Karen Hart, Our New ARA for Members Services!

@KarenJKHart

It's wonderful to welcome Karen Hart to SCBWI volunteering and especially wonderful to tell you she is our newAssistant Regional Adviser with a special responsibility for members services. She'll be taking @SCBWI_BI in hand and looking at other ways to manage our PR and to generally support and increase membership - no mean task!



Karen is in fact already a SCBWI volunteer as she is one of W&P's  much valued contributors. She helped us celebrate Charlie's 50th birthday (that Charlie) plus she met Sally Gardner last week and delivered that wonderful interview with Sally on Monday.

About Karen...

After decades of writing news and facts about government, academia and charities, Karen plucked up the nerve to enter a short story contest. She won third prize, which is to blame for giving her the confidence to jump into the deep dark waters of fiction.

She's a volunteer with East London's Writeidea Festival and is delighted to be putting Young Adult writers on the programme for the first time this November, including some SCBWI-BI names.

Karen lives in Whitechapel with her husband, teenage daughter and two cats who tolerate their services, with only slightly affronted expressions. She spends a lot of time by the sea in Folkestone where she grew up, and makes frequent visits to Sweden to see some of her seven half-siblings: children of her birth father.

She's working on the second draft of her middle grade novel under the incisive and kindly eye of Bella Pearson from the Golden Egg Academy.

Karen says...

I met an agent recently. 'Join SCBWI,' she said. 'It's the single best thing you can do if you're serious about writing.

Although I'm still a new member, I've been bowled over by the sheer amount of opportunities that open up. It's been a delight to meet people I've been in touch with on social media.

I was nervous about going to my first Conference last weekend, so it was wonderful to meet many, many warm and supportive people. MY new SCBWI-BI family was worth the trip alone but I also came home inspired by insights into the world of children's books and laden with industry tips.

I was stunned to win my first raffle ever in decades of unsuccessful raffledom and now have the ace opportunity of an agent's critique. Back to the laptop and I hope to hear from you soon.

Please contact Karen on aramembers@britishscbwi.org with any thoughts about how you'd like to keep in touch with each other and hear what's going on in children's books.

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Volunteering for SCBWI brings some fabulous opportunities - if you'd like to volunteer for SCBWI take a look at our current vacancies.

Network News South East: Volunteering and Storytelling with Quentin Blake and Friends

Lorraine Cooke

@MottisfontNT

I’ve been a volunteer at my local National Trust property, Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire, since March 2013 and the art gallery there puts on a number of excellent and popular exhibitions each year. This summer – from 19 July to 14 September - there’s a fantastic opportunity to see the work of some of the best children’s contemporary illustrators, including Quentin Blake, Helen Oxenbury and John Burningham in a new exhibition.

 Quentin Blake – Chocolate Celebration

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see for the first time 21 new drawings made by Quentin for the hit West End production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, full of his usual wit and sharp-eyed observations.

“We are so excited to be showing Quentin’s work this summer,” says Louise Govier, Visitor Experience Manager at Mottisfont and curator of its gallery. “So many of us have wonderful memories of discovering his books and of course of how he brought Roald Dahl’s stories to life. His new work is just as fresh and funny – his drawings of people lusting for chocolate are hilarious. He pokes fun at all sorts of things in modern life, but we find ourselves smiling even as we sometimes recognise ourselves.”

Quentin Blake – Mortimer and the home-made ice cream

The original drawings and watercolours in the show have all been lent by the Chris Beetles Gallery in London, and all of these unique works are for sale. The gallery is also lending stunning watercolour illustrations by artists including Michael Foreman, Emma Chichester Clark, John Burningham, Helen Oxenbury, Rebecca Cobb and Oliver Jeffers which are also for sale. The stories illustrated range from classics such as Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland and classic fairy tales to works by Terry Jones and Michael Morpurgo.

Helen Oxenbury – Everything was still growing

Visitors can take inspiration from the exhibition and set off on an epic imaginative story adventure around the house and grounds, creating their own illustrated books as they go.

There are also special event weekends in August with lots of additional hands-on activities, including helping to make the biggest picture book ever! You might even get some tips from Quentin Blake himself, and meet some of the other authors. Special event weekends are on 2/3, 16/17, and 30/31 August, and feature storytelling, performance, and on the final weekend, storytellers from the Roald Dahl Museum.

The last owner of Mottisfont, Maud Russell, was a great patron of the arts and artists and I’m sure she would have approved of the way arts have been brought to the top floor gallery and the grounds of her home. Long before I became a volunteer there, I considered the elegant house, which began life as a Medieval Priory, a very special place. When I received a request to read some of Quentin Blake’s stories at one of the special event weekends, I immediately said yes and am booked in for the afternoon of August 3rd. I can’t wait.

Me practising my reading.

John Burningham – Allow us to tell you what we’re thinking

Mottisfont is open every day, from 10am to 5pm. For more information, visit the Mottisfont website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont

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@WritesAsRaine

Lorraine has been a SCBWI member since 2011. She writes MG and YA fiction. Her day job often involves nitpicking the spelling and grammar of people under 12 and she takes her red pen everywhere. 

Greetings from Winchester!

It's the conference weekend, Yay!
On Twitter we're #scbwicon
And SCBWI Bloggers, are you up for the Conference Blog Challenge?
So looking forward to why you love the SCBWI conference on Tuesday!




Here we are...

We had GREAT pre-conference week last week:
Inspiration, Blogs, Agents, Volunteers, Graphic Novels and Celebration!

Plus there was a massive haul for Authors for the Philippines!

I hope you'll join us next week and into December for conference reports and something so lovely for the festive season our very own...

Words & Pictures Advent Calendar!

Superstar Paul Morton has been collecting illustrations on a seasonal them from some very generous SCBWI illustrators. Here on a Words & Pictures we'll be posting a teaser crop of each image every day until Christmas Day. You will need to click through to the Illustrator Showcase to see the whole picture and the gradually building Advent Calendar. (It's not there yet!)

A BIG thank you all the contributing illustrators!

And another BIG Thank you to Amanda Lillywhite who designed these splendid stickers and badges to promote SCBWI's amazing volunteer opportunities.

Wouldn't you just love to have one! 

If you're reading this at the conference, find me and say hello. If you ask about volunteering you can have Mr Toad, or if you're already a volunteer and happy to talk to other people about volunteering, Ms T Rex. See them in Duck & Bear too!

Wherever you are I hope you're having a great Dr Who 50th Anniversary weekend!

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Volunteer for SCBWI

Did you know that everything that we do at SCBWI British Isles is run by a team of talented and energetic volunteers?  We asked them why they do what they do. They were so enthusiastic, here are just some of their answers...

Why do you volunteer for SCBWI?

Anne-Marie

To give back. I have received so much from SCBWI, close friends, first publishing opportunity, agent, education, information, the list could go on. I love encouraging and inspiring illustrators at all levels and crafting (with help) more learning and showing opportunities for our membership.

Michelle

I found my agent at an SCBWI event, so I wanted to give something back to SCBWI. Plus, the conferences are so much fun I wanted to be involved with the amazing bunch of people who make them happen!

Louise

Was promised fame and fortune: but am still waiting!

Addy

For the buzzing creativity of like-minded friends, for the sharp insights into an endlessly fascinating writing world and for the total larks.

David

I like to feel part of the industry and volunteering helps me to do that. It motivates me to write – if I’m spending time volunteering then it’s only worth it in the long run if I’m also spending time writing.

Candy

I had an idea - and I wanted to see if it would work. It did, which was rewarding so I volunteered some more. The more I volunteered, the more people I met, the more rewarding it became.

What's good about volunteering for SCBWI?

Mo

You meet fantastic, talented enthusiastic people. That's the best bit. I've made true friends through volunteering for SCBWI and met authors and illustrators that I had admired for years!

Bridget

Volunteering builds confidence, especially if you're a bit shy, and it seriously helps expand your network!

Louise

Learning to deal with the lack of fame and fortune with like-minded people.

Clare

It gives you a chance to get to know people much better and through organising events that you think people would like, you get to have the events that you'd like yourself! It's also great for networking with people in the industry.

Kathy

Friendship, pride, insider knowledge. I might have lied about the last bit but you DO get BADGES!



Candy

Friendship with people you wouldn't meet at your social circles, who are passionate about the same things. Seeing the organisation grow and improve and knowing that you had a hand in it.

What have you gained by volunteering for SCBWI?

Louise

Everything but fame and fortune... (mainly insight, satisfaction, friendship)

John

Loads of new friends and experiences in a wide range of countries – participation in SCBWI workshops and conferences in the US, Bologna, the UK, France, Belgium, Japan, Mongolia and the Philippines – several of these places I was able to travel to thanks to volunteering for SCBWI.

Kathy

Relationships with industry professionals - volunteering for SCBWI is the next best thing to working in publishing

Maureen

A voice in the children’s book world, even as a non-traditionally published author. An increase in my own skills; writing, illustrating, organising, techno, blogging etc. A view of the industry and how it works. I would definitely recommend volunteering.

David

It’s being able to meet and talk with professionals from the industry. Their enthusiasm and advice inspires me to keep going, even when I’m back home I don’t feel alone. I’ve realised that working in Children’s books is a fantastic place to be. I’d love to be there full time.

Lesley

I've met some really lovely writers and illustrators in the SW, and I'd say that's been the very best thing. Oh, and as a frustrated journalist, having the opportunity to write some features for Words And Pictures has been fantastic, as it is another means of sharing and bringing people together through writing and illustrating.

Candy

Friends I love. Access to gatekeepers. Satisfaction and pride in what I've achieved.

Natascha Biebow
Regional Advisor, British Isles

Without this team of talented and energetic volunteers, we would not be able to organize events, such as the Annual Conference, nor create a fantastic blog magazine with new content every day, nor match people up in critique groups. Even our fantastic Undiscovered Voices competition, which has opened the doors to publication for so many authors, is run by a team of volunteers. Not one of us is paid for the many, many hours of initiative and hard work that we put in!

So why do we do it? Volunteering opens up many doors – the door of friendship, the door of craft, the door of the industry contact, the door of new skills.

SCBWI British Isles needs volunteers to do jobs big and small, local and national.

Which doors will volunteering open for you?!

For more information on volunteer positions vacant, look out for the Volunteers’ Station at the registration table at our annual conference, 

pick up a job card,

collect one of these fabulous stickers...

...look for a lovely volunteer wearing one of these

and have a good CHAT.

Then, at 9:30 on Sunday morning, come and meet the Natascha and other volunteers. 

Both of these wonderful designs are by another fabulous volunteer, Amanda Lillywihte.

If you can't make it to the conference, we will miss you but you don't need to miss out, check out the volunteer positions vacant and email Natascha at ra@britishscbwi.org saying you'd like to find out more about volunteering.

We look forward to meeting you!

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Summoning up Success!

Dancing shoes on today people because it's time to do a happy jig for one of our very hardworking volunteers. Benjamin Scott, former Assistant Regional Advisor for SCBWI, has signed with Gillie Russell at Aitken Alexander Associates!

 





Benjamin confesses the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“I absolutely loved being ARA, but it was time to focus on my writing – after all, it’s our passion for children’s books that bring us together. It was completely unexpected to be signed up with an amazing agent so quickly, but Gillie’s enthusiasm for my writing makes me certain I made the right decision,” 

It's wonderful to see Ben's hard work being rewarded at last and he's convinced that  SCBWI and his years of volunteering have helped him achieve his dream.

“It wouldn’t have happened without SCBWI or volunteering. I’ve made amazing contacts and I’ve learnt that the industry has a lot of respect for our hardworking volunteers. I’ve met some brilliant critiquing partners, had the support of some special SCBWI friends and listened to the advice of a range of fabulous speakers!” 

He first met his agent Gillie when he chaired the Agents’ Panel in 2011 and only intended to submit the one book to Gillie, a 7+ project, but when she heard he had received an Honorary Mention for a YA project in Undiscovered Voices 2010 she wanted to see that too! Together they are working on his YA title, The Summoning of Freiya Rolandson, a gritty fantasy about how much one girl is willing risk for those she loves and whether she can resist the corruptive force of power.

@Benjamin_Scott

“It’s a book that’s been close to my heart for a long time. With Gillie’s help I hope there are big things ahead for Freiya!” Benjamin is also developing a 7+ contemporary with a quirky twist book series called Eureka Evans: A Disaster Waiting to be Invented about a boy inventor whose plans frequently go wrong in spectacular and unexpected ways, including accidentally sticking his mum to the ceiling like a helium balloon!

Benjamin is the lead author on the ghost-written Star Fighters series (Working Partners/Bloomsbury) and has lots of fun promoting the series in schools. He also reviews children’s books for Carousel Magazine and tutors in Writing for Young Adults with the Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education. And, Benjamin continues to support SCBWI by being a volunteer editor for the Undiscovered Voices 2014.

 
His agent Gillie is full of praise for Benjamin and his work, so read on and find out exactly why she signed him up!

"As soon as I started reading The Summoning of Freiya Rolandson (which may not be the book’s final title) I felt an irresistible magic tingle. It drew me in immediately with its visceral narrative voice, tangible sense of place, and a strong young female protagonist (Freiya) at its core. This, combined with a powerful mix of myth, magic and legend made it completely compelling. I was reminded of Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom trilogy – fantasy that reads like reality – so what more could one want? I’m thrilled to be representing Ben, and with these two strands of his writing I’m sure he will go on to achieve the success he deserves."

  So wiggle those hips people and do your best funky moves for  Benjamin Scott and hopefully we'll all be reading about Freiya in the not too distant future! If anyone would like to imitate Ben's success by becoming a SCBWI volunteer do please contact the team.

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Lorraine Gregory has been writing fantasy adventure books aimed at middlegrade boys for the last three years. She's been a chef and a restaurant manager and now works from home as an Antenatal Teacher. She belongs to the Words & Pictures Team and helps Tania to bring joy to our Saturday Celebrations' posts. 

Featuring the Words & Pictures Editors

There are members of the Words & Pictures Team who are amazingly organised, work very hard but often don't get enough recognition for their talents. First up are two members of the writing features team (which also includes interim celebrations editor Tania Tay), Mel Rogerson and Katrina Charman, who have been in the thick of it since January.


Mel posts on Mondays and Katrina on Wednesdays; they are both insightful, creative and wonderful to work with.  Jan asked them about their Words & Pictures journey, where and how they work.

Katrina

Katrina in her alternative writing space

I volunteered to be a part of the Words & Pictures team, because I'm one of those people who volunteers for, and says "yes" to everything! When I began my long (ongoing) writing quest towards publication and had absolutely no clue where to start, the SCBWI was there, offering a wealth of information and support for aspiring writers like myself. It has been great to be able to give something back to such a brilliant organisation.

I'm one of those people who volunteers for, and says "yes" to everything!

Being a part of the Words and Pictures editorial team has been a bit of a whirlwind. We only launched in March, but the time has flown by.

It seems like we've been going forever, and I think that is due in part to the way everyone behind the W&P scenes really does work as part of a fantastic team. Working with Jan, Mel and Tania, and all of the writers and contributors who put so much time and effort into their features, has been wonderful, and I have made some new friends along the way.

 ...it has been really enjoyable, meeting fellow Scoobies, and working with editors and agents.

During a typical month, I will liase with Mel, Jan, Tania and our writers, to see what features we have coming up, and what features we might be able to commission to fit into our upcoming themes. Although some weeks there can be more to do than others, it has been really enjoyable, meeting fellow Scoobies, and working with editors and agents.
I'm hoping to make it to the SCBWI conference this year to finally be able to put some faces to all those names, so come and say hi if you spot me! I mostly write YA Sci-fi and Fantasy, and am currently working on polishing up my submission for Undiscovered Voices. (Good luck to everyone who is entering this year!)
Jan asked for a picture of my usual working space, but as the weather has been so lovely (and I usually write in bed, which wouldn't be a pretty picture!) I cheated a little to show my outdoor writing space.

Mel

Mel with assistant features editor

Words & Pictures came at just the right time for me - two months into maternity leave. People said that I was mad to take on a new commitment, but it turned out to be the perfect antidote to the long, icy winter.

All we had to do was set up a schedule, which immediately appealed to my control freak instincts... 

I got to hang out with a great editorial team and talented contributors - all from the comfort of my own home. To be honest, I didn't really have a clue what an editor did before I accepted the role, but luckily Jan, our fab editor, had prepared a lot of the groundwork before we started - lining up volunteer authors and establishing ground rules. All we had to do was set up a schedule, which immediately appealed to my control freak instincts (I'd been a production manager for a publishing house in my former life so knew the value of spreadsheets!) and contact the wonderful people who had kindly offered to submit features. Their enthusiasm was overwhelming and it soon became clear that we weren't going to run out of material (a major fear at the outset) for quite some time.

The quality of the copy has always been outstanding...

Since that heady start, things have calmed down slightly, and it's become easier to manage the technicalities of the job. I can now upload a post to Blogger in thirty minutes, rather than two hours. I also understand rudimentary HTML. Little things that add up when you're trying to write a new YA novel and grapple with a demanding baby.

The quality of the copy has always been outstanding so that's never been a major issue. We have regular Skype catch-ups to discuss planning, or to brainstorm fresh ideas such as Agent Confidential (inspired by our own search for literary agents). I love the variety of the role, and nothing beats the excitement of receiving a new feature or being the first to read the answers to Sara O'Connor's Ask A Publisher column. But my favourite part of the journey so far has to be working with Katrina, Tania and Jan. Being part of such a supportive and friendly team has made all the difference to my big year out.

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Thank you Mel and Katrina for all your behind the scenes planning, emailing, posting, html-ing and emailing and social networking and emailing some more, you're stars in the W&P universe!