[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-sheffield-childrens-book-award":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Oh, my goodness! I had no inkling, when I got up at stupid o'clock this morning to catch a train to Sheffield that my book with Giles Andreae, \u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i>, was going to win a prize. And not just one prize! Here's me with my fab agent, Jodie Marsh, looking shocked.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield1-46bc2fed1f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe ceremony for the Sheffield Children's Book Award took place in Sheffield Town Hall under this magnificent ceiling:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield12-c8880370ab.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI could hardly believe it when \u003Ci>Morris\u003C/i> took the \u003Cb>Best Picture Book\u003C/b> prize. I hadn't even prepared a speech, and since the weather was cold, I wore my scuffy ten-year-old Doc Marten boots and thick socks my auntie knit me, thinking no one would notice (since I wasn't going to go on stage or anything). But not only did they ask me to do one speech, but \u003Cb>TWO SPEECHES when \u003Ci>Morris\u003C/i> won the prize for the Overall Winner 2010\u003C/b>! That's up against all the big-kid novels!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield4-c35e3c843a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe auditorium was massive, and the organisers had packed more than a thousand schoolchildren in there, all screaming and stomping like we were rock stars! They'd all personally voted for the books, so they had a real stake in who won. The enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming... but definitely in a good way! Giles couldn't come because he was in Egypt, but he sent a message along to everyone (dwelling on the shape of my spectacles, of all things. ...\u003Ci>Giles!\u003C/i>)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield2-5c4343e7d8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Lots more photos under the cut!-->\\r\nI was pleased to see comics represented in the Stan Lee Graphic Novel/Manga Prize, and I hope they'll think of including my \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i> with those next year. Here's my snapshots of the shortlist: \u003Ci>Vampire Knight Vol.5\u003C/i> by Matsuri Hino (the winner), \u003Ci>Twelfth Night\u003C/i> adapted by Nana Li, \u003Ci>X-Men: Magneto Testament\u003C/i> by Carmine Di Giandomenico & Greg Pak, \u003Ci>Captain America: the Man with No Face\u003C/i> by Ed Brubaker, and \u003Ci>Grandville\u003C/i> by Bryan Talbot.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield10-05f966528f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nNana Li did a great job representing the graphic novels:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield7-954dbc6d6c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a group shot:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield9-2878a06e81.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Left to right, top row: Mei Matsuoka, Leigh Hodgkison, Caryl Hart, Anne Cassidy, Nana Li, Thomas Taylor, Martin G Naylor, Terence Blacker\\r\nBottom row: Pete Johnson, Peter Bentley, Amy Husband, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Elen Caldecott, Sarah McIntyre, Damian Kelleher\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nHere's the fabulous illustrator Mei Matsuoka, whom I first met \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/237918.html\">when she came for lunch at our studio, the Fleece Station\u003C/a>. Since then, she's moved from Tokyo to England, so I'm hoping this means I'll get to see a lot more of her.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield13-e189a43de7.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Mei Matsuoka and Peter Bently with their book 'The Great Dog Bottom Swap'\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nHere's a picture from when Mei and I were mucking about in one of the fancy rooms.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield5-bedc233e3f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhoto session with the Lord Mayor:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield6-db370e8b10.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother friend, Damian Kelleher, with his novel \u003Ci>Life Interrupted\u003C/i>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield14-192b111435.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's writer Caryl Hart with illustrator Leigh Hodgkinson with \u003Ci>Don't Dip your Chips in your Drink, Kate!\u003C/i>. We rode the same train back to London and I discovered Leigh lives just down the road from me, hurrah!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield3-7ef0bb4bf3.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Caryl Hart and Leigh Hodgkinson\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd I'm not totally sure what I'm doing here, I think I was trying to make enthusiasm make up for a completely off-the-cuff acceptance speeches.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield11-3c34cab9ac.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nScary big space, huh? :D\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield15-6915e25bee.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThank you so much to all the organisers and all the kids who voted for \u003Ci>Morris\u003C/i>. What an amazing day! Thanks particularly to Alexis (pictured here), who looked after me so well all day. That's a very cool silver wall fountain behind us; this was my first time to Sheffield and I really need to go back and have a better look. And, of course, thanks for all the hard work on the book by Giles (who wrote the poem), designer Ness Wood, editor Hannah Featherstone, publisher David Fickling and publicist Lauren Bennett.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield8-e32de0e199.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nJust to note, if you like \u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i>, you can download all sorts of free printable activity sheets from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk\">my website\u003C/a>: \u003Ci>Morris\u003C/i> and other books.\\r\n\\r\nWinners were:\\r\nOverall winner 2010: \u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i> by Giles Andreae & Sarah McIntyre\\r\nBest Picture Book: \u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i>\\r\nBest Shorter Novel: \u003Ci>Boom!\u003C/i> by Mark Haddon (also published by David Fickling!)\\r\nBest Longer Novel: \u003Ci>Gone\u003C/i> by Michael Grant\\r\n\\r\nHighly Commended: \\r\nPicture Book: \u003Ci>Don't Dip Your Chips in Your Drink, Kate!\u003C/i> by Caryl Hart & Leigh Hodgkinson\\r\nShorter Novel: \u003Ci>How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant\u003C/i> by Elen Caldecott\\r\nLonger Novel: \u003Ci>The Dead House\u003C/i> by Anne Cassidy\\r\n\\r\nCommended: \\r\nPicture Book: \u003Ci>The Great Dog Bottom Swap\u003C/i> by Peter Bently & Mei Matsuoka\\r\nShorter Novel: \u003Ci>Secrets of Hightower\u003C/i> by Martin G Naylor\\r\nLonger Novel: \u003Ci>Life Interrupted\u003C/i> by Damian Kelleher\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's our United Agents group with very proud agent Jodie Marsh:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sheffield_ua_team-94627e7f41.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Thomas Taylor, Elen Caldecott, Peter Bently, Jodie Marsh, Sarah McIntyre, Mei Matsuoka\u003C/i>","2010-11-24T00:01:00.000Z","sheffield-childrens-book-award",[],"sheffield children's book award!",1776628719185]