Thank You Video for Bicester Community College

Last month I visited Bicester Community College with Cole's Bookstore, to talk to students from years 7, 8 and 9 about my route to becoming an author. A couple of weeks later I was delighted to receive an envelope full of letters thanking me for the visit. I recorded this video message to say "thank you" in return.

The Grampian Children's Book Award and Writing with the Students at Mearns Academy

At the beginning of May I was invited to the Grampian Children's Book Award ceremony as 15 Days Without a Head was one of the shortlisted titles. The event, at Aberdeen University, was attended by around six hundred students, teachers and librarians from schools all over Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness scooped the prize, but I had a great day and got to meet many enthusiastic readers and a few authors too!

Mark Lowery, Cathy MacPhail, Debbie Leslie,
some bald fella and Barry Hutchinson

The award was the start of a mini tour of the area for me …

taking in Ellon and Northfield, where
I met Frankie – Guardian of the Library!

Heading north up to Elgin and Speyside …

Then back down to Torry.

On the final day of the tour, after sessions at Aboyne and Mackie, I found myself taking Laurence and Jay to Laurencekirk, and crossing the line …

After a quick introduction to my journey to becoming an author and the background to 15 Days, I started the group at Mearns Academy on a workshop I call "Crossing the Line." I've done this exercise with a number of groups and I'm always impressed by the ideas the students come up with – some very funny, others filled with real drama and emotion – and often find myself thinking: I wish I'd thought of that! This group were no exception and I was particularly struck by how much writing they achieved in the short time available.

Daniel, that bald bloke again, John, Connor and Scott
– in the library at Mearns.

A week or so after returning to the attic, I received an email from Mr Paterson, the librarian at Mearns, telling me that the group had finished off the workshop in their next English lesson. I was delighted when he sent me some pictures and few extracts of the students' work.

Chloe wrote a gripping piece set in the moments after her character had been forced to kill. The writing was full of vivid description with some lovely delicate touches – "His soft fur moved smoothly through my fingers".

Andrew's extract was from the point of view of soldier forced into his first kill, and the horror and shame he feels afterwards. His writing was urgent and hard, but there was some real empathy in the piece too. The soldier thinks of his victim: "He probably hadn't signed up for this either." A great piece of writing.

Some of the students' writing
on display in the library

Ryan's story had a fantastic opening line: "The eyes of the cartoon dog were burning holes in the side of my head as they watched me eat the dog food …" It was a good image, it made me smile. I was expecting a comic scenario, then found myself facing some real horror a paragraph later. Changing mood effectively like this is not an easy technique, but one Ryan handled very well. 

Millie has a good ear for authentic dialogue and her writing pulled me right into the action. The scene was set in the children's ward of a hospital and Millie managed to capture the essence of the location superbly – "most of the kids were full of energy, bouncing about and having fun with their friends. My little brother was in a room by himself. He looked helpless and lonely." A really poignant and heart-felt piece of writing.

Thanks again to all the students for their great work and to Mr Paterson and Mrs Donald for sharing the results with me. 

I had a great time at all the schools I visited in Scotland. Much appreciation to all the staff and students for making me so welcome. Special mentions to Marion, Katie, Fiona, Rosie and Neil, and my publisher Oxford University Press for their support. 

Waiting for Gonzo AUDIOBOOK – Out Now!

Hot on the heels of Waiting for Gonzo coming out in paperback in March – and the soundtrack album a few weeks later – I'm delighted to announce that the Waiting for Gonzo BBC Audiobook is now available for download on the AudioGO website. (The CD version will follow in a few months.) 

Getting into character in the studio …

Producer Lyndsey Melling, safe on the other side of the glass!

Thanks to everyone at the studio for making me so welcome,  and to Sarah Manson for setting this particular Wheel of Destiny in motion. 

15 Days Without a Head – Out Today in the US and Canada!

I'm delighted that my debut novel for teenagers, 15 Days Without a Head will be in bookshops across the United States and Canada from today!

This new edition is being published by Flux with a brand new cover featuring Laurence in the all important telephone box (you'll have to read the book to find out the significance of the booth!)

Having read so much fantastic young adult fiction from the states, I'm very excited at the prospect of 15 Days sharing shelf space with books by authors that have inspired me – Robert Cormier, Louis Sachar and John Green, to name just a few.

15 Days Without a Head has already received a warm reception from reviewers across the pond, for which I'm very grateful. Kirkus Reviews wrote:

"A  …  finely crafted debut that strikes a delicate balance between humor and pathos." 

(Read the full review here)

Here are a few of my other favourite write-ups:
Publishers' Weekly
Rather Be Reading
Lindie Dagenhart
Crunchings & Munchings: We eat YA!

I was also delighted to learn that 15 Days Without a Head has been selected by the Junior Library Guild. This is a tremendous seal of approval and will hopefully mean that the story will find its way to many more readers in the United States.

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone at Flux, especially Brian Farrey-Latz for inviting Laurence, Jay and Mina across the water. I am hugely grateful to Brian, Sandy, Bob, Lisa, Courtney and Mallory for all their hard work in making sure my book would become better travelled than I am!

Waiting for Gonzo: The Soundtrack – Out Now!

How did a book end up
with it's own original soundtrack?

A very good question.

Here's the answer …

Why stop at a soundtrack?

We didn't.

Here's a music video for one of the tracks …

To listen or download the album, goto www.waitingforgonzo.bandcamp.com.

Also available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify etc …

Happy listening …

15 Days at Pop-Up Festival Booklinks

A few weeks ago I visited two schools in East London as part of the Pop-Up Festival Booklinks Project. 

Here are a few highlights from the day …

Thanks to all the staff and students at Our Lady's Convent High School and Clapton Girls' Academy.

Waiting for Gonzo – the wait is over, almost! G minus 28 and counting …

A nice surprise in the post today: a first printed copy of my new book Waiting for Gonzo. (It smells pretty good too!)
Copies will be available in the shops on March 7th, in the meantime here's a sneak preview from some strange looking fella with a moustache …

Stuck for something to do while waiting? Why not check out the Waiting for Gonzo Soundtrack and videos …