I’ve received brilliant feedback from parents and grandparents who are looking forward to sharing Pandemonium with the youngsters in their lives at Christmas. Some children have received early copies and I’ve been sent photos of them enjoying the book. Fortunately, everyone has agreed I can post these pictures on social media so here’s a gallery I’d like you to see.
I guess the pandas at Hawes department store (the setting for Pandemonium) are glad the doors will once again open in the UK this week. Of course, with bookshops closed due to lockdown on launch day, Tuesday 1 December 2020, it doesn’t help in getting this children’s picture book out into the world. Fortunately, there’s the internet to rely on. As part of publication day celebrations, I’m holding a competition on Twitter. In Pandemonium, Peta gets up to mischief in the department store. You can see an early version of a double page spread below:
If she can be that naughty in a café, imagine what would happen in a sweet shop!
Here she is, nicely camouflaged amongst the hand finished rose and violet creams made by the House of Dorchester. If you’re active on Twitter, do pop over there now to follow, like and retweet my competition post for a chance to win this box of delicious rose and violet creams and a copy of Pandemonium. (These are the most gorgeous chocolates ever and I promise Peta hasn’t licked any!) The winner’s name will be picked from a hat at noon on Thursday 3 December. Due to the cost of postage, the competition is open to UK residents only.
If you’d like a copy of Pandemonium, please support Victorina Press by ordering through the website. Use coupon code XMAS2020 to receive 30% discount. Please help this independent press to discover more unheard voices and promote inclusion by purchasing directly from them.
Traditionally held at Stationers’ Hall, the eleventh annual awards ceremony for The People’s Book Prize was instead organised via Zoom thanks to Covid19. Finalists from the three categories were there, authors of fiction, non-fiction and children’s literature, plus all the publishers. The evening was hosted by founder Tatiana Wilson and director Tony Humphreys. At one point I found myself virtually rubbing shoulders with prize patron, Frederick Forsyth.
We wore our finest clothes to make the occasion special. While I drank a cup of tea, others sipped wine. Like all finalists in the fiction category, I was able to say a few words about my novel and then the winner was announced. Author of The Weighing of the Heart gained the the sparkling trophy and I was very pleased to celebrate Paul Tudor Owen‘s success. I’ve been following Paul on Twitter for some time and feel I know him from the podcasts and interviews he’s offered since his novel was launched in March 2019. The Weighing of the Heart is a contemporary novel set in New York where the English protagonist Nick Braeburn becomes fascinated by his landlady’s Egyptian art and a young artist who lives nearby. Paul was very gracious in his acceptance speech and highlighted the importance of small presses in bringing to market stories that are overlooked by the big five publishers.
Who can you spot in this photo of fiction finalists and others?
Becoming a finalist in The People’s Book Prize has been a wonderful experience. It’s raised the profile of my coming-of-age novel The String Games, provided a platform for my publisher Victorina Press and has given me the chance to connect with lots of wonderful authors. And there are many of you reading this post who I have to thank for helping me reach the finals. Without your votes, I would never have come this far. So, let me take this opportunity to thank you very much for your support.
Regular followers of this blog must be very aware that The String Games is a finalist in The People’s Book Prize. I’ve written several posts about this competition and have encouraged you to vote for my debut. Thanks to you, The String Games is now a finalist in the fiction category 2020 but in order to become a winner, I need you to vote again.
Why is this competition important?
For a debut novelist published by a small press, The People’s Book Prize offers an opportunity for The String Games to reach a wider audience. The theme of this coming-of-age novel is about resilience: how it’s possible to overcome barriers in life and embrace fresh starts and new beginnings. The novel shares important messages and that’s why I’m so keen for The String Games to do well.
By entering The String Games into The People’s Book Prize, Victorina Press have shown their commitment and confidence in my work. When a small press receives the accolade of publishing a winning novel in a national competition, this provides a platform to showcase other important books such as One Woman’s Struggle in Iran by Nasrin Parvaz.
For a healthy publishing ecosystem, it’s important that small presses do well and have their place in the sun. Without small presses, there would be less diversity in publishing and less choice of books for readers.
Why vote for The String Games in The People’s Book Prize?
The People’s Book Prize is a unique literary competition which aims to find, support and promote new and undiscovered works. Winners are decided exclusively by the public. Watch this video produced by The People’s Book Prize for more information.
Voting is easy. Just pop across the The People’s Book Prize and give The String Games your support. The competition closes on 30 May 2020.
Thank you!
In all the time I’ve been busy volunteering in Uganda, there has been activity on the creative writing front at home. I was shortlisted in a poetry competition run by my publisher Victorina Press. My entry has now been translated into Spanish and included in this beautiful bilingual poetry anthology. David sent me a photo and I’m looking forward to reading the book when I get home.
Other news relates to the The String Games. My debut novel is one of fourteen finalist in The People’s Book Prize and voting is now open to select a winner in the fiction category. Thank you to everyone who has supported me to reach this stage. You are now able to vote again and if you haven’t voted before, this is your chance. Find out all about The String Games here. You don’t need to have read the whole novel as the opening pages are available for you to make a judgement. When you’re ready to vote, scroll down, add your details, tick the box and submit. The String Games is up against some stiff competition but wouldn’t it be great to see a Dorset writer on the stage come presentation day? Congratulations to the other finalists.
