David Maybury | Blog

A dozen or so links from the weekend - starting at home for a change. The Irish Times has a review from the man what knows so many things, Robert Dunbar. Dunbar reviews the final posthumous title by Siobhan Dowd - Solace of the Road.

It is, in many respects, her strongest work, exhibiting in rich variety the blend of qualities which characterise her earlier books, A Swift Pure Cry, The London Eye Mystery and Bog Child : a powerful sense of story, a sympathetic insight into life’s unpredictability and a perceptive and compassionate understanding of the young, especially those in need of a little solace along the road.

Alex Meehan interviews Derek Landy in the Sunday Business Post:

I didn’t plan to be a children’s author. If anything I thought I’d be a crime writer as that is the genre I enjoyed reading most, but the idea demanded to be written in a certain way, so that’s how I did it.

Sticking with the home brew, the Irish Independent features a piece on teenage fiction - more specifically the recent news of Darren Shan’s new deal.

I’m so excited — even more so than when the Harry Potter books started to fly off the shelves. Combining elements of horror, romance, darkness and the supernatural, the teen horror/goth-lit genre allows the reader to connect emotionally and has captured imaginations worldwide. The books that fall into this category are truly gripping the nation and although this started off as a teen sensation, we can already see the average reader age spiralling upwards. - David O’Callaghan

Even the Irish Examiner are getting in on the action - with news about ‘One book, One Southhill’

Across the water the Amanda Craig has three reviews in the Times UK - Solace of the Road (Siobhan Dowd), Running on the Cracks (Julia Donaldson) and The Ant Colony (Jenny Valentine).

Sticking with the Times, Owen Vaughan interviews Joe Quesada on all things Marvel-ous:

Marvel has had a renaissance under Quesada: it’s comics dominate the market, the characters and stories are fresh and Marvel superheroes are huge at the box office — the three Spider-man movies made almost two and a half billion dollars worldwide. In fact, apart from Stan Lee, it’s hard to imagine an editor-in-chief who has had more of an impact. “I see myself as a caretaker, that it’s my job to make sure that the direction the characters take is the proper one, to make sure that the characters are attractive and viable for readers long after I’m gone.”

Penny Wark talks to Joanne Zellweger and Gerard Featherstone about writing children’s books around the experiences of their deaf son.

Nicolette Jones (last week) reviewed Shaun Tan’s Outer Suburbia

Some of the stories are told partly or entirely in pictures, expressing ideas that make words seem inadequate. Meanwhile, the text relates surreal, lyrical, witty tales of exceptional events set in ordinary life.

Tuesday saw Philip Pullman rage against the machine - the subhead alone would knock over a nun, “why he’s so angry about God”.

What next for Pullman? He is said to be working on The Book of Dust, a companion volume to the trilogy in which he will explain his negative portrayals of religion. But he has taken a vow of silence on the project, while not denying any of the above. It will shed light on his position, won’t it? “Partly, yes, but I’m not going to talk of it. I have to get on and finish it.” Besides, there is a new passion in his life - a guitar. He’s always played, but he only went electric last year. It’s a Fender and he’s thrilled with it.

In the Guardian Mark Lawson talks to Michael Morpurgo about his acting debut and the opening of the War Horse at the National Theatre.

Philip Ardagh reviews Julia Donaldson’s Running on the Cracks and Kevin Crossley-Holland’s desk goesunder the microscope.

The birthday celebrations for Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar weren’t ignored either - with features in the Telegraph and the Independent UK.

Elsewhere in the Independent there are some tips on what to look for in ye olde toy chests - the toys collectors will pay out for.

Eoin Purcell spots an interesting piece on Jeremy Paxman’s The Victorians - it was apparently written by Neil Hegarty.

And finally, The Guardian’s digested read is The Bell Jar - the entire novel in 977 words. Time efficient or what?!

Today I’ll be reading…

Back tomorrow - go on, get yerself out and enjoy the sunny weekend.

The lovely Niamh Sharkey has some interesting things to say in the wake of Arts Council meetings about Children’s Literature and the recent seminars. There has been a lot of talk about what is needed and it is great to read Niamh’s passionate post about children’s books and illustration.

It is felt by all involved in Children’s Literature that we need more press space for children’s Literature… …Now it’s up to the Irish Press and Media to step up to the mark. I think they should start with PJ Lynch and Eoin Colfer as it was great news to hear that this week, PJ Lynch and Eoin Colfer have been put forwards as the IBBY Ireland nominations for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Irish writer Martin Waddell won in 2004. It is the most prestigious Award in Children’s Books, the Nobel Prize of kids Lit! I hope PJ and Eoin Colfer get lots of press space.
- Niamh Sharkey

It really is time that the Irish meeja took a better look at how children’s books are represented - and I know that it is something on the agenda. There is a wealth of passionate, intelligent reviewers and commentators who are willing to fill columns and take over airwaves - all they need is an invitation.

And speaking of all thing illustration, Happy 40th Birthday to the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

One of the fall outs from suffering a Shamrock Shake come-down was that I missed Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler in Dublin on Wednesday. (Those milkshakes have a lot to answer for). Those that made it to Eason’s on O’Connell street tell me that it was great and crikes am I jealous!

The Irish Independent had a story on the appearance yesterday - and report that the TV adaptation of the Gruffalo will be out later this year. There’ll be a host of merchandise to go with it - including - Gruffalo pyjamas. Consider this a very early plea for the PJ’s next christmas!

Every now and again I hear of an idea that just seems to make so much sense - and there is the obligatory… why didn’t I think of that?! mykidstime.ie is one of those ideas. A one-stop listing of events/activities/offers and more for parents looking to spend time with their kids.

Now here’s the part that makes most sense… what is to stop a publisher/pr guru/writer from using this resource to tap into an audience of parents interested in spending time with their children? What about a free ‘meet-the-author’ day with goodie-bags, surprise competitions - all in association with a resource website or two, some book groups, arts organisations, a publisher…whoever. It could easily become a regular occurrence, with a book stand to sell some books.

And you could take this one on the road. One day in Dublin, another in Galway, Belfast or Cork. Not necessarily all in a row, or with the same authors, but with a recognised brand (publisher or the website) and a publishers name over it. An initiative for children and parents to meet authors, win free books and hear some stories - seems pretty cheap and marketable.

Belated Happy Paddy’s Day! My head is a bit sore this morning - I’m having a come down after copious amounts of Shamrock Shakes all weekend. Anyway, on with today’s post of interesting and highly informative links -

Some great PR for Mercier Press - two copies of Bairbre McCarthy’s The Keeper of the Crock of Gold was given as a gift to the Obama family yesterday, one for the first lady and one for the Obama children, Malia and Sasha.

I managed to miss Emma Brocke’s interview with Eric Carle in the Guardian - thankfully Carbags spotted it!

O’Brien Press are trying their hands at a graphic novel - and it looks great so far!

Susan (Stony River Farm) has some great links on children’s markets - and an interesting post - that are worth clicking.

Radio 4 is killing off Go4it - the last children’s series on the analogue station. The average age of the audience was between 52 and 55… The digital station BBC Radio 7 is now the home for kids stuff.

And finally - xkcd tapped into my obsessive love of Cervantes and Don Quixote - have a read!

Kevin Myers got the letter of the week - from a librarian responding to this:

Does not a state-subsidised library in a small town undermine the chances of an economically viable bookshop surviving nearby, especially during a recession? For then, people will choose to borrow books for free, rather than buy them.

My new favourite librarian (Aine Beausang, Roscrea, Co Tipperary) hit back with a well thought-out response - go have a read. (Library closures in the UK get a mention in The Independent UK)

And sticking with the Irish Independent comes news that the Irish Book Awards are running a competition with PJ Lynch - and the chance to win the shortlisted books from the awards. Details are here.

The Times UK has Oxford Literature Festival fever - with more big interviews. Nicolette Jones talks to Clara Vulliamy (Illustrator, children’s writer and Shirley Hughes’ daughter). And John Carey talks to George Orwell’s son, Richard Blair.

Daisy Goodwin previews the Off by Heart verse-reciting competition finals (similar to the Poetry Aloud competition)

In the Guardian Julia Eccleshare reviews Petr Horacek’s Elephant, Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monk’s What the Ladybird Heard and Emily Gravett’s Dogs. Siobhan Dowd’s Solace of the Road is reviewed by Frank Cotrell Boyce -

Stories are chains of consequence, one thing leads to another. But some of the most sublime stories end when an act of grace or love that means “it ain’t necessarily so”. Abraham doesn’t have to sacrifice Isaac. The Green Knight has the right to decapitate Gawain but barely nicks him with his sword. The prodigal son thinks he has spent all his father’s love but discovers that it is endless.

Dowd’s glittering career fits more or less into the fearful gap between diagnosis and death. Here’s a story about a journey which is equally fearful but which turns out to be worth it, thanks, as Holly says, to people who “did something to help me and asked for nothing back”.

And last but by no means least (one I missed from last week) Owen Vaughan talks to Tim Sale (the man behind Heroes, and much much more).

Two things. I can’t think of another show where art drives the plot. Other shows might have featured art in an episode but the art wouldn’t be part of the storytelling of the entire show. Second, I only have at most two seconds of screen time for any particular image so what I do has to have an immediate impact. My comic book background is invaluable for that because a comic book artist is trained to make an immediate impact with their work. Their primary job is to make the reader want to know what’s going on and that’s my primary job on Heroes. I hope the series survives. - Tim Sale

The kids, their tastes are a-changing. Well not really, the Goosebump and Point Horror series were huge favourite a few years ago. But with the return of the vampire and Meyer’s Twilight series holding the top five slots in the Irish Book Charts for three weeks in January - publishers, writers and booksellers are looking for their darkside.

And today (it being Friday 13 and all) Eason’s are celebrating the macarbe - their the store on O’Connell Street, Dublin, has been overrun by a Skeleton Detective and a hoard of Vampirates, (Derek Landy and Justin Somper). Head on over - the staff may be in hiding, the books may be on fire and odd insignia might even be scrawled on the tiles but don’t be afraid… we all like a good scare once in a while. Right?

Update: Almost as if they knew about the darkside launch, Harper Collins announced their plans to publish new books by Darren Shan. A stand-alone fantasy quest novel, a four-book vampire series, plus seven manga titles based on Shan’s best-selling Saga of Darren Shan series.

I mentioned Patrick Ness’ appointment as the first ever online Writer In Residence for Booktrust. Patrick himself is writing about his residence in cyberspace, the current economic gets a mention and the constant push to be a ‘Writer of Literature’ to just being a writer over at the Guardian.

Or to put it another way, why is it that if you’re not published you’re “not really” a writer? (And it has to be a recognised publisher with press reviews, launch parties, book festivals, torrid affairs with other writer’s wives, the whole lot.)

Why, I wonder, can’t writing be like playing a musical instrument? You can play a musical instrument for pleasure at home without feeling like a failure just because you haven’t been asked to join the Berlin Philharmonic. Why don’t we treat writing as something that can be as personal and private (and vital) as singing in the shower?

In other news - the CBI Bisto Book of the Year shortlist got some media attention from the Irish Examiner and the Irish Independent.

And here it is, the moment some of you have been waiting for. The announcement of the Children’s Books Ireland Bisto Book of the year Shortlist 2009!

• Airman - Eoin Colfer (Puffin)
• An Phleist Mhór - Ré O’Laighléis, Susan Edwards & Emily Colenso (Móinin)
• Anila’s Journey - Mary Finn (Walker)
• Bog Child - Siobhan Dowd (David Fickling)
• Brionglóidí - Áine Ní Ghlinn & Carol Betera (Cló Mhaigh Eo)
• Creature of the Night - Kate Thompson (The Bodley Head)
• Her Mother’s Face - Roddy Doyle (Scholastic Books)
• Highway Robbery - Kate Thompson (The Bodley Head)
• The Gift of the Magi Illustrated - PJ Lynch (Walker Books)
• The Great Paper Caper - Oliver Jeffers (Harper Collins)

Congratulations to everyone shortlisted - and if you’re craving more - have a read of my navel gazing about being a judge.

I’m a little late with the run down of this week’s papers… just a little late. And there was news a-plenty; starting in the Times UK with the announcement of the Times/Chicken House Prize - including an interview with the winner, Sophie Bennett.

And in the run up to the announcement David Almond had this (and much more) to say:

Books are not a threatened species. They are ordinary features of the ordinary world. Kids read them, just as many (how many?) adults read them. They aren’t “good” for us in the way that medicine is. They don’t “help” in any specific ways. Feeding books to the bad lads won’t immediately civilise them and make them good. But they draw us together. They entertain us. They show us as we are - imperfect, partial, elusive, unfinished, beyond straightforward comprehension. They show us as we could be - more angelic, more satanic. They show us how our world could be - more like Heaven or more like Hell. Paradoxically, it’s in fiction’s weird mingling of facts and lies that we can approach the deepest and most complex “truths” about ourselves.

Elsewhere in the Times UK, Amanda Craig reviewed Michelle Magorian’s Just Henry and interviewed Jacqueline Wilson. It was a weekend of BIG interviews - the Guardian came up with their own - Nicholas Wroe spoke to Shirley Hughes

I’ve always loved film and theatre, and stories usually come to me visually, running like a movie in my head. The technical part of fitting them into a 32-page picture book is then the challenge. I think of the page as a sort of screen or stage, but there’s also a gutter which runs down the middle of a book. In the first Alfie story he locked himself inside the house and the gutter became a section-view of the door. It’s an old silent movie trick and the Marx brothers used it. You get two scenes, the anxious child one side and the anxious mother the other. They can’t see each other but the reader sees both sides. Perfect for the story and for the form of a picture book. And enormously satisfying.

Staying with the Guardian - Lucy Mangan continues building her perfect library with Astrid Lindgren’s The Six Bullerby Children.

But wait! There’s more - elsewhere comes the news that Patrick Ness is taking up the, very first ever!, online Writer In Residence for Booktrust. The Sunday Tribune recommends writing some books as a possible redundancy beater. And of course there was World Book Day - covered in the Irish Independent as well as the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sarah Webb and Eoin Purcell’s Blogs.

And finally - I’m reserving final judgement until I get a chance to read the bewk - but the cover art for And Another Thing looks great!

So what happens when you send 6 bestselling young adult writers to a castle somewhere off out in the middle of Ireland for a week of writing? You get a twitter account, reports of banana bread - and an onslaught of peacocks - of course.

Them writers know how to procrastinate!

I’m a bit late getting to this - sorry, sick all weekend - but the winner of the second Times/Chicken House Prize is… >>drum roll<< Sophia Bennett with her book, Threads.

There’s an interview with the very chuffed prize winner in the Sunday Times

“I was a very, very happy 14-year-old,” Bennett says. “I love going back into that world; I dragged my stepdaughters to see High School Musical, not the other way around. I’ve always been fascinated by those rare children who can combine talent and dedication to achieve greatness.”

Back tomorrow (hopefully) with more from the weekend papers - better late than never!

The Desked ninjas crept into my house in the not so distant past and took a sneaky pic…

Now what I want to know is… why does Rick O’Shea have a ball gag in work??
Enjoy the weekend.

In the aftermath of an interesting morning at the Dublin Book Festival - the CBI/CLÉ forum this time round was more a presentation on what actions should come next. There is a huge level of agreement - a first according to Seamus Cashman (who chaired the forum) - and Children’s Books Ireland, in the guise of Mags Walsh, have undertaken to pull together a group that will put in action a number of points and plans, including:

• Establish a children’s books laureate - as a key figure for media/public events, an opportunity to celebrate an author and as a practical partnership for all organisations involved in Children’s Books.
• Prepare a policy submission to ALL relevant government departments (including Education, Environment, Arts, Sport and Tourism as well as the Office of the Minister for Children).
• Create stronger links with media outlets
• Increase the profile of Irish authors/illustrators
• Increase support to Irish publishing for Children
• Create more opportunities for children to engage with books
• and to create more opportunities to support authors/illustrators.

So what else was talked about?

(more…)

Last November CBI and Clé held a forum to discuss current issues in children’s book publishing in Ireland, my notes, and many others, are here. Now CBI and CLÉ want to continue the discussion that was started - and to develop it into an agreed action.

Chaired again by Seamus Cashman the panel has more who-be-whats-its of Irish literature - namely Siobhán Parkinson (Author/Editor), Michael O’Brien (Publisher), Mags Walsh (CBI Director) and Sarah Bannan (Arts Council - Head of Literature)

Some of the proposed topics/actions from November -

• Better promotion of Irish published writers and illustrators abroad as well as support for publishers to build their profile abroad
• Publishers working together to increase Irish market share
• Create better knowledge of available funding supports, particularly for cost prohibitive picture book publishing
• Increase literature sector access to funding through better lobbying
• Increase partnership between booksellers and publishers
• Increased media coverage of children’s books
  (For instance why don’t the Irish Times cover Children’s books weekly/monthly? There is plenty to write about and more than enough willing reviewers)
• High profile advocate - eg. UK Children’s Laureate

So if you think you have something to add to the debate - or if you just fancy listening to everyone else talking books - tag along tomorrow morning. Click for more details about the where, who, why and when.

Happy Book Day! How about a few links, and offers, to celebrate??

First out is the news that the Book Day Quick Reads have been shown to increase literacy by more than 16% - according to a study released yesterday by the Book Day organisers. (More on BookBrunch)

This years Quick Reads include one in Irish from O’Brien Press, as well as The Tyrannosaurus Drip Songbook and a bunch of flip books (two books in one) including a new Winnie the Witch adventure, a Spooks tale, an Alfie Green story and Jenny Valentine’s Ten Stations. Each book still only costs €1.50 - who could say no??

And if all that wasn’t enough for ye, Mercier Press have Susan Connolly (of Damsel fame) and Kieran Mark Crowley (the man behind the brilliant Colm and the Lazarus Key) in Dun Laoghaire today - and just because of the day that’s in it they are offering 10% off certain titles today, most notably:

And - finally - congrats to Matt Haig’s Shadow Forest won the Book I Couldn’t Put Down Category in the Blue Peter Book Awards.

Tuesday night, after seven months of reading, countless biscuits and hours of discussion my tenure as a judge for the Bisto Book of the Year came to an end. The final deliberations lasted more than three hours and were far more excruciating than I had ever anticipated. So… what have I learned from seven months of prescribed reading?

It is far easier to criticise a judges decision from the outside.
Last year I criticised the shortlist for omissions. I would probably make similar complaints this year - had I not seen how the process came about. There might be some merit in CBI publishing the longlist, to show how close the judges came to including other deserving books.

Reading a book is one thing. Judging it for an award is something altogether different.
Reading a book 3 or 4 times and discussing it with some of the most well-read people in children’s lit is a far cry from one would-be writer reading his favourite stories. At times the thought of facing the other judges was as daunting as the huge amount of reading.

Talking about a book you love is much harder than one you don’t.
When it did come to facing the other judges it was infinitely easier to talk down the books I felt didn’t deserve to win over those that did. It was a struggle to find the words that defined some of my favourite stories - and there are only so many times you can say ‘this book is just indefinable’.

The notebook is your bible.
It was suggested by everyone involved to keep notes throughout the judging. That notebook became my bible - and I became a gibbering idiot without it.

The unexpected can make the most impact.
Reading everything by Irish authors means coming out of your comfort zones. And it was often the books that I would never have picked up that impressed me most - some authors have found a new lifelong reader, some have lost one…

Integrity and fairness. There is no argument…
Every book submitted is read by the judges and the system developed to decide a winner is as fair as any alternative I can think of. The most deserving books made it onto the shortlist - and the best were fairly recognised. The competition organisers were meticulous in maintaining the integrity of the awards throughout - at times painstakingly answering judges questions from all perspectives.

The judges.
Apart from reading so many books - the most enjoyable aspect of the awards was meeting the other judges. Sharing ideas, stories and jokes with the seven other judges (as well as Keith and Paddy) was as rewarding as the judging. Thanks to Valerie Coghlan, Rachel De Barra, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Mark O’Sullivan, Korky Paul, Eileen Phelan, Maire Uí Mhaicín, Keith O’Sullivan and Paddy O’Doherty for a fascinating and eye opening seven months.

So… after all my balthering on… who are the winners?

Where were you at 11.30am on March 3rd? If, like me, you missed the launch of The Public Lending Remuneration Scheme (PLR) then this might of interest to ye…

In the not so distant past the European Union decided that Irish libraries should be paying authors for the loan of their books. Public Lending Remuneration (PLR) is the mechanism set up to provide those payments… BUT they need writers to register in order to receive the payments.

So if you have written a book and it is stocked by libraries, and subsequently read by someone, then you are due some payment from the Library Council. There are 12.5 million loans of books each year - this ‘aint to be scoffed at.

At the launch today Éilís Ní Dhuibhne said

The part libraries play in disseminating books, often long after they have gone out of print, is crucial. My guess is that libraries will be even more used in the future. That authors will now benefit thanks to the implementation of PLR in Ireland is wonderful. I am immensely grateful to the Irish Writer’s Union and others who have campaigned long and hard for this day.

So log on to plr.ie and get yerself registered!

There really is nothing worse than hitting a wall. Be it on a bike, in a car, when you’re out walking or if you’re just sitting in front of a page writing. So when Carbags said Oddbally needed help I felt a twang of empathy:

Writing books. It isn’t all bonbons and disco balls, they lied. I’m in a bit of a rut at the moment, or a hole to be more precise. A scream hole. The ’scream hole’ is pit in the ground on the outskirts of my fictional town. Rumour has it that that for centuries children have been drawn to the scream hole in their sleep and have fallen away forever. The air around it carries their misery and cries for help. Is this a bit much? - Carbags, let her know what you think.

Elsewhere in the writing world - Sinéad Keogh is abandoning her own blog to finish that book.

12 Stories has an interview with poet John F Deane - who has a very hopeful outlook on short stories:

Stephen King has said the short story is gasping its last. Do you think it is in a healthy or a weak state at present?
It’s in a very weak state because, in Ireland, it was overpublished during too many years and the standard was never too high. Too many poor stories appearing in national newspapers. A good publisher is required, and will appear, inevitably, who will market great stories and present them to a rushing generation, for trains, planes and gains.

And finally - have a look at the new Penguin website. And then have a look over on the Puffin site - now complete with flying Puffin games.