children's & YA recommendations on the go
Neil Gaiman on fantasy offering refuge in times of flux
Click the link for video of Neil Gaiman’s Newsnight interview with Arts Correspondent Stephen Smith. Gaiman talks about his new book, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, and his writing of episodes for Doctor Who.
via BBC News – Neil Gaiman on fantasy offering refuge in times of flux.
Addy What marks Hot Key out as different/special?
Emily An independent spirit! We have the style and the individual author care that smaller boutique houses offer, and we have a digital presence that is the envy of the industry. Our online networking through social media and through encouraging our authors, our readers and our booksellers to blog makes us stand out in terms of reaching out to our readers. We are dedicated to spreading the word. All that and the fact that we are the proud inventors of the Hot Key Ring: a unique guide to content, perfect for adult purchasers and for readers themselves and something that completely avoids age banding which, given the variety of reading ability within an age group is not necessarily helpful at all when choosing a book!
via Notes from the Slushpile: Emily Thomas – Hot Tips from Hot Key Books.
Author Malorie Blackman is announced as the new children’s laureate, taking over from Julia Donaldson for the next two years. Three competition winners ask her questions submitted to the Guardian’s children’s books site, including what she intends to do as laureate; how to encourage reading; how to avoid writers’ block; and her recipe for a brilliant book
via Children’s laureate Malorie Blackman – video interview | Children’s books | guardian.co.uk.
Go to the link to watch the 8-minute video.
And, Hooray for Malorie!
Michael Grant gives a good interview.
Here’s another one, from a fortnight ago, which I stumbled on while trying to find a link to today’s Guardian Review children’s book, if there is one…
You have to remember my relationship with characters is different to the readers. From my point of view they’re like employees, they work for me. They’re employees that I like hanging out with after work. I try to think of myself as a benevolent employer, although I kill them occasionally (laughs). There’s a little bit of killing.
I used to work at that place and now I work at other places, but I have very fond memories of it. I could see myself sitting down with them – as soon as they get to legal age – and hanging out. It’d be fun to catch up on old times with them.
From a Guardian Children’s Books site interview – full piece recommended
Where’s your favourite place to write?
I always like to work outside and our house has two outdoor decks: a lower one, which I don’t use, but the upper one is open to the sky and I’ve got my hammock out there and my rocking chair. It looks out over San Francisco Bay and its up on a hill so I can see San Francisco and I can see Alcatraz and I see the ships going by and the sail boats and all that kind of stuff. So that’s my number one place to work. But when its too cold, I drive my car over to what’s called the Marin Headlands and I’ll stop in the pull out where all the tourists come to take pictures and I’ll type in my car. I also work in coffee shops sometimes and I work in bars sometimes and restaurants.
Very highly recommended, long magazine-style profile of the author Gary Paulsen, by Elizabeth Royte, who recently spent three days with him.
Contains swearing
Paulsen was dressed, as he would be for the next three days, in black Carhartt overalls and a black long-sleeved T-shirt—half hipster, half biker. “Are you hungry?” he asked. My thoughts immediately turned to the exalted morsels of Dogsong (1985), in which Eskimo children tuck into meat that’s “red and had coarse texture and rich yellow fat. All over the children’s faces and in their hair the grease shone and they were happy with it.” Instead we headed toward a seaside restaurant, where the author had a standing order of white rice, veggies, and tofu, hold the veggies. He ordered one of the roughly eight Diet Pepsis he consumes daily.
Gill Lewis, interviewed by Lottie Longshanks:
Gill Lewis, vet and author of Sky Hawk, White Dolphin and Moon Bear, talks to site member Lottie Longshanks about writing books about life-and-death topics, protecting wildlife, and having a tree house as an office
