[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-seawigs-hits-bologna-childrens-book-fair":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"On Sunday, the crew of \u003Cb>Oxford University Press\u003C/b>, \u003Ca href=\"http://philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> and I donned our nautical frocks, sailor hats and seawigs and headed off to Italy for the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it/en/home-page-bologna-childrens-book-fair/878.html\">Bologna Children's Book Fair\u003C/a>! Here's the picture I drew of us on the plane, while all the editors and agents in the seats around us frantically read through manuscripts:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_drawing1_zps0722f8a9-f7594f25cd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I had no idea how the OUP stand would look, and we were super-excited when we saw the huge poster they'd made for us. Hurrah! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_philsarah_seawigs_zps502a6eaa-b972d88388.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI got to wear this tentacularly fabulous hat created by \u003Cb>Emma Toft\u003C/b> of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.studio7t7.com/\">Studio 7t7\u003C/a>. (You can follow her on Twitter at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/studio7t7\">@studio7t7\u003C/a>.) There's a submarine in \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i> and one on the hat, too!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_emma_toft_hat_zps56317628-676905a433.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHead of publicity \u003Cb>Elaine McQuade\u003C/b> gave black and blue pens to Philip and me and told us we could draw on any available surface. We almost got carried away and started drawing on the neighbour stand, too, ha ha. LOTS of sea monkeys.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_sarah_phil_draw_zpsff9502f9-6dd1f9f5c6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Loads more Bologna photos under the cut!-->\\r\nInside the stand, we made a \u003Cb>Draw-Your-Own-SEAWIGS-Sea-Monkey\u003C/b> wall! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_phil_monkeys2_zps8b73f126-6736f80553.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe wondered if many people would draw on it, or if our headgear would scare them off. Hmm...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_draw_seamonkeys_zps85a0c219-650d464946.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAh, never fear! There's cartoonist \u003Ca href=\"http://www.rosasquith.co.uk/\">Ros Asquith\u003C/a>! Lots of people joined in, and now, back in England, I hear they're still drawing sea monkeys. (\u003Ci>Send photos, people!\u003C/i>) :) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_ros_monkey_zps0ca85fd8-b7a27ed0cf.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe rights team got in on the action, and here's \u003Cb>Giuseppe Trapani\u003C/b>'s most excellent sea monkey. (He was talking with publishers from Italy, Turkey, French Canada, SE Asia, Greece, Russia, Georgia, the Middle East and Taiwan.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_giuseppe_monkey_zpsc1ce4925-624a23e242.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThese \u003Cb>Turkish publishers\u003C/b> were so excited about \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i> that they signed their contract with Giuseppe on the spot! And Rights Manager \u003Cb>Valentina Fazio\u003C/b> clinched Seawigs deals just before the fair with German publisher \u003Ca href=\"http://www.dressler-verlag.de/\">Dressler\u003C/a> and a Japanese publisher. So I have no idea what's happened since then, but it's so exciting to know that we'll get to see \u003Cb>Seawigs in Japanese, German and Turkish\u003C/b>! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_turkish_publisher_zps2ff89ff9-cd326b0b8c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe every-exuberant gang from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/\">Children's Book Ireland\u003C/a> were roving the fair and shot this video interview of Philip and me, which you can watch on their blog \u003Ca href=\"http://inismag.tumblr.com/post/46321292751/philip-reeve-and-sarah-mcintyre-talking-about\">here\u003C/a>! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://inismag.tumblr.com/post/46321292751/philip-reeve-and-sarah-mcintyre-talking-about\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_inis_video_zps48a4253a-ce3c0742b8.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAh, and would you look at that... CBI's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/davidmaybury\">David Maybury\u003C/a> in the Seawig. (Why am I not surprised by this?)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_david_maybury_wig_zpsa676faab-ee936b32db.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's \u003Cb>Ireland's Children's Laureate na nÓg \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/laureate-na-nog/\">Niamh Sharkey\u003C/a>\u003C/b> with Philip and fab English writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lucycoats.com/\">Lucy Coats\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_niamh_lucy_zpsa701e4ff-e9d5e88e78.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe Irish \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/meet-the-team/\">CBI team\u003C/a> really were out in force! As soon as we could, Philip and I made a beeline for their booth. Here's \u003Cb>Patricia Kennon, Juliette Saumande, Nessa O’Mahony\u003C/b> (\u003Ci>is that right, guys?\u003C/i>), \u003Cb>Jenny Murray\u003C/b>, - oh look, it's writer/illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.babette-cole.com/\">Babette Cole\u003C/a> stopping by! - and \u003Cb>Mags Walsh\u003C/b>. They're keeping a brilliant ongoing blog about the Bologna Book Fair on their \u003Ci>\u003Cb>Inis\u003C/b>\u003C/i> magazine \u003Ca href=\"http://inismag.tumblr.com/\">Tumblr site here\u003C/a>, do have a look!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_cbi_gang_zpsfe9a745c-a53ef17da6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm super-excited for May, when I'm going to be joining these fine folk for the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/conference-and-events/\">CBI Annual Conference\u003C/a> and a week of mad drawing events with Niamh Sharkey and French illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.herve-tullet.com/en/accueil.html\">Hervé Tullet\u003C/a> (who was also in Bologna but somehow I managed to miss seeing him, argh!) Here's a fine exhibition they had at their booth! I'm looking here at an illustration by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.chrisjudge.com/\">Chris Judge\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_cbi_exhib_zpsf4985674-cbddbcf76c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBologna and good food really go together, and we had two fine meals out! On Sunday night, when only some people of the OUP crew had arrived, we ate in a ship-themed restaurant called \u003Cb>Il Veliero\u003C/b>. Look at that great ceiling!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_il_veliero_1_zps18a368b0-b8362b98f4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe portions were RATHER LARGE, and these are just the starters! Here's Philip with OUP Rights Assistant \u003Cb>Laura Buchan\u003C/b>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_il_veliero_laura_zps5471853e-0ef0fcb303.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had such a good laugh with Rights Manager \u003Cb>Anne-Marie Hansen\u003C/b> and our Seawigs head editor \u003Cb>Liz Cross\u003C/b>. I'm guessing they're probably cross-eyed from meetings by now, heh heh.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_il_veliero_am_liz_zpsbc2b24ca-1e41a0982d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere I am, showing off my panna cotta to American editorial manager of Sourcebooks, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sourcebooks.com/editorial/steve-geck.html\">Steve Geck\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_il_vel_stv_geck_zpsab86a294-0d430c9f8c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe were so stuffed full of food that we decided to wander back home on foot, even though it was raining a bit. But the rain was pretty, it made the pavement glow and gave bright highlights to the statues. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_statue_zps181c5d67-7d99a74bff.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOn Monday night, we had our BIG SEAWIGS PARTY DINNER at \u003Cb>Da Silvo\u003C/b> on the Via S. Petronio Vecchio. OUP filled two long tables full of friends and publishers from Germany (our new Dressler publisher, \u003Cb>Marlen Bialek\u003C/b>), Greece, Georgia, Canada, France, Czech Republic and Holland, and they all drew pictures of seawigs. But I was quite surprised, when we arrived, to see this at my place setting:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_olive_poo_zps82189dbf-76ea6d8f3b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere is my agent, \u003Cb>Jodie Marsh\u003C/b>. We look equally taken aback:  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_olive_poo2_zps576681b6-6a65c2dd79.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nNo, it was not what it looked like; it was, in fact, delicious OLIVE TAPANADE. Oh my word, we had about 30 amazing courses at that dinner, including about 14 desserts. Here's Kobo's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Lindseym\">Lindsey Mooney\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>remember her as a publicist from DFC days, comics friends?\u003C/i>) and OUP's \u003Cb>Lou Brown\u003C/b> looking across a giant panna cotta.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_panacotta_zpse1a4768d-e82ac5c79b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_jodie_napkintwt_zpsfe9bdf32-1240f4f449.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n...Just to clarify, Giuseppe's good friends with the restaurant owner, Silvio, and he \u003Ci>TOLD\u003C/i> me I could draw on the napkin! (At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) Here's the man himself, in drawn form. I hope someone will tweet me a photo of us having a big smooch when Giuseppe presented it to him.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_silvio_napkin_zps55162b53-8f5196ea6c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSilvio liked the picture so much that he immediately framed it and hung it on the wall! Here is hangs over Liz Scott, Philip's agent \u003Cb>Philippa Milnes-Smith\u003C/b>, OUP Director \u003Cb>Rod Theodorou\u003C/b> and \u003Ci>The Guardian\u003C/i>'s \u003Cb>Julia Eccleshare\u003C/b>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_silvio_framed_zps83c1c779-c9359cf1a7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWhen OUP were first pitching for \u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>, they made a funny video for us with a team of sea monkeys and Liz wearing her own seawig! It had these baubles hanging in it (just like the ones that hold Mr & Mrs Crisp prisoner in the book), and at the dinner, we were presented with our baubles. I didn't manage to get a close-up of Philip's, but here's mine. So cute! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_baubles_zpsd6b42498-1136b46a4c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's our fabulous \u003Cb>Elaine McQuade\u003C/b>, who did loads of the preparations for the book fair. I wish I'd caught a photo of her doing a wild sea monkey attack pose, that is one of the tragedies of my life that it was not captured on film. And she's here with \u003Cb>Tom Tivnan\u003C/b>, features editor of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thebookseller.com/\">The Bookseller\u003C/a>! I'm always reading his name at the tops of articles, so it was great to put a face to a name. Tom's originally from Boston, but he's lived practically everywhere and has an accent even more messed up than mine is. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_tomtiv_elaine_zps59edb660-3f4b613e55.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nGiuseppe led a bunch of us on a lovely walk home, where we saw where he studied Linguistics and lovely bits of architecture such as this covered walkway:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_town_arches_zps21827683-f4b8e207dc.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm going to do \u003Cb>another Bologna blog post - hopefully tomorrow\u003C/b> - about some of the other marvelous things I saw at the festival, but here are a few more of the Seawig drawings at the OUP stand by Philip and me. If you go to the stand and look carefully, you can spot a ship drawn by Babette Cole, and I'm hoping lots more will be added during the next couple days. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_colin_monkey_zpsa3e26ae2-4326d6f982.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_stand_monkeys_zpsfaa3a529-5e855b430f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHa ha, Philip even decorated the porthole to the Secret Cupboard. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_porthole_monkeys_zps430e072c-e1cd7552ae.jpg\">\\r\nIf you're on Twitter, you can follow us at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/OUPChildrens\">@OUPChildrens\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/philipreeve1\">@PhilipReeve1\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LizJCross\">@LizJCross\u003C/a> and me, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jabberworks\">@jabberworks\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\nHere's Rights Manager \u003Cb>Valentina Fazio\u003C/b> leaving her mark!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bologna13_valentina_monkeys_zps56e24a9e-56932feaf5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\\r\nI had a total blast and I think the OUP stand was one of the most lively and fun at the whole fair. \u003Cb>Thank you, OUP crew, for a marvellous visit! And thank you to our new German, Japanesee, Turkish and Bulgarian publishers! You can read more about the book fair \u003Ca href=\"http://blog.oxfordchildrens.co.uk/2013/03/27/bologna-childrens-book-fair-2013-rights-camera-action/\">over on the OUP Children's Blog\u003C/a>!\\r\n\\r\n**\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/551091.html\">Click here for my Bologna blog post, PART 2!\u003C/a>**","2013-03-27T12:02:00.000Z","seawigs-hits-bologna-childrens-book-fair",[],"seawigs hits bologna children's book fair!",1776628724924]