Spring Newsletter: World Book Day Greetings!
Dear friends,
Welcome to the spring edition of my author newsletter! If you're new here, this newsletter will pop up in your inbox roughly once a quarter. It usually brings together books and events news, a few thoughts on what I've been doing, and sometimes book giveaways - but always lots of book recommendations.
March is almost here, and World Book Day is coming up next week, which reminded me that it's been a while since I've sent out a newsletter. I must say first of all that I haven't got any exciting book news I'm able to share in this edition. In fact, 2023 will be the first year since my first book, The Clockwork Sparrow, came out back in 2015, that I won't be publishing any new books at all!
It's a slightly strange thought, but I'm treating this as a 'fallow' year, like at Glastonbury. Sometimes you need a little break to give the grass chance to grow again...
Events coming up
Although I don't have a new book out this year, I'll still be doing plenty of book events, including quite a few school visits. Coming up next, I'll be doing an event at Lancaster Library on Saturday 4th March at 11am.
We'll be celebrating both World Book Day and International Women's Day with a reading from Sophie Takes to the Sky followed by a fun art activity. It's a free, drop-in family event, and all are welcome!
Follow me on social media (@followtheyellow on Twitter or Instagram - I am also on TikTok, but I'm still figuring that out!) and keep an eye on the events page on my website for more news on book events in future.
World Book Day dressing up tips
While we're talking World Book Day: if you're looking for a costume for this year, check out my tips for dressing up as Sophie, Lil or other characters from The Sinclair's Mysteries and Taylor and Rose Secret Agents? I've seen some brilliant costumes over the years.
Alternatively, I think that Elisabeth from Elisabeth and the Box of Colours would make a great costume if you're looking for something quick and simple! All you'd need is a long dress, a jaunty scarf to tie around your hair, and of course some colourful art materials. You could go for a palette of paint and a brush, or even just carry a box of crayons. Voila - parfait!
What I’ve been up to
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you’ll know that as well as writing books, I occasionally work on literary projects - in the past including the likes of YALC (the UK’s first young adult literature convention) or the BBC National Short Story Award and BBC Young Writers Award.
Since last summer, the project I’ve been working on has been OpenBooks - a new initiative to reach the next generation of book industry talent. The project is a collaboration between the Publishers Association, the Booksellers Association and the Association of Author's Agents, and is aimed at showcasing careers in the book industry to young people. There are all kinds of opportunities - obviously you could work as an author, or an editor, but there are also many roles in other areas, such as spreading the word about great new books working in publicity or marketing, travelling the world working in international rights or sales, or creating beautiful books in an art, design or production role.
OpenBooks launched this week, and you can now check out an array of amazing virtual talks, with some brilliant people from across the book industry, all of which are free to watch at any time. One that I'd especially recommend is 'A Novel Idea' which features a line-up of inspiring editors and literary agents talking about what they do.
As someone who started my career in bookselling (my first ever job was working on Saturdays in my local Waterstones) I also really enjoyed 'Doing the Books' which is a very interesting discussion involving some incredibly creative and entrepreneurial booksellers. There is also a lot of fun short video content to watch on Youtube and TikTok (I do love a 'day in the life' video - check out the hashtag #openbooks on TikTok to see them), plus links to all kinds of resources about careers in books. If you’d like to find out more or sign up for information, do check out the OpenBooks website here.
Meanwhile, when I haven’t been working on OpenBooks, I’ve begun work on not one but THREE new writing projects. It’s been a while since I got stuck into something completely new and different, and I’ve been asking myself lots of questions about how I want to work now — at home at my desk, or in a cafe with conversation and buzz all around me? Listening to some evocative music, or in total silence? Typing away at my computer, or scribbling down ideas in a notebook? I get asked a lot of questions about my ‘writing routine’ but for me at least, I’ve found that it doesn’t always stay exactly the same. It’s all about finding what works for me right now.
Here, you can see my writing spot for today - one of my many lovely local cafes. (Coffee and pastry are, of course, always excellent accompaniments.)
5 new favourites
It's time to share a few recommendations of some books (and other things) I've recently enjoyed, which I think readers of this newsletter might enjoy too!
I, Spy by Rhian Tracey
As soon as I heard about this book I was excited to read it. Like me, Rhian is a lover of history (a while back we even did some events together, along with Emma Carroll and Lauren James, under the title of ‘The History Girls'). Her new middle grade mystery is set at Bletchley Park during World War II, somewhere that’s always intrigued me. It's the story of Robyn, who has grown up at Bletchley — but when war breaks out, her days of birdwatching in the park, climbing trees and swimming in the lake are over. Now, Bletchley has been taken over by strangers: there are fences, guards and frightening new rules. Robyn is even made to sign the Official Secrets Act. Soon, she’s given the job of working in the pigeon loft, helping to look after the carrier pigeons that will be delivering messages behind enemy lines. But though Robyn enjoys her work, she begins to suspect that there is something strange and sinister going on at Bletchley. I think anyone who likes books by Emma Carroll, Phil Earle, Robin Stevens or Lesley Parr will really enjoy this one.
Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King, illustrated by Claire Powell
I love the premise of this book: Montgomery Bonbon is a well-dressed gentleman sleuth, using his renowned detective skills to solve a mysterious crime at the Hornville Museum. But the great investigator has a carefully-guarded secret - he is in fact a 10-year-old girl named Bonnie Montgomery! With a little help from Grampa, can Bonnie solve the fiendish mystery — without anyone noticing that Bonnie and Montgomery are never in the same room at the same time? This madcap middle grade mystery is a really fun and quirky read for fans of all things detective, with particularly delightful illustrations by Claire Powell. I especially relished the lovely relationship between Bonnie and her trusty assistant Grampa.
The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood
I know I’ve recommended Laura Wood’s books many times in this newsletter (see also: Catherine Johnson, Emma Carroll, Jasbinder Bilan and the other authors whose writing I love) but I couldn't leave out this, her latest young adult novel — and in my opinion, her best yet. I think it will have enormous appeal to older readers who have enjoyed Sophie and Lil’s adventures in The Sinclair’s Mysteries and Taylor & Rose Secret Agents. Set in late 19th century London, it features ‘the Aviary’ — an all-female detective agency who specialise in digging up scandal on powerful men. We follow heroine Isobel as she is embroiled in a complex case involving gaslighting, blackmail and missing jewels. With the help of her friends, can she use her wit and bravery to unmask a villain? Of course, this being a Laura Wood book, there’s also a delightful romance.
One for the grown-ups: Portrait of a Thief by Grace D Li
Anyone who has read The Painted Dragon will know I love stories about heists and art thefts (as well as ensemble casts)— so I was intrigued to read this adult thriller by debut author Grace Di Li, which focuses on a group of students recruited by a mysterious corporation to steal back five priceless pieces of Chinese art from the West. I loved the central idea of this book, as well as the way it explored each character’s complicated relationship with China and their identities as Chinese-Americans. It’s an entertaining and exciting read, and while there were times when it definitely stretched my credulity, that was all part of the fun — and I was impressed with how cleverly the author brought the story to a satisfying conclusion.
TV: Lockwood & Co (Netflix)
I am an enormous fan of Jonathan Stroud’s books, and especially his series Lockwood & Co, which follows three young paranormal detectives solving mysteries in a haunted alternate London. I was so excited to see these brilliant books turned into a Netflix TV series, if a little bit uncertain about how a series I love would be translated to the screen. Well — I needn’t have worried! This is a fantastic adaptation: the young cast are great, and I love the way the world of the story has been brought to life. I especially enjoyed spotting lots of familiar London locations - the interior and exterior of the Barbican are put to particularly clever use. I can’t think of many people who wouldn’t enjoy this — it’s a great watch for young people, families, and adult viewers alike. If you haven’t seen it yet then watch it at once (and see if you can spot author Jonathan Stroud’s cameo appearance, pouring tea in a Thameside cafe!) I’m already crossing my fingers for a season 2.
If you're looking for more book recommendations, do check out my Bookshop.org page, as well as this list of all my previous newsletter recommendations.
I hope you've enjoyed this edition of the newsletter. Until the next edition, which will be coming your way in the summer, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
You can also find me on my website katherinewoodfine.co.uk and of course, you can contact me here.
Happy reading!
Katherine