Scribblemania 104

I've been busy travelling around and enjoying some fun stuff on the events side of things so here I am, catching up on the blog eventually !

Recent events have taken me to Ironbridge in Shropshire (for the Pop -Up Festival), Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, (for the Sharjah Reading Festival),  a very foggy Aberdeen in Scotland where I visited the International School and finally to York to help open the new Waterstones. Since I came home I've also done the second stint of the Pop-Up Festival in Purfleet, Essex and the final showdown will be at Swiss Cottage, Camden in London in July, (Look out on Twitter for more updates).

Not wishing to bore you further with all my tales and nonsense, here are a few visual highlights;

The Pop Up Festival balloon, flying high in the blue above Ironbridge.

Creative workshop crazyness

The Spooktorium, made for me by those lovely people at the Royal Opera House

With top team - Corrine Gotch and Ashley Baugh (from Midas PR) who both accompanied me on events in Sharjah and Dubai

Here we are outside the Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest building 

(despite me being almost the same height)

And of course, a touch of Scribblemania from Waterstones, York opening day

A few observations from Sharjah

A really HUGE thank you to the team @ Hodder Children's Books, Lizz Skelly, Corrine Gotch, 

Ashley Baugh, Midas PR, 

Josie Crimp, International School of Aberdeen, Waterstones York, and the amazing Pop Up Festival team for such a crazy innovative idea that came together brilliantly. 

Oh and I'd like to thank my director, my producer, my mum and dad, everyone who voted for me and of course, all the people at BAFTA ! Can I go to sleep now please, I'm tired ?

Scribblemania 103

This year I am delighted to be part of the 2014 Pop-Up Festival.
Only a couple of weeks before we kick things off at Coalbrookdale Museum in Ironbridge, Shropshire where you can come and help me turn useless nothings into spooky somethings !

Go HERE to find out more and download the programme.

Scribblemania 102

I was tidying the studio a bit today and came across these works in the plan chest.
All three images are from Dust 'n' Bones - Ten Ghost Stories

Grab yourself a copy here:      Dust'n'Bones

Scribblemania 101

Publishing Heroes

Number 1 :  Emma O' Donovan - THE BOOKSNIFFER  

I thought it was about time I started to flag up a few people in the children's book industry on here.
In particular those who I have worked with and who have been a great support to me and my work.

As I publish this particular piece, my good friend Emma, who you will also know as
The Booksniffer, is leaving her current Marketing Managerial role at Templar Publishing and heading
out into the world of freelancing as a consultant on all aspects of the picture book.

Here she is in Roald Dahl's famous chair !

I got to know Emma when she looked after me in the Marketing department at Hachette. I'm surprised she still speaks to me after I flogged her repeatedly and made her slave over all my bookmarks and
postcards but here she still is, sharing my work online, giving my work great reviews and being a top buddy.

Emma will now be available for independent professional help in all aspects of the industry. I wish her well as she embarks on what I know will be a great success for her and I know she is already in big demand.

SO... whether you are a publisher seeking professional, external input, an illustrator seeking a route into the industry, an established author/illustrator in need of social media training, a school or library service needing picture book advice, or you just want a good old chat about books go right here and do it now!

                                                          Good Luck Emma

(with a nod and a presumptuous thank you to the lovely @Benji_Davies for the use of the artwork)

Scribblemania 100

PIRATES !

  Pirate selfie

It's my 100th blog post and what could be more fitting than to flag up my latest exhibition.
Those lovely people at Calderdale, West Yorkshire have adorned the walls of the incredible Bankfield Museum with my Piratical scribblings.

There were over 350 people on the opening event and I signed books for almost two hours. Thank you to all the enthusiastic buccaneers who came from near and far to see the work and buy a book.

A special thank you goes out to Calderdale Museums and in particular the lovely Jeffrey Andrews.
His enthusiasm, support and help has been fantastic.

Thank you also to another special person. Frances Andrews taught me when I was at Middle School. She was one of the only people to have encouraged my drawing and show support for my work from an extremely young age. And all at a time when I found school a really difficult place to be !
I am DELIGHTED to still be in touch and be working with her as she continues to teach and inspire other children.

Frances on the left   Captain Mould on the right

Roadside advert

Inside the Museum

 Pirate pics

The amazing Bankfield Museum

Up to press we've had 1220 visitors to the show and all in a very short space of time.

So don't just sit there reading this nonsense, get yourself down there and see what all the fuss is about.

Scribblemania 99

Scribblemania 98