Monday, June 28, 2010

Eoin Colfer - Live Webcast - 2:00 - 2:45 pm BST on Tuesday 20th July 2010

The new Artemis Fowl book, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex is being published just in time for the summer holiday.

If you're free you can join in the live webcast on Tuesday 20th July 2010 from 2:00 - 2:45 pm. And in any case I'll do mu utmost to get copies the instant it is released, so put in your reservation now. If there are more people wanting to read it than I have copies I will select the lucky borrowers by a draw.

To find out more and register to take part go to Eoin Colfer Live. I have registered the Library so if anyone is free to join me they will be very welcome.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Orange Prize


So Lacuna has beaten Wolf Hall to the prize. I was wondering which of my TBR pile to attack next, but if it's that good my decision has been made for me.

BBC News - Orange Prize

The other books on the shortlist were:

Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall
Lorrie Moore - A Gate At The Stairs
Attica Locke - Black Water Rising
Monique Roffey - The White Woman on the Green Bicycle
Rosie Alison - The Very Thought of You.




Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Essex Book Award - Jane Mitchell at Essex SLS HQ

     Jane Mitchell made the journey from her home in Ireland to Essex, in spite of fears that volcanic ash might prevent her travelling, to talk to the groups from schools all over Essex who had almost unanimously chosen her book Chalkline as their best book of the year. Six boys from KEGS were able to attend


     She gave an excellent talk on how she writes in general , as well as how Chalkline came into being. It was while she was travelling in Rajasthan that she first got her idea about a boy kidnapped to be trained as a soldier for the Kashmiri separatists. Her advice to all who are themselves interested in becoming authors was, firstly to read as much as possible, and then to start writing straightaway and not wait until they think they're ready to write their first book. 



     One of the questions put to her after her talk was, "What was your favourite book, when you were young", and, amongst other titles, she particularly recommended "The Boy with the Bronze Axe", by Kathleen Fidler. First published in 1968 this is still in print, an indication of its lasting value, and I have now acquired a copy for the Library.