Summer Edition: Dispatches from the Studio
Dear friends,
Welcome to the summer 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, some thoughts on what I’m working on, book recommendations and more.
Where I'm writing from
This newsletter feels like a special one, because for the first time, I’m writing it from my new studio space! In June, I started working in a space within an artists' studio, just a short walk from my home. I’ve always loved artist studios, and have often felt envious of my illustrator colleagues for having these kinds of spaces, so I’m delighted to now have a studio of my very own! I’ve been enjoying organising it — setting up my desk, bookshelves and a reading corner. The week that I moved in, I unexpectedly acquired this siamese cat ornament, and decided it should become my studio spirit animal: it's now sitting on my desk, watching me work.
It’s amazing how working in a different environment, surrounded by a variety of artists, has made me feel both more productive and more creative. I’ve found myself already beginning to experiment with different approaches to my work, and contemplating new ideas and possibilities. (On the theme of studios and their power, I like this post from the writer Austin Kleon, whose weekly newsletter is one that I always enjoy, about how the word 'studio' derives from a verb as well as a noun.)
Last month I was also lucky enough to attend the party for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction, which was a wonderful celebration of brilliant writing by women. To celebrate having my very own ‘Room of One’s Own’, I bought myself this Virginia Woolf t-shirt — the perfect thing to wear in my new studio. (If you’d like to support the great work that the Women’s Prize to do champion female voices, check out their shop here for more t-shirts, prints, a Tatty Devine jewellery collaboration, and more!)
What I’ve been doing
In the spring, I celebrated World Book Day with some delightful events local to me, including a family event at Lancaster Library, and a school visit to my own old secondary school. School events really seem to have picked up again: I've done quite a few lately (in fact, I'm off to a school this very afternoon!) and I'm already booking them in for next academic year, especially around World Book Day. If you’re interested in a visit, check out the information here.
Over the past few months, I’ve also been doing a huge amount of reading — even more than usual, as I’m currently judging the Children's Book of the Year: Breakthrough category of the inaugural The Week Junior Book Awards. This category of the Awards is intended to celebrate fresh talent by shining a light on the début author who demonstrates the very best in new writing for children. You can see the shortlist here. I'm looking forward to chatting to my fellow judges to choose our overall winner.
I’ve also been working on two different writing projects, and whilst I can’t share the details yet, they both involve collaborations with fabulous illustrators. I’ve just confirmed another new project which I’m excited about — and I hope to be able to share details of all these in my next newsletter.
What I'm listening to
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you’ll know I’m a fan of children’s books podcasts. In fact, I was one of the founding team of one of the OGs, Down the Rabbit Hole, so it will be no surprise to hear that I've been really enjoying some of the new children's books podcasts that have been popping up (all hosted by previous DTRH guests - a coincidence? I think not!) Studio Mate Steve, hosted by Steven Lenton, gives a fascinating and fun insight into illustrators and their practice — I loved listening to his interview with the brilliant Karl James Mountford, illustrator of my Taylor & Rose series as well as lots of other fabulous books. Island of Brilliant! is a great, very funny podcast hosted by a double act of children's book legends, Nadia Shireen and Frank Cottrell Boyce. And in her excellent new Bookwandering, author Anna James chats to writers about their favourite childhood books — from Laura Dockrill talking about The Story of Tracey Beaker to Emily St John Mandel on The Dark is Rising. If you're looking for something new to listen to, I'd heartily recommend all of these!
5 favourites
In each newsletter, I like to recommend a few recent favourites - mostly books, but sometimes other things too…
City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak
I've been excited about this book for such a long time that I actually squealed when an early proof copy landed on my desk. The debut novel from Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, it's a spellbinding magical adventure, set in the 19th century. Chompa has grown up in rural India, surrounded by magic: the slow, calm 'writing-magic' her mother favours, as well as the more exciting 'finger-magic', which is immediate and powerful, but dangerous. Chompa has never really understood why her mother won't let her use finger-magic, but when she breaks the rules to cast a spell in her own way, there are terrible consequences - their home is destroyed and her mother is kidnapped. Now, Chompa must set out on an epic journey across the ocean to Victorian London to rescue her mother from the sinister Company, discovering more about magic along the way. Beautifully-written and richly atmospheric, this is a glorious read, incorporating elements of real history to weave an imaginative, enchanting magical adventure, with a truly memorable heroine. It's also the Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for July.
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan
Paris, 1940. Safiyyah loves spending hours in the library, poring over maps, dreaming of becoming an intrepid explorer, travelling the world and having adventures. But with the Germans invading France, suddenly there are real-life dangers on her doorstep. Friends and neighbours are fleeing the city, and bombs are falling, making Safiyyah afraid to leave the mosque where she lives with her family. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his work helping the Resistance, Safiyyah must take over his dangerous errands around occupied Paris. Then, persecuted Jews arrive at the mosque looking for help - can Safiyyah find the courage to lead them to safety through the city’s underground catacombs? This hopeful, heartfelt adventure story shines a light on a different side of World War II. A celebration of kindness, tolerance, community and empathy, I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautifully-crafted historical fiction.
Never Trust a Gemini by Freja Nicole Woolf
Over the past few months, I've noticed an uplift in the number of books being published for pre-teen and younger teenage readers. These are the kind of books that are ideal for readers who might have graduated from traditional middle grade but are perhaps not quite ready for 'young adult'. One of my favourite of those I've read so far is this enormously fun LGBTQ+ romance about an astrology-obsessed 14-year-old. Cat has a huge crush on her friend Alison: according to their zodiac signs, they ought to be the perfect match, but unfortunately Alison seems completely oblivious to Cat's feelings. When super-cool Morgan Delaney appears on the scene, can Cat move on from her Alison obsession - even if Morgan is an untrustworthy Gemini? This is a lovely, fizzy, funny and thoroughly charming read.
One for adult readers: Miss Iceland by Aufur Ava Olafsdottir
I picked up this book when I was browsing the shelves at Waterstones Piccadilly - though I hadn't heard of it before, the title and the bright, bold cover immediately grabbed my attention. I'm always drawn to stories about aspiring young women writers, and this was a particularly quirky and delightful one. Set in Iceland in the 1960s, it follows Hekla (named after a volcano) as she heads to Reykjavik with her typewriter in her suitcase. There she reunites with her childhood friend Jon John - a young gay man, who dreams of working in fashion and theatre but is instead forced to make a living working on a fishing boat. Together, they dream of freedom, excitement and new possibilities. But can Hekla succeed in a world which would prefer her to be a beauty queen rather than a writer? A prize-winning novel, translated into English from Icelandic, it's by turns funny, sad, hopeful, witty and wistful.
One more for adult readers: Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce
I've enjoyed all the books in this delightful wartime series, which begins with Dear Mrs Bird, but I think this, the third instalment, is the best yet. Here, we return to plucky heroine Emmy Lake, a jolly good sort living in London during the Blitz, as well as her surrounding cast of friends and colleagues at the Woman's Friend magazine. It's 1943; the magazine is thriving; and Emmy feels like she is really Doing Her Bit by helping readers as they grapple with the challenges of wartime life. But when Woman's Friend is acquired by a glamorous new owner, everything is turned upside down, and it soon becomes clear that Mrs Porter has set out to destroy everything they have worked so hard to achieve. Can Emmy bring everyone together to save the magazine - before it's too late? Full of nostalgic charm, this is an easy, breezy, enormously uplifting read (despite some genuinely heartbreaking moments). I always enjoy stories about people making things happen, starting up new projects, or working together to achieve a crazy goal (those 'let's put on the show right here' moments) so it's probably not surprising that I relished this.
If you're looking for even 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 autumn, 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