[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-ardagh-elwick-the-secret-is-out":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"So \u003Cb>\u003Cfont size=\"4\">FINALLY\u003C/font>\u003C/b> we're allowed to share the exciting news!!! \u003Cb>Guess which amazing duo are combining forces and BURSTING into children's book publishing as a duo!!?!!\u003C/b> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elwick_ardagh_bursting_zpsq8miz2k5-fb5d8c3974.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou may have spotted photos from our studio and guessed already that SOMETHING IS UP... \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_lunch1_zpsr1ejjidk-20a74aa882.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYes,\u003Cfont size=\"3\"> \u003Cb>PHILIP ARDAGH and ELISSA ELWICK have a four-book picture book deal with Walker Books!\u003C/b> They'll be called 'Little Adventurers' and they're already working on the first one, due to come out in June 2016.\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_windy_zpsq2blslsq-e244fed4d2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's what \u003Cb>Philip\u003C/b> says about working together:  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Ci>I'm really enjoying working with Elissa on Little Adventurers because it's such a collaborative process. Being a children's book author can be a lonely business. I began my professional writing career in an advertising agency, partnered with an art director. When I write for radio I work with producer, engineer and actors. The same for TV. You're one of a team. With my previous books, I've enjoyed working with my illustrators but they've joined the process late in the day. The words have been written, the story complete. With Little Adventurers - the basic premise of which was Elissa's in the first place - we're forever exploring ideas, reshaping, and playing around with text and pictures. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/little_adventurers_zpsrh2smrf8-70895ddf69.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe line between writer and illustrater is blurred. We're both interested in pictures and words. And - with additional input from Deirdre and Maria in editorial and Jack in design at Walker Books - we're coming up with something none of us could have created on our own. And, on days I'm working in the Fleece Station, Elissa makes us nice lunches. What's NOT to love about our Little Adventurers collaboration?\u003C/i>\u003C/b>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_elwick_pencil_zpslgrnef9z-69c6e57f3a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ci>Edit: Look! Just tweeted in from the Bologna Book Fair by lovely writer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/lucycoats\">Lucy Coats\u003C/a>! By \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CharlotteLEyre\">Charlotte Eyre\u003C/a> in the Bologna daily version of \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/thebookseller\">The Bookseller\u003C/a> (with a mention of the then-secretly-titled RAILHEAD by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/philipreeve1\">Reeve\u003C/a>). Oh, and here's a link to the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/58876/tf\">Book Trade announcement\u003C/a>!\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bookseller_ardagh_elwick_zpsy9urks8e-e8fc9d1e87.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy studio mates Elissa, Gary and I all have the same agent, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JodieHodges31\">Jodie Hodges\u003C/a> at United Agents. I'm proud to say that I was there at Elissa and Philip's very first meeting, at the Discover Story Centre in Stratford, east London. Philip was in his usual fine form, photo-bombing his heart out. And yup, there's Elissa! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/486796.html\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/storycloud_group3-a02f83b907.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nI asked \u003Cb>Elissa\u003C/b> how they kept in touch, and decided that working with this VERY SILLY MAN might be a good idea:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Ci>BECAUSE HE WAS SO ODD! His imagination comes spilling out! We kept in touch over Twitter and he'd occasionally throw out ideas for existing characters I had and our working collaboration kind of stemmed from there.\u003C/b>\u003C/i> \\r\n\\r\nSo what's your background, Elissa? I heard you were once a champion skateboarder!\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Ci>ALL LIES! It wasn't very long, I managed to blag myself some sponsorship for a little while when I lived in Northampton. But when I went to uni, I got way more into drawing and now my skateboard collects dust. I studied BA Illustration at Bournemouth and my first picture book deal was with Macmillan, \u003Ci>The Princess and the Sleep Stealer\u003C/i>. I also worked as Resident Storyteller and bookseller at an indie bookshop in Clapham called Under the Greenwood Tree. That was a great experience because I got to learn about the children's book industry from the other side of the counter.\u003C/i>\u003C/b> \\r\n\\r\nWhat medium you use to make your pictures? \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Ci>I use a mixture of pencil, watercolours and my computer. It's been so much fun bringing the Little Adventurers to life. Here are some early sketches.\u003C/i>\u003C/b>  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_sketches_zpsj31nkxwc-c867a0d623.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nArdagh & Elwick will be working with editor \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/mawiatunney\">Maria Tunney\u003C/a> and designer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jackdraws\">Jack Noel\u003C/a>. In the run up to Bologna Children's Book Fair, she was on the phone with Jack, and I managed to get a few words with him, to ask what they liked so much about Elissa's work:  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Ci>I love Elissa's work because she makes everything look adorable; she creates her own sweet world. She's created these four characters and it's really nice, the relationships between them.\u003C/b>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://garynorthfield.com/\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a> and I love having Elissa in the studio, she's always up for a laugh and a cup of tea (and doesn't get upset when I accidentally eat all her biscuits). Here we are at the launch of \u003Ci>Gary's Garden\u003C/i>, both wearing themed Chompy-the-caterpillar clothes: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/garysgarden_fleecestation_zpsc4078922-e6fdd2ad09.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip's already quite active with our studio: I worked together with him on the Discover \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/495807.html\">Storycloud project\u003C/a> and he wrote a nice quote for the front of Gary's new book, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.walker.co.uk/Julius-Zebra-Rumble-with-the-Romans-9781406354928.aspx\">\u003Ci>Julius Zebra\u003C/i>\u003C/a> (also with Walker Books). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.walker.co.uk/Julius-Zebra-Rumble-with-the-Romans-9781406354928.aspx\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/julius_zebra_ardagh_quote_zps57dad7fb-82ee140b55.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nHere's Elissa at her desk in the studio. When she's done a good run of work, she rewards herself by watching a short animation. (And here, with homemade pot noodles.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_noodles_zps7xruosnd-32a5c542c7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIt won't be so much of a secret, they've already been seen about town together and posting photos of themselves with SLEBS:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_slebs_zpslvhy3ja8-ccbaf4e1ce.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSo Elissa, this seems like an amazing prospect! But what will be one of your greatest challenges, working together? \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elwick_ardagh_1_zpsk9sfcmyd-dec45e2541.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>\u003Ci>NOT TRIPPING OVER HIS BIG FEET.\u003C/b>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elwick_ardagh_2_zps2ospqmwt-5bdf29f74c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can follow Elissa on Instagram at \u003Ca href=\"https://instagram.com/elissaelwick/\">@elissaelwick\u003C/a> on Twitter, also as @ElissaElwick, and check out her website, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.elissaelwick.co.uk/\">elissaelwick.co.uk\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/elissa_elwick_graffiti_zps0zdtj7op-b737847995.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd Philip on Instagram - \u003Ca href=\"https://instagram.com/philipardagh\">@philipardagh\u003C/a> - and Twitter - \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PhilipArdagh\">@PhilipArdagh\u003C/a>.\\r\nSo keep an eye out, this team is set to pull off some pretty amazing stuff...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/storycloud_ardagh_pullme2-80fb936116.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBe sure to check out their \u003Ca href=\"http://ardaghandelwick.tumblr.com/\">new joint blog\u003C/a>!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://ardaghandelwick.tumblr.com/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/ardagh_elwick_blogbanner_zpshxmmsjnw-7b80b56798.jpg\">\u003C/a>","2015-04-01T10:28:00.000Z","ardagh-elwick-the-secret-is-out",[],"ardagh & elwick: the secret is out!!!",1776628727520]