[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-legends-edinburgh-book-festival-2018":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"It's been eight years since I met \u003Ca href=\"http://philip-reeve.com/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> at the \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/edbookfest\">Edinburgh International Book Festival\u003C/a>, and we've made a lot of books since then! This year, we were thrilled to give readers a sneak peek at our \u003Cb>Roly-Poly Flying Pony\u003C/b> book that officially launches on 6 Sept, \u003Ci>\u003Cb>The Legend of Kevin\u003C/b>\u003C/i>. Wahey!!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/468398_original-2c269e18c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by Stuart Pyle, dress by Esther Marfo\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nBut first things first: I started with a solo picture book event featuring \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-new-neighbours/\">The New Neighbours\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, and we all drew bunnies and designed a big animal tower block (not pictured here). The audience was one of the youngest I've ever spoken to at a stage event, but there was a very clued-in little girl named Ava in the front, and she really helped keep the banter going, we had a good time. (Ava, can you please come to all my events?)  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/468674_original-df2faf7a09.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by Philip Reeve\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nWhen we were drawing bunnies, we decorated their pants with pictures of their favourite things, and these bunnies obviously love diggers and construction machinery. I think that's also a reference to a sea horse brushing its teeth, from when we were designing an aquatic apartment, and some worm digger drivers, from the flat populated by worms. (\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-new-neighbours/\">Click here for a guide to drawing your own bunny\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/469946_original-6b04e9318b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nMy husband, Stuart, and Philip were both in the audience, which was very heartening. (And they were both easy to spot throughout the festival.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/475008_original-de2deda7fe.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe next day, Philip and I teamed up for our first-ever LEGEND OF KEVIN event. Since the Edinburgh Book Fest falls right at the end of summer, it's almost always where we do an event for a book that hasn't \u003Ci>quite \u003C/i>come out yet, so the audience gets us trying things for the first time. But it seemed to go well! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/469178_original-925abf9fc6.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by Stuart Pyle\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nWe even came up with a new Roly-Poly Flying Pony song and got everyone to sing along. I don't have a video of us singing it, but far better, here's Scottish opera legend \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nickyspence.com/\">Nicky Spence\u003C/a> belting out a line from the chorus: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"4285\"/>\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/471194_original-c21a40b6d3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by Stuart Pyle\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nWe all drew Roly-Poly Flying Ponies... oh look, illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.dulemba.com/\">Elizabeth Dulemba\u003C/a> drew me! You can read about our event \u003Ca href=\"https://dulemba.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-festival-sarah-mcintyre.html\">on Elizabeth's blog\u003C/a> - thanks, Elizabeth!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/470056_original-f808ae15dc.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOur fab editor \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CWhitston\">Clare Whitston\u003C/a> from Oxford University Press came along for our event - thanks, Clare! And I got to meet storyboard artist \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sandraandsteve.co.uk/\">Sandra Russell\u003C/a>, whom I'd known as\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SandRussellArt\"> @SandRussellArt\u003C/a> on Twitter and who does beautiful drawings for our Virtual Studio Thursday #PortraitChallenge. Here are a few of them at the top of her Twitter profile: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SandRussellArt\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/475267_original-9c56e6bddb.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nYou can join us at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/StudioTeaBreak\">@StudioTeaBreak\u003C/a> on Twitter, and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/virtual-studio/\">find out more on my website\u003C/a> - feel free to jump in with the drawing challenges, whatever your age or drawing ability! Here are a few more excellent Roly-Poly Flying Ponies from our event: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/470343_original-9d3f2b6de8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThere's nothing that our Roly-Poly Flying Pony, Kevin, loves more than CUSTARD CREAMS. And one thoughtful family brought along a packet to share with him! (We may have sampled a few ourselves.) Thank you! We mean, uh, \u003Ci>Kevin\u003C/i> says thank you! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/470989_original-a301326bdd.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe day before, Stuart and I got to go to Philip's event, featuring the final book in his incredible Railhead trilogy, \u003Ci>Station Zero\u003C/i>. These books offer an amazing vision of a future with intergalactic, sentient trains. They're epic, with brilliantly creative world-building details, and bursts of humour that make it zing. I thought the audience might ask lots of questions about Philip's upcoming Peter Jackson film, \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://youtu.be/IRsFc2gguEg\">Mortal Engines\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, but it was heartening to hear them really focus on the Railhead books and ask good questions about them. Don't miss these books! (Read \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Railhead\u003C/b>\u003C/i> first, then \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Black Light Express\u003C/b>\u003C/i>, then \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Station Zero\u003C/b>\u003C/i>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/469339_original-34a2dc5c35.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Philip in the Authors' Yurt with his excellent host \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/triciaad\">Tricia Adams\u003C/a>, who interviewed him about the books. And in the bookshop for the post-event signing session, with a very long queue!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/469706_original-92da603752.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of my festival highlights was getting to have dinner with local concept artist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ianmcque\">Ian McQue\u003C/a> and meet his wife \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/McQueGardens\">Tracy McQue\u003C/a>, who's involved in designing some large-scale gardens. Ian's done decades of incredible concept art, but his brand-new Mortal Engines book with Philip Reeve, \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Night Flights\u003C/b>\u003C/i>, was the first time he'd tried his hand at book illustration, and the results are absolutely gorgeous. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/472301_original-85078920e0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe thing about being at the Edinburgh Festival is that you want to run around and see ALL the shows! There is SO MUCH going on in Edinburgh right now. With my own events, I didn't have a lot of time, but I managed to pop in to see \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gomabbitt\">Will Mabbitt\u003C/a>'s event for \u003Ci>\u003Cb>I Can Only Draw Worms\u003C/b>\u003C/i>. This picture book had made me laugh and I was very curious to find out who this Will Mabbitt person was!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/471493_original-a68a054ff9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I was glad I did! Will has this amazing deadpan humour that holds the kids enthralled and the adults wiping their eyes with laughter. We drew worms, and then he got me on stage and drew a portrait of me (something I shall treasure and pin up on my studio wall to keep me humble). Thanks, Will! If you ever get the chance to see one of his events, kid or grownup, I highly recommend going along. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/471740_original-fabecffed5.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to the technicians, stewards and everyone on the festival team who made everything run so smoothly and be so much fun! Here's Children & Education Programme Director \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/janet_smyth\">Janet Smyth\u003C/a> (looking on point in my hat), Festival Director \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/nickbarleyedin\">Nick Barley\u003C/a>, and Programme Logistics Officer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelyBadger\">Joely Badger\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/471854_original-7229446415.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nNick Barley's been answering a lot of questions about the Home Office's recent decision to deny visas to twelve writers and illustrators invited to speak at the festival, on the basis that most of them didn't have enough money in their bank accounts, and one that they had \u003Ci>too much\u003C/i> money. This, despite the fact that the festival would pay them and look after them during their visit, so they wouldn't actually need to have any money during their stay. And it's terribly rude, the government insisting they look at years of bank details, when the author guest is giving their time and expertise to enhance a Scottish cultural institution. I hope the government leaders are ashamed of themselves and don't try this again next year. We're putting Scotland through enough already with all this Brexit disaster they didn't vote to get. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-festivals-2-17127/edinburgh-book-festival-chief-hits-out-at-visa-issues-facing-international-writers-1-4781006\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/475727_original-8a0f1a3af8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/08/visas-refused-for-a-dozen-authors-invited-to-book-festival\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/475995_original-3a8038bb5c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n \\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/475575_original-6a93cd6ba3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nNow...\\r\n\\r\n...if I edited myself properly, that would be the end of my blog post, but I have to post a few more photos, just so I don't forget anything. Here are some of the fab people I bumped into in the Authors' Yurt and around the festival site, starting with Scottish writer-illustrator legend \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/fivekingdoms\">Vivian French\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/472426_original-cfa60c2f62.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ci>Dave the Pigeon\u003C/i> duo \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SheenaDempsey\">Sheena Dempsey\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SwapnaHaddow\">Swapna Haddow\u003C/a>, and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/chrishaughton\">Chris Haughton\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/472961_original-c1f2563211.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSwapna with poet \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Poetryjoe\">Joseph Coehlo\u003C/a> and illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/fionalumbers\">Fiona Lumbers\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/473090_original-b8e0cf0d4c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWriter and sometimes-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TheSallyGardner\">Sally Gardner\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/473438_original-06d6b6e52d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nIllustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/_JimField\">Jim Field\u003C/a> with his event team \u003Cb>Pippa Jenkins\u003C/b> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/domdelaking\">Dom Kingston\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/473767_original-087d2773cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nFan-girling illustrator (and recently writer of \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Suffragette\u003C/b>\u003C/i>) \u003Ca href=\"http://davidrobertsillustration.tumblr.com/\">David Roberts\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/\">Alexander McCall Smith\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/473908_original-f43fd62ad9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nUzbek writer \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Ismailov\">Hamid Ismailov\u003C/a> (whom I'd actually had several dinners with at a book festival in Norway! He's lovely.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/474309_original-a23a4ac434.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHad a good chat with \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/frankcottrell_b\">Frank Cottrell-Boyce\u003C/a> and some of his family: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/477224_original-50119ea2ff.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip with writer-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Benji_Davies\">Benji Davies\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/477602_original-6b663db19c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AcmeDarryl\">Darryl Cunningham\u003C/a> with his girlfriend \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/bonatron9000\">Bonnie Millard\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/476987_original-aa3b198c33.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nDarryl's book \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Graphic Science: Seven Journies of Discovery\u003C/b>\u003C/i> is featured in The Scotsman and you can \u003Ca href=\"https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-book-festival-cutting-edge-of-science-sketched-out-1-4784411\">read about it here\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-book-festival-cutting-edge-of-science-sketched-out-1-4784411\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/476785_original-4f2f13bee8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nWith comics guru and festival presenter \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LordWoolamaloo\">Joe Gordon\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/474379_original-28a77512de.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI met for the first time writers \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DianaEvansOP\">Diana Evans\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/GeronimoJohnson\">Geronimo Johnson\u003C/a> (Geronimo Johnson is such a cool name!), and writer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LizMacwhirter\">Liz McWhirter\u003C/a>, with her debut novel \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Black Snow Falling\u003C/b>\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/472757_original-3393bab4eb.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Second photo tweeted by Liz McWhirter\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nAnd just before I left, I ran into fabulous comics creator and illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/tormalore\">Tor Freeman\u003C/a>, here with Janet Smyth. What a line-up! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/474799_original-d5daf6cb6c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSadly, I didn't qualify for \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/chrisclosephoto\">Chris Close\u003C/a> photo portrait this year (no Hollywood film coming out this Christmas), but \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>, Sam Reeve and I all did our best to copy the featured Serious Writer in hopes we might get picked next year, heh heh.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/476324_original-0fc906dcc0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/476559_original-f4cd990448.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2018-08-16T08:15:00.000Z","legends-edinburgh-book-festival-2018",[],"legends! edinburgh book festival 2018",1776628729699]