[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-the-new-neighbours-leicester-author-week-2018":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"What was I doing in a basement in a Leicester hotel last night? Why, signing at least 400 copies of \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-new-neighbours/\">The New Neighbours\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, so today each kid at my event could go home with his or her own book! You can see me all set to go, with my shot glass of mints:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/378453_original-3352b82d5c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\n(Just a side note on The Belmont Hotel's carpet: isn't it fab?)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/378794_original-c40d826df2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd now I've come home to lovely messages like this! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/378946_original-e0c1a96046.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nEvery day this week at the Leicester Tigers rugby stadium, three authors will be speaking to hundreds of children, over 5,000 kids during the five days! I was lucky enough to share my day with lovely authors \u003Ca href=\"http://www.balirai.co.uk\">Bali Rai\u003C/a> (a Leicester local) and \u003Ca href=\"http://samhayauthor.com/\">Sam Hay\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/379651_original-8014f5c3ce.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's the picture book Sam featured, illustrated by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.pickledink.com/daron-parton-biography.html\">Daron Parton\u003C/a>. If you or your kids like my \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/dinosaur-police/\">Dinosaur Police\u003C/a>\u003C/i> and upcoming \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/dinosaur+firefighters\">Dinosaur Firefighters\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, Sam and Daron's \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.egmont.co.uk/books/dinosaurs-united-and-the-cowardly-custard-pirate-crew/9781405279338\">Dinosaurs United\u003C/a>\u003C/i> might be just the book for you! \\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://www.egmont.co.uk/books/dinosaurs-united-and-the-cowardly-custard-pirate-crew/9781405279338\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/380062_original-92c9ad961c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nI had a peek over on Bali's website, and he's recently launched this book, \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.balirai.co.uk/home\">Tales from India\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, which looks intriguing. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.balirai.co.uk/home\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/380293_original-b7314c94fa.jpg\" alt=\"Bali Rai\" title=\"Tales from India\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nSo what did we get up to? For the first half of the events, I stood on stage and read out \u003Ci>The New Neighbours \u003C/i>to them (in a boisterous, interactive way) and talked a little bit about how I go about finding inspiration for books and how I make them. For the second part, the kids sat around tables in more of a workshop format; I drew on a visualiser and led them through creating their own tower block, to inspire new stories in a similar way to how I came up with \u003Ci>The New Neighbours\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/379302_original-b91fc1f1f1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI started by teaching them how to draw the bunnies from my story, in the window on the top floor. Then they thought about what bunnies might have in their flat, and furnished it. Then we turned the bottom floor into a soil-filled flat full of earthworms (how would earthworms live?), a first floor aquarium flat, then they came up with the new neigbours for the second floor. (This child appears to have chosen unicorn inhabitants!) \\r\n\\r\nIf you'd like to try this yourself, you can \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-new-neighbours/\">download the sheet off my website\u003C/a>, and if you're using it in a class, you could line up the flats side by side on a display board, to make a long row of terraced housing that the children have created. I hope some of the kids go back and colour them; there were some great ideas. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/the-new-neighbours/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/379414_original-0bf0b8ab5f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nThe concept behind Leicester Author Week is a great one: Leicester was having a problem with its kids not reading, and many of them not having books at home that they could read. In setting up Leicester 'Whatver It Takes', they ensured thousands of kids would go home with their own books, inspired by the people who had created them. It's great for the kids, some of whom might not be able to afford books. And it's great support for us authors because we go, not having to wonder if we'll only sell two books (because teachers have forgotten to tell parents or children haven't brought money). Nope, every kids gets a book! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/380533_original-29623a2438.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the highlights of my day was watching this guy in action, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/dan_routledge\">Daniel Routledge\u003C/a>. He hosted my events, entertaining the children as they came in from and went out to their buses, with jokes, and songs, and general jolliness that made the whole day more fun. He must be absolutely exhausted now, but wow - if any festival organisers are looking for a children's book event compere or moderator, this guy's the one you want to hire.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/380976_original-e3dc83f42a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to the schools who came along, and to Nicole Dishington and the whole Leicester WiT team who made the day run so smoothly: you were fabulous! (\u003Ca href=\"https://jabberworks.livejournal.com/tag/leicester\">Click on this link\u003C/a> if you want to see blog posts from Leicester Authors in years past.) And you can follow this week's events on the \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23AuthorWeek&src=typd\">#AuthorWeek\u003C/a> Twitter hash tag and at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LeicesterWiT\">@LeicesterWiT\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/380834_original-8e81b1bef2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2018-03-12T22:30:00.000Z","the-new-neighbours-leicester-author-week-2018",[],"the new neighbours: leicester author week 2018",1776628729483]