Losing It

Lady M

I know I have a rather odd expression on my face in these pictures and look as if I may have lost my mind. In fact, whenever I do school events, I tend to 'lose it' in a different way. I feel desperately nervous and worried about author visits in advance. I try to tell myself it's a sort of stage fright - a necessary surge of adrenaline to ensure that I can deliver a good 'performance'.

Handa's Surprise - or... er, Handa's Asleep?

But once I'm actually there - face-to-face with two Year 5 classes crammed into one classroom, all dressed as book characters, or three classes in a lecture theatre, all channelling their inner superhero - I focus on the children, forget about the other adults who are there and lose myself in the moment, along with some of my usual inhibitions and reserve.

I think this is probably a good thing for a children's author to do once in a while.

This time around, I had a cold - so I also lost my voice. It's slowly returning and I've progressed from croaky to husky. Think along the lines of Rod Stewart's Losing You: http://youtu.be/u-kWj_kXzVg or It’s a Heartache: http://youtu.be/Dfw_ID95hPw

Flash Fiction for World Book Day

It's Not All About the Writing

I spend most of my time hunched over my laptop, working alone at home. But this Thursday – 1 March – is World Book Day and like many children’s writers, I have been invited into a school for an Author Visit. This year, thanks to organiser and fellow author, Karen McCombie, I will be visiting Year 5 at Campsbourne School in Hornsey, north London. The main focus of my hour-long session will be Flash Fiction and I have already asked the children to make a blank mini-book in advance. I will also do a short reading from Spike and Ali Enson and from Skin Deep, plus a ‘lucky dip’ question and answer session.

So, everything’s under control then? Well, it was until yesterday when I remembered, in a minor panic, that the Campsbourne children – and teachers - may very well be dressing up as their favourite book characters to raise money for charity and that perhaps I need a costume of my own!

From the mask in my picture, you could be forgiven for thinking that I have gone for ‘Burglar Betty’, the good woman who reforms – and marries – Allan and Janet Ahlberg’s ‘Burglar Bill’. But you’d be wrong. The white lumps are the basis of my character’s costume and it occurs to me that I should probably offer a prize to anyone who can guess who it is.

My mask, together with the black cape and possibly some bright red or purple lycra, is actually for the School for Superheroes event the following week at Central Foundation Boys’ School in Islington. I will be running sessions for two groups of ninety Year 5 children from local primary schools as part of the CFBS secondary school transition programme, plus a small, informal session for Year 7 students squeezed in between. I am obviously not at liberty to reveal further details of my superhero identity as it may undermine my ability to save the world...

The day after, I have to be a grown-up and run a one-off workshop for university undergraduates on writing picture books – no dressing up required – and between these events, I have my regular weekly session at another university, offering 1:1 support with academic writing.

Honestly, I love my job!