[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-bath-kids-lit-fest-2018":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"There's this red chair at \u003Ca href=\"https://bathfestivals.org.uk/\">Bath Kids Lit Fest\u003C/a> where it's absolutely obligatory for writers and illustrators to get their photos taken. Only one person can fit in the chair at a time but somehow we managed to fit in another spindly co-author and a roly-poly flying pony who was completely oblivious to my sacrifice. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/534183_original-f67cf60d32.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>3D Kevin by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/chloe_applin\">Chloe Applin\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nI had three different publishers sending me to Bath, and my first event was called BUNNIES VS DINOSAURS, cannily combining two very different picture books. Walking the streets of Bath, I realised BUNNIES HAD ALREADY WON. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/534348_original-ecf3e86845.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nLots of kids came to the Cricket Club and drew bunnies and dinosaurs with me, which was good fun! And we got some great drawings out of it. (I have drawing guides for a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-new-neighbours/\">bunny\u003C/a> and a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/dinosaur-firefighters/\">Diplodocus\u003C/a> on my website if you want to try yourself.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/534616_original-577562bed6.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/535023_original-0a4a13a69e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more photos under the cut!-->\\r\nBath's always lovely, and the weather was glorious. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/537922_original-896c88a876.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOn my first late afternoon, I wandered around streets like this...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/538353_original-608149ace2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nUntil I came to \u003Ca href=\"https://mrbsemporium.com/\">Mr B's Emporium\u003C/a>, an absolutely gorgeous and well-stocked independent bookshop. The owner, Nick Bottomley, and bookseller Same Drew were having me sign some books, when in walked \u003Ca href=\"http://lauraellenanderson.co.uk/\">Laura Ellen Anderson\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://jamielittler.co.uk/\">Jamie Littler\u003C/a> and local illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://bagleyart.com/\">Rebecca Bagley\u003C/a> (who'd painted a lovely window display)!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/535047_original-76f9f59951.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI visited again a couple days later, when my co-author \u003Ca href=\"http://philip-reeve.com/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> was in town, and Kevin did a low fly-by... getting stuck in a tree (again). Bookseller Edward Scotland looked on in concern...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/535415_original-2e99826be3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI didn't manage to get a single photo of our Reeve & McIntyre event on Monday in the grand ballroom of the Guildhall. The festival were brilliant, they packed the room and the school children in the audience were brilliant. The book signing afterward was so busy that I didn't manage to get any photos of their drawings, but one of the adults in attendance - \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Roseyonaboat\">@Roseyonaboat\u003C/a> - tweeted her excellent Kevin drawing. (\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-legend-of-kevin/\">Here's a guide to drawing Kevin\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/535735_original-b29ed5b1cd.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI went along to Philip's solo event featuring his Mortal Engines and Railhead books, where he was interviewed very expertly by Bath Spa lecturer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JRobinsonFest\">Judith Robinson\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/535851_original-4d5257d68f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip had an absolutely enormous signing queue (possibly enhanced by the Peter Jackson film of his book coming out this Christmas). So I went off to join the Bath branch of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators at The Raven pub, where \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RitaLazaroArt\">Rita Lazaro\u003C/a> had organised a welcome event. I talked a bit about our Pictures Mean Business campaign, then Philip joined us and we talked books. Rita had contacted everyone in advance with a drawing challenge to make their own version of Kevin, which turned out some fab pictures!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/536231_original-03b33bc52d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are two picture by \u003Cb>Fran Price\u003C/b> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/KL_Peebles\">Kate Peebles\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/536691_original-c99e35a415.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JoolsAWilson\">Jools Wilson\u003C/a> made this amazing felted Kevin! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/536983_original-40985c68b9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nA few more festival pics... Here's poet \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Poetryjoe\">Joseph Coehlo\u003C/a> about to go on stage in the Guildhall ballroom: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/536366_original-27eb4f5da4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/monstroso\">Charlie Higson\u003C/a> with \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ian_livingstone\">Ian Livingstone\u003C/a> of the Fighting Fantasy choose-your-own-adventure books, and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Hapfairy\">Sophie Cleverly\u003C/a>, author of \u003Ci>Scarlet & Ivy\u003C/i>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/537391_original-f1f1e164d3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nYay, it's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alextsmith.com/\">Alex T. Smith\u003C/a>! Have you seen his animated Claude? It's brilliant!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/537680_original-b8ff9d04b7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"4324\"/>\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's radio presenter \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/schmotime\">Joe Haddow\u003C/a> with half of the team that founded the Bath Kids Lit Fest and make it happen, \u003Ca href=\"http://bathliteraryagency.com/who-we-are/\">Gill McLay\u003C/a> (who's also a literary agent). Gill was super busy but we managed to go out for dinner with her husband, festival co-founder \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DragonsDentist\">John McLay\u003C/a>, and we also got to see our fabulous writer friend \u003Ca href=\"http://moirayoung.com/\">Moira Young\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/537295_original-a7f37b1ee8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThanks so much to Gill, John, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/elysia_collins\">Elysia Collins\u003C/a>, Lucy Shepherd and everyone who helped with our events, and to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/waterstonesbath\">Waterstones Bath\u003C/a>, who hosted our book signings! I had a great time, it was one of the best festivals I've done in awhile, and I'd recommend traveling a fair distance to be able to go along to it. You can follow the festival on Twitter at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23bathkidslitfest&src=typd\">#BathKidsLitFest\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Bathfestivals\">@bathfestivals\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/538807_original-a8f6a6ad40.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2018-10-02T17:18:00.000Z","bath-kids-lit-fest-2018",[],"bath kids lit fest 2018",1776628729808]