Firsts and Lasts: my Read Regional adventure!
- At May 22, 2014
- By Niel
- In Events/News
0
Niel ends his Read Regional adventure in Thorne. (Picture copyright Doncaster Libraries)
It’s hard to believe it’s over already! Yesterday was my last Read Regional event, at a library in Thorne near Doncaster. And what a great way to finish; the pupils from King Edward School were attentive, engaging and asked some great questions.
I’ve enjoyed all of the events I’ve done in very different ways. They’ve varied from small presentations and creative writing workshops for 20 or 30 pupils up to a 300 plus crowd of teenagers in a tiered school hall. I can imagine how comedians feel as they stare at those rows of seats, each set of eyes demanding to be entertained! I’ve certainly learned a lot doing these talks!
Young people are naturally creative and this is something that, for many reasons, they often lose as they grow up. Imagination and creativity are sometimes undervalued in school children, after all these are not things that can be easily measured by Ofsted or in a GCSE, but they are fundamental to almost every walk of life from innovation to business and even sport. The teachers and librarians I’ve met understand the value of creativity and do more than their bit to nurture it in their pupils.
But it’s not all been creative fun! I’ve had more than a few bizarre questions that have stopped me in my tracks. Most authors are used to the typical questions they might get at an event: Where do you get your ideas from? How much do you earn? What’s your favourite author? But it’s the left-field questions that linger in the mind the longest: What’s your favourite word? What do you regret most in your life? Can you do a back flip? (If you’re interested the answers to all those questions are: All over the place! About 50p per book. I have lots but I’d probably say Alan Moore, Arthur C Clarke and Douglas Adams. Follicle. Not going to University. No.)
The experience has challenged me, and I think I’ve grown into the role as I’ve done more events. The best part has been the overwhelming enthusiasm I’ve seen for books and stories, and being able to meet and talk with so many keen readers who have bought my books and asked me to sign them. Their love of reading is obvious to see.
I’ll leave you with a few stats from my Read Regional adventure:
Events: 8
Distance travelled: 897 miles
Wrong turns taken: 7
Cans of diet coke consumed: 15
Pupils at events: 615
Pupils falling off chairs: 1
Pupils with nosebleeds: 1
Questions asked: 136
Read Regional Q&A
- At April 30, 2014
- By Niel
- In Talks/Events
- 0
I’ve been doing lots of events for the Read Regional campaign over the last few months which I’ll be blogging about soon. But in the meantime there’s a Q & A with me on the Read Regional website here: http://www.readregional.com/2014/04/29/qa-with-niel-bushnell-author-of-sorrowline/
Read Regional, Branford Boase, and other adventures!
Sometimes good news comes from trees. Or is it in threes? Or on buses? Who knows! Anyway, I was thrilled to hear that Sorrowline had made it onto the Brandford Boase Award long-list, a prize for début writers and their editors which recognises excellence in writing and in publishing. The Award is made annually to the most promising book for seven year-olds and upwards by a first time novelist. I’m really pleased to be nominated along with my editor, Charlie Sheppard from Andersen Press. You can see the full long-list here. The short-list will be revealed in May.
And if that wasn’t enough good news Sorrowline has also been short-listed for the Spellbinding 2014 award. Now in its twelfth year the award gives students from reading groups in Cumbrian secondary schools the opportunity to nominate their favourite book published in the previous year. Students in years 7-9 in participating schools review, debate and discuss the 10 titles and then at the Award Day in June vote for the Spellbinding 2014 winner.
This week also sees Read Regional blasting its way into libraries across the north of England! Read Regional is a promotional campaign organised by New Writing North that connects writers living in the North East and Yorkshire with their local readers. Read Regional is the Batman to the north’s library authorities Robin – together they’re a dynamic duo who bring together authors and readers through a series of local events, readings and workshops. I’m just one of many authors doing events across the region – you can see the entire list of here.
All this and it’s a mere 30 days until the publication of Timesmith! I’m putting together a little trailer video for it right now which I hope to have finished some time in the next week or so. Today’s fun was filming a skull in my back garden. You see, being a writer isn’t just about sitting in front of a computer!
