My Favourite Football Books and other World Cup resources

Hi folks!

I'm sure you've already heard, but I believe there's a wee sport thing taking place this summer over in Russia. While football and reading may not be an obvious pairing, I've always held a place in my heart for both. So when my librarian friend George Kirk asked if I'd record a video recommending a few of my favourite football books I jumped at the chance. We're hoping that some of the football fans at George's school will be inspired to pick up a book to fill the gaps between matches! Anyway, I thought it was such a good idea, I decided to post the video in case anybody else found it useful. Watch it below or on my YouTube channel here.

On a similar theme, I finally found some time to make a Charlie Merrick's Misfits poster (see above) to add to my library display set. A3 and A4 sized posters in jpeg format can be downloaded here.

The Charlie Merrick 2018 WORLD CUP WALLCHART (above) is now also ready for download.

Finally . . . and I promise to wrap this up before we get dragged into extra-time and penalties . . . I've collected a few more links to various reading, writing and drawing resources that might be of interest in the current football crazy climate:

An 8 day scheme of work based on the Charlie Merrick football book is available on the TES website. (Please note - I had no involvement in the production of this resource, but I've been told by teachers that it's good. There's a small fee to download.)

The National Literacy Trust World Cup Kit Bag

The OUP Charlie Merrick Activity Pack, including design your own squad cards, comics and match sheet templates.

Finally my step-by-step guide to drawing a football action scene from the Guardian Children's Books website.

These and a few more links are also available via my website.

Thanks as always for your support. Have a great summer and enjoy the football!

Cheers for now,
Dave

"Waiting for Gonzo" — The Music Videos! Part One: Cigarette UFO.

I know, I know … How do you start by writing a book, then end up making a soundtrack album and accompanying music videos? Well, you know how you get an idea and think "that'll be fun, shouldn't take too long"? Then thirty-six hours later you find yourself up at 3am clutching a torch and a fishing rod while attempting to animate a tin-foil alien spaceship? 
No? 
Just me then. 
OK, well … if you've ever wondered what a writer does on his weekends off, here is the result of one of mine. I hope you enjoy it.

You can DOWNLOAD the full Waiting for Gonzo soundtrack album (including Cigarette UFO)
HERE for FREE!

To find out how (and perhaps, more importantly, why) we ended up writing and recording an album of imaginary songs by bands that don't exist, just so you could listen to Oz's favourite music, I attempt an explanation here.

If you enjoyed the video you may want to check back here on Wednesday …

Waiting for Gonzo—the book that started all of this—is out now in the US and Canada, published by Flux.

A UK edition (published by Oxford University Press) and audiobook are also available.

To read the story in Italian or Polish, please click on the links for San Paolo, Italy and YA! Poland. A German edition will be coming out in November.

Around the World in 15 Days!

My debut novel 15 Days Without a Head was published by Oxford University Press in the UK in January 2012. It has since been published across the world in many different languages. 

The Polish edition—15 DNI BEZ GLOWY—came out today!

I'm always fascinated to see the different artwork and titles used. 

One of my favourites is the edition that came out recently in Taiwan (above bottom row, middle). The jacket illustrates characters and elements from the story, and even has silver endpapers! (below)

Great illustration of Mina in her RAMONES T-Shirt!

There are more character illustrations inside.

artwork: CommonWealth Magazine, Taiwan

I recently blogged about the fantastic animated trailer Penguin Random House produced for the Mexican Spanish Edition. Watch the video here.

With these and further editions scheduled for publication, every so often a new copy arrives in the post. The arrival of one of these always gives me a huge buzz, knowing that a story I wrote in my attic is now being read by people thousands of miles away in countries I have never been able to visit myself.

I did however get the opportunity to visit Italy last year, when Quindici Giorni Senza Testa, was awarded the Premio Andersen. 

With my award at the beautiful Luzzati Museum, Genova

My Italian publisher San Paolo kindly invited me to Italy for the ceremony. I had a wonderful couple of days in Genova, and managed to deliver my award acceptance speech in 'very broken' Italian! Huge thanks to everyone at San Paolo, plus Barbara Schiaffino, Paolo Rinaldi, Marco Albonico, Alessandra Grasso, Giuseppe Trapani and the rights team at OUP, and most of all Giulia Guasco who translated the story into Italian and clearly did a very good job!

With Marco from San Paolo, and Giulia who did
such a great job translating the story into Italian

None of this would have been possible without the Rights Team at OUP. It is due to their dedication and hard work that my stories have found their way to readers all over the world. Here's a report from their recent trip to the Bologna Book Fair, see if you can spot the display for my new book Charlie Merrick's Misfits.

Finally, thanks to all the publishing houses across the globe for giving my stories a life beyond the attic.

Thanks to Jennie Younger for the photos and her company on my Italian adventure.

12 Days Without a Book! Countdown to Publication #4: I'll do anything for a Scooby Snack! 15 Days and Scooby-Doo!

15 Days Without a Head will be in bookshops in 12 days time. By way of celebration, I'm publishing a new post here every day, leading up to publication on January 5th. The idea is to provide a few bonus items, such as you'd expect to find on the extras disc of a DVD – except these will be available before the main feature of course! 

‘You stay here and keep a look out Scoob, while I go inside and look for clues,’ I tell him, when we get to the chip shop.
        Jay frowns. ‘I want to come with you. Scooby and Shaggy always stay together.’
        ‘They don’t allow dogs in there Scooby, old pal!’ I’m trying to keep it going, doing the voice and everything; people walking past are staring.
        ‘I’ll bring you a bag of Scooby Snacks!’
         Jay’s lip quivers, but eventually he nods. ‘OK, but don’t be too long.’
         My brother has more in common with that dog than he knows. 

(from 15 Days Without a Head)

I was a huge fan of Scooby-Doo as a kid. It was one of the cartoons I’d run home from school to watch. This, of course, was back in the days when there were only four channels, and children's television occupied a narrow late afternoon slot before the early evening news. I have to admit that I always thought the credits looked scarier and more exciting than the actual shows, but there was something about Shaggy and Scooby that appealed. They were funny, easy-going and cowardly, yet never deserted each other in a time of crisis. I suppose it was natural that my dog-obsessed character, six-year-old Jay in 15 Days, should choose to identify with Scooby. It is a testament to Hanna-Barbera head writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, along with artist and designer, Iwao Takamoto – that Scooby-Doo is still on television nearly thirty years later.

Giant Scooby and Mini Mystery Machine on the shelf in my (somewhat dusty) attic!

Fun Fact: Scooby-Doo was originally entitled Mysteries Five and were a mystery solving band of musicians. Scooby’s character – Too Much – played the bongos!


Scooby must also take some of the credit for the fact that 15 Days Without a Head is being published in 12 days time. When Oxford University Press invited my agent and I to their offices to pitch for the book, they not only got a male member of staff to dress up in women’s clothes and serve dinner (all will become clear if you read the book), they also presented us with a box of home-cooked Scooby Snacks each. I have to admit, that pretty much clinched the deal for me! 

Scooby Snacks from OUP. By the time I got home and took the photo the box was half empty!

   

Don't forget I'm giving away a signed (or unsigned, if you prefer) copy of 15 Days Without a Head. Click here for details.

Tomorrow: it's Christmas!!!