Blue Peter Book Awards: The Shortlisted Authors, Part 1

All the shortlisted books for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2013

With just one day to go before we find out this year's winner, we caught up with the three authors whose books have been shortlisted for the Best Story category

David Almond

How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2013?

It's a real thrill to be shortlisted for this great prize attached to such a wonderful programme. The shortlist is fantastic - a sign of the energy and variety of children’s books today. We’re often told that children aren’t interested in books any more. What rubbish! Ask the kids who are judging this award. Ask the thousands and thousands of kids all across the country who love books, who love to read and write.
 
Where did the idea for The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas come from?

I went to a very strange circus in Italy a few years ago. During the interval, we were taken through some curtains to see a huge water tank. Inside it, there was a shoal of lethal piranhas. A man climbed a ladder at the side of the tank. He threw a dead chicken into the water, and the piranhas attacked! They ripped it apart, gobbled it down. The man took off his cloak. He was wearing swimming trunks. He put on some goggles. He raised his hand. He called out to us: Did we want to see him dive into the tank? Did we dare him to swim with these savage creatures? Some of us called out, No no no, don’t do it! Of course we all meant, Yes yes yes! He climbed to the top of the ladder, waved to us as if he was saying goodbye, and in he went.

I’m a writer. How could I see such a thing and not write about it? I changed the man into an ordinary kid called Stanley Potts and started to write his tale.

(PS The man survived. The fish allowed him to swim happily among them. He climbed out and asked if any of us would like to try it…)
 
 Can you tell us about what you're working on next?

I’ve just finished a novel called The Tightrope Walkers. I’m putting together a collection of short stories. And I’m thinking of a new novel.

Shirley Hughes

How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2013? 

Enormously encouraging, especially as children have been actively involved

What was your inspiration for Hero on a Bicycle?

I was in Florence, aged 19, not long after World War II when the city was under Nazi occupation. And I met a family who had hidden escaping allied prisoners at great risk to themselves.

You’re best known for writing and illustrating picture books, and Hero on a Bicycle was your first novel. How different was writing a novel to creating a picture books – and which do you prefer?

Writing a novel was a completely different process. With a picture book I start with the drawings and I love addressing a very young audience who are ‘reading’ through the pictures. Capturing an older audience was a terrific challenge, and I am thrilled with the response I’ve had from Hero on a Bicycle! I don’t think you can possibly compare the process, but they are both very rewarding.

Can you tell us what you’re working on next? Do you have any plans to write any more novels in the future?

My next book is a picture book, Alfie’s Christmas, and I am working on a new series, Dixie O’Day, with my daughter Clara Vulliamy – I am the author, she is the illustrator. But I am working on another novel, already well underway, for the same age audience as Hero on a Bicycle.

Liz Pichon

How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2013?

I'm THRILLED and EXCITED and my face hurts from smiling so much. A HUGE thank you to everyone involved: the judges, Blue Peter and to all the children who took part and voted.

Honestly, just being on such an amazing shortlist was fantastic!

(I'll calm down soon ... or at least I'll try to.)

Where did the idea for the Tom Gates series come from?

It was originally a picture book idea for younger children. I'd done a scrapbook idea called All About Me and that's where some of the teachers and the voice of Tom first started. But it didn't get picked up – even though publishers liked the idea.

So I reworked it (several times) until I wrote the first draft of The Brilliant World of Tom Gates in a real exercise book.

I imagined Tom was writing it at school, then wrote the first few pages, including his holiday homework, called 'Camping Sucks', which was about a disastrous camping holiday that went wrong. That was complete with loads of drawing and doodles.

 Tom is based on me as a child – and kids I remember at school, including my own children when they were younger (they're 22, 18 and 24 now).

You write and illustrate picture books as well as the Tom Gates books. How different is writing the Tom Gates series to creating books for younger children – and which do you prefer?

Getting any book published that you've created is always very exciting.I enjoy doing both for different reasons, as the process is similar in some ways.

The main difference writing for the older age group is it takes me a lot longer to finish it, but there's more scope to develop characters and story lines and put in as much humour as I can.

Though it's nice to do some painting once a book's finished. I appreciate being able to do different styles of work.

Can you give us a hint about what might happen to Tom in the next installment, Tom Gates is Absolutely Fantastic (at most things)?

There's a RUMOUR going round that Delia's got a new JOB. She won't tell anyone where she's working JUST in case her family turn up to annoy her.

Tom’s going away on an exciting School Activity Trip to try out raft-making and kayaking, among other things.

Other things being midnight feasts, sock snakes and hooting owls. So the usual chaos happens.

 And it looks like Tom might get some NEW neighbours too – I wonder who they'll be?

Find out more about the Blue Peter Book Awards and this year's shortlisted books, or read about what our young Blue Peter judges made of the shortlist. You can also tell us which is your favourite book on this year's shortlist to be in with the chance of winning a full set of the shortlisted titles.