Describe the place where you write.

I write in libraries.  I love them: they’ve got everything I need.  I would be totally lost without libraries.

Heart-breakingly, my favourite library is about to be shut down.  It’s the saddest thing in the world when something you love stops existing.

I wanted to put a nice picture of it here, but this is the only one I’ve got, taken a few years ago.  It’s strange; it looks so ghostly, as if it’s already dissolving away.  Maybe the camera knew what was going to happen?

What times of the day do you work?

There isn’t a set time.  Usually I give myself a goal for the day – say, writing 1,000 words, or editing a couple of chapters – and when it’s done, I’m free.

What distracts you?

Everything.  It’s so much easier to be distracted than it is to concentrate – and that’s why I love libraries, because there are no distractions there!

But my favourite distraction, as I’ve mentioned before, is photography.  I’ve just started using a wooden box camera from the 1930s, and I can’t stop making pictures like this:

Read the rest of this entry »

I wish I had some good sailing stories to tell you, but I don’t.  I can tell you a story about the sea, though.

The sea is my favourite place to go when I want to relax.  I don’t mind where in the world it is, or what the weather’s like – there is something about the sea that always makes me happy.

I can spend hours, days, weeks, just standing by the shore, watching the waves come and go, listening to them break upon the land. Read the rest of this entry »

Ahoy there, and a Happy New Year to ye!

Over the next 2 months, the storyblog is going to be awash(ho ho) with nautical tales - of sea, sand, salty air, and sailing!   Last week, we published A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton and Heart of Stone by Melanie Welsh, and next month we’ll be releasing The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan.  Although very different, all three titles share some common ground: a journey over water, a harbour town with magical history and Selkie legend.  That’s right, all three stories take place in, on and besides the sea!   So, the DFB Storybloggers – authors and ilustrators all – will be sharing their thoughts, memories and ideas based on the seaside – these might be photos, jokes, artwork, prose…  We’ll have to wait and see.   Watch out for the first post from Linda Newbery this Thursday!

That’s right,  we’ve a new storyblog topic!  It was fascinating to think about literary classics and hear our authors and illustrators share opinions on retelling and adaptations that they love – as well as see some exclusive illustrations of literary classics.(Sarah McIntyre’s here and Richard Collingridge’s here). Thank you everyone for joining in!  It was especially interesting in light of our recent book, Magic Beans. 

Our next topic is one for delving into our writers’ and illustrators’ own stories, or rather, behind the scenes of them.  We’re asking our story bloggers to tell us about something that they’ve experienced in order to write about or draw it.    I for one can’t wait to hear these stories, direct from our DFB storybloggers. .

Presenting a renowned or favourite story in a new format, style or setting always seems to me a very brave thing to do.  Experimenting with a familiar idea  to show a new side of it, or drawing out something from a ‘classic’ story and into something fresh – it’s a delicate and complex business.   Kenneth Oppel’s new book – THIS DARK ENDEAVOUR – is a prequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; telling the story of Victor Frankenstein’s life as a teenager.  It is a brooding, alluring thriller and a consuming read.  We’re publishing THIS DARK ENDEAVOUR on October 6th - and I can’t wait for readers to get hold of it.  

In reference to this fascinating new book, I’ve asked our Storybloggers – DFB authors and illustrators all - to share their favourite ‘classic’ with us, and tell us about any story adaptations they find particularly interesting.

So, watch this space…