An author visit with added sock

Yesterday I was at Stamford High School for my first author visit of 2020; I'd been asked back three years after my first visit, to speak to Year 7 about writing and to run a short exercise on creative writing.

It was a glorious drive over the hills to Stamford - spring green in the fields nearer to Leicestershire, (though that was probably grass - the ground's still far too wet in places to plough and plant yet) and a deep red in Lincolnshire, (must be drier higher up) with the road undulating up and down like tarmacked waves. I always drive with music when I'm on my own - my CD of choice yesterday was a compilation by Fat Boy Slim, and as 'Bird of Prey' began to play, I saw not one, but two buzzards. Gosh, but they are HUGE!

I had no problem finding a place to park in Stamford, and stood watching what I think was a red kite soaring over the park. It had a deep red-brown underside and forked tail, anyway. The walk up to the school was a bit blustery, but I stopped off at St Martin's Church on the way up the hill. Last time I visited the school I sat on the church steps to eat pizza for lunch - this time, the church was open so I popped inside. It's a beautiful and peaceful building, with some really beautiful stained glass and monuments.

As to the visit itself...I had lunch with Miss S, who'd organised the visit, and a couple of other staff members. (Worth mentioning the conveyor belt to take the trays of plates away...could've played with that for a while!) And then we went to the library to meet the Book Club.

Now I've received little gifts in the past from students, but the Book Club showered me with things they'd made. The girls had been encouraged to read the Scribbles to find out a bit about me before I visited, so there were plenty of links to books, liquorice and socks!

little books (including a teensy tiny one!), origami, bracelet, cherryade,
beginnings of stories, envelopes, fortune teller and sock!

And to prove that the sock I was given fitted, here it is on my foot:

We had squash and biscuits and lots of questions, then it was time to head down to the hall (a different one to last time) to meet the whole year group. A fair few girls were presented with their merit badges before we began, then I was introduced.

I did the usual 'this is me, how I got into writing and how I go about writing' talk, then we got creative. Last time, I used my paint samples to inspire; this time I decided to use a character to spark ideas. At this point, I must credit the lovely Julie Cohen, because I attended her character workshop at York some years ago, and used some of the ideas from that but simplified them for the girls.

Eighty-seven girls got to work - and eighty-seven new characters were created. The hardest bit of the entire session wasn't getting them involved, it was getting my voice to carry. The hall was large, and my voice is still affected by this coughing virus I've had. (Six weeks and counting, but yes I've had it checked and my chest is clear...) There were some lovely ideas shared; Caleb, the slight ten year old boy who wore an oversized red sweatshirt. The object of importance which was the key to the character's heart. (Imagine, an actual key to your heart.) A cat as a character - which meant the student had to think about how to convey dialogue when it came to the character 'speaking'. Quite a few of the girls went above and beyond what I'd set them to do, and the pantsers got to work creating whole storylines...

It never ceases to amaze me how, when students are given free rein in writing sessions, so many of them can pick up an idea and run with it, without internal censoring or second guessing themselves. There's a freedom that I don't think our educational system allows students to have, which a visit like mine can allow - at least for a short time.

I really enjoyed myself - and I think the vast majority of the girls did, too. I hope that some of them will keep on writing, and one day I'll be reading their stories!

With thanks to Miss S for inviting me, to the Book Club for asking the best questions and for all my gifts, and for the whole of Year 7 for engaging so well in the workshop.

New Year, new hope.

Anyone popping into the Scribbles over the last few months could be forgiven for thinking I've dropped off the radar. To some extent, they'd be right; I've not had a lot of writing time because of a variety of things happening elsewhere in my life. And I admit, it's led to a downward spiral of feeling guilty for not writing, so not really wanting to write, and then when I push myself to write in a bit of snatched time, I'm out of practise and everything I do write reads dreadfully!

I've said before that I often feel I have only so much creative energy, and when my life is busy or stressful, that's the first thing to suffer. It's certainly been the case over the last six months. However, by the end of this month I'm hopeful that certain situations will ease and I will be able to focus a little more on myself and my writing.

Already, I have some writing events to look forward to; I'm visiting a local school next Monday, as they are officially opening a new school library. I'm not cutting the ribbon - that'll be the local MP - but I will be talking to Years 5 & 6 and doing my best to encourage them in their own writing. I'm also booked for an event on World Book Day in an all-girl's school in Coventry, which I'm looking forward to very much.

I am planning to pick up Tilda's story again. I think I left her down a mine last September, so she'll be a bit fed up of the dark by now. It will be good to reconnect with her and her world, and continue her adventure.

So... I'm approaching the writing with new hope - hope that life in general settles down a little; that I can make more time to write; and more importantly, that I can fall back in love with writing.

This blog post is a start, right?

Ask the Laureate (or - The Day I met Chris Riddell!)

Up front - this is a long blog post! Make yourself comfy while you read it!

Sometimes in life, you're lucky enough to meet the very people whose work you have enjoyed and loved for a long time and who inspire you in your own efforts.

Yesterday, I met one of those someones, because yesterday - as part of Leicester City's 'Everybody's Reading' Festival - I went with Laura Buckland (Granny Rainbow illustrator) to an Ask the Laureate event.

Which meant I met Chris Riddell.

*pause while I run round the room, squeeeing with excitement. Again. Afraid I did a lot of that yesterday*

In case you don't know, Chris is the current Waterstones Children's Laureate and he is the most amazing illustrator, storyteller and all round lovely person. (He's also apparently the Children's Laundrette, according to a friend of his who is German and got her words a little confused when she congratulated him on his appointment!)

I first saw Chris's drawings in The Edge Chronicles, a series created by him and Paul Stewart, when I used to go the library a lot more with the Squidgelings. While they found their books in the children's library, I used to find mine - in the same place. As soon as I saw The Edge Chronicles I loved the detail in Chris's pictures, the imagination he had, his masterful characterisation and how perfectly he seemed to capture the world of The Edge Chronicles in the 'simple' strokes of a pencil.

I was hooked. A quiet fan.

(As an aside - Squidgeling T also likes Chris's style; three years ago he used Chris for a school art project about an author study.)

When I wrote Granny Rainbow, Chris's style of characterisation became the inspiration for the pictures I asked Laura to create for the book - which we told Chris yesterday. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the story...

From Sunflower Saturday in a copy of Granny Rainbow I
added red noses to for a charity sale at the last Red Nose Day

Over the years, I've bought books like Goth Girl (a beautiful thing - I blogged about it here) and The Graveyard Book, and I began following Chris on facebook because he posts sketches on there from his personal notebooks as well as his Laureate Log. Never a day goes by without one of his sneaky train passenger portraits...or someone famous he's met...or something inspired by poetry or music or current affairs. I love it!

The first verse of a poem by Neil Gaiman that Chris drew on the way to Leicester.
You can see the other verses he illustrated on the way home on his
facebook page in the album 'Witch Work'.

Anyway, whilst browsing the old Book of Face a couple of weeks ago, I found out - purely by chance - that the Everybody's Reading Festival was hosting an Ask the Laureate event.

I knew I had to go.

Laura came with me. We submitted our questions for the Laureate and sat together (to start with - I gave up my seat for some little girls who I thought might see better, before discovering they'd moved elsewhere and I daren't move again, so we ended up sitting apart!) in the beautiful Y Theatre near Leicester Station, initially watching Chris sharpen his pencils. I have never seen anyone sharpen their leads SO long before without them snapping...

Then we watched while he flicked through the pages of one of those amazing sketchbooks and drew Emperor Smackbotty the Third AND a couple of audience portraits...

Emperor Smackbotty III (with Kraisie Mouse and nappy rash) from Alienography.

So funny, watching the mum and daughter trying to work this out,
then suddenly realising 'it's US!'

Lumberjack in The Sketchbook...

(Apologies for the quality of the photos - some are mine, some Laura's - but the necessary subdued lighting made things a bit difficult.)

The audience was very mixed; parents with children, fans of Chris's work (like us) and students of illustration. There wasn't a bad seat in the house, so everyone got to see what Chris was drawing.

Train passenger - not the man i the audience...

The question was 'When were you born?' and Chris added where
(South Africa) and that he was probably dreaming of wine gums even then...

I can't explain how amazing it was, to see drawings come to life on the big screen as answers to questions. There was an enormous wodge of postcards and Chris managed to answer a fair few; the lucky questioners got to keep either what Chris had drawn or - if it was a question he'd already answered - 'one he'd prepared earlier'.

We learnt about his earliest inspiration...his love of wine gums (a man after my own heart - but I wonder if I'd have to fight him for the black and red ones?)...how he was tutored by Raymond Briggs...and how his first story to be published (Mr Underbed) was written in a single evening in pure panic because when the publisher (with the extremely bushy eyebrows) who told him he could draw asked 'Where are your stories?', Chris lied and said 'I've got one, but I left it at home.' They told him to return with it the following day...

We learned what Chris would do if he was told he could never pick up a pencil again. He didn't know what he could have done to deserve this cruel punishment, but his answer was:

We also got to see how passionately he feels about reading and school libraries and the issue of grammar schools. I'm not sure if every Laureate has a campaign as such, but allowing children access to books is certainly something Chris feels very strongly about and champions at every opportunity.

He's also keen on the power of encouragement, something evident in the way he answered a couple of questions from the illustrators in the audience. He advised drawing every day - what you want to, not what you think you ought to - and researching the publishers where you think you might fit. And don't wait for things to happen. Sometimes you just have to be brave and take the next step.

We discovered the inspiration behind Lord Goth - Lord Byron - who is 'Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Gnomes' because he (Lord Goth, not Chris) rides around his estate on a Regency bicycle, carrying a blunderbuss. Then, when inspiration for his poetry strikes, he proceeds to blow the head off a gnome statue. Loved that tale...and kudos to the publisher who said 'yes, go ahead Chris!' without flinching when he took the proposal for Lord Goth to them.

The talk ended all too soon, (about an hour) and then we joined the signing queue. I'd taken Goth Girl and bought a copy of The Sleeper and the Spindle on the day (word of caution - the beautiful dust jacket will warp if you get it too near a heat source, as I discovered to my disappointment when I got it home). It took us three quarters of an hour to get to the front of the queue, simply because Chris was an absolute star, signing every book anyone put under his nose (some of the children looked to have bought their entire Riddell collection!) and he had a word to share with everyone. He came across as genuinely liking people - always good when you meet your fans! - and he was interested to hear what you had to say.

I really DID meet him! Still can't quite believe it...

I thanked him for everything he does for school libraries because I am, after all, a volunteer school librarian - and was astounded when he thanked me for doing that job! I told him I wouldn't be able to if he and others like him didn't write such fab stories for children to enjoy.

When it was Laura's turn he asked about her illustration degree and she told him about collaborating with me on Granny Rainbow; he wished her good luck in her future projects.

Laura getting her book signed...and the rest of the queue, still waiting patiently.

Oh - and if there are any Blue Peter fans reading this, Chris was wearing his GOLD BLUE PETER BADGE! He doesn't like to wear his Laureate's medal when he goes on tour - keeps it in a box on the mantelpiece - but he has been known to wear it whilst emptying the dishwasher because he is an Important Person.

One of the question postcards and my two signed books...

It was an awesome afternoon. I didn't get my question answered (I asked where is your favourite holiday destination - and do you take holiday snaps or draw holiday sketches?) but I had such a great time without that, I wasn't bothered!

Meeting Chris in person, watching him work, exchanging a few words with him AND getting my books signed...I think I almost floated home. 

And my most favourite thing that Chris said? 

"As creative people, keep creating."

I think that's just become my new mantra. 

Library volunteering

I spent today in the school library.

I volunteer there most Friday afternoons, adding books to the computerised system, stickybackplasticking (don't care if that's not a real word - it should be) covers, sorting the Dewey numbers...that kind of thing.

I'm really lucky to be working with the grandma of a couple of the students, who also happens to be a retired librarian. This lady is a godsend. Not only can she tell me - without looking in an index - what number any non-fiction book should be (to three decimal places!), she has taught me so much.

Like; when listing an author, and it looks like they have two surnames - Lynne Reid Banks springs to mind as we've had a bit of fun with her - you list under the second name, ie B, unless it's hyphenated like Dick King-Smith, who's a K.

And how 'space' - the planets, stars, moon - falls in the orange 300 section, but 'space travel' is in...ooh, can't remember! Green 500's or red 600's?

But you get my gist. She's a fount of knowledge and together, we have achieved so much more than I could have on my own. I tended to look at all the numbers and freeze. If I was feeling really yukky about it, I'd concentrate on the fiction, 'cos I liked that more.

We sorted through the fiction today - took out the duplicate copies of books that had been used for guided reading years ago, took out the water marked and torn copies that could not be salvaged, made sure we only had three sets of Narnia books...that kind of thing. We also added two physical shelves to give the books breathing room and be able to shelve everything that the kids have out on loan when the books are recalled at the end of term.

We also put away non-fiction that wasn't in the right place. It felt a bit like painting the Forth Bridge; we're constantly renumbering the non-fiction shelves.

I much prefer ficiton - those books only need a letter. And the alphabet's much easier to keep in order than the numbers... Is that my natural tendency to prefer all things letter-y coming through, I wonder?

Anyway, it was good to get done what we did today. Next week, I reckon we'll have to sort out the 900's...

Storytelling - Part 3

Remember the storytelling course I did? Blogged about it  here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Today, I put it into practise.

I wasn't going to, in spite of the fact I'd prepared a story. In fact, if Tahlita hadn't mailed me on Sunday evening, I never would have done it at all. Y'see, I was chickening out. Doing a story - of my own - without a book to hide behind was just too flippin' scary. But it was only a ten minute slot after all and I didn't want to let Tahlita down, so I said yes.

The daft thing is, I still had to write the story 'properly' on paper first - remember that whole 'embedding' issue? I used notes to remind me of the storyline during the actual telling - which, I hasten to add, got simpler and simpler as I went on because I simply couldn't remember everything!

The lovely thing about the session itself was that, of the five storytellers, only one had not been on the storytelling course with me; I was among familiar faces. It was a privilege to see how everyone else worked, using props and actions and involving the children. I was concentrating so hard on the story, I forgot all that! The kids just got me...and a story about The Story Bird.

I didn't even resort to the comfort of a storytelling chair - and at the moment, there's a TALKING LADYBIRD CHAIR in the Charnwood Museum as part of the Ladybird Books Centenary celebrations! Think I might have had to fight the kids for the privilege of sitting in it, now I think about it...

I came away feeling more confident, but with things to improve on, like involving the children more with actions and rhymes. Perhaps 'finishing' the story better to leave the listener to guess at what happens next rather than tying it off nicely? (Jury's still out on that one - part of me can see a place to cut it and leave the listener guessing, but part of me wants a happy ending.) And props - can I use them at all without them overpowering the story? (I also came away with what I assume is a lovely legend of how the man got into the moon...might be able to do something with that.)

I also realised that you don't have to make up the story you're telling each time - you can use traditional fairytales or legends. You just have to put your own spin on them and tell them the way you can, rather than in the way you can't.

So, a bit of a high spot in a horribly windy, yet beautifully sunny and dreadfully hailly day.

A day of storytelling discovery

Today, I've been fortunate enough to have attended the first day of two days of storytelling training at my local library, led by the wonderful Katrice Horsely, storytelling laureate.

(Katrice is both a fabulous storyteller - you can see her telling the story of the Three Little Pigs in her own quirky style here - and a wonderful motivating speaker.)

Now I consider myself to be a storyteller - I am quite comfortable with that title. I am an author after all and authors tell stories, so of course I'd say I'm a storyteller.

See? I'm telling a story...I'm a storyteller.

Um. No.

I have made several discoveries today which make me question not only what I thought I knew about my approach to and use of storytelling, but about me as a person.

Let me explain;

1. I discovered that I had never considered the power of storytelling and the impact it can have on people - because of their own life experiences - when they hear the stories I choose to tell.

2. I discovered that I am probably a mix of several different learning types; I'm a fiddler (not the four-string variety) which means I'm probably tactical and I am also audio (rely on hearing things). To be honest, I recognised bits that work for me from all the learning types, but those two jumped out at me as being the main ones. This means that my natural storytelling veers towards these learning styles - and misses the others out! Which subsequently prevents a good proportion of my listeners from engaging.

3.  I discovered how much of an impact talking to young children has on their future development and language abilities - by which, I don't just mean the spoken word. We're also talking sign language (which is good, because my daughter was a late speaker and we used baby sign language with her for a while) and body language too. The art of conversation may not yet be dead, but it is severely stunted - and it's having an effect on our children and our society.

4.  I discovered how much I feel sympathy for people who are feeling uncomfortable and out of their comfort zone - and how much the consequences of me trying to protect them or stand up for them affects me.

5.  I discovered how uncomfortable I am telling stories without a pen in my hand. I was SO out of my comfort zone trying to make up a story with nothing but props. "But Katherine, you do use props!" I can hear some of you shouting! "You're always using props and pictures as prompts!" Correct - they are prompts, not integral to the physical storytelling. I don't use a piece of fabric and turn it into a mole...or a piece of net and a feather to make a fish...or make a grumpy octopus out of a scourer pad and pipecleaners...  Maybe this is a good thing to discover, because I will need to get over this unease in order to encourage and enthuse those who prefer not to physically write their stories...

6.  I discovered that everyone has their own letter 'A' and will therefore take different things away from the same story. So I have to find a way of helping others to see their version of the letter in what I present, not just my version. Which sort of links in to number two I suppose.

7.  I discovered that PLL (Post Lunch Lethargy) can be overcome with a story that involves everyone.

8.  And I discovered that every skill I need to be the person I am destined to become lies within me - I just need to see it and believe it.

And that's just from day one... Of course I've learnt other stuff as well, (the patented 12 Step Story for example, which you'd have to see Katrice model to appreciate fully) but these are the real light-bulb moments that have settled deep within 'Katherine the storyteller'.

From here on in, it's about trying to overcome my predisposition for certain teaching styles because of my own learning preferences, and trying to feel more comfortable without a pen in my hand...

Roll on Friday and Day Two.

Highs...and lows

Things are a bit weird at the moment.

On the one hand, I'm on an incredible high; I've had the very exciting news about StarMark, am prepping More Granny Rainbow for publication, and I've got four author events lined up over the next month or so. (Harry Potter Book Night on the 5th Feb at The Reading Shop, celebrating National Library Day on the 7th Feb, and two school visits, if you were interested.)

Writing-wise, I'm not feeling the same. I've got an idea bubbling away for a short story for the second Random Writers anthology, but otherwise things are a bit stuck. I've got Rurik, who is written but I'm not sure what to do with him - edit, like I did StarMark, or self-pub as is?

And then I've got a half-written novel which has stalled, big-time.

'Ani's story' (working title!) has a broad theme. It has characters who are beginning to make themselves known to me, and it has an animal POV popping up ocassionally. I know what's going to happen to my MC and how to resolve her issues. BUT - and it's a big but - I cannot make the storyline believable. I can't pull everything I want to include together enough to make a credible story. I've got about 18,000 words down so far of a s****y first draft, but when I sit down to flesh it out, I get tied up in knots and stop writing. Pantsing just isn't working this time...

So today, I concentrated on firming up the plot. I spent hours on it, the result of which is a good dozen pages of A4 filled with what-ifs and questions, that have not supplied a single satisfactory solution in any of them. I tried writing out the characters a la Ally Spencer and still can't discover certain characters' motivations for their actions. I've even tried to run the ideas past the kids..."Sorry Mum, got homework to do."

And that's when you realise this writing lark's a pain in the proverbial. On the one hand, it promises the highs of publication, of creating something other-wordly and unique, of talking to your readers, (I won't say fans, but if they like your writing enough...). And just when you're riding the crest, it slams you with a wall that you have to break through in order to create that which might be published or enjoyed by readers.

Today, it's felt like an impossible task. Some would say keep going - get the words down and you can polish them later. Others would tell me to keep mulling - let the ideas percolate and something will come... Today, neither are working, and the writing demon at my shoulder is telling me I need to get it right before I go any further.

Tomorrow, things might feel different. I flippin' well hope so.

The roller coaster of writing...

Granny Rainbow in the classroom

Yesterday, I had a phone call from a friend.

We met at uni - well, poly as it was back then - and she has been a staunch supporter of my writing for several years. In fact, her children were testers for the Granny Rainbow stories, and are apparently eagerly waiting for Granny Rainbow 2 to do the same again! My friend was so pleased with Granny Rainbow when it was published, she sent copies the children's primary school with a view to getting Granny on their library shelves.

The school were very complimentary about the book - there were mutterings of an author visit, but all went quiet and to be honest, I thought they'd changed their mind. Not so... my friend phoned to say that St Michael's C of E Primary School in Pelsall would like 15 copies of Granny Rainbow for Year 6 children to use as a class reader! AND the teacher is going to plan some short story and biographical writing sessions around it! With a view to using it in Year 5 as well if it's successful!

When I took Granny into school...

*squeeeee!*

What my friend then went on to say is that she will be donating these books to school, because at the moment she's in the process of moving her mum into a permanent care home. How is that relevant, you ask? Because her mum (when her mind was whole) loved books. So the proceeds of furniture sales from the flat she's vacating are going into a book fund for St Michael's, which will buy both the Granny Rainbow books for use in the classroom and, fingers crossed, some more general books for the library.

This, to me, seems a wonderful way to remember a lifelong love of books and pass it on to a new generation. I think I'd feel the same even if it wasn't my book that's being purchased.

But... it is MY book.

To say that I'm delighted is an understatement. When I started writing stories, it was primarily to get kids reading and enjoying reading. The fact that Granny is now going to be used as a teaching aid to get kids writing too is...is...FABULOUS! I know it's only in one primary school, but it feels like the world to me!

It's more than I ever imagined happening when I put pen to paper a couple of years ago to sketch the outline of a little story called Granny Rainbow and the Black Shadow to raise a few pounds for charity...

A dragony moment or two...

This morning saw the second of my official Summer Reading Challenge storytelling sessions, all about dragons today. It was fab! We even have our own dragon in the library - Stanford, who sits on top of his dragon's lair, guarding his box of treasure and listening to the stories with us...

Last week - Mermaids and Monsters - was very nearly a disaster, because for a start I got the time wrong. I turned up about 9.45 for a 10.30 start, and discovered we were actually starting at 10. Cue Squidge maniacally running around in the children's section, trying to find books on said mermaids and monsters, set out craft stuff and sign people in. Fortunately, I had some wonderful helpers in terms of library staff and a couple of reading champions, teenagers who've signed up to help through the summer and who already know me through my daughter and their primary school.

This week, I got organised. Turned up in plenty of time, found plenty of dragon picture books to read, and - most importantly of all, I think - had an audience where the ages of the children were very similar. We shared a good half-dozen books and then went on to making dragon bookmarks and Chinese dragons.

We asked for feedback from parents/carers who attend with their youngsters, and I wanted to share what one dad wrote, because it made my day and meant we'd pitched the session just right;

We had lots of stories about dragons burning wood.
The reader we had (that's me!) was friendly and good.
Then after that - and this bit is true - 
We got to cut things, to colour and glue.

How cool is that?

Next week, it's stories from around the world, so I'm on the hunt for myths and fables with an international flavour. We've already worked out a rather...visual version of the wonderful Handa's Surprise, so I'll let you know how that goes! And I'll be on the lookout for simple Anansi the Spider and Garuda stories to share too...

Storytelling at its best.

We all do it, y'know - tell stories.

Oh, you might think you don't, because you're not a writer. But you tell stories every day.

It might be about something which seems quite ordinary, like your trip to the supermarket or a visit to a friend.

Or you might be telling someone about the time one leg disappeared down a broken man-hole cover and you were so slight that if you'd been walking a foot more to the right, you'd have gone right down it and been sucked into the nearby canal. Or the time you and your friends turned up to a 70's night and were mistaken for the tribute band because you were the only ones in  fancy dress. Or the time you tried to give a baby hedgehog the kiss of life 'cos it had unfortunately drowned in your pond. (All  true, folks!)

Sometimes we might be desperate for the story to be finished, it's so convoluted and - frankly - boring. My kids roll their eyes at Mr Squidge whenever he says 'when I were a lad...'

Other times, we get drawn in so deep, we're gasping and our eyes are wide with surprise, we're hanging so tightly onto every word.

Those kind of stories are the best. To quote the late, great, Frank Carson: 'It's the way I tell 'em!'

Personally, I enjoy telling stories. I would always read to my kids, even when they were perfectly able to read for themselves. In fact, one particular holiday we took a Harry Potter book with us, reading it in the car as we drove round Sardinia. I seem to remember having to sit in the car in almost 40 degrees, as we weren't allowed to go to the beach before we finished the chapter. I'd always offer to do storytime when I was helping out in classes at school - not just 'cos it gave the teacher a break, but because I loved doing the voices. I'm sure there's a closet actor in me who's desperate to get out...

Well, hopefully I'm going to be doing a fair bit more storytelling in the near future.

I approached my local library and just this morning have had some very encouraging discussions about becoming an official library volunteer for storytelling sessions with 6-9 year olds! How cool is that? I need to talk to Mr Squidge first as we've not finalised our summer holiday plans, but the idea is that we'll give the storytelling sessions a go from early July, which coincides with the launch of this year's Reading Challenge (a mythical theme this summer). Then we'll see whether there's any interest in continuing sessions in the autumn term, perhaps on a fortnightly or monthly basis.

(Incidentally - as our library services experience further deep cuts to resources, do please consider helping out as a volunteer. Contact your local library to see what you can do for them. Who knows - it might be the difference between having a local library or losing it.)

Anyway, I'm really excited by the whole thing. Yes, I write. Yes, I've been published and yes, it would be great to sell a few more copies of Granny Rainbow.

But first and foremost - as my strapline says - I'm the short author who tells tall tales. Not 'the little lady who sells books'.

I am first and foremost a storyteller. And delighted to be able to share it with children.