David Maybury | Blog

Anthony Browne fell victim to the volcanic ash cloud. This could have been a disaster. And while I was looking forward to hearing him talk the substitue was as good, if not better. With Sarah Webb on hand to direct questions – Niamh talks through her work processes and publications so far.

How did you find it moving from illustrator to author/illustrator?

All my books were retellings of stories – and I was interesting in picture books for younger readers. And after the bisto I met other authors/illustrators including PJ Lynch who encouraged me to try other publishers.

I went to London and with my agent met with publishers – inc Walker – who ask me how I was going to move to writing. I produced a notebook and was sent upstairs to work on ideas.

The ravenous Beast is like the 3 year old reader – and the book is very close to my heart because it was my first.

How did the second life of Ravenous Beast come about?

It has had so many reincarnations – they made the book in DVD and an iPhone App!

In 2005 you did Santasaurus – and it has become a Christmas legend…

I had 3 notebooks full of dinos and another with Christmas and Walker Books reckoned there could be something in it.

Hugglewugs has been one of your most successful – where did the monster idea come from?

The initial idea came from the way I use my notebooks – the story isn’t a narrative – and kids know how to use the book but adults dont always get it.

Walker called it “the TV tie in book and now all we need is the tv!”

I really wanted to do a book on happy monsters – and I wanted Henry to tell the story. To show you what his day was like. The hugglewug name came from a snuggle hug – it’s what we call it at home. I did a google search and when there were 0 results I decided to go for it.

Cinderella is a really special book – I really wanted to do something for older kids (I was supposed to do a book with Michael Rosen on Grimm fairytales based on a newly discovered manuscript but the translations in the end were too scary!) And Walker asked me to revisit retellings – I said I would if it could be one of the big ones.

Mavis and Marge started as a muriel for my daughters school based on the solar system and there was lots of stuff on TV about freerange food and chickens. It was Wallace and Grommit made me switch from a dog to a cow – I didn’t want to draw comparisons.

*** Q&A ***

How much attention do you give to the endpapers?
It’s part of the book and think about it a lot.

You got interested in drawing around 10 years of age – do you have any of your drawings from childhood – is there anyhing left? Is there any correlation with your work now?
I have my portfolio from my teens and it is similar – with little bits of writing and pictures.

How long does each book take you?
About a year – a few months with the idea and 7 – 8 months painting and then a year later to publish.

Do you use photoshop?
I do have a computer – my hub teaches graphic design – and I can do the basics. I talked about colouring on the PC but I have to learn how to do it properly. Helen Oxenbury had a book coloured for her that took 250 working hours.

Are the books published as co- editions?
Some of the books they try to sell at a very early stage – Hugglewug hasn’t and I think Walker are holding onto it.

What do you think about how art is taught in Ireland?
It’s dependent on the teacher. Alot of the times the schools don’t have great art materials. It makes a big difference if you have good quality paints instead of just markers.

Missed the CBI Conference this year? Don’t fret – you can stay up to date with twitter (here and here) as well as some blog updates from Madmiss, Laughing Lion, Kim Harte, Juliette Saumande, Sarah Webb, Oisín McGann and others as they appear.

I’ve plenty of notes too – a few videos, which were VERY impromptu. All that’s left to say is thanks! It was great to meet/see so many faces over the weekend – for all of the great things many of you said about the website – thanks for reading! (And for the luck wished about Inis – my first issue is out 1 June or there abouts)

An enourmous thanks has to go to Jenny, Tom and Mags from CBI – 3 of the hardest working poeple in the Irish children’s books. The importance of the conference is underestimanted – meeting people, gathering ideas and just the chance to be surrounded by the enthusiasm of so many people. It is an irreplacable resource and I can’t stress enough the relavancy of it.

See you on the otherside!

If Siobhán Parkinson (SP) had any thoughts that a laureate gets to sit on her laurels it has firmly been knocked from her after this weekend – that’s right the rock god of a laureate is back! With Futa Fata publisher Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin (TmcD) and Sinead MacAodh (SmcA) asking questions.

(more…)

To open the second day of the conference Michael Rosen has battled volcanic ash clouds, screaming fans and did Jane O’Hanlon just break his glasses on stage? Oh dear… and interestingly in her introducion O’Hanlon slips that Michael is currently working on a biography of Roald Dahl (for children).

And now for the second rock god accesion to the stage – unlike Siobhán Parkinson – Rosen gets no underwear thrown at him. He opens with the immortal words: Hello Dublin! (I’ve rediscovered Michael Davitt) (more…)

Nikki Gamble is picking up from where Verna Wilkins left off last year – taking her theme as a springboard for Knowing me, Knowing You – children’s books, culture and identity.

Like Verna – I believe every child has a right to find a positive image of themself in a book. To experience the lives of others that they would not be able to experience first hand.

Nikki’s talk on explore culture and identity, the way educators mediate books on idendity and culture. And how/why we make the choices we do in books. Do we accept without question that books about cultural idendentity is a good thing? (more…)

To wind up the first day of the conference Pádraic White has climbed up on a high chair to loom over a panel of unsuspecting new writers. Those unsuspecting writers are:

Kieran Mark Crowley (KMC) (Yoda) author of Bisto shortlisted Colm and the Lazarus Key (and really bad dancer)
Natasha Mac a’Bhaird (NMcB) author of Olanna’s Journey
Jane Mitchell (JM) author of Bisto shortlisted Chalkline (former Bisto winner and legend)
Sarah Rees Brennan (SRB) author of the Demons Lexicon and Demons Covenant (and really, really bad dancer. Sarah makes Kieran look good)
Peter Prendergast (PP) author of The Romanian Builder (I’ve never seen Peter dance… give it time) (more…)

Elena Odriozola is an incredible illustrator who has been published across the world – here Elena guides the conference through her portfolio, comment on her needs, quirks, foibles and choices.

A picture tells a thousand words and rather than transcribe word for word I think the pictures will give you a better sense of this presentation. (more…)

Up next – the second speaker of the conference – is author Marcus Sedgewick – who is on an important mission to reclaim the vampire – as something scary. Odd facts about Marcus include – he is 42, one quarter Irish and can’t think without being constantly moving.

And so on to business – Marcus takes to the stage – with an powerpoint presentation flashing behind him and announces that there are 2 questions every writers gets asked. (more…)

So here it is – the 2010 Children’s Books Ireland Conference. The sun is shining, birds are chirping and in the basement of The National Gallery of Ireland… the nations children’s books compatriots are waxing lyrical, swapping horror stories (no really – there are actual stories being swapped) and meeting lots of new/interesting faces.

And there’s no better interesting face than Siobhán Parkinson, our newly appointed inaugural Children’s Laureate, to get the weekend started.

To kick things off Jane O’Hanlon (chair of CBI’s board) introduces Siobhán Parkinson as one of the international elite of Children’s Laureates around the world – the US, UK and soon Australia (are there more out there?) Highlighting the importance of the laureateship and the hard work of Mags Walsh, Tom Donegan and Jenny Murray (the CBI team) as well as Sarah Bannan (Arts Council) and the other partners. (more…)

This years CBI Annual Conference is just around the corner – and it’s jammed with some of the biggest names Irish, UK and international children’s books/publishing/writing/advocacy/criticism and eating cake.

Don’t believe me? Well there’s Marcus Sedgwick, Michael Rosen, Siobhán Parkinson, Anthony Browne and Ireland’s first Children’s Laureate. (Yes – I did say Ireland’s first Children’s Laureate – have you not heard about that yet??)

On top of the guest speakers – there will be the gathering of librarians, booksellers, teachers, organisations, writers, agents, publishers and  Tom will be there too!

Amongst the other speakers – there are some fun folk to look forward to – including Elena Odriozola, Nikki Gamble, Sarah Rees Brennan, Jane Mitchell, Natasha Mac a’Bháird, Kieran Mark Crowley and Peter Prendergast.

If you are involved/interested or just like to read – this is a weekend not to miss. Full details are available at CBI’s website.

The Scottish Book Trust are at it again – doing things to make the rest of us look just plain lazy. This time they are looking for young writers (14 – 17) to work with Catherine Forde.

Reckon this might be up your street? Have a click and see what you think.

It goes without saying that you must be living in Scotland to apply… but who knows there could be something *very similar* coming to Ireland soon. Maybe.

Saturday saw the coming and going of the Irish Children’s Literature and Culture Symposium in UCD. And what a day!? There were interesting panels, lectures and speakers up the ying-yang!

If you haven’t already read lady-schrapnell’s comprehensive notes from the day – then get to it! They are faaaar more composed than my ramblings.

I was completely blown away by some of the presentations – particularly Valerie Coughlan and Ciara Ní Bhroin’s sessions on the Liminality of the bog and Modern Retellings of Irish Myths. Both were well researched, informative – and entertaining. (And there are plenty of ‘bog’ jokes still left to be made!)

The best was kept till last though – with a round-up by Mary Shine Thompson and panel discussion featuring Celia Keenan, Patricia Kennon and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne. This was the most passionate – and engaging – part of the symposium as theories, questions, jokes, anecdotes, questions and hypotheses were thrown around the room at lightening speed. (Jacqueline Rose has me quaking and my head-hurting)

The panel touched on reviewing children’s books in Ireland – which was both terrifying and refreshing. There is a lot of work to do in reviews of Irish books!

All that is left to say are the thanks: To the entertaining gang from Froebel who kept me on my toes at tea break! (Apple and cheese snadwiches!!) To the interesting speakers for their presentations. And to Susan Cahill for organising the day – and making the great point (in relation to bringing Oisín McGann, a group of kids and L.T. Meade together): Why not?

Thank you to everyone that emailed links/suggestions to me since yesterday, and to Damien for the link which probably resulted in most of those emails. No news yet on any interviews/offers. Back to regular posting, with a quick link dump:

Robert Scoble's link to the Make Me Switch blog has come under heavy fire in the comments, a lot of people arguing that the money should be used for better causes. I agree in principle, but Make Me Switch isn't a bad idea either.

One such better cause is available at WanderingScribe. (via Bill Dyke) WanderingScribe is a homeless London blogger who has lived in her car for five months and was featured on the BBC on Monday. Bill is also homeless, an Englishman in Amsterdam, who has a very interesting blog about his own experiences.

A more pessimistic view on Kaavya Viswanathan, That Girl Who Writes Stuff. (See earlier post) And lastly, the DaVinci Code courtcase judgment code has been broken – details via The Guardian.