Click here for link to Mo Willems short animations for 'Pigeon' amd Knuffle Bunny. Hilarious!!

Patrick Ness to complete Siobhan Dowd novel

2009 Carnegie Medalist Siobhan Dowd, who died in August 2007, left the beginning of a novel with Walker Books. Now, Guardian and Costa award winning author Patrick Ness has taken Dowd’s preliminary pages and agreed to write a novel from them.

Denise Johnstone-Burt, Publisher at Walker Books, who commissioned the original novel from Siobhan, says:
‘We are delighted that such a fine writer as Patrick should have, as it were, teamed up with Siobhan to craft her initial work into a novel that reflects both her unique imagination and his genius. It is an incredibly exciting fusion of talent that I am certain would have delighted Siobhan were she alive today.’

Denise Dowd, Siobhan’s sister, says:
‘I am reading Patrick Ness' book The Knife of Never Letting Go at the moment and enjoying it hugely. I am delighted that such an eminent author is prepared to take on this task and I am sure the result will be well worth it.’

Patrick Ness, says:
‘I never met Siobhan when she was alive, but it feels as if I know her through her brilliant books. She was an irreverent and hugely welcoming writer, and I certainly don’t see this as a humourless, po-faced eulogy – I don’t get the feeling Siobhan would have liked that at all. There’s good mischief to be had. I can’t wait to get started.’

The book will be published in May 2011.

IBBY Ireland announces nominations

Ibby Ireland has announced the nominations for The Hans Christian Anderson Prize. Illustrator PJ Lynch and author Eoin Colfer. Pictured here is PJ Lynch receiving a copy of the nomination dossier from Valerie Coughlan. Visit IBBY Ireland's new website http://www.ibbyireland.ie/

Sarah Webb TV

Sarah Webb will appear on Ireland AM on TV3 on Thursday, March 4th to talk about Amy Green, Teen Agony Queen and World Book Day

Publicity for Amy Green - Summer Secrets

Following publicty confirmed;

RTE Radio Agenda (Arts show) on Tue 2nd Feb
Irish Daily Mail Saturday magazine 6th Feb
East Coast Radio 11.30am Wednesday 3rd Feb
Extract feature in KISS magazine
Woman Way piece
Competition in SUGAR
Competition in SHOUT

Sebastian Walker

This piece appeared in The Guardian over the weekend.

My Hero Sebastian Walker

• Julie Myerson
• The Guardian, Saturday 16 January 2010
• 
  

'He cared about his staff': Sebastian Walker of Walker Books

I started working as Walker Books' publicist in 1988. Less than a month into the job – not great timing – I found I was pregnant. But Sebastian's face lit up. "My dear, I'll start a nursery. You can bring the baby into work with you!"

Sebastian started Walker Books because he wanted to make beautiful and exciting books for children, so it was funny and touching that he knew so little about babies. He imagined the nursery could just be a line of carrycots – until someone reminded him that children tend to grow. But his generosity and imagination were entirely genuine. Just like the lunches we all ate together, the Walker nursery was absolutely free.

Sebastian's vision and energy were unique and infectious. He cared deeply about music, art, authors, artists. He cared about his staff. Late one night, he walked around putting a memo on every desk which declared that from now on, Walker Books would be a cigarette-free zone. Such an impulse was way ahead of its time, but quite simply he didn't want his friends and colleagues to die.

When Sebastian discovered he was terminally ill, he ensured the company couldn't be taken over, by giving it to its authors, artists and staff. He quipped to me that it was just "in case I go under the proverbial bus", and I remember laughing because no person I knew seemed more alive, more present, less likely to die.

I was too shy of him ever to know him well, but he transformed my life, made my early years as a mother relaxed and happy and secure. And I'm surprised to find I think of him more, not less, as the years pass and I miss him – his lively face, those white linen shirts, his complete lack of small talk, the odd mix of comfort and discomfort that was probably just shyness, the grand gestures that were so creative, so awe-inspiring. I would have loved to see what he did with the rest of his life, and maybe even to have dared be his friend.