9:53 am
DFB’s former Editorial Director, Bella Pearson, has written a great piece over on Candy Gourlay’s blog, full of tips for writers! If you’re thinking of submitting your work to publishers, take a look!
4:18 pm
Jeremy de Quidt, creator and storyteller of The Toymaker and The Feathered Man – which are two of the most chilling, haunting books DFB has ever published – has a brilliantly stylish new website, bursting with artwork from his books, and insight into his writing. There is even a secret door – which from time to time will move! – and if you find that; you are in for a reward.. So click on the logo below, and start hunting!
9:27 am
There’s a great set of slides about Tall Story over on slideshare.net, that will get readers thinking about characters, story, and being different as well as the impact of cultural influences. Useful for teachers and parents, interesting for kids and older readers. Click on the link to have a look!
A Discussion Guide for Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
You can read the opening pages of Tall Story here.
12:42 pm
Michael Morpurgo has been one of the first people to read our upcoming title, The Child’s Elephant by Rachel Campbell-Johnston – and he couldn’t wait to share his enthusiasm with us!
“I cannot trumpet this book loudly enough…scary, funny, romantic, heart-warming; an elephant book you won’t forget.”
The Child’s Elephant will be available from May 2nd – but you can find out more about the book here.
4:22 pm
To celebrate the recent publication of Keras by Simon Rae, we are giving away copies of his book! To win one, all you need is some imagination.. So, pick up your pencils and draw us a picture of a unicorn. Or paint it – or you could design it on a computer! However you like. All unicorns should be posted to Tilda, here at 31 Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2NP – before May 1st. Simon will judge these, and his 5 favourites will each receive a signed copy of the book!
5:05 pm
Could that be Charlie Small, leaping over molten lava at… Fulbridge School?! Click here to read the full story..
11:20 am
Fans of The Toymaker and The Feathered Man will be interested to know that Jeremy de Quidt is now on facebook!
Click here to look around his page, leave messages and give him a ‘like’.
1:43 pm
Last Saturday the Book Nook hosted a rather special event to celebrate a recent DFB title. Lesley White read her brilliant picture book, The House Rabbit, aloud to a room full of children and families. Then, we set about creating a rather beautiful whisper of moths..
Take a look at the pics and sketches on Lesley’s website!
2:55 pm
Yup, Candy Gourlay has been busy celebrating World Book Day, but she’s made time for one particularly special project. The Tall Story author was recently commissioned by Pop up Projects to create a video, together with author Ed Vere and Nightingale Primary School(which is in Hackney’s Olympics zone). The film will be sent to children in Brazil, who are soon to be touched by the Olympics themselves. It was launched last week and in November Candy and Ed will be travelling to Rio to present the video to the Flupp Literary Festival, which is held in a favela!
You can read about the making of the film (and watch it!) here, on Candy’s blog. She was also featured on Philippine TV and in the papers!
10:36 am
Mark Haddon’s bestselling story is about Christopher, a teenager with autism who sets out to solve the mysterious death of his neighbour’s dog. It is touching, clever and wickedly funny. A new theatre production has opened in the West End, and two of us from DFB have already seen it. We were stunned by the show – if you can get to see it, do.
More info here!
10:29 am
We are THRILLED because Dave Shelton’s A Boy and a Bear in a Boat has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal! The medal is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals(CILIP), and the winner receives a golden medal and £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice.
You can read a little about each of the nominated books here. The winner will be announced in June.
1:53 pm
HOORAY! We’re all thrilled that Howard Curtis has won the Marsh Award for his translation of IN THE SEA THERE ARE CROCODILES (by Fabio Geda). IN THE SEA is the true story of a young Afghan boy’s dangerous journey to seek refuge in Europe. (You can read the opening pages in a new window here.)
Howard was awarded the Marsh Award last night and has written a short piece for the Guardian website about his job.
