Have you been out today?

Seawhite of Brighton A6 sketchbook number 12b, begun April-ish, 1998






Bigness of picture may be achieved in the usual fashion, if desired.

From a Japanese website's article about the Guardian Children's Fiction prize (congratulations to Frank Cotrell Boyce for winning it, by the way. And thanks very much to the Guardian for the excellent sandwiches at the awards do):

The boy and bear out to sea in a boat. Luggage suitcase food and manga, the ukulele. Even though it was only going out a little pedal, the emergency direction I have lost sight of in the middle of the sea unawares. The storms may come, the sea monster. Exhausted and the last food. And how the fate of the boat and the boy and bear?

Seawhite of Brighton A6 sketchbook number 12b, begun April-ish, 1998






Bigness of picture may be achieved in the usual fashion, if desired (though I doubt, in this instance, that it will be).

Seawhite of Brighton A6 sketchbook number 12b, begun April-ish, 1998






Bigness of picture may be achieved in the usual fashion, if desired (though I doubt, in this instance, that it will be).

Contrary to my natural state (as alluded to in the title of this blog) I shall be venturing into the outside world on no less than three occasions in the nearish future to bask in the indifference of my reading public: This Saturday, October 20th, I'm talking and holding a workshop at the Reading Festival (that's Ree-ding rather than Red-ding - do you see what they did there?) in Aylsham, Norfolk; On Friday November 2nd, I'll be reading at my local branch of Waterstones in Cambridge (also my former employer) as part of the Stories for Smiles reading marathon on behalf of the Blue Smile Project. I'll also be giving a short talk about how A Boy and a Bear in a Boat came into being; On the weekend of November 17th and 18th I'll be at the excellent Thought Bubble, the Leeds Comic Art Festival, where I'll be generally mooching about and spending some time at The Phoenix's stand where I'll be taking part in a Draw Off (first bout at 11.15, my first round fixture is vs Rob Deas at 11.45 - come along and throw popcorn at us).

Aha! Following recent news that A Boy and a Bear in a Boat hadn't made it onto the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize shortlist, today it was announced that it's now on the (really quite long) longlist for the UKLA Book Award 2013. So that's nice.

Also nice is that books by my mates Stephen Davies and Philip Reeve join BBB and others on the Booktrust's Best Book Guide 2012.

Hurrah for niceness!

Seawhite of Brighton A6 sketchbook number 12b, begun April-ish, 1998






Bigness of picture may be achieved in the usual fashion, if desired (though I doubt, in this instance, that it will be).

So A Boy and a Bear in a Boat was longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize but hasn't made it to the shortlist (I'd put a link in to an article on who is on the shortlist but I can't yet find one). Anyway, no shame in losing out to the likes of Roddy Doyle and Frank Cottrell Boyce and I was (I know it's the law that I have to say this but I really do mean it) very chuffed just to make the longlist. 'S all right for a first go, isn't it. Shortlist next time and I'll win the bugger the time after that. That's the plan, anyways.

At some point I think I get a (fancy?) dinner and the chance to act gracious/drunkenly heckle when the winner is announced but I'm still waiting for the details.

Seawhite of Brighton A6 sketchbook number 12b, begun April-ish, 1998







Bigness of picture may be achieved in the usual fashion, if desired.