By Kathryn Evans
Okay, I confess, I may be get a little over excited about World Book Day – I love dressing up! Continue reading “Ideas for “Subtle” World Book Day Costumes”
Category: For Readers
World Book Day 2017!
World Book Day is almost upon us and I’m super excited! When I daydreamed about being a published author, school visits were one of the things that occupied a lot of my procrastination time (school visits and book launches…true fact that) . Continue reading “World Book Day 2017!”
More of Me is One Year Old
By Kathryn Evans
I feel like I should have a little birthday tea. One year ago today, my first book was born. After more than 15 years of trying, I became an actual, real life published author. My debut YA novel More of Me was released by Usborne to U.K. readers.
The birth was celebrated by many of my amazing friends. The tribute below was lead by Candy Gourlay and Amanda Lillywhite, who encouraged enormous numbers of people to do this to their faces and post it all over facebook and twitter.
I was so moved by this, it’s amazing, don’t you think? And then very many of them turned out for my launch parties – the first hosted by Daunt Books, the second, by Waterstones. You can see loads of pictures here but this is one of my favourites, because it sums up all the support, kindness and squidging I’ve had along the way:
I think it’s traditional to talk about the highs and lows of having a first bookbaby- and at some point I will be doing a post on that for SCBWI’s Words and Pictures – I’ll link to it when it comes out. But not here. Here, in the spirit of new motherhood, I’m going to celebrate my book’s first birthday by inviting a few pregnant friends over…I think I may be taking this metaphor a bit too far…Basically, I’m going to celebrate my book’s birthday with the
Joy of New Books!
During this last year, I teamed up with four other SCBWI debut authors, my fellow Lost and Founders, and they all have new books out this year. I’ve read one of them, Olivia Levez, The Circus, and loved it. Sue Wallman’s See How They Lie, Patrice Lawrence’s Indigo Donut and Eugene Lambert’s Into The No Zone, I couldn’t quite get my hands on yet but I will! I will! I’m so happy for them, they give me hope! I’m still writing my book 2 ( slacker).
I also want to mention Peter Bunzl’s Cogheart – this book was Usborne’s lead debut in 2016 and made a huge and deserved splash. It’s middle grade with a strong story, wonderful characters and a gorgeous steampunk feel to it. If you haven’t read it, do – I can’t wait for the follow up, MoonLocket, out in May..need to get working on my dress ups for that event…
Fellow Slushpiler Teri Terry has a new series launching in May this year, Contagion – I’ve not read it yet but she is consistently good, I loved Book of Lies released this year and I can’t wait for this creepy looking series!
I am also desperate to read Candy Gourlay’s new book but I don’t know when that’s going to happen – come on Candy, you have readers waiting!! ( I keep nagging int he hope she’ll give me a sneaky peak…sigh…)
I’ve just realised I could go on forever with this list…especially as I want to give a heads up to some brilliant SCBWI authors who have recently been signed to an agent or publishing house and I know are going to produce amazing books: Em Lynas, Sheila Averbach and Lucy Van Smit get on with it gang, I await new treats!
There are so many more, it’s going to be another exciting year for books and hoorah for that. Now it’s nearly time for cake, but first I must say:
Thank you:
- Heaps if you were involved in More of Me winning, being nominated for, or long listed or shortlisted for an award. I am beyond grateful. And a bit stunned to be honest.
- A ton if you read and reviewed More of Me, or just read and loved it or read and didn’t like it but didn’t slay me in a review – or if you did slay me in a review you did it for the betterment of book kind.
- A gazillion times if you were involved in anyway in spreading More of Me’s wings worldwide, I love seeing all the foreign editions and hearing from readers all over the world.
- Mahoosively if you’re a school or library that’s invited me to talk to your children.
- Endlessly for encouraging, handholding and being generally fabulous.
And now….CAKE!
The 2016 best — Bookwitch
I can not believe Book Witch has included me on her 2016 Best Books Pile. I need to have a lie down so I shall do that and share her blog instead of writing my own. THANK YOU BOOK WITCH!!!!
Yes, there were good books, even in a year like 2016. Let’s not lose [all] hope, shall we? In fact, after careful consideration, there were more serious contenders than I could allow through to the final round. Sorry about that. During 2016 I seem to have read and reviewed 154 books. Before you gasp with […]
And the winner is…
by Kathryn Evans
The last few days have been unbelievable – first the Carnegie nomination and now this…you guys did this, you awesome, wonderful, lovely, amazing folk – THANK YOU.
More of Me has WON the Edinburgh International Festival First Book Award and YOU made it happen.
There are not enough thank yous in the world but here are some:
Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Here’s a bit of what I officially said:
I am stunned to have won this award – when I saw the calibre of the other authors I thought I didn’t have a hope. So often children’s fiction is seen as the poor cousin to adult books – yet in it, we tackle some of the hardest subjects in the most innovative of ways. I am so proud to hold the banner up for YA fiction.
You can read the rest here.
Or in The Book Seller !!
And if you want to read it for yourself, well, Amazon’s the easiest route but you can also use Hive or Waterstones or go to your High Street book store or library.
Oh and…
THANK YOU
Lost and Found Giveaway by Kathryn Evans
Boom!
Wow! In a weekend you smashed all our follow targets so – true to our word – the WORDS, will all be revealed.
What can you win?
Signed copies of all of our books including:
Sue Wallman’s Lying About Last Summer – one of Zoella’s Book Club choices for autumn 2016!
Olivia Levez The Island – star reviewed in Publishers Weekly.
Eugene Lamberts The Sign of One – shortlisted for AM Heath’s Irish Children’s Prize
Patrice Lawrence’s Orange Boy nominated for the 2017 Carnegie Medal
Kathryn Evan’s More of Me – winner of the EIBF First Book Award and nominated for the 2017 Carnegie Medal
Meemee – a little blue cousin of Peepee from More of Me.
A mug and hot chocolate
A torch ( for reading under the covers)
A bag of Hotel Chocolate buttons
A lovely Books Are My Bag tote – donated by Waterstones Islington
Post cards and books marks and temporary tattoos
And everything packed up in a cardboard Paddington case with a Lost and Found luggage label for you to use as a book mark!
We will deliver your prize to anywhere in the UK.
How do you win?
Put these words into a saying that makes sense – think about the title of our tour!
LOST… NOT… IS…. ALL
Send your answer and your name to me via my contacts page.
For extra chances to win – for every friend you refer, you get an extra chance to win – just send us your name again , with your answer and the name of the person you referred – when we pick up their name, you’ll get to go in the draw again! As many times as you like!
We will put all the entries into a hat ( literally) and make a random draw. the name of the winner will be revealed on 10th November just before our Waterstones Guildford Tour Stop. If you’re there and you’re the winner , we can hand it over there and then!
Good luck!
More of Me nominated for Carnegie Medal
By Kathryn Evans
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that I am a huge fan of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals. This is because the nominees and winners are chosen by librarians. Only librarians. And I have haunted libraries all my life.
I’ve blogged about it in the past, this is my post from 2015. I even shadowed the shortlist last year – something I highly recommend – great books and you learn SO MUCH and get to hang out and chat about some of the best books in the country.
It all starts with a list of nominations. It’s usually a very long list and this year is no exception – it is a very long list. But there is one tiny difference this year.
I am on it.
It means so much I feel like I’ve won already. I will always be a Carnegie nominated author.
I think I might go and have another little cry.
Congratulations to all the nominees for both the Greenaway and the Carnegie. I am beyond honoured to be on the list with you.
Lost and Found Hamper Giveaway!
Updated 09/10/2016: The REVEAL is at the bottom of the page!
To celebrate the launch of the Lost and Found tour and the debut of these fabulous books:
More of Me Goes Global!
By Kathryn Evans
There are things you don’t even think about when you’re longing for that first publisher to take an interest in your writing. One of those is foreign rights sales – and they come as such a lovely surprise when they happen. Continue reading “More of Me Goes Global!”
#IAmAFeminist
Whoa! What a twitter backlash there’s been to that hashtag! So many haters! But there were some who genuinely seemed interested in answers so, here you go, all opinions my own, all facts as accurate as I can make them: Continue reading “#IAmAFeminist”
Kathryn Evans 