[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-the-alligators-mouth-richmonds-indie-childrens-bookshop":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This Saturday was ALLIGATOR themed in southwest London... \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_brooch_zpskfursezm-0d792dc585.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n...for the grand launch of Richmond's new independent children's bookshop, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thealligatorsmouth.co.uk/\">The Alligator's Mouth\u003C/a>! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_shopfront_zpscw7zh2ut-f577f8af49.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThere was much cake and Gruffalo:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_axel_cupcakes_zpspzdqu7rz-c4f646931b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's the team who run it! With all these indie bookshops shutting down, it's extremely brave to be opening one, but wonderful, too. Children's book sales are still on the rise, and we need our indies to look out for new talent and highlight the books picked by specialists, which might not necessarily be taken up by big chains. The three who run the shop are, from the right, artist and designer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.markpembrey.com/\">Mark Pembrey\u003C/a>, \u003Cb>Margaret Wallace-Jones\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Tony West\u003C/b>. Margaret and Tony used to run the Lion & Unicorn Bookshop, but the sky-high Richmond rent forced them to close. But they didn't let that beat them! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_team_zpstxxrg0rq-94c52b7887.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nThe Alligator's Mouth can count on strong support from British writers and illustrators. Even superstar writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/\">Jacqueline Wilson\u003C/a> turned out for a signing! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_jacqueline_wilson_zpsafee2w8n-ab588bcd4c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was so pleased to meet lovely writer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SmritiPH\">Smriti Prasadam-Halls\u003C/a> and writer-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/sophyhenn\">Sophy Henn\u003C/a>. I'd seen Sophy's bold covers pop out at me before, and it was fun talking about her technique, using pencil and Adobe Illustrator (not Photoshop, as I would have expected). Sophy has a real screen-printer's aesthetic, which gives her books that lovely retro, limited palette simplicity. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_smriti_sophy_zpsxaquqi1k-26ff5b0c7a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Tony with pooch and writer-illustrator Chris Riddell, who arrived to cut the ribbon and officially open the shop. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_tony_chris_zpsuukrabmj-2fb6bbc54e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI know it looks like he's actually taking a snip out of Margaret here, but I promise there was a green ribbon. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_ribbon2_zpsbmelrl6i-0e11935e6f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's the lineup of authors who stopped by, posted by Chris on \u003Ca href=\"https://instagram.com/chris_riddell/\">his Instagram\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_chrisdrawigs_zpseqfhi1wd-e2ea779b29.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nStuart and I popped out to get some lunch and do some shopping and managed to catch writer-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ianarchiebeck\">Ian Beck\u003C/a> at the end of his signing session. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_jacqui_ian_zpst2ywaieh-980f551617.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's writer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NatashaFarrant1\">Natasha Farrant\u003C/a>! I read her book \u003Ci>After Iris\u003C/i> when I was judging the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, and while I didn't find it screamingly funny, it was wonderful and warm, with a gentle humour that I loved. I wasn't quite sure why it had been submitted for the prize, but it was one of my favourite reads in the stack, and it was great to meet its author at last. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_natasha_farrant_zps7iaw2zz7-72e4c8b17b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe shop was absolutely heaving all morning - such a turnout! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_facepainting_zpsmexoqe4x-43a5f4c9fe.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSadly I missed seeing Barry Loser writer-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BarryLoser\">Jim Smith\u003C/a>, but I grabbed this bookshop tweet. (Do follow them at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/alligatorsmouth\">@alligatorsmouth\u003C/a>!) I've read \u003Ci>Barry Loser: I am Still Not a Loser\u003C/i> and it really IS screamingly funny. The drawings are kind of awful, but in the most wonderful way, that makes turns a funny book into one that actually made me laugh out loud. Drawings of hoverpoos and two old people kissing are forever burned on my memory.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/alligatorsmouth/status/597456613193154561\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligatorsmouth_jim_tweet_zpsugzkoh5s-614ade5ecd.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nI wasn't actually able to tell Tony that I would be coming to the launch; I'd spent so much time doing book promotional activities and travelling that I thought I'd better save the day to spend with Stuart. But when Stuart found out about what the indie bookshop was doing, he said, 'No, this is something we really should do', and we were able to make of it a lovely day together. Richmond's lovely, and we had a great lunch at the \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/tides_cafe\">Tide Tables\u003C/a> vegetarian cafe under the bridge, and Stuart bought a jacket on the high street. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_sarahstu_zpszd4odhml-6d0be47592.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIt's definitely a destination; not only do you get a children's bookshop, but a couple streets away, you'll find an indie comics shop! We ran into Sam, who works there, and whom we met at my \u003Ci>Jampires\u003C/i> co-author \u003Ca href=\"http://davidoconnell.uk/\">David O'Connell\u003C/a>'s wedding, and he took us back there for a visit Raygun comics. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/alligator_raygun_zps1omwjoyx-85284eb2ff.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBehind the desk, here's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ewoktamer\">Chris\u003C/a> and Sam, and Sam's very interested in stocking more self-published comics, so if you make your own, think about getting in touch with the shop at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Raygun_comics\">@Raygun_comics\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/raygun_chris_sam_zpsv7weeczo-86756abac5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSo, hurrah for indies! If you can support The Alligator's Mouth (and Raygun), that would be fabulous!","2015-05-11T07:56:00.000Z","the-alligators-mouth-richmonds-indie-childrens-bookshop",[],"the alligator's mouth: richmond's indie children's bookshop",1776628727612]