The Margaret Carey Scholarship Winners and Honorary Mentions 2014

Margaret Carey was a talented writer and illustrator and an  Undiscovered Voices winner in 2008. For many years, she organised events for both authors and illustrators in SCBWI British Isles with verve and passion. Her volunteering and amazingly generous spirit was recognized in 2010 when she received the inaugural SCBWI British Isles Outstanding Contribution Award. 

This Conference Scholarship was set up in memory of Margaret’s life as a children’s writer and illustrator and her large contribution to SCBWI British Isles.

Words & Pictures is delighted to celebrate with this years two winners Kim Hutson and Ali Oxtoby and four honorary mentions Emma George, Allison Friebertshauser Yasmin Finch and Dave Gray. Here are some of their reactions to the news…

Kim Hutson

@WineCrucifix

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

My entry for the Margaret Carey scholarship was sent on a bit of a whim and in quite a rush. I didn’t think I stood a chance of winning but I thought I might as well enter. I was actually at quite a low point in the writing process – that point where you are convinced that it has all been a waste of time and everything you write is rubbish (I’m sure everyone knows that point well) so I flung in my entry and went away for the weekend. I was absolutely blown away when I was informed that I had won!

My book, The Times and Life of Mr M, is a story about a boy called Tom and his adventures with the enigmatic Mr M – a Victorian time travelling inventor. There’s pickpocketing, old rivalries, an asylum and even a dinosaur but the story is really about loyalty, family and trust.
Winning the scholarship has given me just the boost I needed and has given me confidence in my work. And, most importantly, it means that I can go to the SCBWI conference, which I could never have afforded otherwise. I can’t wait!
(Kim has just set up an author Facebook page.)

Ali Oxtoby

When I submitted my script for the Margaret Carey Award, I let go of the outcome. It's something I try and do, as it helps keep me sane. So the email telling me I was a winner was a wonderful surprise. I still can't quite believe it. As a writer we get so many nos and nearlies, it's hard to believe it sometimes, when we actually get a yes!

I chose There's A Bird On My Head to submit because it's my current favourite. It started off as a poem I wrote and performed. A bird lands on Molly's head. She doesn't like birds. Her father tells her to stay still while he goes into the house. Molly imagines all the things he might be fetching to help get the big scary bird safely off her head, while the bird inside her head grows bigger and bigger. She's not impressed when she sees what he actually comes back with.

Winning this award has done wonders for my confidence. I will be walking tall at the Conference, even though I am only 5ft 3 and a half! I went last year. It's intense, exciting and unmissable. And most importantly of all – extremely helpful. On a practical note, I can attend happy in the knowledge that I did not have to go into debt to be there. Many many thanks to everyone involved.

Emma George

The Dark Sky was written for my MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. It is set in the Potteries in 1934, a time when many people joined the British Union of Fascists – the Blackshirts. My main character, Violet, is one such person. When she falls in love with Jack, a beautiful Blackshirt boy, she is drawn deep into his web of fascism, manipulation and control.

I entered The Dark Sky for the scholarship at the last minute, without any thought of winning. I was thrilled to receive an honorary mention. Since finishing my MA, I have submitted the novel to several literary agents – so far, without success. I’d been feeling somewhat discouraged, so this is a real boost to my confidence. Thank-you!

 Allison Friebertshauser

@allisonfriebs

Ghosts Underfoot is a teen novel about a group of friends involved in a fatal car crash and the trouble that one stubborn soul stirs up when he refuses to pass on. The reaper who drops into human form to close the case file ends up tangled in mortals and mayhem.

After years as an unpublished writer, it can become a struggle without any outside encouragement. It is an incredible affirmation for all that I have poured into a story that is ever evolving and especially heartening that this latest draft is hitting the mark. The best part by far has been celebrating with my critique group and writer friends, who are the most supportive and loving creative people I've met across three counties. I will also enjoy insisting that people call me the Honourable One. I'll let you know how that goes.

Yasmin Finch

Being awarded an honorable mention in the Margaret Carey Scholarship for Mr Mustachio was fabulous news. ‘Mr Mustachio’ is the story of a man, his moustache and the day his carefree roundabout ride ends in disaster.

To be picked out, of what I’m sure were a pile of strong entries, is such a boost. Writing for children is relatively new for me and makes a refreshing change from writing the PhD that I have just completed. This has encouraged me to keep going, keep writing and keep hoping.

Mr Mustachio swept into our lives one regular dinnertime. My two boys were causing the usual chaos in the kitchen and in the mayhem someone cracked a joke about a moustache. Suddenly the idea was there and I abandoned everyone to scribble down a rough draft. I’m really pleased I did.

---

Many Congratulations

Kim, Ali, Emma, Allison, Yasmin & Dave!

And The Winner is.....

Bridget's winning snail!

It’s nearly conference time again  and I can’t wait! A chance to catch up with friends old and new; energise the creative parts of my brain; network with the great and the good (what a line up we have this year); and get involved in all the amazing competitions and promotions and  I’ve hijacked Celebrations to share with you the winners of our very first 2013 conference competition...

The Badge Competiton!

This year our panel of judges have chosen 12 winning designs from a host of fantastic entries, and one wonderful winner….drum roll please….the winning badge is….

Congratulations to Jo Franklin for her inspiring (and instructive!) words and for Vikki Gibson’s bright and engaging design. You are a pair of worth winners.

In joint second place were Paul Morton with this uplifting design:

And Julienne Durber with a very accurate portrayal of exactly how I feel:

Our other runners up were: Anna Violet in collaboration with Jo Franklin; Catherine Cooper; Amanda Lillywhite celebrating our very own Duck and Bear; Benjamin Scott, Nicky Schmidt in collaboration with Vikki Gibson and Olivia Palmer. All the wonderful designs will be on sale at this years conference here's a preview!

Winners from Kathryn Evans

Well done all and thank you for taking part. Don’t forget there are plenty more competitions at the conference. Hope to see you there!

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Every year Kathy Evans splendidly organises The Conference Badge Competition. She manages SCBWI British Isles finances, is South East Network Coordinator, brought Celebrations to Words & Pictures and is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor. Wow!

Badges, Badges, Badges!

Kathy Evans

 I'm hijacking Celebrations to give you all a chance to win something! It'll soon be time to announce the Amazing SCBWI British Isles Annual Conference which means it's already time for me to announce the highly popular badge design competition!

Last year's gorgeous illustrations and witty writing-and-illustrating-related slogans were truly fabulous and I know this years will be just as good. Everyone can have a go as long as you're a SCBWI member. So what are we looking for?

Fun  illustrations, designs or short witty slogans that would make great pin-badges for this years conference. 

This is a great chance to see your work on the chests (or jackets, bags, hats or conference name tags) of everyone who matters… can you afford not to take part?! Who knows where it might lead and there are prizes - oh yes!
 Apart from fame, glory and a bit of free publicity:

• First Prize is a complete set of  ALL the other badges selected as winners.
• Second Prize is a half set of badges (including the winning badge and your designs) 
• Runner up prizes for all chosen badge designs are two badges of your design.

for a close up on all last years winners click here and expand to full screen

RULES 
 1. Any SCBWI member can submit their best ideas/designs before noon Sunday 8th September 2013, by e-mail to Kathy Evans at kathy.evans@tiscali.co.uk – head your email: "SCBWI Badge Competition". 
 2. The final badges must include either a reference to SCBWI British Isles or the logo. 
3. The badges are round and 38mm badges in diameter.  
4. Illustrators - please don't e-mail hi resolution images unless we ask you for them.
5. Writers – due to the high number of orphan slogans last year, you are limited to one slogan-only entry. HOWEVER why not team up with an illustrator and work together and then you can submit as many as you like. See Rule 6.
 6. If you are a writer struggling to find an illustrator or an illustrator seeking a writer to work with please e-mail , Kathy.evans@tiscali.co.uk and I'll do my best to team you up with someone.
7. The best designs or slogans will be selected by our judges and will then be made into pin badges in time to sell at the conference – the badge committee's decision will be final. 
 8. Deadline for entries is 8th September 2013 

Badges will be sold in aid of British SCBWI. Badges will be on sale for £1.50 a badge – but you can buy 3 for £3! Snap yours up early during the conference – the most popular designs sell out quickly - show everyone you're a proud member of SCBWI!

As usual, we're also on the lookout for a few volunteers to help sell the badges at the conference during breaks. It's a great way to mix, meet people at the conference and support SCBWI in a really simple way. Please let me know at kathy.evans@tiscali.co.uk

I can't wait to see your designs!  Good luck! 

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Kathy Evans is an all round star volunteer for SCBWI. She created the W&P celebrations editor role,  has recently taken over the British Isles' chapter's finance from outgoing ace ARA Benjamin Scott and is again organising this year's conference badge competition. She is also South East Network Coordinator with Mariam Vossough and is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor.

The Chalkface Challenge: The Shadowing Results

So far no one has told me that the Chalkface Challenge isn't the only kidlit competition wholly judged by children so, so far, we are! Half way through the preparation for our first Chalkface Challenge I thought wouldn't it be interesting to find out if some industry professionals chose the same as the children....

...or not.


Here are the three industry professionals I asked to Shadow Judge and who all, wonderfully, said YES:

Imogen Cooper              Sara O' Connor           Gemma Cooper

All very good friends of SCBWI and Words & Pictures.

The three shadowing judges chose from the five shortlisted entries. They were asked for their 'favourites'.

Imogen, Senior Editor, Chicken House Books
"I have eventually decided on entry 1. The author knows how to handle their material, the voice is consistent and by the end of the excerpt the reader knows where the novel is going." Jennifer Killick, Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink

Sara, Editorial Director, Hot Key Books
"I'm really liking entry number 10... And I'm really pleased to see how many middle grade stories there are floating around in SCBWI land!" Mike Pringle, Autopet Farm

Gemma, Literary Agent, The Bent Agency
"What I liked about this one (entry 10) was that it instantly threw us into a world that had android dogs (of sorts), but it didn't dwell on this or explain it." Mike Pringle, Autopet Farm

Gemma went on to comment further about Mike's winning entry:
"The world just is this way, and because the opening is so confident and the first paragraph so fantastic, the reader is happy to go along for the ride. I loved the little details thrown in, like Cedric eating a curry without any lubricating oil additives - it added to the world-building without being a massive info dump. The main character, Berthold, is likable because he's been given this faulty little terrier, but despite having to clear up all his poo, he shows a lot of affection for the little dog. I found the beginnings of their relationship rather sweet, with Cedric slobbering in Berthold's ear. I'd love to read more. "

In fact all three judges wanted to read more. I'm so pleased for the authors and for everyone who was brave enough to enter, as they all ticked boxes for the young judges.

In the autumn we'll have a new Chalkface Challenge for  a younger age group, I'd love to hear from any industry professionals who would like to shadow judge, do contact me at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Meanwhile all good wishes to Mike and Jennifer and again, many heartfelt thanks to Gemma, Sara and Imogen.

The Chalkface Challenge: The Results

There were 27 entires for the first Chalkface Challenge - the only writing competition judged entirely by children*. The judges were year 5 children from St. Edwards' Catholic Primary School, Swadinlcote, Derbyshire

The children, supported by their teacher, Celia Anderson, excelled themselves in their conscientious reading, their warm and helpful comments to the authors and their enthusiasm for new stories. Thank you!  You can see the children judging in this week's editorial.

I am  delighted to announce that the winner of the first Chalkface Challenge is Mike Pringle for the first 750 words of Autopet Farm.

Mike Pringle

The children said:

• "Funny, very good nothing to change and keep on going." 

• "I absolutely loved it nothing I would change. So funny too."

• "No words can describe but hilarious."

• "Amazing book nothing wrong with it at all"

• "I liked you don't actually expect them to shove a gun in your face"

• "You made my daylistening to that fabulous story. the humour makes it a better book. I'd love to read more. It's amazing. I wouldn't change anything. I loved it all."

There were four runners up, in no particular order:

Julie Fulton, Narrow Escape "I loved the warfare idea. It's great because of the scared people running away how you would do in real life. I wouldn't change anything it's great."
Jennifer Killick, Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink "Wow! This book is amazing; it's hilarious. I wanted to read on."
Elizabeth Dale, Help! I Think I'm An Alien! "I liked this book because it was really funny. And my favourite bit was when he was comparing what he liked to what his family liked. And I would not change anything about this book."
Jo Thomas, Betsy Beeble Has No Beard "I found this really funny and cool. It was amazing, funny funny funny."

Jo,  Elizabeth,  Jennifer,  Julie

Here's Mike's winning opening excerpt:

Chapter 1
Mutt Butt

Gundogs are usually things like Labradors, with floppy ears and a waggly tail. Or fluffy Golden Retrievers. Or Poodles. You don’t expect them to actually shove a gun in your face. Especially not a semi-automatic 7.62 calibre, Flexilite assault weapon.

     Of course as I was standing there dribbling, I didn’t know any of these technical details. All I knew was a dog the size of a small truck was coming at me with teeth like a tyrannosaurus. And he had a gun instead of a tail, and it was wagging at me. I did what any sensible person would do. I screamed like a big girl’s blouse, and ran as fast as my skinny legs would let me.

     As my life flashed through my mind I cursed my own little dog, Cedric, for wandering off and leading me to the farm the monster dog was guarding. I cursed Eddie too, my so-called uncle. In fact , the thought of him totally filled my head with swear words. Really bad ones. If he hadn’t had the brainwave to buy Cedric in the first place, I would’ve been peacefully tucked up in bed with my PlayStation instead of chasing the stupid mutt halfway across the country.

     But that’s Uncle Eddie for you. A complete moron who decides for no reason whatsoever that what every eleven year old boy needs more than anything else in the whole wide world is a dog. Not a state-of-the-art, fully pedigreed, oiled-up type of dog, of course. Not one that friends and neighbours drool over because of how handsome it is, or because of the way it does everything perfectly. Oh no. Just mangy little Cedric, covered in slobber and fleas and fitted with a dodgy Poo-matic 1.4. And in case you’ve been living under a rock and never come across a Poo-matic before, you should know that it’s the oldest, cheapest and definitely most useless internal poo-collecting device on the market. It’s made by AutoPet Inc., supposedly the world leaders in gadgets for improving animals, and uses a disposable cartridge system powered by two AAA batteries. I don’t need to tell you where the cartridge has to be inserted, and I don’t need to tell you what sort of mess a faulty 1.4 can make.

     And as for the smell...

     But I suppose it wasn’t really Cedric’s fault. Apart from the Poo-matic he was a perfectly normal little terrier, with wiry grey hair sticking out at all angles, even though I don’t think he’d had a wash since the day he’d been born. Just don’t ask me how he came to be called Cedric.

     ‘Sort the dog out, Berthold,’ Uncle Eddie shouted earlier that evening, when we heard a bleeping coming from the kitchen. Don’t ask me how I got my name either.
   
     Dear Uncle Eddie has to shout everything. He doesn’t do normal talking like the rest of the human race. I must have been all of a metre away from him as he sat there picking his nose and yelling. He rolled his fat body to one side, lifted a white flabby thigh and let rip a monster fart. I swear his boxer shorts fluttered like a flag in the breeze.

     I was more than happy to get out of there.

     Cedric was sitting in the kitchen wagging his tail. He might have been looking guilty. It was hard to tell through all that scraggy grey fur. More than likely it was just a haven’t got a clue what’s going on look.

     His Poo-matic alarm was still beeping. I clicked the switch on his collar and got a mild electric shock from the shonky wiring. I sighed, and watched the cartridge fly out of Cedric’s rear end, followed by everything that should have been inside it.

     ‘Grief, Cedric,’ I said. ‘Did you have to eat that curry last night?’

     Of course this wasn’t really fair on Cedric. The dried up chicken balti and half an onion bhaji were left over after one of Eddie’s drunken nights out. Maybe he thought Indian takeaway made a nice treat for a dog. Even if it didn’t have any lubricating oil additives.

     I gathered up a ton of kitchen roll and knelt down. Cedric slobbered in my ear. The poo cartridge was on the floor. As usual. The poo was on the floor too, but not in the poo cartridge. As usual.

---

Mike Pringle,
Chalkface Challenge Winner

Mike has spent most of his adult life creating, writing, designing and illustrating for children. He has produced material for He-Man, Transformers, Puddle Lane and Thomas the Tank Engine; worked on a wide selection of non-fiction books for publishers such as Collins, the BBC and Usborne (including Starting Point Science, winner of the Young Science Book of the Year Award); and, more recently, designed computer systems to help young people explore information over the Internet.

At fourteen, Mike learned to drive a tank and over the years has practised a number of activity sports, including parascending, abseiling, shooting, running and motor-biking. Mike also has a black belt in Karate. He illustrated and co-authored Foulsham’s Junior Guide to Karate, and wrote tongue-in-cheek articles about the world’s highest graded martial artist, Kevin Kickbutt.

Mike currently lives in Swindon with his wife Claire and their dog, Peb, who is half Labrador, half Poodle and half lunatic. Mike recently added to Swindon’s skyline by turning the walls of an office block into a road, complete with roundabouts, zebra crossing, and two full sized Mini cars!

Congratulations Mike!

There will be a new Chalkface Challenge, for a different age group,  in the Autumn.

Competition Success for Wendy Storer and Philippa Francis.

Competitions can be a fantastic jumping off point for  your writing career. So many SCBWI people have had a great start from our own Undiscovered Voices .
Mslexia and The Times/Chicken House are two highly respected competitions that have also led on to success for our members so I am delighted to say that members Wendy Storer of our North West Network and Philippa Francis of South East, were both shortlisted for  Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition 2012/2013. Not only that , Philippa was also longlisted for The Times/chicken House competion with the same  novel 'The Selkies of Scoresby Nab'  and Wendy went on to become runner-up in the Mslexia competition with her novel ‘Bring me Sunshine.’

Wendy Storer

Wendy writes real life fiction for young teens. Having worked in several jobs she quite liked, she finally found one she really likes. Writing. She currently self-publishes her books through Applecore Books, and runs Magic Beans Literary Services to help other children’s writers develop their craft.
Wendy lives in the beautiful Lake District, once home to famous children’s authors, Beatrix Potter, Arthur Ransome and John Cunliffe, although her books are nothing like theirs. She hopes that one day people will say, “The beautiful Lake District? Once home to famous children’s author, Wendy Storer?”

Philippa Francis

Philippa writes as K. M. Lockwood,  she gained an MA in Creative Writing at West Dean College in 2011 after several years of teaching and tutoring. She comes from Yorkshire but now lives by the shore in Sussex where she can often be found beach-combing and day-dreaming. She’s a founder member of Chi Scbwi and one of SCBWI’s fabulous volunteer team. Philippa also blogs as The Wedding Ghost.

If these two have inspired you to enter a competition,  keep an eye open for Undiscovered Voices news!

Carnegie Nominees, SCBWI Salutes You!

Dave Cousins

The Cilip Carnegie Medal is perhaps the most coveted prize in children's fiction. Awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, Previous winners read like a roll call of the best stocked library: Meg Rossoff, Patrick Ness, Neil Gaiman, Mal Peet, Frank Cotterell Boyce, Siobhan Dowd. It sits alongside the Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration as an acknowledgement of success to be yearned for. To be longlisted for the Carnegie Medal is an honour, a moment in your writing career to treasure.

Elizabeth Wein

 SCBWI's Dave Cousins' 15 Days Without A Head , Jane Mcloughlin's At Yellow Lake, and Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity all made the longlist for 2013. Huge congratulations to all three of them for such a fantastic achievement and an extra loud round of applause for Elizabeth Wein.

 Elizabeth is the author of The Winter Prince and The Lion Hunter series, set in Arthurian Britain and ancient Ethiopia. Her most recent novel for teens, Code Name Verity, is a World War II story about the unbreakable friendship between an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot and a Special Operations Executive spy. Code Name Verity is on UKLA Book Award Short List the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Short List and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Short List! This wonderful book has also won the ALA Printz Award Honor Book and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award Honor Book as well as being and Edgar Award Nominee AND, it hit the New York Times Bestseller List for three weeks in January February of this year. In addition to all that, drum roll please.... Code Name Verity has now been SHORTLISTED for the CILIP Carnegie Medal!

Jane Mcloughlin

 I’ll give you one second to get your breath back before I tell you, unsurprisingly, foreign rights for translation of Code Name Verity have just been announced in Publisher's Marketplace for sales to the Netherlands (at auction!), Italy, Sweden, Turkey, in addition to complex and simplified Chinese. A Spanish edition is out this month.
 Dave Cousins, Jane Mcloughlin and Elizabeth Wein, SCBWI salutes you!
May you go on to more and more success. Don't miss Candy Gourlay's interview with Elizabeth Wein.

Two Times Teri Delivers Double Delight!

Teri Terry

Hoorah Hoorah! Teri Terry has earned an astonishing list of nominations and awards for her first teen  novel Slated. 

In addition to winning the recent North East Teenage Book Award, Slated has been short-listed for the Leeds Book Award in the 14-16 category, Portsmouth Book Award in the longer novels category, Sussex Coast Schools Amazing Book Award, Rib Valley Book Award, Angus Book Award, and Rotherham Book Award in the teen reads category. It has also been long-listed for the Branford Boase Award, and short listed for the SCBWI Crystal Kite award!

Slated was published in the UK in May 2012  by Orchard Books, and was launched in the US by Penguin Imprint Nancy Paulsen Books on 24th January. As if this amazing list isn't enough, Slated has been recently optioned for a film by Prescience. 

Teri Terry has lived in France, Canada, Australia and England at more addresses than she can count, acquiring three degrees, a selection of passports and a silly name along the way.
 Moving constantly as a child, teenager and also as an adult has kept Teri on the outside looking in much of her life. It has given her an obsession with characters like Kyla in Slated, who don't belong or find themselves in unfamiliar places.

I think a place firmly in the heart of publishing is where Teri Terry belongs and I promise more good news is on the way -  two hoorahs aren't nearly enough! 

INTERVIEW Elizabeth Wein: twenty years to overnight success

Candy Gourlay interviews Elizabeth Wein on the heady success of her novel Code Name Verity which was on the New York Times bestseller list and recently shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal ... among others.

Elizabeth was born in New York but lived in England, Jamaica and Pennsylvania when she was growing up. She has lived in Scotland for more than a decade. Her first five books for young adults are set in Arthurian Britain and sixth century Ethiopia. Her interest in flying is what sparked the idea for Code Name Verity. Website: www.elizabethwein.com Visit her blog.

It has been an amazing year for Elizabeth Wein, author of the much lauded Code Name Verity. In addition to the list in the sidebar below, Code Name Verity is also on over thirty 'Best of the Year' lists for 2012 including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore and the New York Times; it's also shortlisted for five regional awards here and in the United States. Huge congratulations, Elizabeth!

CODE NAME VERITY
Awards
Printz Honour
Golden Kite Honour
Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor Book
Booklist Best Audio Book 2012
Shortlists
Carnegie Medal
Crystal Kite Prize for Europe
UKLA Book Award
The Edgar
The L.A. Times Book Prize
The Scottish Children's Book Award
The Northeast Children's Book Award
The Goodreads Choice Awards
The Cybils

The total Code Name Verity tally is so ridiculously embarrassing that I try not to talk about it in public.

One of the really neat things that happened was making it onto the New York Times bestseller lists seven months after the book's release. Because all my other books had basically stopped selling by that long after their launch dates. It was the "Mock Printz" winner in eight library teen reading groups that I'm aware of. Those last ones aren't real awards, but it means a LOT to me to know that teens love it!

Did you know when you finished writing it that it was special?



Well, I posted on my blog that I was brain dead and that I'd just finished the Best Damn Book I'd Ever Written. I knew it was good but I really had no idea, no idea at all, how astonishing the reception would be.

So what's the count? How many years did it take to become an overnight success?


Twenty!

THE LION HUNTERS PENTALOGY

Hah! Jacqueline Wilson once said "It took me many years to become an overnight success."  How does it feel to be another Jacqueline Wilson?


I don't think I'm at Jacqueline Wilson status QUITE yet! In many ways I got lucky. The publisher can send a book to the NYTimes but they can't guarantee it'll get a reviewer to look at it.

A thing that's kind of bittersweet about the success is that it will never again be so surprising and new. Even if I write another book as good as CNV (and I have a lot of doubts about my ability to repeat that performance), it will never be a voyage of discovery like this year has been.

And also, the chances of ever topping this year or living up to it are pretty slim! Actually, if this had happened earlier in my career, I might expect it always to be this good, and I'd be heading for a fall.

As it is, I've had too many books quietly remaindered to allow me to fully let go of my somewhat jaundiced view of the publishing industry. But CNV has gone a long way toward making me put grudges behind me.

I've had too many books quietly remaindered to allow me to fully let go of my somewhat jaundiced view of the publishing industry.

Code Name Verity seems such a long way from your other Arthurian fantasy books ... what was the journey that led you to writing this book?

If you think of my other books as spy thrillers, which they are, it's not such a leap to make. I guess the main thing that propelled the change was that I desperately wanted my characters to be able to FLY! In the last published book of the Arthurian/Aksumite sequence, the main character, Telemakos, becomes a ship's pilot. I was totally aware of the pun.

I should probably explain that in 2003 I got my own private pilot's license, and it just made me want to write about flight!

OMG that's so cool ... What do you fly?



I learned to fly in Cessna 152s - two-seater fixed-wing training aircraft (piston engine). Lately I've been flying a Piper Warrior, which is slightly bigger (4 seats) and more comfortable - mainly I find I can see better in a Warrior. I also had trouble reaching the rudder pedals in the Cessna 172, which is the bigger version of the 152! ... and I flew a seaplane once! OK, I will stop before I lose everybody in the so-called "technical details."

When did you first join SCBWI and why? Were you already published or like so many of us unpublished and optimistic?


You know, I can't remember not knowing about the SCBWI. I have been a member since 1991 and I am sure I joined when I sold my first book, being unaware that I could join as an associate (that was The Winter Prince, published in 1993). I was living in Philadelphia and was part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter.

Basically, I just really wanted to meet other writers! It never occurred to me this would also be a good way to meet editors & agents.

Having said that, volunteering for the SCBWI led directly to my current agent and my long-time editor at my previous publisher. It's defnitely the most important professional move I ever made, though sometimes indirectly.

You've still got the same agent?  I imagine that the olden SCBWI British Isles used to be something of a support group for American expat children's writers?


For me it was a support group, but not all our original group were expats. Valerie Wilding, Ragnhild Scamell and Gus Smith were also members among the first group. I've been with my current agent, Ginger Clark, since 2001 or 2002. I did have another briefly before that, but never an agented book sale till Ginger came along!

Have you written the next book? I'll bet it's going to be hard!

It's done! It comes out in the UK on 3 June this year! Here's the Goodreads link, with the beautiful Canadian cover:

It was hard to write - it was like writing my "second book" all over again. But it's done. I had a deadline and a lot of pushing. And actually it's so unlike Code Name Verity that I don't think it'll suffer from "oh well this isn't as good as her last one." It is very, very different.

I have to write another one for 15 September. Blargh. That's actually one of the scary things about success - people want MORE and they want it FAST. And I find it's hard to keep the quality up to standard when I'm producing fast - also, I feel that there is a certain amount of magic missing from the process, for me as an artist.

I so agree! You called this year a voyage of discovery ... so, can you share with us what you have discovered?


I meant I was being discovered. The CILIP website has me listed as a "debut" author.



That's hilarious! ... When you compare CNV with your previous books can you pinpoint the thing you did differently, that special spark that made it a winner?


I don't think I did do things differently from my previous books. I still think The Sunbird is a perfect and beautiful book, the best I've written apart from Code Name Verity. But I do think that one of the big differences is the effect of the internet. One thing that did really amaze me is the power of bloggers, and the internet, and how easy it is to share enthusiasm for books and how easy it is for people to connect with authors.

In 2008, when The Empty Kingdom came out, I put together an online launch for it and it was such a new idea that I wrote an article about it for the SCBWI Bulletin (Open Invitation, Jan/Feb 2009).

By 2012, when Code Name Verity came out, it was pretty normal for people to celebrate book birthdays with lots of online reaching out.

Also, online reviews and book bloggers were just not as prevalent in 2008, and I think that Code Name  Verity's success owes a LOT to its enthusiastic reception by readers.

One thing that did really amaze me is the power of bloggers, and the internet

So in the grind of being a bestselling author (ha ha) how do you recapture the "magic"?



How do you recapture the magic... I don't know, I'm trying to figure it out. Take long walks! I get good ideas when I'm walking.

Celia Rees (author of Witch Child) famously tells unpublished authors they are not just writing a debut novel they should be trying to write a BREAKTHROUGH novel. That's what CNV is.


Code Name Verity is definitely and definitively a BREAKTHROUGH novel. But honestly, I didn't sit down and think, "I must write a breakthrough novel." (Actually, I thought The Sunbird would be my breakthrough novel.) I just thought, OMGOMG this is going to be a FREAKING AWESOME BOOK and I have to write it. And actually, I was kind of between publishers and considered myself lucky the new one didn't make me change my name for the fresh start.

Finally can you leave W&P readers some words of wisdom about making it and surviving your own success?


I haven't survived my success yet. Ask me again in September when the next book deadline comes up. I am riding a wave which may drown me.

But here are some words of wisdom:

HAVE FAITH. I have really prayed and prayed for grace - just the ability to accept whatever comes and to deal with it. And to not be envious, because that is just a killer thing. I struggle and struggle with it.

And to point out that CNV follows no rules. There aren't any rules. Don't try to second guess the market. Just write the best book you can. Write for YOURSELF.

Don't play Minesweeper. Stay off Twitter. Don't Google yourself.

Take long walks.

Don't forget to talk to people face to face.

USE EVERYTHING.

Thanks so much - and congratulations again. It's been fascinating, uplifting, and jealous-making all at the same time. May Code Name Verity continue to take you to great heights and may all the novels that follow continue to conjure the magic that keeps all of us at our keyboards.

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Candy Gourlay is the author of Tall Story. Her second novel Shine is out in September 2013. She blogs on Notes from the Slushpile.  www.candygourlay.com