[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-london-dublin-tour-may-2025":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This week, the Adventuremice went on tour! (Well, their creators did.) Here's a picture I drew in my sketchbook of Philip waiting for our plane to Dublin. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1361467_original-ef4b473123.jpg\" alt=\"Philip_LondonCityAirport_lj.jpg\" title=\"Philip_LondonCityAirport_lj.jpg\" width=\"550\">\\r\n\\r\nBut before that, we took a train to London! And then to Twickenham in southwest London, for the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.barneskidslitfest.org/\">Barnes Children's Literature Festival\u003C/a>, where we were doing an Adventuremice stage events in front of 550 schoolchildren. Our otter, Mortlake, got rather excited on one leg of the journey and insisted on photos. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1362034_original-52e456084d.jpg\" alt=\"Mortlake.jpg\" title=\"Mortlake.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd what a venue it was, right there in the famous rugby stadium! Huge thanks to Director Amanda Brettargh, Production Manager Celia Allbut, and the whole team who looked after us and made our event run so smoothly. We even got to say a quick hello to the next author on stage, \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lawrence\">Patrice Lawrence\u003C/a>!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1362370_original-49bc715019.jpg\" alt=\"Barnes_team_lj.jpg\" title=\"Barnes_team_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe audience were terrific, and we all drew pictures of Bosun twirling his lasso, as featured in our latest book, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.adventuremice.com/books/mice-camera-action\">\u003Ci>Adventuremice: Mice, Camera, Action!\u003C/i>\u003C/a> \\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here to read lots more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1361751_original-875ce7540d.jpg\" alt=\"Barnes_wp.jpg\" title=\"Barnes_wp.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWhile we were in town, we met up with our \u003Ca href=\"https://www.faber.co.uk/independent-alliance/?srsltid=AfmBOoquzoyMJmay36Q_PUMWDqO32aOwXwRda0lc5m3_V7AnOaZusBkW\">Independent Alliance\u003C/a> sales rep, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bookbeetler/?hl=en-gb\">Lucy Cornwell\u003C/a>, who organised our visit to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.hewsonbooks.co.uk/kew-bookshop\">The Kew Bookshop\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.papercatbookshop.co.uk/\">The Paper Cat\u003C/a> in Herne Hill, and \u003Ca href=\"https://www.kensingtonbooks.co.uk/\">South Kensington Books\u003C/a>, where we signed lots of Adventuremice books. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1364479_original-9c2b8b4f3c.jpg\" alt=\"London_bookshops.jpg\" title=\"London_bookshops.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAfter that, we caught a train down to \u003Ca href=\"https://thebrightagency.com/uk\">Bright Agency\u003C/a> in Clapham, who were hosting a meeting of judges for this year's \u003Ca href=\"https://www.thealligatorsmouth.co.uk/award\">Alligator's Mouth Award for Early Illustrated Fiction\u003C/a>. Philip and I won the award last year for \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adventuremice.com/books/otter-chaos\">Adventuremice: Otter Chaos\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, and we were honoured to be on the panel to pick the new winner. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1362509_original-85e1a0befb.jpg\" alt=\"Alligators1.jpg\" title=\"Alligators1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://www.thealligatorsmouth.co.uk/\">The Alligator's Mouth\u003C/a> is a terrific bookshop in Richmond, and the very next day, owners \u003Cb>Margaret Wallace-Jones\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Tony West\u003C/b> were celebrating ten years since its opening. Congratulations, Alligator's Mouth! (Click through to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.thealligatorsmouth.co.uk/\">their website\u003C/a> and you can see the painting I made of the shop!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1362932_original-618cbd9292.jpg\" alt=\"Alligators2.jpg\" title=\"Alligators2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThen it was straight on from the meeting to Ireland for the \u003Ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/ilfdublin\">International Literature Festival Dublin\u003C/a>! I didn't manage to get any photos from the event itself, but here's the fabulous woman in charge of the festival, \u003Cb>Janet Smyth\u003C/b>, and the terrific tech team who ran the GIANT screen behind us! It was amazing, our pictures were so big that we were literally stepping into our book, the size of Adventuremice. SO cool. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1363046_original-434f593249.jpg\" alt=\"Dublinfest.jpg\" title=\"Dublinfest.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAfter our event, we caught the DART south along the coastline to Greystones, to see author \u003Ca href=\"https://www.sarahwebb.info/\">Sarah Webb\u003C/a>, which is an essential thing one must do when one goes to Ireland. (I was hoping the big hat dent in my forehead would fade before I got there, but no luck.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1363221_original-0cb52a2a00.jpg\" alt=\"DART.jpg\" title=\"DART.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Sarah in front of the terrific bookshop she works at and champions, \u003Ca href=\"https://halfwayupthestairs.ie/\">Halfway up the Stairs\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1363553_original-cd354c3a3a.jpg\" alt=\"HutS1.jpg\" title=\"HutS1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had a nice little event with families in the shop and signed lots more books. It was great to hear that the Adventuremice were going down well with their readers! Big thanks to Sarah and the owner Trish Hennessey for hosting us! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1363782_original-92eaf9e5e1.jpg\" alt=\"HutS2.jpg\" title=\"HutS2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOn our last morning, we had breakfast with fellow author \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nadialhohn.com/\">Nadia L. Hohn\u003C/a>, who had come all the way from Toronto. We'd met Nadia once before, at the \u003Ca href=\"https://jabberworks.livejournal.com/772069.html\">Emirates Lit Fest in Dubai in 2017\u003C/a>, so it was great to see her again and catch up. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1364201_original-c791cadb92.jpg\" alt=\"Dublin_NadiaHohn.jpg\" title=\"Dublin_NadiaHohn.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThen we were off on a whirlwind bookshop tour! Sales rep \u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/bibliojacq\">Jacq Murphy\u003C/a> took us all around the street of Dublin, starting with Ireland's oldest bookshop, founded in 1768, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.hodgesfiggis.ie/our-history\">Hodges Figgis\u003C/a>. Children's bookseller \u003Cb>Mary-Brigid Turner\u003C/b> was so supportive of Adventuremice and we were thrilled to be there! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1364642_original-204e649881.jpg\" alt=\"HodgesFig.jpg\" title=\"HodgesFig.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe next stop was \u003Ca href=\"https://www.dubraybooks.ie\">Dubray Books\u003C/a> on Mary Street, who were the bookseller for the festival where we'd just performed. Aisling the bookseller showed us their Book Nook where lots of authors have taken photos, and we tried our best to squash in... \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1364946_original-e92aeeed4e.jpg\" alt=\"Dubray_booknook1.jpg\" title=\"Dubray_booknook1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOh, wait, this is how it's supposed to be done! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1365076_original-98dfbe0271.jpg\" alt=\"Dubray_booknook2.jpg\" title=\"Dubray_booknook2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nNext stop: \u003Ca href=\"https://gutterbookshop.com/\">The Gutter Bookshop\u003C/a>, who have often hosted booksales at events I've done in Ireland! It was great to see Marta, Sarah and the team there. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1365320_original-3d97c2aba5.jpg\" alt=\"Gutterbookshop.jpg\" title=\"Gutterbookshop.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then on to Chapters Bookshop, with its great big windows and lovely high ceilings! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1365539_original-b5ee19cfef.jpg\" alt=\"Chapters.jpg\" title=\"Chapters.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd finally to Eason's bookshop, the big one on O'Connell Street, where we signed the last big batch of books. Thanks so much for looking after us, Jacq - it was great to see you! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1365822_original-51f97dc459.jpg\" alt=\"Easons.jpg\" title=\"Easons.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then back, through Dublin's technicolour airport. (This vivid stretch was so exciting that we actually took a wrong turn and almost ended up back in Security, but all was well.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1366024_original-61306945d6.jpg\" alt=\"DublinAirport.jpg\" title=\"DublinAirport.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to everyone who looked after us, and to \u003Cb>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/frashutc/\">Fraser Hutchinson\u003C/a>\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Ruth Sanderson\u003C/b> at David Fickling Books for putting together our complicated itinerary! \\r\n\\r\nIf you came along to one of our events and want to discover more about the Adventuremice - and find fun, free activities! - visit our website, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.adventuremice.com\">Adventuremice.com\u003C/a>.","2025-05-24T20:56:00.000Z","london-dublin-tour-may-2025",[],"London & Dublin Tour, May 2025",1776628732041]