For EmpathyDay on 10th June this year, the amazing team at EmpathyLab have put together a Family Toolkit of fantastic empathy-based activities you can do with your whole family. One of the activities is called ‘Musical Shorts’: you read a short story (brand new free stories on the EmpathyLab website!) and then choose a piece … More A Musical Story for Empathy Day
I can’t be the only one wondering who I am after the year we’ve had. My job basically disappeared overnight: schools closed to visitors, publishers slowed right down, and my writing time was instead taken up with homeschooling my kids. Things are readjusting themselves again and there are signs that things will pick up, but … More Who Am I?
I look back at my last post in early March and laugh ironically. I was all ready to get going on new projects, buzzing with writing ideas, get back on track…and then lockdown happened. Since then, my kids have been at home with me and like everyone else I’ve had to find new ways to … More Having a Lovely Day
I haven’t written my blog for ages, and there’s a big reason for that: I’ve been considering giving up writing. From the outside, I’m an extremely successful children’s author: I’ve published over 40 books; I’ve won awards; children across the country (and in other countries!) read and study my books in lessons and produce amazing … More Hello, I’m back!
I bin around again! From 12th-15th November I was up in beautiful Newcastle, scurrying from school to school as part of the Northern Children’s Book Festival. Then last week I visited the wonderful Discovery Academy, a special school in Nuneaton, before driving on to Shrewsbury to speak at their Bookfest conference: Unlocking the Power of … More North! West! South(ish)! and vote please
One of the unexpected delights of being a published author is seeing your book translated into other languages. I confess, when I started out as a writer, I was really only concerned with getting the book published in English; it never occurred to me to think of it leaving the UK! A Library of Lemons … More Romanian Lemons
That’s the Doctor Who theme music, by the way, just in case you didn’t recognise it. And it’s going round and round my head today because an advance copy of DOCTOR WHO: STAR TALES arrived at my house today – and I’m in it! Yes – I’ve written an actual Doctor Who short story (well, … More OooEEEEOOOOOhh…
Keisha is a total science geek. She loves space, physics, engineering, chemistry – you name it, she’s fascinated by it. She’s also obsessed with boyband On The Up, whose dreamy good looks are the hot topic of her friends’ conversations. Two amazing things coincide to make one terrible dilemma. On The Up has agreed to … More Geeks Can’t Dance (oh yes they can)
It’s been buuuuusy. Again! Despite my decision to take on less work this term. Not quite sure where the days are going. Since my last blog post, I’ve done events at: three schools in Chipping Norton area for the fantastic Chiplitfest Oxford Literary Festival with fellow author Cath Howe for EmpathyLab Stratford Literary Festival Bloxham … More I am a rock god
I’ve been all over the place again – a couple of weeks ago I spent two fab days in Shrewsbury, courtesy of the Shrewsbury Bookfest, for which A Storm of Strawberries was shortlisted last year. I visited five schools over the two days and was BLOWN AWAY by the amazing stuff I saw!! Look at … More Manic March!
Jo Cotterill 