter where you are in the world.

Competition Deadline:

Midnight 5th February, 2012. UK time.

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Demons are the Ultimate Bad Boy by Phillip W Simpson

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:59:00 +0000

YA author, Phillip W Simpson, talks about demons, conflicted characters and can we choose between good and evil.

Demons are the ultimate bad boy.

This may sound a bit odd, but I love demons.

Humans have always been fascinated by them. They feature heavily in religious texts by many different cultures, sometimes in forms we wouldn’t immediately recognize, but trust me – they’re there. Their form and nature have been used to scare us, warn us, threaten us and tempt us for thousands of years.

I’ve always been drawn to them. My first encounter with them was probably in the Lord of the Rings when I was eight years old. If a Balrog isn’t a demon, then I don’t know what is.

Legend

After that, I couldn’t get enough of them. I loved the variety of them, how they were often depicted in books, movies and comics in completely different ways. The suave, suited demon always intrigued me. Think of the demons in Constantine. Then there was the full-blown demon that most people picture when they think of a demon. You know what I’m talking about – the horns, flaming red skin and crimson eyes. Possibly but not always with dark, bat-like wings arching over their shoulders. The demon (devil) in the 1985 movie Legend, starring a very young Tom Cruise embodies this look.

The Book of Swords series by Fred Saberhagen, did a different take on demons which I absolutely loved. If you haven’t read this series and you love fantasy, you should. There is a scene in the first book where a demon is chasing the heroes through dark, underground tunnels. It’s so tense and scary that I can picture it vividly even now (it must have been at least 10 years since I’ve read it). I’m smiling nervously and casting the occasional glance over my shoulder as I write this.

Don’t get me wrong though. I still love zombies, vampires and werewolves but I just love demons more. Besides, even I was getting a bit sick of the glut of vampire novels on the market.

I wanted to write about them because demons have always intrigued me due to the dichotomy that surrounds them. They are fallen angels after all, so doesn’t that mean that they were once good? They may be evil now, but I’m sure that somewhere in their past (they are immortal after all), back in the good old days when they were angels, they embraced their good side. Surely this good side has a danger of emerging now and again.

These days, demons are becoming more common in literature, particularly YA. They are often the fallen angel variety. Often they look human except for some minor demonic feature that can be overlooked. Women find them intriguing (and basically almost impossible to resist) because they can sense the duality of their nature. Demons are the ultimate bad boy. Every part of them screams dangerous.

Usually, the women the demon associates with know nothing of his dangerous past except for the fact that he has got one and there was some danger involved (of course). It’s not until later that his demonic features - whether physical or some character defect - emerge, and usually, by then it’s too late for the woman. She’s already in love.

Of course it doesn’t hurt that they are often gorgeous to look upon by mortal woman, often physically perfect with dark, brooding looks. Not that I’m jealous or anything. Who me? No, of course not.

Anywho, when I was in the planning stages for Rapture, I just knew that the central protagonist had to be a demon. In Sam’s case, half-demon (sometimes referred to as a Cambion). Even better because that way I could fully explore his duality without taking away his dangerous allure. He represents humanity because of this duality. His mother (human – good) and his father (demon – evil). Humans have always had it within them to be either good or evil. Sometimes it’s a personal choice but often that choice is made for them by an outside influence. What a great way to have a conflicted character, and believe me, I really wanted him to be conflicted. After all, he’s trying to save humanity when humanity want nothing to do with him.

The other side of things I wanted to explore was the nature vs. nurture debate. Are you evil because you were born that way or can a happy, loving upbringing counteract that? Sam gave (and continues to give) much fodder for exploring this conflict.

Hence the reason I love demons and am drawn to write about them – such fascinating and conflicted subject matter.

RAPTURE

The Rapture has occurred, just as the Bible predicted.

The faithful have risen up to Heaven. Those left behind are in a living hell. Earth burns. Food is scarce. The night sky is devoid of stars, and the moon is the colour of blood.

The remnants of humanity fight for survival. Most have fled the cities and now hide in caves deep in the mountains. By night, demons stalk the Earth, capturing the remaining humans and killing them - if they’re lucky. The less fortunate are converted to worship of the Devil, and ushered into endless hell.

Eighteen year old, Sam, cursed by his demonic heritage, must embark on a quest that will take him across the US to the City of Angels. There he will confront his destiny.

There he must fight to save a friend ... and the souls of the living.

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Rapture ~ a tall tales & short stories review

Rapture is definitely one for the boys!

Sam, the protagonist, is half demon, half human left behind on earth to fight for the ‘non believers’ abandoned on earth when the Rapture occurs. (Rapture: for those who have faith and believe in God are taken to Heaven, while those who don’t are left to endure Tribulation)

Those left behind are subjected to nightly terrors where demons roam desperate to drag them down to Hell for eternity. Simpson cleverly divides the chapters between present day and Sam’s back story, until they meet at the half way point. This is where the story comes into its own. You can’t help but root for Sam as he travels through his own personal journey towards transformation. The ending has a great, unexpected twist (no plot spoilers here, you’ll just have to read it yourself!).

Rapture is heavily based around religion and Christianity, with many diverse points of view. At times it can be really thought provoking, at others, it really pushes a few buttons! But, that’s what I really like about Rapture, it evokes an reaction, which, in my opinion is what makes a great, memorable book.

Would I recommend Rapture? Definitely, if you love demons, battle scenes aplenty and a great ending, you’ll love this!
KL

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR A CHANCE TO

WIN A RAPTURE EBOOK

Details will be posted on Thursday, 26th January.

Places to find Phillip and Rapture:

Rapture and the Rapture Trilogy

Phillip's Website

phillipwsimpson.co.nz

Pear Jam Books

Phillip on facebook

Phillip on twitter

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DIVERSITY MATTERS: Does multiculturalism promote separateness? by debut author, Ellie Daines.

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:38:00 +0000

* Hi Ellie and welcome to tall tales & short stories.

Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born and raised in north London and grew up as an only child.
At university I studied journalism and then later pursued a career in digital marketing before becoming a writer.

LOLLY LUCK

Lolly is Lolly Luck by name, lucky by nature.

She always wins magazine competitions, on scratch cards and any game you can think of.

But when Lolly’s dad loses his job and then the family home, Lolly’s luck starts to change.

And when she overhears her parents arguing, she learns a secret that will change her life forever.

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* What inspired you to write Lolly Luck?

I originally based the story on a personal experience where I unfortunately had a job interview cancelled, and I decided that I’d turn that particular situation into a story which evolved into my novel Lolly Luck.

* Do you think it's important that children’s books reflect all kinds of life experiences and from all kinds of perspectives and social classes to truly reflect our multi-cultural, multi-background society?

Yes I do think it’s important because it brings a diverse richness to storytelling and gives children the opportunity to feel like they’re stepping into someone else’s shoes. However, I’m also of the mindset that books along with other media should strive to celebrate similarities as well as difference.

For me, growing up in Britain, first generation British Afro-Caribbean, while I love the creativity, the expression and culture that our multicultural society radiates, I am at the same time concerned that rather than bringing people together, multiculturalism has sometimes promoted separateness, something which can cause ill feeling and suspicion.

With literature, sometimes a book is presented in the media as being say, a Muslim story or an African story, when essentially it’s a universal story which we can all relate to it, no matter what race or social background we come from. Certainly with Lolly Luck, although Lolly might be black, much of what she experiences could happen to any child.

* Do you think when dealing with issues and situations such as Lolly’s it is essential to be as truthful and true to life as possible? And what, if anything, do you hope your readers will gain from reading Lolly’s story?

Yes I do believe it’s essential to be truthful with the issues and certainly the issues that my novel tackles such as marriage breakup, loss of home and bullying, are things that affect many children. For youngsters who have gone through a similar situation to Lolly, I hope that my book is able to show them that it is possible to maintain a positive outlook despite the problems around them.

I’d like to quote a couple of things from another author interview in my Diversity Matters series:

‘My life experience has been one of enjoying diversity, and I have come to realise how much I like to see that reflected in stories - not only the ones I write, but the ones I read, too.'

‘I remember Malorie Blackman saying that as a child she never found anyone like herself in the books that she read. She’s done much to change that, and there are others, but are there enough?’

* I wondered if you had any thoughts on the above comments and perhaps would like to add to, or disagree with, what has been said?

Like Malorie there weren’t many stories I read as a child that had characters who looked like me, which meant only occasionally did I get the chance to explore the lives of children from a similar background. But I do think things are better now. There are more stories around that are written from a variety of cultural perspectives, challenging stereotypes and promoting tolerance.

* What made you think ‘I want to write for children’? Is it a genre you enjoy reading?

I liked the idea of being able to write about real issues that some children experience and give them something they could relate to. I do enjoy reading other children’s books and it’s great to know that there is such a diverse tapestry of stories out there.

* Which authors/stories did you enjoy reading as a child/teenager?

I was a big fan of Roald Dahl’s books as a child. In my early teens I was addicted to the Sweet Valley High books but by the age of 15 I moved on to adult books and would read anything from Catherine Cookson to James Baldwin.

* Words of wisdom and advice to any aspiring writer?

Don’t give up whether, for example, you’re trying to find an agent or trying to complete your novel.

Ellie Daines' Website

Ellie on facebook

Ellie on twitter

Lolly Luck ~ a tall tales & short stories review

Lolly Luck is very fitting for our times, as it relates the struggle of what many families can identify with, the struggle of coping with job loss and dramatic changes in family circumstances. We go on this journey with the endearing, Lolly, whose heart is in the right place even if she doesn't always make the wisest of choices.

The book tackles some serious issues and I think this is the strength of the novel and why I thought it should also feature in the Diversity Matters series. I can't give too much away for fear of spoilers but the secret that Lolly learns is a significant life changer. And the dynamics of how Lolly's dad copes or rather, doesn't cope, with the loss of his job, is tackled with honesty and integrity. Because sadly his story is one that is all too familiar in these economic times.

Lolly Luck is a book that tackles many issues in a sensitive but realistic manner, and at it's heart is a young girl trying to come to terms with the things life throws at her and the family she loves.

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Interview with a Debut Author: JASMINE RICHARDS

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:34:00 +0000

tall tales & short stories would like to welcome debut author, Jasmine Richards, to the blog.

In a video interview, Jasmine talks about her debut novel, The Book of Wonders, and what it's like to be on the other side of the publishing desk as an author, instead of in her usual role as a Senior Commissioning Editor at OUP.

THE BOOK OF WONDERS

Sorcerers, Cyclops, Djinnis . . . Magic.

Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone who is caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying tyrant who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must risk everything to rescue her. Along with Rhidan, who is her best friend, and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.

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THE BOOK OF WONDERS ~ a tall tales & short stories review

I don't get sent enough Middle-Grade books, especially magical adventures that I think will captivate the younger reader, so I was excited to receive Jasmine Richards', The Book of Wonders. This is a fabulous tale full of derring-do, fantastical creatures, and two engaging main characters, Zardi and Rhidan. Zardi, a tomboy girl, who dreams of adventure on the high seas, and Rhidan, an orphaned boy adopted by Zardi's family, who is desperate to learn more about who he is and where he's from.

The author playfully includes familiar characters from literature's classic, 1001 Arabian Nights, but gives them a twist (I don't do spoilers so you'll have to read the book to find out more about Sinbad, Aladdin and others!) Zardi and Rhidan aren't just on one quest in the story, they're both looking for answers to their separate problems, and there are several adventures along the way, so there's always plenty for the reader to get their teeth into. Although there are several plot lines woven throughout the story and hints at future storylines, some endings are neatly tied up, while others have the reader looking forward to further adventures.

So, if you're after a story with plenty to offer, The Book of Wonders, should appeal to boys and girls who like a fast-paced, fantasy adventure with a few extra surprises thrown in!

Jasmine's Website

Jasmine on facebook

Jasmine Richards on twitter

Jasmine Richards on youtube

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Interview with a Debut Author: SARA GRANT, author of YA novel, DARK PARTIES.

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:43:00 +0000

* Hello Sara, welcome to tall tales & short stories. Before we talk about Dark Parties, could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

I moved to London eight years ago to marry a man I met while standing in line at Universal Studios in Florida. I’m originally from a small town in Southern Indiana in the US. After I moved to the UK, I earned a master’s in creative and life writing from Goldsmiths College. Now I’m a senior commissioning editor at Working Partners – where I create series fiction for children and teens.

Hmmm...what else can I tell you... I wrote my first story for children when my niece Megan was born and received my first book contract the year she graduated from high school – so 17 years later. (That makes me the poster child for ‘never give up’.) I’m an eternal optimist who believes the best in people. I’m a compulsive list maker. I think the most perfect food in the universe is mashed potatoes and I will eat them for any meal. I prefer winter to summer. And, my favourite colour is orange.

DARK PARTIES

Neva keeps a list of ‘The Missing’ — people like her grandmother who has vanished.

The people that everyone else pretends never exist.

In a world isolated by the Protectosphere - a dome which protects, but also imprisons — Neva and her friends dream of freedom. But a forbidden party leads to complications.

Suddenly, Neva’s falling for her best friend’s boyfriend, uncovering secrets and lies that threaten to destroy her world — and learning the truth about happens to ‘The Missing’...

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* Dark Parties is your debut novel, what inspired you to write this?

I’d just moved to London, England, from Indianapolis, Indiana. I was immersed in the paperwork of immigration and uncovering news stories on both side of the Atlantic about who and how many should be allowed to enter a country. That got me thinking....what if a country closed its borders to people and ideas? This question led to more questions of national and personal identity.

Dark Parties started as a short story about Neva and her best friend Sanna who host a party for their friends in the pitch black and secretly plot a rebellion. I was intrigued – some might say obsessed – by this idea. I spent the next three years writing and revising Dark Parties.

* Some of the scenes are very intense, especially the incident in the WEC, how easy/difficult was it to write these?

I admit that initially I shied away from writing the tough scenes set in the WEC. My editor encouraged me to be more honest and really explore the setting. I’m glad she did. Even thought I was very uncomfortable writing some of these scenes, it was the right decision. I think it’s much better to show the reader the line and let them cross it. I think some of my discomfort has translated onto the page, and I hope my readers will be as unsettled reading those scenes as I was writing them.

* If you could draw any parallels with Neva and yourself, what would they be and why?

I completely identify with Neva’s desire to make a positive change in the world. Like Neva, I am fiercely loyal to family and friends. And, like Neva, I miss my grandma, also named Ruth, who passed away more than a decade ago.

* What made you choose a dystopian theme for your first novel?

I love the freedom – not only the freedom to imagine the future and make the rules, but also the freedom that I can afford my teen protagonist. I can rid teen protagonist of pesky parents, mobile phones and the internet. A story void of competent parents and efficient technology allows for greater adventure.

And dystopian novels allow readers and writers the freedom to explore themes in a way most contemporary teen fiction can’t. You can illuminate a particular aspect of society or human nature and whittle away the parts of the real world that don’t serve your story.

Another benefit of writing dystopian fiction is the ease with which it can cross borders and appeal to readers around the world. I intentionally didn’t identify the country in Dark Parties. In my mind, it’s a mixture of my two homelands – the US and UK, but it could also easily represent other countries. Dark Parties has sold to the US, UK, Germany, Poland, Turkey, China and Taiwan.

* Would you say this is your niche or will you be experimenting with different genres in the future?

My second book, titled Half Lives, is futuristic – more apocalyptic really. I’ve also started another novel set in multiple space-time dimensions. I never thought of myself as a dystopian or sci-fi writer, but I love the freedom and the challenge of writing in this genre.

I do plan to experiment in other genres. At Working Partners, I get to write in a variety of genres and for a variety of age groups. I love a good romance or comedy. But for now...I guess I’m staying on the dark side!

* Will you be staying with YA, or do you have any plans to write for different age groups?

I love YA! My heart, mind and voice seem best suited to YA, but, as I mentioned above, I love writing for younger audiences, too. I quite fancy writing something funny for a much younger age range. You never know!

* Moving on, you are the co-creator and co-editor of Undiscovered Voices, tell us a bit about this project, and what inspired you to do this?

My friend and fellow editor Sara O’Connor and I cooked up the idea. We worked with SCBWI British Isles and Working Partners to make it happen. I’m very proud of this initiative. The third UNDISCOVERED VOICEDS anthology will be launched in February.
From the first two UNDISCOVERED VOICES anthologies, 13 of the 24 selected authors have had novels contracted for publication and most have signed with agents. It’s how I got my agent and ultimately my book deals. I want to help other writers achieve their dreams of publication and UNDISCOVERED VOICES allows me to ‘pay it forward’.

* How have you found your own ‘writers’ journey’ since being published in UV 2008?

In the words of Neva’s best friend Sanna – a-maz-ing! I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful agent who supports me every step of the way. I also get to work with some incredibly talented editors. They gave me great editorial feedback and made Dark Parties a much better book. The revision process was pretty stressful. But I am very lucky and try to enjoy every minute.

* And lastly, Do you have any words of advice for our budding authors?

Read. Read. Read. Read broadly for the age group for which you are trying to write. Read the classics but also keep up with what’s on bookstore shelves right now. Learn from the current masters of fiction.

Revise and polish your manuscript until it sparkles and until you can’t think of any way to improve it. Then give it to a fellow writer whose opinion you respect – better yet find a writers group – and then revise some more.

Write. Revise. Rinse and repeat as necessary.

Be obsessed by your story. If you get published, you will be working on this story for years and will be connected to it for the rest of your life. Love your story and characters. Write a story that will continue to intrigue you.

But most importantly...believe in your work and never stop learning and improving and writing and rewriting.

Thank you Sara, for answering our questions, good luck with the UK launch of Dark Parties. KL

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DARK PARTIES ~ a tall tales & short stories review

‘Gripping from start to finish, the tension builds beautifully with each turn of the page.’

I have to be honest, dystopian novels aren’t usually my first choice, but there was something about Dark Parties that drew me in; everything about it resonated with me, from the book’s premise right down to the stunning artwork.

So, what is Dark Parties about? In short, It is a story about personal survival, wrapped cleverly inside a blanket of heartache, betrayal, courage and self discovery.

Neva, the protagonist, is born into a world of oppression, a totalitarian state where everything is recycled, including the people. Her life is played out, both figuratively and literally, beneath the ‘Protectoshpere’, an electrified glass structure erected by Homeland after a devastating terrorist attack. Her world is controlled through fear and paranoia. Those who rebel, suddenly disappear, to become what Neva names ‘The Missing’.

Each page adds to the tension as we follow Neva in her bid for freedom, to uncover the truth behind the ‘missing’ and the brutal reality behind Homeland’s plans to maintain humanity.

Dark Parties draws parallels with current affairs, giving it an ‘on the pulse’ vibe. The characters are well rounded and believable, although it is heavily based on the female characters. There are some wonderful plot twists and turns and a few surprises along the way.

So, would I recommend Dark Parties? Definitely.
This is a well imagined, debut novel from Sara Grant; I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
KL

SARA GRANT'S BLOG

SARA on TWITTER

DARK PARTIES on facebook

Sara also blogs at THE EDGE

Wishing you all a Happy New Year...

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:58:00 +0000

May 2012 bring you all that you hoped for;

an agent and publishing contracts,

bestsellers and awards,

books you'll treasure forever,

happiness,
&

peace and goodwill on this beautiful, fragile world.

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noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

tall tales & short stories

would like to wish everyone

a Merry Christmas

& Happy Holidays

See you again in 2012!

I'd like to introduce you to, Karen...

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:03:00 +0000

I haven't been able to squeeze in everything I'd hoped to before the Christmas and New Year break but I do have time to introduce you to fellow writer and SCBWI-er, Karen - the new member of what can now officially be called the tall tales & short stories team.

She's already organised some brilliant posts for 2012, so there's plenty to look forward to.

So ladies and gentlemen,

*drum roll, please*

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Karen to the blog.

Take it away, Karen...

Hi, I'm Karen and I'm thrilled to be a part of tall tales & short stories blog.

I've been writing on and off since the age of 11 when I first discovered the power of stories, thanks to Roald Dahl and his masterpiece, Witches.

It wasn't until my late 20s that I decided to take my hobby that one step further and try my hand at becoming a published 'author'. Of course, I'm still on that journey, but it's a journey that is full of twists and turns and gripping beginning...

I write fantasy realism for ages 11 and over; my latest, A Tale of Magic, Mischief & Mayhem gained an Honorary Mention in the Undiscovered Voices 2010 Competition.

My short story, Who's afraid of The Nightmare Monster was shortlisted for The Academy of Children's Writers Competition 2010.

I can't wait to start sharing information, and talking books and writing, here on tall tales & short stories. So, I'll see you all in the New Year!

I'm really looking forward to it!
Karen

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Book Review: No Use Crying by Zannah Kearns

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:12:00 +0000

Secrets, secrets, secrets, she thought. It's just another word for lying.

The discovery of a grandfather Niki thought had died years ago means a sudden move to London and the start of a whole new life.

Niki has to learn quickly to fit in and survive in the school halls and on the tough streets. And at the same time she must get to know her grandad and come to terms with the fact that her mum has been hiding the truth.

But when Niki suddenly discovers her mum's biggest lie of all, could it change their relationship -- and Niki's own sense of identity -- for good?

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No Use Crying ~ a tall tales & short stories review

Zannah Kearns, the author of, No Use Crying, featured in my Diversity Matters series where she explained how - 'my life experience has been one of enjoying diversity, and I have come to realise how much I like to see that reflected in stories - not only the ones I write, but the ones I read, too.'

In No Use Crying, we meet Niki, an only child of a single mother who finds out many things in her life aren't quite what she thought. When her mum moves her back to live with her grandfather who she believed to be dead, it is the start of the collapse of the world Niki has always known.

This is a coming of age story set in inner city London and Zannah Kearn's tackles such issues as race, knife crime, domestic abuse, moving home and trying to fit in. Everyone wants to try and find their place in the world and Niki is no different, but when she learns of her family's secrets and lies, she has to reassess much of what she believed to be true.

Zannah Kearns manages to incorporate many serious issues but with a light touch, they exist but don't overwhelm, the focus is primarily on the difficulties families can face in day-to-day life when they forget how to, or choose not to, communicate, so that small problems grow and fester until they form huge barriers in people's lives and the real truth becomes distorted and false. Perhaps one of the most important things to take away from this book is that we should all try to trust and believe in each other, and that we should be open and honest about our feelings before families and relationships are torn apart. None of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes, no matter how young or old we may be.

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Book Review: How The Olympics Came To Be by Helen East & Mehrdokht Amini

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:35:00 +0000

2012 is the year of the London Olympics so, in anticipation, I have reviewed three books all with an Olympic theme but all of them very different.

And what better way to end than with a book that tells us how the Olympic games began.

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“It was the first day of the Olympic Games. Everyone who was anyone had come.

Some had travelled for weeks, from all corners of ancient Greece…”

If you want to know about the ancient Olympic games, ask someone who was there!

Who better to ask than Tethys, the grandmother of all the Greek gods.

The Greek gods gather on Mount Olympus to watch the games taking place on Earth below. Like any typical family, they revive old rivalries, pick out their favourite competitors, and vie for the best view. Called upon to answer their questions and resolve their squabbles, Grandmother Tethys soothes and distracts them with stories about How the Olympic Games Came To Be.

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How the Olympics Came To Be ~ a tall tales & short stories review

This book is a thing of beauty! I absolutely adore the illustrations by Mehrdokht Amini, so before I say any more about the book, I have to share some of them with you.

Aren't they wonderful! If they don't make you want to go out and buy the book I don't know what will!
Huge thanks to the British Museum who very kindly sent them to me when I said I just had to put them in this review post.

And complementing the fabulous illustrations are some wonderful stories told by Tethys, the grandmother of all the Gods. She spins her tales of chariot races, battles, running races, javelin throwing and wrestling lions, and the reader is transported into the world of the Greek Gods, with exciting stories of how the Olympics first began.

I think readers of all ages will find something to love about this book and it's historical accuracy means we learn something along the way too. So with the 2012 Olympics nearly upon us, How The Olympics Came To Be, is the perfect way to learn more about the gods and mortals that inspired the first Olympic Games. It's a book to treasure long after the 2012 Olympics have been and gone - I know I shall treasure mine.

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Book Review: Brave New Girl by Catherine Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:40:00 +0000

2012 is the year of the London Olympics so, in anticipation, I'm reviewing three books all with an Olympic theme but all of them very different.

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"I can make things happen - good things - I know it!"

Seren is so full of brilliant ideas - it's just that she always seems to put her foot in it!

First there was the dance routine where she fell off the stage.

And now her plan to get her sister Sasha noticed by gorgeous Luke Beckford looks like it could backfire! Seren reckons she's just hopelessly accident-prone!

But there's one person who believes in Seren. Her mate Keith is making a film for a national competition and he wants Seren to be in it. Could Seren turn out to be a star after all?

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Brave New Girl ~ a tall tales & short stories review

I loved this little book! It's full of warmth and humour and endearing characters. Although I've decided to feature it primarily as a book with an Olympic theme, I think it would also fit brilliantly into my Diversity Matters series, because this book features characters from all backgrounds and ethnic groups, and it portrays the truly multi-cultural London I know. I also love the fact that Seren's mum is a bus driver, and she's a single mum working hard to do the best she can for her big, chaotic family.

I think this is a book with genuine heart. It feels so normal and everyday, so grounded, yet also with a magical touch. The Olympics becomes the backdrop for individual dreams to be realised; Seren's brother singing in the opening ceremony; Seren's friend Keith making a film for a competition where the winning entry is played in the Olympic stadium. It might be because I worked in the film industry so it's close to my heart but I really enjoyed the film-making aspect of the book and the ideas behind Keith's re-telling of Shakespeare's The Tempest. I thought Keith was a fab character! I couldn't help but think how great it would be if all kids had the chance to do something like Keith's project and I really wanted to go out and start filming something myself.

For all the humour and warmth this is a book of light and shade, and some of the darker touches include how fickle and difficult some childhood friendships can be; broken families and single parents; bullies and the awkwardness of first love and simply just growing up. But Catherine Johnson handles these issues with a subtle touch and they merely add another realistic dimension to what is a great, heart-warming story.

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Book review: Blood Runner by James Riordan

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:31:00 +0000

2012 is the year of the London Olympics so, in anticipation, I shall be reviewing three books all with an Olympic theme but all of them very different.

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Samuel's parents and sister die in a bloody massacre.

His brothers retaliate by joining the anti-Apartheid movement, with guns and terrorism as their weapons. But Sam decides to fight prejudice in his own way- as a runner.

Against all odds - from a poor township childhood to the Bantu homelands, from work in a gold-mine to competing for gold - he focuses his mind, body and heart on the long, hard race to freedom...

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Blood Runner ~ a tall tales & short stories review

James Riordan states at the beginning of the book that Blood Runner is a work of fiction but it is inspired by the athlete Josiah Thugwane who became the first black South African to win an Olympic gold medal in Atlanta, in 1996 - and herein lies the strength and the heart of this short but inspiring book.

Although in places the execution feels a little dry, the story of Samuel and the loss and pain he endured and his ambition to provide for his own family epitomises the struggle and horrors faced by many black South Africans during Apartheid. Against all the odds, Samuel (and Josiah Thugwane), achieves his dream of not only providing for his family, but running for his country, being the first Black South African athlete to win Olympic gold, and meeting Nelson Mandela.

Included at the end of the book is a 'Note on Apartheid' which gives more background information on Apartheid South Africa and which also helps ground the novel in an historical context.

Blood Runner is a book about sacrifice, dedication and belief. It is an inspiring story of one boy growing up and not giving in, a boy who has a dream and a burning ambition to be the best - and against all the odds, he succeeds.

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Book Review: The Half Life of Ryan Davis by Melinda Szymanik

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:52:00 +0000

“I found myself standing outside Mallory’s bedroom. The last door on the upstairs hallway. I’d seen those forensic crime shows on television. I know what dead people look like. In the beginning I’d imagined Mallory, pale, lying in long grass, her eyes closed. Just her face because I didn’t want to see beyond it.

But I couldn’t do it any more. Mum kept telling me she was still alive somewhere. And one day she’d come home and we’d be a happy family again but that was one big fat stupid lie. Mum could tell it to herself but I’d stopped believing it ages ago.”

Playing second fiddle to a ‘missing, presumed dead’ sister is soul-sucking for fifteen year old Ryan. There’s no way he can ever compare with a perfect girl who’s captured forever in one moment of time. But as Ryan tries to move on with his life he begins to appreciate just how difficult growing up can be.

And now there’s a stranger watching him. Will his family ever be whole again? Or did Mallory light the fuse that will blow it apart forever ...

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The Half Life of Ryan Davis ~ a tall tales & short stories review

How best to describe this New Zealand YA novel? Well, here goes - The Half Life of Ryan Davis is a twisty, page-turning, contemporary and surprising YA thriller that feels fresh, modern and tightly-written.

Told in first-person, I believed I was listening to a fifteen-year-old boy and that's so important. For a YA book to connect with teen readers it has to convince, and that's crucial to becoming totally involved in the story. For this reader, the prose must work and feel modern in it's construction and styling. Melinda Szymanik writes with a taut style, where less is definitely more, and she manages to capture an authentic teenage boy's voice and create a tangible sense of what it's like in those often awkward teenage years.

But this is more than just a coming-of-age story, it has several elements that many can identify with, broken families, first love, but woven throughout is the mystery of Ryan's missing, presumed dead sister. On the surface the story seems fairly straightforward, but boy is there a twist that I didn't see coming. With any good thriller you try to work it out and, yes, with hindsight the clues are there, but the denouement took me by surprise and I loved the dark, rather disturbing twist and psychological sting in this tale.

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Book Review: The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman & Ros Asquith

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:31:00 +0000

What is a family?

Once, it was said to be a father, mother, boy, girl, cat and dog living in a house with a garden. But as times have changed, families have changed too. Now there are almost as many kinds of families as colours of the rainbow - from a mum and dad or single parent to two mums or two dads, from a mixed-race family to children with different mums and dads, from families with a disabled member to those with a mum or dad in prison.

Mary Hoffman takes a look through children's eyes at the wide varieties of family life: from homes, food, ways of celebrating, schools and holidays to getting around, jobs and housework, from extended families, languages and hobbies to pets and family trees - and she concludes that, for most people, their own family is the best one of all! With Ros Asquith's delightful pictures, this book takes a fresh, optimistic look at families of today.

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The Great Big Book of Families ~ a tall tales & short stories review

I'm including The Great Big Book of Families as part of my Diversity Matters series because that's what this book exemplifies, explores, but most of all, celebrates - diversity. It shows us that families can be as diverse as the world we see around us. That we are all unique and special, down to the foods we eat, the hobbies we like, the games we play and the clothes we wear.

Ros Asquith's cheery, playful illustrations and Mary Hoffman's accessible text, show and describe families in just about any kind of combination you can think of, and there are separate two page spreads covering topics from jobs, pets, school, holidays, and homes.

And for added fun for younger readers (and me) there's a game to play throughout the pages, find the cat in the pictures and discover his name.

This is the perfect book for discussing diversity, families, people, disability, and challenging preconceptions. The Great Big Book of Families is a book about appreciating and celebrating diversity in its purest and most delightful form.

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Book Review: 15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach just wants a normal life, but it's not easy when your mum is a depressed alcoholic, and your six-year-old brother thinks he's a dog.

When Mum fails to come home one night, Laurence tells nobody, terrified he and his brother will be taken into care if anyone finds out.

Instead, he attempts to keep up the pretence that Mum is still around: dressing up in her clothes to trick the neighbours and spinning an increasingly complicated tangle of lies.

After two weeks on their own, running out of food and money, and with suspicious adults closing in, Laurence finally discovers what happened to his mother. And that's when the trouble really starts ...

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15 Days Without a Head ~ a tall tales & short stories review

I first featured Dave Cousins on this blog in 2010 when he talked about being a discovered SCBWI Undiscovered Voice. (If you don't know much about Undiscovered Voices, tall tales & short stories was part of this year's blog tour so you can find out more in a recent post on the 2012 winners.)

I remember reading the 2010 Undiscovered Voices anthology extract of 15 Days Without a Head and telling others how it had stayed with me. I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity of reading lots of children's and YA books but it's quite rare for a piece of writing to stay with me long after I've read it, but Dave Cousins' extract was memorable and when OUP sent me a copy to review over a year later, the opening pages were still fresh in my mind. So it was with much anticipation I read the book.

Dave Cousins effortlessly creates a realistic world in which his main character, Laurence, lives. I believed, and that's important, and I also believed I was listening to a fifteen-year-old boy. I've read many books that purport to be told from the perspective of a young or teen character but very few convince, and that's crucial to becoming totally involved in the story. And, although this book tackles some very difficult subjects, this is a book full of humour and Laurence's little brother, Jay, is a brilliant, annoying and endearing character - he always made me smile and, in one scene in particular, (I won't say what happens because I don't like spoilers) but I was filled with utter dread and fearing the worst as events unfolded.

15 Days Without a Head deals with some, sadly, all too common issues. Laurence struggles to cope with a depressed single mum who finds it hard to cope. He tries to be a big brother and a dad to Jay, and their relationship is touching but honest. An older brother, especially a teenager, won't always want his baby brother around and most siblings fight and annoy each other and Dave Cousins brings all these feelings to convincing and touching life.

As Laurence and Jay's lives get harder, as pressure mounts and suspicion from other people increases, the inventive plot-line of a radio phone-in competition that runs throughout the story acts as a motivator for Laurence to keep going, to not give up, and much like Laurence, the reader is left wishing and hoping as each misfortune befalls them that this competition will provide the lifeline that the family needs.

Dave Cousins has written a fantastic debut novel; vibrant, moving and not scared to tackle difficult issues with moments of humour. I applaud him for an ending that is believable but not sugar-coated. Life isn't easy and people very rarely, if ever, get the perfect Hollywood ending where everything works out just fine and everyone lives happily ever after - sometimes the end doesn't mean the end but instead offers a new beginning and a sense of hope.

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Book Review: Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:40:00 +0000

Zulaikha hopes.

She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven out of Afghanistan. She hopes for a better relationship with her hard stepmother. And she hopes one day even to go to school.

Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the poetry she once taught her mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities, but surgery to mend Zulaikha's face. But can Zulaikha dare to hope they will come true?

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Words in the Dust ~ a tall tales & short stories review

I must admit I started reading Words in the Dust with some trepidation, mainly because I knew it was written by a former male US soldier who had served in Afghanistan and I wondered how he would approach the story; not just how well he would succeed in telling the story from a young girl's perspective but just how much of his attitude to Afghanistan and its people would be coloured by Western values and beliefs.

I turned the pages warily, but the more I read the more my doubts and concerns were allayed. At it's heart this is a tender and empathetic story of one young girl's struggle to be accepted for who she is and not what she looks like. A theme that can resonate with anyone no matter what their ethnicity, background or beliefs.

I think author, Trent Reedy's, attention to detail and research shine through and I did get a tangible sense of Zulaikha's family, community and customs. I was also relieved to see that the Americans weren't depicted as some kind of all-conquering saviours. They make mistakes; they aren't perfect, they are as flawed and human as everyone else. Because one thing I think is important is that this book helps people understand that in Afghanistan there are just normal people trying to lead normal lives. It can be hard sometimes to see past the news headlines but I think Trent Reedy succeeds in showing that a distinction can and must be made between the Taliban and everyday Afghan citizens.

Several important issues are raised concerning domestic abuse and the lack of education for women, but issues such as these are tackled with sensitivity. The author doesn't make a judgement and that decision feels like it's being left up to the reader to condone or condemn. There is little black and white in this story but many shades of grey, some of the good guys, both Afghani and American, do bad things; and some cultural realities may not sit well when seen through Western eyes but to learn about them is to understand them, whether you agree or disagree.

For his debut novel, I think Trent Reedy should be commended for being brave enough to tackle such a sensitive subject. Although I think some scenes, although not graphic, may be disturbing for younger readers, I think this is an intelligent, thought-provoking book that offers an intriguing insight into the day-to-day lives of an ordinary Afghan family and one young girl trying to find her place in the world.

Trent Reedy featured in tall tales & short stories Diversity Matters series.

Follow the link to read the post -

DIVERSITY MATTERS: TRENT REEDY on “insider/outsider” narratives and the young Afghan girl who inspired Words in the Dust.

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Undiscovered Voices 2012 Anthology Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:35:00 +0000

We interrupt this service for a very important announcement.

tall tales & short stories was proud to have been part of the Undiscovered Voices 2012 Blog Tour and as I've just been sent the press release of the chosen winners I had to share their good news.

London – Thirteen promising, unpublished UK writers and, for the first time, six unpublished illustrators, were selected from hundreds of submissions to be included in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) anthology, titled Undiscovered Voices 2012. The anthology features 4,000-word extracts of novels written for children and black and white illustrations on the theme of ‘undiscovered voices’.

“We are delighted to showcase an array of enchanting new voices from amongst SCBWI British Isles members – this time both in words and pictures,” said Natascha Biebow, Regional Advisor (Chair) of the SCBWI in the British Isles. “We are confident that they won’t stay undiscovered for very long.”

SCBWI congratulates the following 13 authors and their novel extracts that will be included in the 2012 anthology:

Skulk by Rosie Best, London
Dragons Do. Dodos Don’t. by Veronica Cossanteli, Southampton
Gabbleratchet by Sandra Greaves, Devon
The Executioner’s Child by Jane Hardstaff, London
Felix Munroe: Hell’s Angel by Deborah Hewitt, Cheshire
Kalahari by David Hofmeyr and Zoe Crookes, London
Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones, Lancashire
To Dance with the Wind by Rachel Latham, Cumbria
To Destiny or Death! by Maureen Lynas, Cleveland
Boonie by Richard Masson, Cornwall
Touch by Rachel Wolfreys, Manchester
Magpie by Jo Wyton, Oxfordshire

“Every year I’m amazed and thrilled by the range of stories in this anthology, but I truly believe that this year will prove to be a vintage year,” said award-winning author Malorie Blackman, honorary chair for the 2012 anthology. Blackman has written more than 50 books including the Noughts and Crosses series and Boys Don’t Cry. “The quality of the writing is outstanding.”

From the two previous anthologies in 2008 and 2010, 13 of the 24 selected authors have received publishing contracts and sold more than 50,000 books. These authors have been nominated for and won an amazing array of literary prizes: including winning the Bedfordshire Children's Book of the Year, being shortlisted for 17 regional awards, the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award. We’ve had two titles shortlisted for Blue Peter awards and one title long-listed for the Carnegie Medal.

“We are delighted by the success of the first two anthologies,” Biebow said. “It’s exciting to see novels that were initially printed as extracts in the anthologies in bookshops and winning major prizes. We hope that both the writers and illustrators in the 2012 edition will have similar success.”

The following six illustrations will be featured in the 2012 anthology. These artists created black and white drawings in response to the prompt of ‘undiscovered voices’.

Birdsong by Julia Groves, East Anglia
And so Chairogo brought forth the stolen voice... by Amber Hsu, London
Talking With Birds by Heather Kilgour, London
Viking Makes a Discovery by Nicola Patten, Berkshire
By the Light of the Moon by Rachel Quarry, Buckinghamshire
Isolya by Shana Nieburg-Suschitzky, London

Each illustrator’s work was chosen on the basis of storytelling or narrative potential, good composition, drawing and concept skills, appropriateness for the 7+ readership and the ability to grab the attention of the viewer.

“The impressive work that SCBWI British Isles volunteers do with Working Partners in creating the Undiscovered Voices anthology is in the vanguard of what SCBWI does across the world to promote new voices and quality in children’s literature,” Bridget Strevens-Marzo, SCBWI International Illustrator Advisor. “How exciting in this third edition, that unpublished fiction illustrators can for the first time add their vision to such a professional production.”

In early 2012, Undiscovered Voices will be sent free of charge to UK editors and agents, and for the first time this year, will be sent to art directors and illustration agents focusing on children’s literature. The anthology features an introduction from best-selling children’s author Malorie Blackman and artwork and introduction from renowned children’s illustrator Nick Sharratt.

“Best of luck to all the writers and illustrators in Undiscovered Voices and congratulations too to SCBWI and Working Partners for bringing about such a brilliant showcase for emerging talent,” added Nick Sharratt, children’s book author, award-winning illustrator, and honorary illustrator chair for Undiscovered Voices 2012.

The submissions were anonymously selected by the following panel of editors, agents and art directors:
Stephanie Alexander-Jinks, Artworks Illustration Agency
Anna Billson, Art Director Penguin Children’s Books
Val Brathwaite, Art Director Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Jo Anne Cocadiz, book buyer/seller for Foyles children’s books department
Amber Caraveo, Editorial Director at Orion Children’s Books
Julia Churchill, Literary Agent for Greenhouse Literary Agency
Tamlyn Francis, Arena Illustrators Agency
Dagmar Gleditzsch, Literary Scout
David McDougall, Art Director Walker Books
Catherine Pellegrino, Literary Agent for Catherine Pellegrino and Associates
Jasmine Richards, Senior Commissioning Editor at Oxford University Press
Jenny Savill, Literary Agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates
Rachel Boden, Commissioning Editor at Egmont.

Because the anthology is also designed to be a learning tool for up-and-coming children’s writers and artists, quotes from the judges – discussing the merits of each piece and why each piece was selected – are included at the end of each piece.

Working Partners Ltd, a London-based company that creates series fiction for children and teens, provided the financial support that made this anthology possible along with supplementary funds provided by SCBWI for the illustration content.

“Working Partners is delighted to sponsor this wonderful project which helps writers and illustrators seeking to grow,” said Chris Snowdon, Managing Director, Working Partners Ltd.

The selected authors and illustrators for the 2012 edition will attend the anthology launch party with agents, editors and art directors in February 2012.

About SCBWI

The SCBWI is a network for the exchange of knowledge among writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people. SCBWI boasts more than 19,000 members worldwide in more than 70 regions, making it the largest children’s writing organization in the world.
Through our events and resources, the SCBWI British Isles region aims to help writers and illustrators develop their craft. Find out more about SCBWI-BI.
Find out more about Undiscovered Voices

Christmas Book Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:33:00 +0000

In the run-up to Christmas I shall be posting several book reviews, fiction and non-fiction.

Books featured in, and relating to, the Diversity Matters series.
Three very different books but all with an Olympic theme.
A YA thriller from New Zealand.
A fantasy, time-travel adventure.
And a humorous book for younger readers.

So watch this space!

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DIVERSITY MATTERS: Zannah Kearns on being inspired by different cultures and the world around her.

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Zannah Kearns is a debut author whose YA novel, No Use Crying, has been described as ‘an emotional rollercoaster, the perfect coming of age novel.’

NO USE CRYING

Secrets, secrets, secrets, she thought. It's just another word for lying.

The discovery of a grandfather Niki thought had died years ago means a sudden move to London and the start of a whole new life.

But when Niki suddenly discovers her mum's biggest lie of all, could it change their relationship -- and Niki's own sense of identity -- for good?

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Zannah Kearns ~ 'my life experience has been one of enjoying diversity, and I have come to realise how much I like to see that reflected in stories - not only the ones I write, but the ones I read, too.'

In British terms, I would not fit into any ‘diverse’ sort of category. I was born and raised in this country, am blonde-haired, blue-eyed and milk-skinned. I have the sort of accent that could have me presenting the news for the BBC.

So, how is it I ended up writing a novel largely populated by Afro-Caribbeans, along with a few Indians, and even a walk-on part for a girl from Eritrea?

I was living in London at the time, and quite simply I was inspired by the world around me. Through helping out at local youth groups, I met larger-than-life teenagers with amazing vibrancy and a whole new way of speaking.

I was struck by the fact that, even though they were second generation British and had never left the country, they considered themselves to be more Jamaican than British. I met Indians, Eritreans, mixed-race kids, Eastern Europeans - pretty much anyone from anywhere.

I didn’t really think about what I was doing when I began to write No Use Crying, I simply fell in love with the people I met, of all ages and all backgrounds, and the story of a mixed-race girl finding out about her roots started growing in my head.

Maybe that was how I was able to legitimately write my way into these different cultures - Nikita starts as one looking in, trying to navigate her way and find her sense of self. She has been raised by her white mother, never having a permanent home, and only as the story progresses, does she begin to discover who she really is.

I didn’t realise I’d done anything unusual in writing a story that didn’t have a white protagonist; that was populated with only two main white characters with everyone else being from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. I didn’t have an agenda - I am hardly Benjamin Zephaniah! And I was fortunate to be taken on by publishers Frances Lincoln who are committed to publishing books that celebrate cultural diversity 'in the widest possible sense'.

I can’t be a ‘voice’ for non-white minorities. However, my life experience has been one of enjoying diversity, and I have come to realise how much I like to see that reflected in stories - not only the ones I write, but the ones I read, too.

I suppose various travels have given me an insight into what it is like to be seen as ‘other’. I lived in Costa Rica and travelled through South America a few years ago, and there I realised that however long I might live in a foreign country and claim it as my home, the first question I would always be asked would be 'Where are you from?' In that sense, I would never fit in, although I was welcomed into families like a daughter and made some very dear friends.

I’ll never forget walking through a village in Peru where some elderly ladies in traditional Quechuan dress - long plaits of greying hair, little red hats tied under their chins, embroidered skirts and capes. They pointed at me in my western trousers with all their handy pockets, my quick-dry t-shirt so good for travelling and sturdy hiking sandals, lugging a great big rucksack on my back - they pointed at me and started laughing.
‘Oh, I’m the one who looks funny?’ I asked in English. (I spoke no Quechuan and they spoke no Spanish.) This seemed to be the funniest thing they’d ever heard and they fell about laughing all over again.

There was difference, but no hostility. When multiculturalism works it’s a wonderful thing.

I remember hearing Zadie Smith being interviewed years ago on the radio. She was asked how she felt about being a black role model - whether she thought others would feel able to achieve success as she had done, inspired by her example. She dismissed the question - why did her skin colour have to be their inspiration? Couldn’t a black person see ANYONE achieve something, no matter their colour, and believe they could do it themselves?

I wonder why it is we have so many automatically presumed to be white protagonists? Is it because most of our authors are white? Is that because the notion of white privilege is still in fact a reality, and children of other cultures don’t find themselves in books and so don’t read and so don’t write? I remember Malorie Blackman saying that as a child she never found anyone like herself in the books that she read. She’s done much to change that, and there are others, but are there enough?

I think in our politically correct culture we are afraid of getting it wrong. Afraid of offending by writing about someone from a culture to which we don’t belong. Well, yes, we need to get it right, to not fall back on stereotypes, to be authentic. But that’s possible. If a middle-aged woman can write in the voice of a teenage boy, or I can write the thoughts of an old man, then why not an Indian woman or any other race or age or gender?

And there are common truths about humanity that unite us. To love and be loved. To want to know truth and meaning; to be accepted and have a sense of home. Don’t we all want these things? Maybe the radical thing in books these days that use modern-day Britain as their backdrops is to make race non-radical, to simply reflect the mix there is.

Maybe to achieve that, to be authentic in voices that aren’t naturally our own, we need to reach out into the communities around us and discover this diversity for ourselves.

Zannah's blog

Zannah on facebook

Zannah on twitter

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DIVERSITY MATTERS: ‘Soil of my ancestors.. I miss you’ : Writing with asylum seekers by MIRIAM HALAHMY

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:54:00 +0000

Miriam Halahmy

Since the 1980s I have worked with asylum seekers, from the Vietnamese boat people to the present day newcomers from Africa and the Middle East.

I am rooted in an asylum seeking past, with grandparents who fled the Polish pogroms at the end of the nineteenth century to my husband and his family who were forced into exile with almost the entire Jewish community of Iraq in 1950.

My life has been a mixture of languages; English, Yiddish, Arabic, Hebrew and a mixture of food; chopped herring, chick peas, falafel and chips. I am therefore at home with languages, cultures, attitudes, religions, food and artefacts which are not Standard English. I love it all and it has enriched my life and my writing.

My poetry and novels have been strongly influenced by this background. The novel I published this year, HIDDEN ( Meadowside Books) focuses on the plight of Iraqi refugees influenced by my husband’s story.

Two teenagers find an illegal immigrant washed up on a beach and hide him to save him from being deported.

The book has had a profound effect on my teenage readers. “I didn’t know we had immigrants in England,” wrote one thirteen year old from a small village.

It was therefore a natural transition for me to offer my skills as a writing facilitator and mentor with the many different groups of asylum seekers in London today. I have worked for Exiled Writers Ink!, The Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture and English PEN.

Asylum seekers are often keen to record their memories and their experiences and the title of this post is taken from a poem by Stephanie, called, ‘My Soil.” Stephanie wrote this poem during a time of great home sickness and in despair after waiting seven years for the right to stay in England. She was a lawyer and journalist in Cameroon but was jailed and beaten after criticising the government. She has finally achieved refugee status and has enrolled on a Social Work course to support herself and her five year old son. But it has been a long, hard road. The worst thing was knowing no-one from Cameroon for almost a year after she arrived.

Many asylum seekers talk about the loneliness they have to endure along with homesickness and knowing that they will probably never see their families again. Coming together weekly to write gives them companionship, a shared purpose and the chance of having their voices heard.

Jacqueline

In all the organisations I have worked with we have been funded to produce a booklet of work and the absolute delight of the writers seeing their work in print is unimaginable. Having their writing appreciated is a huge boost to plummeting self-esteem.
As Jacqueline from Uganda said to me, “You have taken us from sad to positive.”

Yosof

Some asylum seekers get the chance to take their writing further forward. Yosof, from the Sudan, who worked with me on a project in Victoria, was later funded to do a course at the Poetry School.
What a delight it is/To walk on rain/ Clouds are your umbrellas... he wrote during his course.
Both Yosof’s English and his poetry made great leaps forward and I know that he has continued to write.

Sometimes you only see someone once and yet they can make a huge impression on you. I ran a workshop about food at a centre in the East End and passed round crusty fresh bread to share. Tesfu, who had arrived from Somalia a year earlier, wrote a piece which clearly shows he had been through a famine.
I hungered for plenty/ you were little and never enough./ Drought and war made you scarce/You appeared for lunch and then disappeared for a day or two...
Tesfu did not return to the workshops but at our end-of-course presentation at The Free Word Centre, I read his piece out and the audience were very moved.

Free Word Centre

Giving asylum seekers the chance to engage with their memories of home in a supportive atmosphere can be very enabling and life-affirming. Asylum seekers often describe their situation as a ‘waiting game’; they wait in line, wait for the lawyer, wait for a letter from the Home Office. Many of the people I have worked with have waited like this for years, unable to work, study or move on in their lives.

I wrote my novel, HIDDEN, to challenge the prejudices and stereotypes that prevail about asylum seekers and to open up the minds of young readers to the needs and hopes and dreams of people who have come to this country because it is too dangerous for them to remain in their homelands. I am humbled and inspired by the young people and adults I have been privileged to work with over the last thirty years and by the stories that they have shared with me.

If you would like to find out more, here are some useful websites ;
Freedom From Torture
Exiled Writers Ink

Miriam Halahmy's Website

Congratulations to Miriam.

HIDDEN has been nominated for the 2012 Carnegie Medal!

Interview with an Author: MIRIAM HALAHMY

Miriam has also featured as a guest blogger on tall tales & short stories

Writing Advice: Creative Writing Workshops

Writing Advice: Why should you join a critique group?

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DIVERSITY MATTERS: Joanne Horniman on the teen dads who inspired, Mahalia, and the intensity of first love in, About A Girl.

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:02:00 +0000

* Hi Joanne and welcome to tall tales & short stories.

Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi Tracy. Thanks for inviting me.

About myself: a few random things … I live in northern NSW on about 5 acres, in a house my partner and I built ourselves a bit over 20 years ago. I've worked as an editor, and a teacher (of children's literature to trainee teachers, and adult literacy, mainly). I have 2 sons (33 and 26), and I don't work at anything else but writing now. I grow vegetables, bake bread, keep hens (almost said 'chooks', a particularly Australian term, I think).

I like people with a mad sense of humour. I'm quite irreverent myself. And badly dressed (though I try to dress respectfully when I go to book 'do's'). I'm left wing (very), and politically minded. I hate injustice, cruelty to animals, Australia's treatment of asylum seekers ... Just a regular person, I suppose.

* What inspired you to write About A Girl?

I was in Brisbane to see a band called The Last Town Chorus, and the support act was a local Brisbane girl - both of my sons play music and one is a professional musician (with a day job still) and I'm interested in people who make music. I saw 'the support act' running down the street before the gig with a boy in tow (just as Anna sees Flynn) and fell in love with the idea of her in the way novelists do.

And then in my previous novel, 'My Candlelight Novel', the girl in that falls in love with another girl at the end, but that wasn't what the novel was really about. I wanted to write a love story that didn't work out, and it just sort of came together.

Often I'm inspired more by the shape of a novel and a way of writing than more pedagogical issues, and in this case I wanted to write a short and honest novel about relationships - thinking of Murakami's 'Norwegian Wood' and the work of Banana Yoshimoto - also the early novels of Margaret Drabble, the ones she wrote in her 20s, such as 'The Millstone' - I like her intelligent girl narrators.

And then a part of me wanted to write something out of the ordinary - why should we assume that people are heterosexual? As well as being part of the Women's Liberation movement in the early 70s, many of my friends were in Gay Lib. I lived with 2 gay men, uni students like myself, and we had the gay liberation phone at our house, as they had no regular headquarters. But as George Orwell said in his essay 'Why I write', all writing is political, even that which doesn't think it is, so yes, my subject matter has a political purpose, even though it really grows out of who I am.

ABOUT A GIRL

'I remember when we lay together for the first time and I closed my eyes and felt the crackle of her dark hair between my fingers. She was all warmth and sparking light.

When I was with her, my skin sighed that the centre of the world was precisely here.'

Anna is afraid she must be unlovable - until she meets Flynn. Together, the girls swim, eat banana cake, laugh and love. Some days Flynn is unreachable; other days she's at Anna's door - but when Anna discovers Flynn's secret, she wonders if she knows her at all.

You can read a tall tales & short stories review of About A Girl here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* What inspired you to write Mahalia?

Mahalia was an amazing experience for me. I woke up one night after a nightmare and lay there thinking, as I was in a house alone and was too scared to get up and go to the loo (nightmares can have that effect). And the idea of a young man looking after a child by himself came to me. This was in 1999, June 14 (I remember the date).

I knew a couple of young men who had had children at a young age - 16 or 17, and wondered if they'd be able to look after the baby on their own if they had to, and thought that they would. The idea that came to me was so simple. My previous books had been quite convoluted, and it was a revelation that a story could be so straightforward, as the core of it was the love he felt for the child and the struggles he had looking after her. I put aside another novel I was working on and started 'Mahalia' two weeks later. I did it in 5 months - fast for me. It was a lovely book to write.

Part of my impetus was anger, because the government at the time (John Howard's Liberals) were very down on young people, especially those whom they perceived as outside the social pale. In my world view, there are many ways of being a good and useful citizen, and Matt, Mahalia's father, is a young man of determination and integrity, even though he doesn't yet know what he wants to do with his life. He looks after his baby daughter. He's good at doing that. And then later he discovers that music might be another avenue.

The book's set in the region where I live, which from the early 1970s has been an area of 'alternate' hippy culture. I know many young people who grew up in this environment. Some go on to higher education and mainstream work (many of their parents are highly educated, after all, and often work as teachers, social workers, and so on); others become tradespeople, such as carpenters- one of my sons is a welder.

The book also shows the problem of unemployment in a rural area - most of our kids have to go away to get work. There's a piece of graffiti in the book, which was a real piece of graffiti on a wall in Lismore (where the book is set) at the time I wrote it. SUBVERT THE DOMINANT PARADIGM, it says. That's what I wanted to do.

MAHALIA

Matt had loved Emmy, with her freckled, luminous, magical body; he had loved the way she hadn't given a damn for anything, the way she had climbed onto the roof of the church tower and kissed and kissed him. The way she'd fallen into the river just to know what it felt like.

He had loved the way she had said to her parents, 'We'll just love it, okay?'

He remembered how they had believed that loving Mahalia would be enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Do you do much research for your stories?

For Mahalia, since it was 14 years since I'd had a baby, I went to a library and looked up books on child development. In the novel, Mahalia grows from about six months of age to thirteen months, and I wanted to show her development, to make her a real character. The research helped me to remember how the milestones passed in my own children's lives, so things like the way Mahalia takes her first steps (pushing a washing basket along the floor, and then letting go and walking on her own), is the way my youngest child took his first steps.

Mostly I just notice people, what they say and how they act. Real things that are said go into my books - many minor characters, especially, are based on real people. I'm a great keeper of notebooks. Sometimes the 'notebooks' are whatever comes to hand, such an address book I used to keep in my bag, full of notes for a couple of novels. I see people and write things down, just as they are, and use them in an imaginative way later. Much of my life has been preserved in this way (and perhaps the 'urge to preserve is the basis of all art', which I think the Australian writer Helen Garner said.)

If I thought what a 'teenage reader' wants to read I'd completely freeze. I don't think of readers in the abstract or in generic terms. I like to think that a book is like something natural - a flower, say, that doesn't care who likes it. It just is, as true and real and honest as I can make it. I trust that there are readers who'll appreciate it.

When 'Mahalia' came out, a reviewer said that 'teenagers would find it as interesting as a pile of wet nappies', which is very insulting to 'teenagers', to stereotype them in this way. And that reviewer, I'm pleased to say, has been proved so wrong, as people all over the world have connected with that book - young and old.

I thought 'About A Girl' was a book just for girls, and girls of a certain age (older) at that. But a 15 year old boy contacted me on my blog and told me how much he loved it - he really connected with the parts about songwriting, as he wanted to be a songwriter/writer and found Flynn inspiring.

You never know which people are going to read your books, or what they will take from it. People have told me that a particular book of mine has changed their lives or made them think of things in new ways - and that's what books are for. I always put a book out there and see it as travelling, travelling … looking for the people who will love it.

* Do you use your own children or any others as a ‘sounding board’ for your books?

I don't use anyone as sounding boards; I'm a very private writer, and follow my own muse. That's the only way I can work. Writing is a very internal thing for me. It's the only way it works.

* What made you think ‘I want to write for teens’? Is it a genre you enjoy reading?

I think I fell into writing for teens. I started out writing books for younger readers. When I left university in the early 1970s I got a job as editorial assistant on a literary magazine for primary school children put out by the NSW Department of School Education. Working there were two distinguished children's writers. Patricia Wrightson was editor and Lilith Norman was Assistant Editor. I learnt a lot about writing from them, and read hundreds of children's books a year as part of the job. That was my grounding. But I love the audience I write for - they're very open and unaffected. People can get so grim and po-faced as they get older. And teenagers give you hugs!

I read some YA, of course, but don't think I'm all that influenced by it. I like books like 'Bilgewater' by Jane Gardam, which is marketed as an adult book, but about a teenage girl. I read a huge amount- I love Japanese novels, old and new. Tanazaki's 'The Makioka Sisters', Mishima, Natsume Soseki, and modern ones like Murakami and Yoshimoto. I've just been re-reading George Orwell's non-fiction. I love the Brontes, Katherine Mansfield, Woolf, Gertrude Stein. But Jack Kerouac must be my favourite. … basically, I read a lot of old books.

* Which authors/stories did you enjoy reading as a child/teenager?

Patricia Wrightson: 'The Rocks of Honey'. She was THE writer for me when I was a child. I read lots of Enid Blyton, when very young (early 1950s), as that's what was around. As a teenager, I discovered HG Wells in the school library, and Aldous Huxley. Shakespeare - I knew some of that by heart. And writers like Edna O'Brien ('Girl with Green Eyes' and 'The Country Girls') and Penelope Mortimer. I had an older sister who introduced me to these. Later, early on in uni, Sylvia Plath, and Doris Lessing, and Margaret Drabble.

* What’s next for Joanne Horniman? Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?

I'm slowing down a bit. In the last decade I've published 6 books, and I'm 60 this year. I find writing quite strenuous. There's an idea I'm playing around with at the moment, but I'm superstitious about saying too much about works in progress. It's quite different from my previous books, though.

* Words of wisdom and advice to any aspiring writer?

Read as much as you can, and write. Keep notebooks. Be open to everything in the world. Don't give up. Tenacity is the most valuable asset for a writer.

Joanne Horniman blogs at-

Notes from the Underground

Secret Scribbled

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DIVERSITY MATTERS: TRENT REEDY on “insider/outsider” narratives and the young Afghan girl who inspired Words in the Dust.

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:42:00 +0000

* Hi Trent and welcome to tall tales & short stories.

Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

Thanks, Tracy. It’s a pleasure to speak to you.

I spent most of my life in Iowa. I always loved telling stories, and in elementary school I used to entertain my classmates at the lunch table with long adventure stories. By an early age, I knew I wanted to be a writer. In pursuit of that goal I majored in English at the University of Iowa, enlisting in the Iowa Army National Guard to pay for my classes.

In 2004 my combat engineer unit was activated and sent to the war in Afghanistan. When I returned home, I taught high school English for four years. Now I spend most of my time writing at my home in the state of Washington.

WORDS IN THE DUST

Zulaikha hopes.

She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven out of Afghanistan. She hopes for a better relationship with her hard stepmother. And she hopes one day even to go to school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* What inspired you to write Words in the Dust?

My unit’s overall mission in Afghanistan was to provide security for the reconstruction effort. On one patrol to a small village, my fellow soldiers and I encountered a young girl named Zulaikha who had suffered from birth from a defect known as cleft lip. She was born with a split in her upper lip and with horribly crooked teeth. We knew we had to help this girl so we pooled our money together to pay for her transportation to our main airbase where one of our army doctors had volunteered to conduct her reconstructive surgery.

When she returned to us, I was amazed at how she had transformed. Only a small scar hinted there had ever been anything different about her. For me, she became a symbol of the struggle that all Afghans face in trying to build a new, better, more peaceful Afghanistan. The last time I saw Zulaikha, she was riding off our base in the back of a truck. She could not hear me or understand my words, but I promised I would tell her story. That promise is what led to me writing Words in the Dust.

* Some might say that a male, American, ex-soldier can’t possibly write a truthful story told from a young Afghan girl’s perspective. What made you believe you could and should write such a story?

I am well aware of the debate surrounding “insider/outsider” narratives. I would submit that if writers are limited to writing only about people who are exactly like themselves, fiction would be replaced by autobiography. Nevertheless, despite my conviction that a writer should feel free to write whatever story is close to his heart, I was concerned about the difficulty of writing from the perspective of an Afghan girl.

I had some great help with writing across gender and culture from some wonderful writer/teachers at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. My friend and mentor, author Katherine Paterson suggested I should try to write the book. This gave me the courage to get started.

Most importantly, though, I had made a promise to that girl in Afghanistan. It was the kind of promise that must be kept at all costs. In the pursuit of the fulfilment of that vow, I could write the seemingly unlikely book. I could endure the rejection. So in a real sense, I remain greatly indebted to the Afghan girl we helped.

* Did you do much research for your story? Do you think when dealing with issues and situations such as Zulaikha’s it is essential to be as truthful and true to life as possible or do you think there is some room for creative licence?

My first and most important research took place during my year in Afghanistan. While there, I learned all I could. I took thousands of photos and hundreds of videos. I lived in an Afghan mudbrick house that became the basis for Zulaikha’s home in Words in the Dust. I interacted closely with many Afghans, learning all I could.

After I returned home from the war, I spent a lot of time in libraries, reading many novels and other books about Afghanistan. I learned a great deal about the interesting but tragic history of the country. I was amazed and delighted to discover Afghanistan’s rich literary tradition through many wonderful old poems. I was fascinated by Afghanistan’s revered ancient poets. That’s not an element of Afghanistan that people in the West hear about enough, so I knew I wanted to include this poetry in Words in the Dust.

The issue of being “truthful and true to life” or of being “culturally authentic” is a complicated one. While I worked hard to make my novel a plausible story about one family living in Afghanistan’s Farah Province, there are undoubtedly some Afghan families in Farah that would find Words in the Dust unrepresentative of their experience. This should really be unsurprising given the basic idea that people within the same community can be very different from each other.

The best example of the difficulty in being “true to life” or even of defining what “true to life” means, can be found in the novel’s Afghan wedding. My editor and I researched relentlessly so that we could accurately depict this. We interviewed Afghans and Afghan-Americans. We read many books and countless articles online. Realizing that traditions can vary greatly from region to region in Afghanistan, we gave preference to information about rural Afghanistan and about Farah Province.

However, we never found two sources that agreed on how an Afghan wedding is conducted. This should not be very surprising. After all, two people growing up in the same town and attending the same church in rural Iowa will still have very different weddings. So the wedding featured in Words in the Dust is one that could possibly happen in real life. It is very similar to and also likely quite different from many other Afghan weddings.

Whenever we begin talking about “cultural authenticity” or about being “true to life” in a book set, for example in Afghanistan, we run the risk of assuming that all Afghans are culturally identical. We inadvertently make the suggestion that there is one true life for all Afghans.

It’s important for all writers of realistic fiction, whether cultural insiders or outsiders, to strive to write a story that is at least possible, while accepting that the story will not, cannot, represent or be “true to life” about the entire population at large.

* Do you think writing about Zulaikha and your own personal experiences in Afghanistan changed you in any way?

My time during the war in Afghanistan changed me in many ways. Beyond that, writing Words in the Dust bolstered my belief in the importance of helping the good people of Afghanistan find their way toward a new and better country.

* Many of the news reports we see of Afghanistan is seen through Western eyes in particular from the perspective of our troops being killed. Do you think it can sometimes be hard to see past these events and to see the ordinary people trying to live their lives? What, if anything, do you hope your readers will gain from reading Zulaikha’s story?

I recently had the honor of speaking to young people in several different British schools, including one military boarding school. In this military school almost every student had at least one parent serving in the British military. Many had parents who had served, were serving, or would be serving in Afghanistan in the future. Thus, while I spoke about the importance of helping to provide a better life for normal peace loving Afghans like Zulaikha, I was well aware of the enormous sacrifice the mission requires.

I hope that Zulaikha’s story might serve as one reminder of what the mission in Afghanistan is really all about. I hope that through Words in the Dust readers will get to know Zulaikha, and that they’ll understand that she and millions of Afghans just like her deserve something better. Zulaikha’s country and its people have suffered decades of war. I pray that they will find a way toward a real and meaningful peace.

* Do you think your experience of working as an English teacher has influenced and helped your writing in any way?

Teaching high school English was a very rewarding experience. It reminded me of the limitless energy and hope in the very young. I think it helped keep me young, offering an insight into how young people live. These are invaluable tools in writing for young people.

* You have a Master of Fine Arts degree in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. What made you think ‘I want to write for these age groups’? Is it a genre you enjoy reading?

I’ve always wanted to write books, but it wasn’t until during my time in the war that I realized I wanted to write for young people. Maybe it was because I was missing my own youth when I was at home safe from the war. Maybe it was because I liked thinking that while I was in a war, kids back home were having fun being young. In any case, once I accepted that I wanted to write for young people, I never looked back.

Adult life and stories about adults are comparatively dull. When I write for the young, I can have a novel about two boys who decide to build a raft and explore a river for fun. If I wrote the same story about two grown men, readers would wonder why these men don’t just get a job. A young person might face a bully and be forced to come up with an innovative or fun solution to the problem. An adult would simply call the police or hire a lawyer. Give me kid lit anytime!

Most importantly, I believe that growing up is the greatest human adventure. For the young, everything is a discovery and anything is possible. Their future is theirs to shape.

* Which authors/stories did you enjoy reading as a child/teenager?

The first novel that I read and loved was Ghost Ship to Ganymede by Robert Swindells, the story of three kids who stow away on a ship they think is going to the station on Earth’s moon, but which winds up crash landing on a moon of Jupiter, where they discover they are not alone.

I also loved Tamora Pierce’s first fantasy series, beginning with Alanna: The First Adventure. I must have read that novel at least four times in elementary school.

* Words of wisdom and advice to any aspiring writer?

Writing is the greatest job in the world if you can make it happen. And you can make it happen if you never stop reading, writing, and trying. I became a writer thanks to a promise I made to a young Afghan girl, but I also had to honor the promise I’d made to myself, the conviction that I would never give up the pursuit of my dream to be a writer.

* And finally, I know you’re keen to highlight the work of a couple of charities. Could you tell us who they are and why you think their work is important?

I hope that readers of Words in the Dust will have a desire to help improve the situation in Afghanistan. To that end I recommend that they support Afghan Aid. This organization has been working for twenty-eight years to help Afghans in a variety of ways. Learn more about Afghan Aid at their website.

In America, I support a group called Women for Afghan Women. This organization works to provide educational and vocational opportunities for women and girls in Afghanistan. Learn more about Women for Afghan Women.

I also encourage readers to stop by the “Help Afghanistan” section of my website to learn more about the importance of helping Afghanistan.

I thought I’d mention Operation Smile and The Smile Train.

The Smile Train and Operation Smile are wonderful organizations.

The people working there are superheroes, bringing new life to unfortunate people who were born with cleft lip and cleft palate, but who are without the means to obtain the surgery they need.

TRENT REEDY'S WEBSITE

Words in the Dust is published in the UK by Frances Lincoln

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Celebrate and Win Prizes with Barefoot Books and Nick Crane!

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:57:00 +0000

Barefoot Books celebrate the publication of TV presenter Nick Crane’s new children’s Atlas with an online competition to win an iPad2 and an afternoon of events at the Barefoot Studio in Oxford on Saturday 12 November 2011.

TV presenter and Earth enthusiast Nick Crane will take families on a mind-expanding journey around the globe in this presentation to mark the publication of his Barefoot Book World Atlas for children, beautifully illustrated by artist David Dean.

Nick will tell stories of his own journeys around the world, talk about how he fell in love with cartography as a child, exploring the Norfolk countryside armed with a bicycle and a map, and look at some of the challenges which face us all in creating a sustainable future.

Nick Crane comments:
“To share the excitement, the wonder, the complexity of life on an orbiting planet, you need an atlas. This book opens the window on a great, big geographical adventure. It is an atlas for the next generation of discoverers.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Crane is a cartographer, explorer, writer and well-loved television presenter. As a child, Nick explored the Norfolk countryside armed with a bicycle and a map; ever since, he has been journeying the world. In 1992–3, he walked 10,000 kilometers across Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. Since 2004, he has written and presented four popular television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

David Dean is a full-time illustrator who travels the world from the comfort of his own studio. He paints in a room surrounded by books from many different cultures, which inspire his exotic and colourful work. In his spare time, David enjoys walking and taking photographs of the countryside near his house in Cheshire.

Event details for Saturday 12 November 2011

Art Fun: Atlas Antics, 1-2pm
Ages 6-11
Free
Creative kids can try their hands at different art forms from around the globe

Nick Crane presents the Barefoot Books World Atlas, 2.30 pm
Free
Nick will tell stories of his own journeys around the world, talk about how he fell in love with cartography as a child, exploring the Norfolk countryside armed with a bicycle and a map, and look at some of the challenges which face us all in creating a sustainable future.

The Atlas Discovery Workshop, 3.30-4.30 pm
Ages 6+
Cost: £8
Children with a sense of curiosity learn how to magnetise needles and make their own compass, then set off with a Barefoot Books passport to visit the different cultures of the world

Venue:
Barefoot Books Studio, Twining House,
294 Banbury Road,
Oxford OX2 7ED

COMPETITION

Visit Barefoot’s Facebook page to win -

Copies of Nick Crane’s Atlas,

£20 Barefoot Books gift certificate

A iPad2

All terms and conditions can be found here

Barefoot Books

Barefoot Books on Twitter

Halloween Thrills & Chills: Chris Westwood on ideas, inspiration and gothic horror.

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:55:00 +0000

Halloween Thrills & Chills ~

tall tales & short stories is thrilled to welcome Chris Westwood,

author of the gothic horror books,

The Ministry of Pandemonium,

and its sequel,

The Great and Dangerous,

to the blog.

Hi Tracy, thanks for inviting me to add to this fabulous blog!

“Where Do You Get Your Ideas?”

I’m often asked where the ideas come from, and I’m always curious to hear what other writers have to say about theirs. In my case the short answer is: everywhere! But the longer answer might be more helpful, so here I’ll try to explain where I found the various bits and pieces that led me to Ministry of Pandemonium and its sequel, The Great and Dangerous, which will be published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books in March 2012.

One of the great pleasures of writing for young readers is that it gives me a chance to recapture something of my own childhood, to tap into the fairy tales, comic books and TV shows that inspired me to spend long hours building plasticine monsters and hand-drawing my own comics. With model soldiers and Matchbox cars I played out fast-moving action scenes, doing all the voices and adding the screeching, exploding sound effects as I went.

So you see, I haven’t changed all that much! When I was seven I didn’t think of what I was doing as storytelling, but I suppose that’s exactly what it was, and storytelling for me is still a kind of playtime. As a boy with his toys I entered my make-believe world, a place so real to me I could almost touch it, and now when I settle down to work each day I’m doing (or trying to) a very similar thing. On bad days when the muse is AWOL and words don’t come easily it doesn’t feel much like play at all – but that’s the main difference between childhood and now. Now it’s a job!

If Hansel and Gretel and Marvel Comics crept under my skin at an early age and stayed there, years later it would be great fantasy writers like Ray Bradbury, whose way with words – in particular his ability to view the world through a child’s eyes – had a massive impact on me. In his novel Dandelion Wine there’s a passage which goes: “Crossing the lawn that morning, Douglas Spaulding broke a spider web with his face. So, with the subtlest of incidents, he knew that today was going to be different.”

That sense of magic everywhere, about to happen, was something I very much wanted for Ministry of Pandemonium. I wanted the lonely, talented Ben Harvester to have this wide-eyed view of the world, so in one scene I have him in Victoria Park, watching a red squirrel skirt up a tree as he stands on a carpet of four-leaf clovers. Magic, he thinks. Something like magic. Everything’s alive! It’s just a little nod to my hero, Bradbury, whose short story collection The October Country also helped me find a name for the mysterious, many-faced Mr October.

Of course real life is always adding to the pool of memories and influences too. Good and bad stuff happens. We love and lose. Other people come and go from our lives, sometimes changing us forever while they’re here. All the highs and lows are potential material. In fact, without them, I don’t think a dark fantasy novel like Ministry with its shape-shifting demons and ghostly apparitions would work half as well. No matter how “out there” and other-worldly the story may be, you still have to write what you know, which is why my boy hero Ben Harvester’s relationship with his mother, Donna, is so central to the book. This part of it comes very much from life, and I like to think it gives MoP an emotional pull alongside its thrills and shivers.

A strong sense of place is important too. I now live in Hackney, East London, but I was still getting to know the area when I started MoP, and I soon found the alleyways, parks and canal towpaths between home and Islington triggering lots of ideas, almost becoming characters in their own right. Most of the locations in the novel are absolutely real while others – Ben’s new school on Mercy Road, the hidden alleyway off Camden Passage, Islington, where the Ministry’s headquarters are found – are pure invention. Quite early on I thought that, like me, Ben should be new to the city, taking it all in with an outsider’s eyes. I also decided he should live near to where I did, so I installed him and his mother in a maisonette across the street on Middleton Road.

Given a choice, I’d prefer not to be in or around the places I’m writing about. I’d rather re-imagine them from a distance than simply describe what I see. On the other hand, as I tapped away at the first draft of MoP I would often look out to see ravens flying past the window, or a dishevelled-looking man turning off the street to root through the communal rubbish bins outside my building, filling his backpack with spoils. Then there was the day my sunglasses were stolen from a shop counter on Broadway market, snatched up by a thief who quickly ran outside to vanish into the crowd in the park as I fumbled for change. All grist to the mill, as they say, and in MoP you will now find ravens aplenty and a chapter entitled ‘The Sunglasses Thief and the Clover Chain’ in which the thief becomes a demonic entity with shape-shifting abilities – I’m afraid that’s just the way my mind works!

So it isn’t as if you have to go out searching for ideas. They have an uncanny knack of finding you! You’ve probably found, as I did, that when you’re well underway with a story your senses become finely tuned to everything you hear and see around you. Conversations overheard on buses, newspaper headlines, the people you pass in the street can all add a little extra colour and believability to the work in progress – as good a reason as any to keep a notebook handy at all times. And it’s not a bad idea to sleep with pen and paper within easy reach in case some brilliant idea wakes you in the night. It doesn’t often happen... but you never know.

Oh, and one last thing about the urban ravens. They’re everywhere in and around London Fields, hopping around the grass and perching on rooftops. I just had to include them too. And now, thanks to the great design team at Frances Lincoln, they perch on the drop caps at the start of each chapter and even on the barcode on the cover. Not so long ago I looked out to see one of them dive-bombing a cat across the street. If cats have expressions, this one’s seemed to say, “What the hell was that?” as the raven soared away. You can probably guess where my imagination went with that one. It was very quickly added to my notes for Book Three...

MINISTRY OF PANDEMONIUM

Ben Harvester sees what no one else can..

A cobbled alleyway where it’s always night ... hidden behind a crack in the wall.

Mr October, a man of many faces and secrets, knows Ben has a unique gift. He sets out to recruit Ben to a top-secret, highly classified Ministry department – to help in an eternal war against an unspeakable enemy.

And so Ben begins to understand just how great and deadly his gift may be, and why it puts him and everyone he loves in grave danger ...

Read a tall tales & short stories review of Ministry of Pandemonium here

THE GREAT AND THE DANGEROUS

Ben Harvester and Becky Sanborne have found their true calling at the Ministry of Pandemonium, guiding the souls of the newly-dead to the afterlife.

But the enemy, the Lords of Sundown, still smarting from their catastrophic defeat at Halloween, are keen for revenge. The theft of thirteen souls following a bomb explosion on Bad Saturday heralds the start of an all-out war ...

and little does Ben suspect just how personal that war is about to become.

BIOGRAPHY

Chris Westwood was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, the son of a coal miner and a school teacher. His first published writing was for the London music paper Record Mirror, where he worked as a staff reporter for three years.

His first children's book, A Light In The Black, was a runner-up for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. His second, Calling All Monsters, was optioned for film three times by Steven Spielberg. After a break from writing, spending several years caring full-time for his father, Chris returned with Ministry of Pandemonium, the first in a series of novels set in a secret, alternative London.

The second in the series, The Great and Dangerous, will be published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books in March 2012.

Chris Westwood's Website

Watch this space for a review of The Great and Dangerous.

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Scream Street Blog Tour: Shiver of the Phantom by Tommy Donbavand

noreply@blogger.com (Tracy) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:13:00 +0000

If you've missed the first seven chapters, head over to the Scream Street website for chapter one. Each chapter will link to the next one on the blog tour.

SHIVER OF THE PHANTOM

Chapter 8

The Threat

The new ghost was large and imposing – and just as see-through as Henry. He wore a neatly pressed uniform and peaked cap, and carried a clipboard. “I don’t think you really want to pass this exam, Harper,” he snarled.

Henry’s transparent bottom lip began to quiver. “I do, Mr Aspin,” he pleaded, “I really do!”

The spectral boss examined the information on his clipboard. “Your work is poor,” he grunted. “Results are bad. How long did it take you to wake those skeletons with your mysterious bangs and bumps the other night?”

“It wasn’t my fault, Mr Aspin,” whined Henry. “They’re heavy sleepers!”

“No major scares credited to you in the last half century,” continued Aspin. “I don’t see why I should let you take your spirit level exam again at all.”

This time Henry really did begin to cry. Crystal tears ran down his shimmering cheeks. “Please let me take the test. I’ll try harder, I promise!”

Mr Aspin sneered. “And why should I believe a promise from a pathetic nobody like you?”

Luke stepped forward. “That’s not a very nice thing to say,” he pointed out. “I think you should apologize.”

Mr Aspin’s see-through face flushed purple. “Harper!” he roared. “Are you getting little children to fight your battles for you?”

Henry was positively shivering now. “No, no, Mr Aspin,” he sobbed. “They were just—”

“We are not fighting anyone’s battles,” Cleo interrupted. She stared up at the officious-looking phantom. “We just think you should be a little nicer to Henry, whoever you are...”

Henry looked as though he might faint.

“Whoever I am?” bellowed Mr Aspin. “I’m the president of HISS! The only spectre ever to reach spirit level one hundred and twenty! The only ghost in Scream Street qualified to appear at séances and possess the medium!” He leant in close to Cleo. “And I’m the man who has just decided that Henry Horatio Harper has failed his spirit level exam.”

Henry let out a squeak of terror. “Why?”

“For bringing three unauthorized spirits into Scream Street, of course!” thundered Aspin. “You know the rules – any fraternizing with ghosts who aren’t officially recognized by the president’s office means instant demotion. And since I can’t demote you lower than you already are, you are forbidden from taking the exam.”

“That’s not fair!” cried Cleo.

“I don’t care!” rumbled Mr Aspin.

“It’s also not true,” Resus pointed out.

“What?”

“We’re not real ghosts,” Resus continued. “We’re just under a spell that allows us to communicate with them. Look...” He turned to the nearest solid object – the wall of a house – and walked into it as hard as he could. “Ow!”

“And Henry told us that you once communicated with a solid person via this spell,” Cleo added. “So if he has to be punished for ‘fraternizing’ with temporary ghosts in this way, so do you!”

Aspin began to growl deep in his throat.

“Henry Horatio Harper is going take his spirit level exam,” Luke said firmly. “And we’re going to help him.”

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Head over to Feeling Fictional on the 27th October

to read the next spooky instalment of ~

SHIVER OF THE PHANTOM

by Tommy Donbavand.

You can read a tall tales & short stories with Tommy Donbavand - here

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