[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-scottish-space-adventure-edinburgh-book-festival-2014":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This year \u003Ca href=\"https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/\">Edinburgh Book Festival\u003C/a> was OUT OF THIS WORLD! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_cakes_dance_zps76029a03-6ee84e95c5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy literary co-pilot \u003Ca href=\"http://philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> and I had been putting together a \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i> stage show and this was our first full-on performance. (Since Reeve lives on Dartmoor and I'm in London, we only had one other chance to practice, at \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/651794.html\">Nine Worlds\u003C/a> a couple weeks before Edinburgh.) And just as we were leaving for Scotland, this fabulous animated \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i> trailer popped up, made by Ed Beck & David Mead from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.mbfilms.co.uk/\">MB Films\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"2782\"/>\\r\n\\r\nOur book features a spaceship food machine called the NOM-O-TRON, so we brought along a smaller, portable version:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_nomotron1_zps5564f3a8-fe6d5e2c64.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I showed everyone how to draw Pilbeam the robot and a killer cake! Here's one of the drawings, tweeted in by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Lorna_May_D\">@Lorna_May_D\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Lorna_May_D_pilbeam_zps7c06db63-d497a4ab50.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI still can't quite get over seeing Reeve in streaky blue hair and lipstick. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_cakes_signing_zpsb76ef8c1-2c6a05ff45.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd we even got our portraits shot by festival photographer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/chrisclosephoto\">Chris Close\u003C/a>. We were the only authors he took into his special anti-gravity booth. Thanks, Chris!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_chrisclosepic_zps0279bf8e-f69b11ee2f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click for more under the cut!-->\\r\n\\r\nWhen Stuart and I first arrived at the book festival, I raced around looking at all the other photos... and spotted some friendly faces! Here's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PhilipArdagh\">Philip Ardagh\u003C/a> (who works with Axel Sheffler on his \u003Ca href=\"http://nosycrow.com/books/the-grunts-series\">The Grunts\u003C/a> books; Axel draws Julia Donaldson's Gruffalo - that's the link to the little chappie on his shoulder - and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BabetteCole\">Babette Cole\u003C/a>, with characters from her new \u003Ca href=\"http://www.babette-cole.co.uk/\">\u003Ci>James Rabbit and the Giggleberries\u003C/i>\u003C/a> book. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_portraits_zps91003e41-538f8c0439.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd while I was there, Babette drew me a birthday picture! Thank you, Babette! :D She made sure I paid special attention to the \u003Ci>space pants\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Babette_spacepants_zps81befbaa-095b92940f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI did quite a lot of costume changes, and Stuart was wonderful about helping me with them, even if he thought I was slightly nuts.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_costume_change_zps28eae526-86cdcf82df.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOn the Thursday, I had a full day of \u003Cb>Outreach Events\u003C/b> in Fife. The festival organises these so schools and libraries outside of central Edinburgh can still take part in the festival. Here I am in the festival Yurt, very early in the morning, practicing my \u003Ci>There's a Shark in the Bath\u003C/i> song. I first sang it \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/639905.html\">at the Hay Festival\u003C/a> and I was super-nervous, but I'm a bit more confident about it now.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_bluewigyurt_zpsae1f1a71-6c0279e577.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI took those sharks to Kirkcaldy West Primary School. They were great fun, that lot! And we even got our pictures in the local paper. (Thanks for tweeting that, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/tickingboy\">Damon Herd\u003C/a>!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tickingboy_DamonHerd_zps79a0174a-e6d31f6e7c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy assistants and I got to have lunch at the beautiful new \u003Ca href=\"http://www.kirkcaldygalleries.org.uk/\">Kirkcaldy Galleries\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Kirkcaldy_Galleries_zps110f7e81-9572bd77d3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe Schools Outreach is very strict about not taking photos in the schools, so I only got one. But it's of the excellent team who took me around on the day: Outreach coordinators \u003Cb>Sarah Bingham, Grainne Crawford\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Rona Neilson\u003C/b> and a tag-along Jampire. Thanks so much, team! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_schoolsteam_zpsf71357a5-8e574dd9fd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the challenges of Edinburgh Book Fest is trying to do a few other things outside the book festival. But this time Stuart and I made a point of going to see our friend \u003Ca href=\"http://www.emmavieceli.com/\">Emma Vieceli\u003C/a> acting at The Fringe festival, in a play called \u003Ci>Parade\u003C/i>. She did a great job! Emma now makes comics, but she started out as a children's telly presenter and she's recorded music, and it's fun seeing her go back to her roots.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_stuart_emma_zpsaa906241-31d05cd174.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAh, here's Emma (second from right)! Together with comics people \u003Ca href=\"http://hannahberry.co.uk/\">Hannah Berry\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Mills\">Pat Mills\u003C/a> and their partners:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_hannah_pat_zps715687dc-85e6fa2875.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOn the way to Emma's play, Stuart spotted my Summer Reading Challenge banner in the front window of the new \u003Ca href=\"http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/5085/central_childrens_library\">Edinburgh Central Children's Library\u003C/a>, together with two of Philip Reeve's three \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philip-reeve.com/goblins.html\">GOBLINS\u003C/a> books. Cool! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_childrenslibrary_zpsc25ed1d6-cd3a4ccf7e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother fun thing about Edinburgh is going out for publisher dinners and meet other authors who are published by the same team. Here's Philip, our excellent Oxford University Press publicist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/keobaxendine\">Keo Baxendine\u003C/a> (who did a lot of our planning) and another of their writers, \u003Ca href=\"http://wendymeddour.wordpress.com/\">Wendy Meddour\u003C/a>, whose 12-year-old daughter illustrates their \u003Ca href=\"http://wendymeddour.wordpress.com/wendy-quill-is-a-crocodiles-bottom/\">Wendy Quill\u003C/a> books. (Or maybe her daughter's older now, but still, pretty amazing.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_dinner_zps53fed3c5-650f73b754.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd hanging out in the Authors Yurt is fun, too. Everyone's sort of equal in there, so you can talk with anyone (and grab cake and whisky and other nice treats and meals). Look, it's Children's Laureate \u003Ca href=\"http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/\">Malorie Blackman\u003C/a>! While we were there, Malorie did an interview with a Sky reporter, quite rightly calling for more diversity in children's books, and got stuck with a very bad headline, which caused massive internet outrage, and quite a lot of abuse, too. But Malorie stuck by her guns, and all our colleagues rallied around her, and the whole thing made it much more clear just why we need more diversity in books. Not in a tick-the-box sort of way, but in a way that lots of different kinds of people can find other people like themselves in books. Patrick Ness talked on Twitter about how he couldn't find any books about gay people in his school library, and there aren't that many UK children's books with black people as the main characters. Here's Malorie's \u003Ca href=\"http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:griEqrzL6zYJ:news.sky.com/story/1323753/childrens-books-have-too-many-white-faces+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=no\">initial Sky interview\u003C/a>, and a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/27/racist-abuse-diversity-in-childrens-literature\">Guardian article about her response\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_malorie_blackman_zps7900c6b3-0cbc1305a3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Malorie's Summer Reading Challenge video:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"2798\"/>\\r\n\\r\nMore exciting encounters: it's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/dimessage\">Di Cameron\u003C/a> from Oxford's Story Museum, comics artist Adam Murphy in The Phoenix Comic), comics colourist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/acouplecomics\">Lisa Murphy\u003C/a>, Cameron Jr and comics artist \u003Ca href=\"http://neillcameron.com/\">Neill Cameron\u003C/a>! Adam and Neill both have new books out with The Phoenix Comic and David Ficking books, compilations of their Phoenix work: \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/product/corpse-talk-season-one/\">\u003Ci>Corpse Talk\u003C/i>\u003C/a> by Adam and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/product/how-to-make-awesome-comics/\">\u003Ci>How to Make Awesome Comics\u003C/i>\u003C/a> by Neill. Lisa did quite a lot of the colouring for Adam, and has also coloured for my studio mate Gary Northfield (\u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/product/garys-garden-book-one/\">\u003Ci>Gary's Garden\u003C/i>\u003C/a>) when he was pressed for time.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_camerons_murphys_zps4ba7176e-a29b99da47.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I were hugely flattered that Geraldine McCaughrean came to our event! Geraldine's been a big influence on Philip, and her book \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Darkness\">\u003Ci>The White Darkness\u003C/i>\u003C/a> is one of my all-time faves. Geraldine's on Twitter now: you can follow her: \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/GMcCaughrean\">@GMcCaughrean\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_geraldine_zpsd49d4951-9eea7d15f8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I did two \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i> events, one for schools and one for the general public. During the schools event, festival sketcher \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/velocityM\">Morag Edward\u003C/a> drew us! She did a great job, but I don't think we made it easy for her: \"You moved around a lot!\"\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_sketches_zps545c6ffb-4f65d9068d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCOSTUME CHANGE! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_wig_outfit_zpsc9b86c02-56193d2209.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHa ha, I got this week at Afflecks Palace in Manchester during an earlier festival, and I love the name of it: \u003Ci>Skyscraper Blond\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_skyscraperblond_zpsf3a40598-3a07398ebf.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHead of Marketing and Publicity \u003Cb>Elaine McQuade\u003C/b> from Oxford University Press came with Philip and me to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/5078/wester_hailes_library\">Wester Hailes Library\u003C/a> to do another Outreach event, this time featuring \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>. I'm really getting into this wig thing. My bird thought Elaine was rather splendid and cuddled up. One of the librarians had a phobia of feathers, so I had to put away my fluffy fan.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_sarah_elaine_zpse1d7e172-b55b1eb591.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had a great time at Wester Hailes, drawing Sea Monkeys with everyone and singing the EEP song, but I didn't get any photos. Our next stop was \u003Ca href=\"http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory_record/5065/leith_library\">Leith Library\u003C/a>, where we were helping them with their Summer Reading Challenge final medal ceremony. First I sang an opera aria...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_opera_zpsc01e4433-54d6f5cd3a.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\n(No, not really.) If you've been following my blog, you'll have seen that MYTHICAL MAZE theme of this year's Summer Reading Challenge has been a big part of my lasts few months. I got to be the official illustrator, and when I first took on the job, I met with kids at Leith Library and got their ideas and feedback on some of the characters. So it was great coming full circle and hearing how they'd enjoyed the challenge, and congratulating them for reading their six books.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_medals_zpseccb6ec0-7f34711f2b.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nWe tried to slide the medals on gracefully and not get them stuck on anyone's ears. It's a tricky task. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_kids_zpsf54d93cd-b892308e0f.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I read a bit from our \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>, the myth we've created, and I talked with the kids a bit about myth making. There's no way to say your characters will be remembered thousands of years from now, like Medusa or the Minotaur, but if you do your best, you never know! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_2_zpsb68b1bd6-84c4f6497e.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nI led everyone in drawing Medusa, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TalesOfOneCity\">Edinburgh City Libraries\u003C/a>' \u003Cb>Simon Radcliffe\u003C/b> said a few words, and our sponsor, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TB_Community\">Tesco Bank\u003C/a>, took a big Summer Reading Challenge group photo. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_1_zps79aabba8-75ef3b8d9d.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nOne of the fun things about this summer is the way so many kids and librarians have dressed up in mythical creature costumes, and the photographers took us outside for a few more cosplay shots:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_outside2_zps4e04fe2d-ac6d573d80.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nWhee! Thank you, Edinburgh! A huge thanks to the festival's Children & Education Programme Director \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/janet_smyth\">Janet Smyth\u003C/a>, and you can follow the festival on Twitter: \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/edbookfest\">@EdBookFest\u003C/a> and see some other things that happened on the \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23edbookfest&src=typd\">#EdBookFest\u003C/a> hash tag. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_leithlibrary_outside3_zps65acdd23-3a43905258.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jeffholmes24\">Jeff Holmes\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nAs much as I love book festivals, I find them exhausting, and I was very grateful that I didn't have to go straight back to the drawing desk (despite impending deadlines). Stuart and I took a couple more days to visit Glasgow Auntie, and she looked after us wonderfully. Here she is, having an intimate moment with a Jampire. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_auntie_jampire_zps61fc8c65-ccf7d08fa1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nGlasgow Auntie took us to beautiful Troon. I had no idea Troon had such an amazing beach.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_troon_zpsf06d70bb-538b61d670.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBut jellyfish... JELLYFISH! We were glad we weren't swimming. Check out this alien creature that had washed up:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_troon_jellyfish_zps8e169d80-30933bbd33.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne last shot with lovely Stuart in the Troon sun. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/edbkfst14_troon_sun_zps9b441ff0-1eac00a0b2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBye bye, Scotland, but just for now! If you're further south and still want to see our \u003Ci>Cakes in Space\u003C/i> performance, there are still a few spaces left for our Saturday morning family-friendly launch at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/events.asp?TAG&CID=%3A30\">Daunt Books Marylebone\u003C/a>, central London on 13 Sept at 10:30am. Book your free ticket now! (You can come with kids or without, in space costume or not, it's up to you!) :) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/cakes_daunt_launch_zpsc5cfa84f-3843c68e62.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd keep an eye on my website \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/events/\">Events Page\u003C/a> to see if I'm in your area!","2014-09-01T08:28:00.000Z","scottish-space-adventure-edinburgh-book-festival-2014",[],"Scottish Space Adventure: Edinburgh Book Festival 2014",1776628726764]