[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-superkid-at-hay-festival-2013":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"I carry so many of my superpowers in my SUPERHERO HANDBAG.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/superkid_hay_marybyrnepic_zpsc90d40a6-39df3d364d.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Photo by Hay Fever coordinator Mary Byrne\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10061404/Hay-Festival-2013-A-Z-of-highlights.html\">Festival Highlights!\u003C/a> I am Lady X:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10061404/Hay-Festival-2013-A-Z-of-highlights.html\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/telegraph_a_z_zps898ae9a0-be78e9d531.gif\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nMy work at the Hay Festival started as soon as Stuart and I boarded the train from Paddington, and sat next to chatty, book-loving Robyn. Who drew a very fine picture of Superhamster, as you can see. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_robyn_train_zps498eeaaa-14c66686f5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n(The \u003Cb>Superhamster Colouring Competition\u003C/b> is ongoing, \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/566621.html\">see details here\u003C/a>!) I've seen less than brilliant weather at Hay, and invested in a new pair of wellies. Which were totally inappropriate as it was BLAZING HOT when we arrived. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_wellies_zps25a5e79d-421ead10b2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the best things about Hay is bursting into the rather serious, literary Green Room at Hay in full costume and looking like a total nutcase. Here's \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Jenkins\">Simon Jenkins\u003C/a> learning how to do superhero poses.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_sarah_simon_jenkins_zps20b88e34-a5618f3bf0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA bit thanks to fab Telegraph reviewer Martin Chilton (\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MartinChilton\">@MartinChilton\u003C/a>) for the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10075440/Hay-Festival-day-ten-as-it-happened.html\">mention on Hay's blog reportage\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10075440/Hay-Festival-day-ten-as-it-happened.html\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_telegraph_blog_zps8595302a-dbdded4871.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here to read more under the cut!-->\\r\nI chickened out about saying hello to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tony-hawks.com/\">Tony Hawks\u003C/a>, but I did very much enjoy his book \u003Ci>Playing the Moldovans at Tennis\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_tony_hawks_zpsf99569e3-7adf0c9087.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy first event was with excellent writers \u003Ca href=\"http://www.marklowery.co.uk/\">Mark Lowery\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>Socks are Not Enough\u003C/i>), moderator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jonathanmeres.com/\">Jonathan Meres\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>The World of Norm\u003C/i> and Jamie Thomson (\u003Ci>The Dark Lord: the Teenage Years\u003C/i>). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/funnypanel_poster2_zps76d3b83c-0d687db66e.gif\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_funnypanel_zpsad5327d7-a5a349cc62.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDuring our event, the audience helped us create a story; Mark helped us design a hamster hero (with me drawing), Jamie helped us create a villain, and then the audience helped us use the characters in a four-panel comic strip. Ah, I just found this video of Jamie, and you can get a sense of what it was like to have him teach us how to talk like a Dark Lord (MWA HA HA!):\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2012/dec/06/jamie-thompson-dark-lord-video\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/jamie_thomson_interview_zps3753db4c-bb6681f6d2.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nEven when we had dinner the night before, he was talking like that. He uses the word 'puny humans' a lot. Here's a puny friend he made from the flower arrangement, but it is not human.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_jamie_thomson_zps01402c11-481142cc2b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy second kid featured \u003Ci>SUPERKID\u003C/i>, my book with \u003Ci>Aliens Love Underpants\u003C/i> writer \u003Cb>Claire Freedman\u003C/b>, and everyone drew Superhamster. I had fun afterward at the signing, drawing portraits in books of lots of kids as superheroes. (If you were at the event and want more activity sheets, you can find them on my website \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/superkid/\">here\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_sarah_superkid_zps029be9bb-86a20b1a00.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA couple kids drawing Superhamster in the Green Room:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_hattiekids_draw_zpsd530651a-71f723f55d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then when we ran out of paper, I drew on the kids themselves. (Well, one is a kid, the other is Martin Chilton.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_tattoos_zps927f7483-7081e0320b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBig kudos to \u003Cb>Mary Byrne\u003C/b> (standing next to me, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/marysbookstuff\">@marysbookstuff\u003C/a> on Twitter) as this was her first year of coordinating the children's part of Hay Festival (Hay Fever), taking over from Sophie Lording. And she was amazingly chatty and calm for how busy she must've been. Yay, Mary, well done! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_sarahmarydamiandave_zpsd1c0afb5-7c3cbcd5e8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe other two lovely chappies in that photo are \u003Ca href=\"http://www.piccadillypress.co.uk/teen/damian-kelleher/index.html\">Damian Kelleher\u003C/a> (you see occasional photos of us splashing out for fancy afternoon teas at posh hotels) and my comics matey \u003Ca href=\"http://daveshelton.com/\">Dave Shelton\u003C/a>. If you haven't read Dave's book, \u003Ci>A Boy and a Bear in a Boat\u003C/i> and \u003Ci>Good Dog, Bad Dog\u003C/i>, then you have a treat in store. Nice nautical gear, Dave! Damian interviewed him, Dave pulled out a ukulele, and the audience discovered that DAVE IS A GOOD UKULELE PLAYER. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_dave_shelton_1_zpsca5b1ea9-1802425557.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLast year I was supposed to do an event with writer-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://cathybrett.blogspot.co.uk/\">Cathy Brett\u003C/a>, but she was unwell, so I missed getting to meet her. But this year I got lucky! (I like how there are two people in this photo but three pairs of glasses.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_sarah_cathybrett_zps7c8eee76-eda4816be7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThere's a huge team making Hay happen, and here are some of the lovely crew in the kitchen who make sure everyone is well caked up. Thanks so much to everyone for making it a fabulous couple days! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay13_kitchen_zps1d600ebb-9e990138f2.jpg\">","2013-06-01T23:34:00.000Z","superkid-at-hay-festival-2013",[],"superkid at hay festival 2013",1776628725212]