Find out what's new on our websites, where we've been, what's on our minds and the things we're doing.
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Hi-ho, it's to London Book Fair we go...
Posted Monday April 12th 2010
by Carolyn KoussaThere’s been a flurry of activity in the Booktrust offices recently, and it can only mean one thing – London Book Fair is upon us once more. And what a programme it is looking set to be. London Book Fair describes itself as a ‘global marketplace’, and Booktrust’s involvement will be advocating this all-encompassing ethos, in our constant encouragement of all ages and cultures to engage with the written word.
Our programme of seminars spans the breadth of the world and the length of multiple platforms through which to access and promote reading and writing. From online channels for engaging the over-60s, to the need for children’s books in translation; from Simon Juden to Julia Donaldson, we’ve got all bases covered. With events throughout the day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, there is sure to be one to fit you.
And of course, if the excitement gets too much, or if you just can’t wait any longer, come along to stand A557 for a browse and a chat – and with so much going on, who knows who you might meet there!
In the meantime, back to the flurry… see you next week!
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Get London Reading on your iPhone
Posted Friday April 9th 2010
by Nikesh ShuklaExplore London's literary heritage for free with the Get London Reading app. Find books on your street, on your way to work, or in places of interest. Simply click the map to find books in your area. Use augmented reality to see exactly where the books are in 3D. Add books to your favourites, and search the books database. With over 500 books (and counting), you can explore London through it's books.
Feel free to add your own reviews for books in London here
Augmented Reality requires a 3GS iPhone.
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The Red Pen of Death
Posted Thursday April 8th 2010
by Nikesh ShuklaMy wife, a teacher, was told recently to not mark homework in red anymore; it sends out a negative, potentially discouraging message to the pupil. I faced that very same potentially discouraging message when the first edit of my book came back from my editor covered in red pen. Well, not quite red pen, more like electronic red highlighting, because we are modern writers and have been using Google to edit.
At first I was mortified, thinking, why oh why have they decided to publish my book if they hate it so much. Each page had red on it, sometimes every paragraph. There were lines through entire chunks of passages, entire pieces of dialogue- gone, to the edited-offcuts shredder in the sky. I sucked it up, swallowed it up and waded through, picking at words, arguing my corner where I had to, acquiescing to a keener, sharper eye than my own where I needed to. Some of the changes were painful, others time-consuming but a trend started to emerge in my brain about halfway through the second editing session. I had overwritten a good book. You spend so long trying to find someone to put the book out that you…
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Kick-Ass
Posted Tuesday April 6th 2010
by Nikesh ShuklaThere will be a time in every comic fan's life when a film adaptation of a much-loved character or graphic novel will come out and that fan will feel like they need to assert to the world (and their friendship group) that they knew about said character or graphic novel months, nay years, nay DECADES ago- which is why this blog is about Kick-Ass, the graphic novel by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr, and only a little bit about the Matthew Vaughan-directed film out last week (which I saw yesterday and loved).
The film of Kick-Ass does a great job of recreating the set-up for the book: teenage boy, invisible to girls (his only superpower) wonders why everyone wants to be Paris Hilton and not Spider-man. An internet purchase later, he dons a scuba suit and goes out looking to solve crime, gets smashed to a pulp and not learning from his lesson, tries again; before wading too deep into a mob vs avenging husband gang war. It's brilliant. For the first five issues.
The problem lies with the fact that by issue #6 of Kick-Ass, the film was being made, the last few issues were late… -
Evie Wyld's Facebook Writing Clinic
Posted Tuesday April 6th 2010
by Nikesh ShuklaClick on to our Facebook page for your opportunity to ask Evie Wyld, our writer in residence and award-winning author of 'After the Fire, A Still Small Voice', anything you want about writing, be it short stories or novels or articles or your first novel. Please bear in mind she will not be able to critique individual manuscripts or short stories so if you have any general questions about style, structure, writing, getting published or her own writing journey, feel free to ask!
