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Vote! Vote! Vote!

by gailaldwin

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.

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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!

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Collaboration: writing and illustrating

by gailaldwin

I’ve been busy this week working with illustrator Fiona Zechmiester on a children’s picture book which has the working title ‘pan-de-mo-nim’. The main character is a purple panda called Peta. Because of her colouring, Peta is camouflaged and she causes chaos at her home in a department store. When one of the shop assistants notices she’s up to no good, Peta is made to look like all the other pandas which puts an end to her tricks. How can Peta become a cheeky panda again?

Early sketches and exploration of colour

Fiona lives in Austria but studied in the UK and was awarded an MA in publishing from the University of Derby. She works on a freelance basis and has been appointed by Victorina Press to illustrate my book which targets three-to-eight-year-old children. In Fiona’s work, the process of illustrating animals begins with a study of anatomy.

Fiona’s research sketches

She then looks at details of a panda that are relevant to the story. Fiona has experience of using many different mediums for her illustrations but the story behind the picture is the guiding principle of the work.

Fiona’s research sketches

As the illustrations have developed, I’ve redrafted the story and together Fiona and I decided on fonts and sizes for the text on different pages in the book. As much of my time as a writer involves working alone, this opportunity to work in collaboration has been a fantastic experience. I’ll be posting further illustrations as the picture book gets closer to publication with Victorina Press.

I previously worked with Fiona to design the cover of my debut novel The String Games. This cover won a finalist badge in the International Book Awards 2019. Voting is currently open at The People’s Book Prize where The String Games is a finalist in the fiction category 2020. Please pop over to the website and give my novel your support so that The String Games has a chance to receive further recognition in this prestigious competition. (If you voted in the earlier round, thank you, please vote again now the novel is a finalist.)

tsg final cover image for use on_web

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Kate Mosse and me

by gailaldwin

Did you know Macmillan Publishers was established 175 years ago by two brother? Originally crofters from the Isle of Arran, thirty-year-old Daniel and his twenty-five-year-old brother Alexander began a publishing business in London to share learning and capture imaginations. The company continues to publish writers that shape our literary lives. On 16 August at the Spiegeltent in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, I was lucky to be in the audience as Kate Mosse introduced a range of writers including food poverty activist Jack Monroe and Sharlene Teo winner of the inaugural Deborah Rogers Writer’s Award for her debut novel, Ponti.

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After the event, I introduced myself to Kate Mosse. She was a judge of the 2015 Elle Magazine writing competition alongside Jessie Burton. I feel privileged that both these authors read my entry and awarded me a place as runner up. (You can read more about the competition here.) Kate enquired about my writing progress and was pleased to learn of my recent successes. In judging a competition, Kate hopes the awards provide motivation to continue to progress with writing. When my novel is accepted for publication, I am now committed to let Kate know.

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Writers & Artists conference in Dorset

by gailaldwin

Scripted reading

Writers & Artists have teamed up with Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) to bring a How To Get Published conference to Dorset on 28 April 2018. The aim of the day is to provide tips and practicalities for getting to grips with writing.

The conference will take place at AUB where there is plenty of free parking. The day will include: a writing workshop of your choice with Natasha Pulley for fiction, Nelle Andrews for non-fiction and Kayo Chingonyi for poetry; panel discussion with leading editors and publishing experts and the chance to hear from leading literary agents Emma Paterson and Therese Coen who are always on the lookout for debut authors to add to their lists. The programme provides information and advice about the writing and publishing process to help progress your book.

For all local writers there is an exclusive discount code to save £30 upon booking, and secure a ticket for just £65 (RRP £95) with lunch included. Simply enter AUBWRITE18 at the checkout to unlock your saving. You can find full details of the conference and booking information here.

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