[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-seawigs-and-sharks-at-the-southbank":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Yesterday at the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/imagine-childrens-festival-1\">\u003Cb>Imagine Festival\u003C/b>\u003C/a> in the Royal Festival Hall, I got to launch my new Shark Seawig! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest_sharkhat_zpsb4bc1e6a-032e2cf81e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i> co-author \u003Ca href=\"http://philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> and I joined the magnificent \u003Ca href=\"http://www.christinejohnston.com/index.html\">Madame Lark\u003C/a> on stage in the central Clore Ballroom for a session of BIG HAIR. Madame Lark totally gets the big hair thing.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest_phillarksarah_zps89a367ac-5fb01e5529.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had loads of fun leading families in drawing Sea Monkeys and treated them to our special Sea Monkey sea shanty (also known as The Eep Song).\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imagine_philsarah_ukes_zps910d56a1-d20af281ca.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSeveral people asked me if I'd made the Shark Wig myself, and no, I didn't make my headgear this time! We have some theatre designers working downstairs at our studio and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to commission something. Here's \u003Ca href=\"http://lauradrakec.tumblr.com/\">Laura Drake Chambers\u003C/a> in the studio she shares with \u003Ca href=\"http://instagram.com/auntyrhinum#\">Sam Wyer\u003C/a>, working on the Shark Wig. (Sam made the matching shark tooth necklace.) You can follow them both on Twitter as \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LauraDrakeC\">@LauraDrakeC\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Woodenfingers\">@Woodenfingers\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/laura_wig1_zps7b87df38-3039ff307a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nAnd here's Laura in my studio, presenting the finished Shark Wig! I added some little fishing lures to the hair, and it was set to go.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/laura_wig2_zps921bf1c4-c3f9c1cbe9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a close-up. The wig's made from things you could find in a bathroom. Then I had some pretty fishing lures tucked into a hidden pocket in my suitcase (I'd totally forgotten they were there!), so I tied them onto the hairpiece. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/shark_seawig_details1_zpsa1b720f4-01a57c5051.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe sharks in \u003Ci>There's a Shark in the Bath\u003C/i> love bathroom wigs, too.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/shark_bubbles_zps4cf7bdf8-679ba6cb3b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBut Madame Lark and I weren't the only ones wearing fancy headgear; check out these Seawigs! Zaman Wong e-mailed this photo to us of \u003Cb>Firoz\u003C/b> - sporting a shipwreck from the Spring 2014 collection - and \u003Cb>Surayya\u003C/b> - with the classic mermaid, accessorized with mackeral and starfish. Zaman reported that both kids were extremely jealous that my Seawig had a rubber duck.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest_signing_zps38acf19e-cbc2105445.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd more awesome Seawigs by \u003Cb>Orlaith\u003C/b>, \u003Cb>Esme\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Elias\u003C/b>! (You can print out a Seawig template \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/oliver-and-the-seawigs/\">from the website\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/leavesey_seawigs_zps654414c0-c3ad8f5ff4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe also has a special guest appearance from \u003Cb>Dulcie\u003C/b>, the real-life star of my picture book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/theres-a-shark-in-the-bath/\">\u003Ci>There's a Shark in the Bath\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. Dulcie came up on stage for a clap, then Philip and I serenaded her after our signing.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest_dulcie_zps8b0f487e-0bcba3fba1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA little glimpse of Madame Lark at work: she's doing \u003Ci>that\u003C/i> with her voice!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest_madamelark_zps68d99659-cd33f1ca41.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TamsinAce\">Tamsin Ace\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Marielairre\">Ruth Huddleston\u003C/a>, \u003Cb>Jessica Ihejetoh\u003C/b> and everyone who have been working so hard to make the Imagine Festival happen! And thanks to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Foyles\">Foyles\u003C/a> Southbank for supplying our books! (That's \u003Cb>Nora Goldberg\u003C/b> on the right; you can follow her on Twitter as \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ExLibrisNora\">ExLibrisNora\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/imaginefest_foyles_zpsb36e7875-7766d45248.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThere are lots \u003Cb>more Imagine Festival events happening, until Sun 23 Feb\u003C/b>, so if you're anywhere near London, do \u003Ca href=\"http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/imagine-childrens-festival-1\">check out the website\u003C/a>!","2014-02-17T07:14:00.000Z","seawigs-and-sharks-at-the-southbank",[],"seawigs and sharks at the southbank!",1776628726182]