…or rather, your eyes to the screen!  The fantastic JOHN BOYNE will be taking part in a webchat tomorrow evening 7-8pm!! To register and take part, just click here, and register a userame.. Wow.  

John will be talking about his seventh novel(out last month) - THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE:

Eighty year old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past – a past of death, suffering and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him.

To read more, check out John’s site! He has a whole host of literature available, this one’s definitely for adults though. But we are particularly excited about a fairytale of his that we will be publishing this Autumn - it’s utterly delicious! ..But more about that next time….

….er, um,  for some reason I have been putting this off.   Okay then, I confess, I am a blog virgin. This is my first ever blog. Not really something I should be boasting about these days I suppose. And not really of interest to anyone else but me.   But then   I loudly promised everyone at the very well attended (including the Philippine Ambassador no less) launch  that my first blog would be about Candy’s book Tall Story.  And not wanting to let his excellency and everyone else down here  it is.  And a bit late.   I think the danger for a publisher is that you want to say ‘Read It, just read it, it’s wonderful’ about every single  new book you publish.   And that really isn’t very interesting is it? Here’s what springs to mind about Candy:   Of all the writers I have ever edited and published only one other writer has ever inserted herself into her prose in quite the same way Candy does.  And that is Jacqueline Wilson. I am not saying they write the same way. Not at all. They don’t.   But both of them,  just like with Brighton rock , have their own personality and tone of voice echoing all the way through,   in every sentence, every phrase and every lick and curl of their prose.  They both write inimitably, with passion and humour and intelligence.  And when you are lucky enough to  meet them in person you can see exactly why they write the way they do.  I think this quality is particularly important in a children’s book.  Candy’s story just flows into the reader, like a jug of story being tipped into the head.  And its a very good story.  And I am very proud and pleased to be publishing it.

Now go and read it dammit.

..from our new blogspot here at DFB! We’re both excited and nervous about this new space on our site, where we’ll be updating you on our goings-on both in and out of the office – it’s a bit like first-date nerves! We really hope you’ll love it.

We’ve found a heady match with Candy Gourlay though, and her loveable debut novel, TALL STORY. Candy’s jaunty humour really sparkles in this story, but she also manages to weave in some exotic Filipino magic, making this a really flavoursome read. Mmmm!

…And we went to Candy’s fantastic launch for TALL STORY last night! It was a really vibrant event at Waterstones, Islington, buzzing with family, friends, neighbours, and a whole host of other Candy supporters! We even got badges!! You can see me sporting mine in my photo, but here’s a close-up!

It was a really fun, energetic and emotional atmosphere. The Ambassador for The Philippines - Antonio M. Lagdameo – even attended! 

But I think that for me, the highlight was the collective performance of Bob Marley’s ‘One love’ – which Candy’s family and extended family (from her neighbourhood & beyond!) had filmed, sung and practised to perform for us all. There were both English and Tagalog verses that were performed live alongside pre-recorded footage of singing, dancing and general hilarity both in The Philippines and the UK. It was really emotionally-charged and uplifting, really bringing home Candy’s TALL STORY themes of family, home and unity, despite distance. And I was really impressed with the young performers!! You may want to keep your eyes glued to Candy’s site for a glimpse of it..

Anyway, enough rabbiting for now – I’m sure the others want to tell you more about our antics!..

TTFN,

Tilda!