Saffron and Blue

Ennis celebrates the win with a good deal of elegance if you ask me...

Note the subtly matching colour scheme.

I think I've figured out the secret to a good (great?) author's event in Ireland. All you need is for your book's cover to sport the colours of the county you're visiting. If said county happens to have won an All-Ireland final in the very recent past, so much the better, you've your intro ready and an already hyper and delighted audience.
So it was that I travelled far and wide to meet some smart youngsters from Ennis, Kilkee, Kilrush, Shannon and Moveen this week and what a pleasure that was. We got plenty of zombies, some exploding frogs, Super Kettle Man who used his cord as a whip, radioactive snot, vampire princesses, you name it. I suppose Darren Shan's recent visit probably had something to do with that. :)
Word of the week: "sponsor". That's how one clever chap explained the job of publishers: they sponsor books.
Sentence of the week:
Me: "And so, I started working on this book the year some of you guys were born."
One of said guys: "So we were born to read it!"
Publishers out there, if you're ever looking for slogan-writers, PR people or new reps, you now know where to look for them!
Next week, it's off to lovely Meath. Watch this space!

Oh dear...

Mountains to Sea

So right, it's been fun and hot and long, but that's it now, the hols are over. We can now resume our regular programmes and more serious communications and activities. And to help you get into the spirit of the season and get over that back-to-school feeling, here's some good news to shout about: the Montains to Sea festival is upon us again! (4-8 Sept).
With a brilliant family and kiddies programme, it's got something for every one and their granny, from author talks and readings to T-Shirt making and cupcake baking with some big names in children's lit. Check this out: Derek Landy, Patrick Ness, Niamh Sharkey, Gary Northfield, Liz Pichon, Deirdre Sullivan, Philip Ardagh and heaps more.
Have a look over here and get your tickets early!

Deadly or what?

Here are the latest pics by French illustrator Claire Chavenaud for a story of mine that will come out later this year... as an app.

Doodle, doodle, do!

This is what happens when you put Hervé Tullet, Sarah McIntyre, Niamh Sharkey and a heap of French speaking kids under giant umbrellas.
Do try this at home.

Conference high

You know it's a good CBI conference when you spend each session thinking: I have to go home and write a book NOW!
You know it's a GREAT conference when you spend each session thinking: I want to write the kind of books ---- (insert name of current speaker) writes.
So, over the course of the weekend, I've decided to dedicate my whole career to translation (Sarah Ardizzone's talk); books for preschoolers (Hervé Tullet); 5-8 silly romps (Alex T. Smith); novels in verse (Sarah Crossan); well thought-out picturebooks (Jon Klassen).
And of course thanks to Alex T Smith I now know I can draw too.
I want to be artistically multitasking when I grow up...

The pink issue

It's pink and it's here and do I hope you'll like it!