It’s been another busy week, with a visit to Beachborough School in Brackley on Tuesday (hello, Anna! Hello, brilliant kids!) followed by a drive up to Leicester for a day with the organisation Whatever It Takes (WiT), part of the Schools’ Development Support Agency. Cerrie Burnell (latterly of CBeebies) and David Harmer and I all … More Whatever It Takes…Leicester to Libraries!
Last year was a tough one for me, and writing wasn’t easy to do, but perhaps there’s a grain of truth in the old adage about suffering creating great art because I am SO proud of this, my very next book, out in June: Published by the fab team at Piccadilly Press, spearheaded by lovely … More COVER REVEAL: JELLY
It was World Book Day in the middle of Snow Week, which added to the complications for many authors of getting around the country to lots of schools! I was lucky only to have one visit postponed due to the weather, but it was hit and miss on a couple of days! Many thanks to … More School visits and Turkish Lemons!
A teacher has studied Looking at the Stars with her Y7 class, and they have sent me some wonderful reviews! Thank you so much, Miss Brett and Hartford Church of England High School – and thank you to the fantastic Y7s for their thoughtful and beautifully-written reviews! “I really enjoyed this book as it shows how … More Y7 reviews of Looking at the Stars
Yesterday I visited my lovely Patron of Reading school, Didcot Girls’ in Oxfordshire. Normally I do writing workshops and talks there, like everywhere else, but this time I was there to do something different. In June, my new book JELLY comes out, and for reasons that I’ll explain when I can announce it all properly, … More My First Creative Music Workshop!
On Sunday evening I travelled down to Plymouth ready for events at the lovely (huge!) Shakespeare Primary School. I always look out for interesting things on journeys so that I can photograph them (being slightly obsessed with landscapes, lines, and the editing app Snapseed). Below are some of my favourites from the journey down and … More A Journey in Photographs
I know, I know, it’s a TERRIBLE pun. Er. Is it a pun, if you just add another letter to make it silly? Hmm. Anyway. It’s been TOO LONG since I blogged, sorry about that. It’s not as though I haven’t had events and things to write about! But, you know, Christmas, and stuff and…well, … More Latest Writing Wround-up! and new books!
Mint Choc Chip at the Market Cafe, by Jonathan Meres and Hannah Coulson, is a new addition to the Little Gems range from Barrington Stoke, aimed at young readers. These books are beautifully presented, with full-colour illustrations, and a sturdy laminated cover – and a cute size too, perfect for smaller hands. Mint Choc Chip … More Mint Choc Chip at the Market Cafe – review
Oh my goodness, Friday was SUCH an amazing day! Along with fellow shortlistee Philip Reeve, I went along to the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf for the Finale of the Tower Hamlets Book Awards. I was thrilled just to be on the shortlist, to be honest. Many of these authors have already won big awards, … More Winning the Tower Hamlets Book Awards!
A few days ago I received a wonderful email from a reader who had enjoyed Looking at the Stars so much she used it as inspiration for a recent art project. She said she found the book very meaningful and tried to capture that in her work. I think she absolutely has – what do … More Fan Art: Looking at the Stars
Jo Cotterill 