house of illustration party

I’ve been meaning to blog this for awhile! There are three amazing projects in the works right now, all to do with stories and pictures and, well, the best things in life, really. They are:

* London’s House of Illustration
* The Story Museum in Oxford
* Just Imagine centre in Chelmsford, Essex (opening on 15 Jan)

Hopefully the three projects, all linked through books and pictures but still entirely unique, will forge strong relationships and encourage each other onward to do great things. I’ll be blogging a lot more about each of them, but Trustee Ardi Kolah invited me to a gathering in St Pancras station last month, where we all got very excited about the project. Basically here’s the scoop: British illustration legend Quentin Blake has donated his huge collection of drawings to start up a museum near St Pancras station dedicated specifically to illustration. They still need £6 million to finish rennovating the building, but they’re already starting to muck in with events, and this will create tremendous opportunities for exhibitions, workshops and more for both children and adults. Read more about the museum on its website. Exciting times!

If any of us are thinking of popping our clogs soon, let’s leave provisions in our wills for all three projects, okay? Agreed.


Left to right: Three of the House of Illustration trustees Ardi Kolah, Quentin Blake and Sir Christopher Frayling; illustrator Sarah McIntyre, comics creator and Cartoon Museum rep Steve Marchant


Writer & illustrator Philip Reeve, Head of Development Tatiana Kennedy, Project Director Flora Craig, Trustee Ardi Kolah


Illustrator Rosalie Pryor, Steve Marchant, Councillor Heather Johnson, Regent’s Park Ward, London Borough of Camden, CEO of London Continental Railways Mark Bayley

As we were toasting the museum with our champagne, the Eurostar pulled in, making a grand entrance RIGHT NEXT TO US. Everyone stopped and clapped the train, it was very impressive.

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