So yeah, I was supposed to still be blogging about Bologna - about Ellen Hopkins' really cool talk about writing for teenagers and how to win prizes as explained by Leonard Marcus and the making of Coralilne as told by Fiona Kenshole and various other cool bits and pieces that happened.
But events have overtaken me.
Specifically, the launch of Jonathan Mayhew's amazing new Victorian gothic book MORTLOCK (the young heroine is a knife thrower. How cool is that?)
I went to the book launch (originally, I wasn't invited but we SCBWI people have our ways and managed to force Jon to give up some invites).
It was a thrilling evening at the Water Poet pub in Shoreditch - if you ignored the fabulous shopping and cafes and restaurants, it's like, cobbled Jack the Ripper land. Here is a slideshow of launch photos (thanks to Kathryn Evans and Sue Eves for additional photos):
Did I mention that most of the attendees had a striking resemblance to Jon?
The Mayhew family. Jon said the heroes were composites of his children - or did he say villains?
The SCBWI crowd turned up dressed in Victorian black with a touch of raven and shadows.
Well it's Bologna time again! Here are some photos from my very first trip to Bologna back in 2006 to attend the SCBWI conference, which has now been renamed as a 'symposium' (visit the SCBWI Bologna website if you feel like signing up at the last minute).
If you're on Facebook and can't view the slideshow, you can view it here
I must confess I had to look up the meaning of symposium to find out what makes it different from a conference:
n., pl., -si·ums, or -si·a (-zē-ə).
A meeting or conference for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations.
A collection of writings on a particular topic, as in a magazine.
A convivial meeting for drinking, music, and intellectual discussion among the ancient Greeks.
Ancient SCBWI symposium 475BC
So ... well, I'm not going to try to explain.
Anyway ... two great things happened on that first SCBWI conference in Bologna.
1. I met a shy Italian named Paolo who loved fantasy and wrote in English. He has remained a close writing buddy ever since - I love his cinematic plot lines! Here's the terrific website he built for his wip The Vespertine Hour.
2. I discovered Scott Westerfeld . I was so impressed by Scott's keynote about teenage slang that I have since read everything he's written and continue to recommend them to all my friends. I still give away sets of Scott's trilogies to teenagers on special occasions ... oh wait one of the trilogies has turned into a quartet. And so it goes.
The second time I went to Bologna was in 2008. Guess who I ran into outside the SCBWI party?
Unashamedly thrilled to meet Scott Westerfeld
SCBWI Bologna 2008 had evolved significantly - I was proud to see the British Isles logo on the banner display of SCBWI regional logos.
And I was proud to help man the showcase for SCBWI British Isles at the fair itself:
Margaret Carey, Natascha Beibow, Anne-Marie Perks,
Sarah McIntyre, me, Catriona Hoy, Trish Phillips
This year, with all the travelling I've been doing, I'm on austerity measures. So courtesy of a cheapy ticket from Ryanair (I never thought I'd see the day when I'd say I'm so glad I booked with Ryanair), I am attending the conference but not the fair itself!
I am doing my part though, because in my luggage I shall be carrying the SCBWI British Isles Showcase - cards, books, posters of our SCBWI authors. SCBWI's got its own stall at the fair, and each region has a slot to display its wares.
Now we all know it's going to a great year for SCBWI British Isles at Bologna, with a bumper crop of authors - this pre-Bologna report in The Bookseller is riddled with SCBWI names!
And here's a small selection from my suitcase.
Took this shot hurriedly, sorry if I didn't manage to fit yours in.
And I'm taking it all in my carry-on luggage to avoid Ryanair fees! The secret? Pack no clothes! It's a well known fact that to fly Ryanair happily and successfuly one must take as little as possible. All one needs is a change of bikinis.
Suddenly, after years of being supplicants to the great and good of publishing, our SCBWI heroes find themselves the object of a schmooze-for-all, with agents, editors and publishers eager to check them out at the launch of the Undiscovered Voices anthology for 2010.
And here's who we have to blame, The Saras (Sara Grant and Sara O'Connor) - who conceptualized the Undiscovered Voices and made it happen. Should you run into them, please be sure to kiss the hems of their skirts (or trousers), they have changed some lives BIG TIME - including mine.
Sara G and Sara O
Of the 12 2008 winners, eight now have book deals and an array of nominations, shortlistings, longlistings for the gamut of prizes available in the children's book world, including:
The Blue Peter book award
Barnes and Noble Top Teen book for 2009
American Library Association Best Book for Young Readers
2010 Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize
Branford Boase First novel award
Borders Book of the Month
Steve Hartley, Sarwat Chadda, and Harriet Goodwin - the first three of the original Undiscovered Voices to see their books in print - were present as were copies of their books for signing.
Okay. Apologies to Harriet (right) and Steve (left). But that's what comes from not taking the time to pose properly. You should really try to be more like Sarwat (center). Just smile.
Here's the cheat sheet that all guests were provided with so that they could target their desired author with appropriate ardour:
It's quite remarkable to think that the lives of these 12 somewhat shy people are about to change forever.
Watching the winners screwing up their courage to talk to agents they had previously feared, I remembered what it was like two years ago when I spent the launch party cowering in the company of friends rather than schmoozing the great and good.
Now I am a great fan of the Undiscovered Voices patron, Melvin Burgess, but I just could not get a shot of the man with his eyes OPEN. Here he is with Natascha Biebow, SCBWI BI's regional advisor:
Luckily I managed to film his evocative speech with my trusty ... erm ... mobile phone. Turn up the volume to get the full impact - it was a moving tribute.
At the dinner afterward - which I gatecrashed along with Sarwat - Sara O'Connor toasted the winners and their soon to be golden tomorrows.
Sarwat and I were bemused by the guests that each winner took along, who all wore nametags that said 'Plus One' (as in added guest).
Lisa Joy Smith (Slugs in the Toilet) with her Plus One, Graham.
These are the powers behind the throne, we thought. So after Sara's toast, I offered another one: to the Plus Ones - these are the people who make it happen for us writers, the ones who have to take the moodiness, the lateness and who keep us going into the light. Most likely, these are the names who will grace the dedication pages of future UV books!
More Plus Ones, lined up against the wall!
I'm afraid I didn't manage to photograph all the winners or the agents for that matter as the white wine was rather distracting. But here's a sampling of the evening:
Jude Ensaff (One of a Kind) and Nick Cross (Back from the Dead)
Editors Jasmine Richards (OUP) and my editor, Bella Pearson (David Fickling) ... and of course Melvin with eyes closed
David Cousins (Fifteen Days Without a Head) has been signed by agent Sarah Manson (that's why they're toasting)
Natascha introducing Melvin
Katie Dale of UV 2008 who finally made it after missing the first launch because she was travelling; Lauren Sabel (Vivian Divine and the Days of the Dead) flew in from the US just to attend; Chris Snowdon, managing director of Working Partners, the generous sponsor of the anthology
Sorry again if I didn't manage to photograph anyone who should be in this piece. You can read more about the UV launch on Nick Cross's wonderful blog Who Ate My Brain? (catchy title, Nick). Nick wrote Back from the Dead. Yona Wiseman (Becoming Invisible) has also blogged about it on Daylight Procrastinator. Anne M Leone (Adele) blogged about it on Critically Yours.
Left to right foreground: Yona Wiseman, Lisa Joy Smith, David Cousins, Anne Anderson, Paula Rawsthorne; back row: Nick Cross, Melvin Burgess, Jane McLoughlin, Lauren Sabel, Abbie Todd, Claire O'Brien, Emily George (not in picture, Jude Ensaff)
Meanwhile, congratulations to all the winners. May your tomorrows shine. Write well.
Here's what Random House children's books people do when nobody's looking. You might want to play some lively music while watching it, as it's a silent movie. If you can't see it here, you can find it on YouTube
1 I was so busy combing my hair (a mother at my daughter's school once called me "Never Knowingly Combed") that I forgot to take my camera. Besides, I was wearing a dress. Which hurt.
2 The party was so full of famous people I spent a lot of time artfully avoiding them.
3 I can't remember the names of all the nice people I met apart from an editor who confessed that he was a certain anonymous blogging editor (I remember his name but it would be pointless revealing it here!).
Anyway, what with trying not to have to talk to Philip Pullman (he looks just like his photographs but I didn't want to get too close in case he wanted me to say something about Original Sin), and worshipping Jacqueline Wilson without catching her eye (sorry, Jackie, that was me breathing down your neck), it was tricky being the new kid on the block.
Thankfully I did meet a bunch of people who live in and around my neighbourhood (what is it about the Holloway Road that attracts all these hacks and authors?). Also, at the pub later, David Fickling bought me a pint without realising it (there were people queuing and his was the fastest wallet).
I also learned a lot about publishing from various lovely people there who make up the very valuable cogs and wheels of the Random House factory - from supplies (she's Canadian) to marketing (he plays the piano) and publicity (she's pregnant)!
I know, I know, there is a shameful lack of useful information and photographs in this post, so to make it up to you, here is a Very Important Video :
When I first started trying to get published, a friend gave me the worst advice in the world:
"Whatever you do, don't show your work to anyone!"
The novel was buried under an avalanche of rejections of course. Two years of not showing my work to anyone! What a big waste of time! Realizing that I had much to learn, I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and attended my first conference.
That was 2003. Six years later, here I am at the conference but there's a difference. It's not just that I've finally, extraordinarily got a book deal ... but this has been a bumper year for SCBWI with so many of its loyal members finally scoring publication deals. There is joy and a whole lotta hope as you can see from these highlights:
I have to start with a video, just because author Sue Eves' (The Quiety Woman and the Noisy Dog) school visit demonstration was such a delight (and oh, god, what a hard act to follow!). Note to self: enrol in clown school to prepare for new world of School Visits ...
This was part of a lively talk about Getting Your Work Out There - with Fiona Dunbar (who also gave a talk about writing trilogies) and Cliff McNish (who gave a talk on how there were only five plots in the world of story). Here are all three looking very demure just after their talk:
Of course we didn't see much of Winchester because we spent all our time indoors ... but SCBWI's Mister Intrepid, Paolo Romeo, got this shot the night before we retired to our classrooms:
Aww. Now we know what we were missing while we were indoors.
Nevertheless, it was all go at the conference - here are Ben and Addy selling SCBWI badges that made declarations like "Make Every Word Count" and "I heart Kids Books".
The badge extravaganza inspired me to create my own (well, it was something Ben said, actually):
I have censored it out of fear of what my Mum would say if she saw it ... but it's a fitting message to all the procrastinators (me included) out there.
This year we had a lot of mini events - artfully crafted to coincide with coffee breaks to reduce traffic! Here's author Lee Weatherly (who just sold a YA fantasy trilogy to Usborne - a first!) delivering a synopsis workshop - in 15 MINUTES!
Faster, Lee! Faaaster!
Part of the nefarious traffic control scheme (concocted by organizer Margaret Carey), included a Lucky Dip, in which our Lucky Dip was Oxford University Press commissioning editor Jasmine Richards (I am pictured schmoozing Jasmine below). Dippers got a chance to pitch to Jasmine who said yes, send it, or no thank you. I hear that some people got very Lucky indeed.
I attended Steve Hartley's talk about designing characters following a Jungian model. Apparently, you can divide personalities into four - Analyticals, Drivers, Expressives, and Amiables. It's the kind of talk improved by doing impressions - and yes, Steve, despite denying it, I think you can do a Billy Connolly impression. Here's Steve demonstrating what an Expressive looks like:
It was a fab conference and there's so much to write but I'll leave it there for now - haven't even mentioned Meg Rosoff's hilarious speech and Gillian McClure's wonderful pictures!
If you want a more sensible report of the conference, do visit Sue Hyam's blog.
Authors take note: it was a nice Waterstones for a book launch, the party took place at a spacious upper floor, good acoustics for the book reading, fab Upper Street restaurants nearby, and MOST importantly, a short, door to door bus journey from my house (thanks, Harriet).
Here's the powerhouse behind the book: Harriet, Julia Churchill of Greenhouse Literary Agency standing in for Sarah Davies, and Jane Harris, who edited the book.
Julia read a message from Sarah
Stripes publishing team in a dignified and mature scramble to take photographs (health and safety notice: no editors were injured in the taking of this photograph)
Hat with her exceedingly tall and sparkly nine year old daughter who is ripe for recruitment to my daughter's recently formed My Mum Is Writing A Novel support group
And as the party wound down, the SCBWI people took shots of each other posing with random books.
Sarwat with Twilight, Margaret with When Cats Turn Bad, and Candy with Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country,
