The fabulous organisers of the York Book Award have sent me some photos of the students amazing work. I’ve printed these off to put up on the wall in my writing space, they bring me so much joy!
One incredible student had a sketchbook with pages and pages of a Stitchwort movie storyboard. I LOVE the styling of Viola here. Just phenomenal work, Kene you’re amazing! Please keep drawing and telling stories!
Then this beautiful watercolour portrait of Etta…
The most adorable, fluffy, needle-felted spider!
All of the art and writing the students created inspired by the book was amazing, I hope they were all very proud of the hard work and effort they put in. Everything was to such an exceptionally high standard, one student had made a griffin for Impossible Creatures!
Day two in York got off to a frantic start. There was a hotel breakfast to enjoy, or maybe not if you ask for the vegetarian option and the sausages are still frozen when they arrive… Luckily there was tea and pastries so all was not lost.
After breakfast was a complicated hotel room scene of me going ‘I need that for the school visit this morning so let’s make a pile by the window, I don’t need that until the award ceremony this afternoon so it can go on the bed, I don’t need this at all anymore it can go by the door to go in the car, actually no, can I have that back, wait… do I have all the props for the school visit, do I need a coat, maybe we should start again…?’ and generally triple-checking everything in a haze of public-speaking fuelled anxiety.
We arrived at fabulous Vale of York school and were met by their wonderful school librarian, Susie, and superstar student helper, Jacob. We got everything set up and started the presentation to a brilliant group of creative readers. They joined in, asked me loads of tricky questions, told me about their own stories and creative projects, we unwound so much ‘spidersilk’ that we ran out of space in the library, it was brilliant and I had a great time. I think the students did too!
Next we drove to St Peter’s and sorely wished we’d washed the car. We live down a long, pothole- riddled, overgrown lane in Devon and we don’t even notice the mud on the car anymore. Until we park in front of this beautiful building!
We had a lovely authors’ lunch in the library, then headed into a hall full of incredible artwork by the students. One student had a whole sketchbook for Stitchwort, it was beautiful! There was a cake, sculptures, drawings, paintings, fan- fiction, manga, scripts, reviews; the school staff had to drag the authors away because we wanted to see everything!
In the hall we each had a lovely, handwritten card welcoming us to the York Book Awards, chocolates with each of our book covers printed on, and a York Ghost! I had to be a well-behaved adult and not immediately open my ghost. (That lasted until we got back in the car, I’d opened my ghost before we’d pulled out of the parking space)
We each had to do another talk, I was even more nervous in the hall than in the library, so I can only hope it was coherent! Luckily I went first, so everyone will have immediately forgotten mine. Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada told some wonderful ghost stories, with a live drawalong, and Tom Palmer had a real WW2 artefact with him, which helped him to connect to the past while writing The Angel of Grasmere.
Next were awards to the students for their exceptional artwork, and then the book award! After a tense few minutes of anticipation Tom Palmer won with The Angel of Grasmere!
We then had a mad signing session with all of the excited students. Chie drew bunnies, I drew spiders, we took some photos together and it was time for the long drive back to Devon, with my two York Ghosts (and my lovely family!)
I had a wonderful few days, York was beautiful and the YBA were brilliant. We all thought the event was incredibly well organised and everyone involved had added so many thoughtful and personal touches. We were all blown away by the amazing staff and students, and I hope I can visit York again soon!
I have a Ko-fi page, where you can ‘buy me a coffee’, should you ever wish to. Although I don’t actually like coffee, I like tea or hot chocolate. And cake. There’s a few free downloads available on Ko-fi, and I will try to remember to post more on it!
I had a plan for the New Year. Every week I was going to get a book from the library, read it, and put a review online. Since my first book published I’ve realised how incredibly important reviews are!
I managed the book borrowing and reading part. The reviewing part… well, we’re halfway through March, and this is the first time I’ve managed it.
I’m far too easily distracted. One of my many distractions are our pets. We have a collie, who needs much walking, two elderly cats (who don’t), and at Halloween last year my mum found a cat with 5 kittens living under her garden shed. They were very wary of people, it took three weeks to get them all in mum’s house at the same time. At which point we realised we couldn’t close the door behind them, as they were between us and the door handle…
We had to set up a piece of string, and is was another week before we were able to trap them. Luckily we caught them just ahead of two big winter storms, one of which ripped the fence away from the shed and exposed where the kittens had been sleeping. As soon as we got them all indoors it promptly snowed!
Kittens first snow!
We were so relieved to have them safe and warm indoors. My parents were also relieved that they didn’t have to keep their doors open at all hours in the cold anymore!
We ended up keeping two of the kittens. This is Professor Cecil B. Heimerdinger, looking longingly at the remains of breakfast;
Heimerdinger is not a fan of the ‘no cats on the table’ rule. If you’re wondering about the name, he’s named after a character in the Netflix show ‘Arcane’.
This is Willow, who is absolutely tiny! Willow is named after Willow from Buffy.
In between the endless litter cleaning and cat feeding I did manage a trip to the library, where this beautiful cover immediately caught my eye;
How could I not pick it up?! When I got home and started reading I realised this is the second book in the series. It was so good I kept going with it, for a start the main character lives in a bookshop so how could I not! I definitely want to find out more about the ‘Uncles’ and the magic system in this world. The villain was so malicious and evil, I hated her! I was in silent fury at the treatment of some of the characters; the injustice!
I really enjoyed it, and I definitely have to go and read the first one. I suspect there’s going to be more so if we get to three books (fingers crossed) I’ll be on a binge-read weekend!
I was also busy frantically crocheting in January, trying to get ready for the arrival of my first niece! She’s now here in the world, and absolutely beautiful! I’m looking forward to being the weird, old, goth aunt in her life. I just hope she likes really brightly striped blankets…
I also received many lovely bookish presents. I read ‘Assistant to the Villain’ in the ‘Betwixtmas’ period, while stuffing my face with cheese and chocolate. I didn’t know this was a TikTok thing, apparently there’s a video series that the book has grown out of? But without knowing anything about it I really enjoyed it. It was light and fun, perfect easy read after a busy Christmas (with kittens) I enjoyed the setting of an office, but it’s in a fantasy kingdom, and your boss is the villain. There was much casual murder, death and beheading. Sort of like a fantasy Midsomer Murders.
If I’m reading while sat at my laptop that counts as me writing, right?
I’m also trying to get back into drawing again, there never seems to be time and I’m getting rusty. I’m trying to do some little sketchbook pages, just so I don’t totally forget how drawing works!
I will *try* to get more regular at posting. Unless I’m reading, drawing, crocheting, writing…..
Oh, and everyone who loves books should read and share this article!
The Stitchwort Curse assembly and workshop content is most suited to KS2 and KS3. To book please email me on alexandradawewrites@gmail.com
In-person:
I can come to your school for an assembly, classroom workshop, or a combination of both, with a half day or full day rate + travel, and accommodation if necessary.
Assembly
(45 minutes to an hour, max 250 students)
Powerpoint presentation with props. This is interactive, with quizzes and games, and might get a bit noisy!
A brief introduction about me, my background, and how I became an author.
How I researched The Stitchwort Curse, and a Victorian plant hunter game (with a few student and teacher volunteers!)
My love of the natural world, particularly the spooky creatures, and why these creatures are amazing, despite the negative stereotypes.
There is sound and video in the presentation. There are videos, drawings and photographs of spiders, so please make sure arachnophobes are aware.
At the end we do a spider draw-along, which the students can colour in while I take questions.
Technical requirements:
I will need a screen with sound to plug my laptop into.
In advance of the visit it would be great if you could let parents know I’m coming, and give them some information about the book.
A copy on display in the classroom or the school library is really helpful, as well as reading an extract out to the class in advance.
Workshop
(one hour, max 30 students)
My workshops are suitable for up to 30 students.
I have a Stitchwort specific workshop, where we talk about ideas, inspirations, research and problem solving. We then work together to write a Stitchwort short story.
I also have spooky story writing workshop, where we work together to generate ideas and outline a story that the students can continue writing (and illustrating!) themselves.
Zoom Q&A.
A 25 minute Q&A for classes who have already read the book. They can ask anything they like about writing, illustrating, being an author, or anything else!
Technical requirements:
Zoom (or similar)
Fees
In person:
In person Assembly – £240
In person Class Workshop – £125
In person Half Day – assembly plus 1 workshop: £275
In person Full Day – assembly plus 2 workshops (1 workshop delivered to two separate classes) – £400
*All fees are exclusive of travel and any necessary overnight accommodation. Travel will be charged at standard class rail fare. Accommodation in Premiere Inn or equivalent. I will endeavour to travel to and from your school without overnight accommodation where reasonably possible.
Virtual:
Zoom Q&A: £30
Book Sales
I will happily sign books for the students. I can help arrange book sales, if required.
