Welcome, Kindred Spirits!

Summer 2024

Dear friends,

Welcome to the summer edition of my newsletter! Coming to you just in time for Midsummer’s Eve, one of my favourite days of the year. Unfortunately the weather has not been very midsummer-like of late, but to cheer up all the grey, here is some joyful book news.

Coming soon: Anne of Green Gables

This week I revealed the cover of my forthcoming adaptation of Anne of Green Gables for Nosy Crow’s Classics series, which has been gorgeously illustrated by Isabelle Follath.

Working on this book was an absolute dream - I loved every second, from discussions about currant wine to debates over the pattern on the tea-set in the Green Gables kitchen. The final book is a thing of beauty - if you haven’t seen this particular series before, imagine a hardback picture book format but thicker, with beautiful full-colour illustrations throughout and lots of sumptuous details - cloth binding, a foiled dust jacket, a ribbon marker etc. It would make a beautiful gift for young readers who are meeting Anne for the first time!

Here’s the blurb:

When the spirited and imaginative Anne moves to live in Green Gables - a beautiful farmhouse, set among the summer flowers of Prince Edward Island - she quickly realises there has been a terrible mistake. Her new family - gentle Matthew and his stern sister Marilla - were expecting someone quite different! But will Anne succeed in enchanting Matthew and Marilla with her cheer and imagination?

The relatable mishaps and adventure of Anne are brought to life for a new generation in this enchanting abridgement by bestselling author, Katherine Woodfine, accompanied by Isabelle Follath's engaging and witty artwork.

It’s coming out on 12th September, and you can pre-order it now from Waterstones, Bookshop.org or Amazon.

I really love writing adaptations and retellings - I’ve previously adapted another favourite book, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for younger readers as part of Hachette’s Awesomely Austen series, and I’m currently working on an adaptation of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins for Walker Books. Working on this one — teaming with Nosy Crow and Isabelle to bring one of my most beloved childhood books to a whole new generation — was an absolute pleasure and a privilege. I know some people have mixed feelings about retellings or adaptations of classics, but for me it’s so much fun to see how a character like Anne continues to resonate with readers, and to see how her story can be approached in different ways. I know that I first encountered lots of classics when I was quite small through kids' adaptations (Ladybird Books, anyone?) and it’s exciting to think that a book like this could offer an initial ‘way in’ to some wonderful literature for today’s young readers in exactly the same way.

I’m really looking forward to being able to share more of Isabelle’s gorgeous artwork soon, and to celebrating the book when it is published in the autumn. There will hopefully be a couple of events, one up north and one down south, so if you’re an Anne fan, do keep an eye on my website and/or look out for the next edition of my newsletter with all the details. I’m excited to meet up with some kindred spirits and raise a glass (of raspberry cordial, of course) to this very delightful project.

What I’ve been up to

Book prize season is definitely upon us! Last week I was lucky enough to go along to the announcement of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the new Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, which was a wonderful celerbation of women’s writing. Today is of course the announcement of the Carnegies and although I couldn’t make it in person, I’m looking forward to finding out the winner. In the meantime, I’ve been spending a lot of my time lately reading my way through the books shortlisted for the Breakthrough award at this year’s The Week Junior Book Awards. I’m chairing the judging panel again this year and I’m excited to discuss all the shortlisted books with my fellow judges.

Something else I’ve been celebrating lately is the 10th anniversary of Murder Most Unladylike! It was a real delight to join my author pal Robin Stevens at a special dinner to mark the publication of this gorgeous special edition of the first book about Daisy and Hazel. Robin and I have had so much fun doing events about mysteries and detectives together over the past 10 (! can you believe it?) years, so it was very special to mark this anniversary with her. Detective Society Forever!

From the bookshelf

The summer holidays are almost upon us: I’m looking forward to doing some travelling with friends and family, including an adventurous journey on a sleeper train. With this in mind, I think Taylor & Rose Secret Agents: Peril in Paris is the ideal summer holiday read. Join Sophie and Lil to travel across Europe by train and plane, donning disguises, following clues and solving mysteries, with a suitcase of spy gadgets at the ready!

As well as reading the book, you’ll find some fun holiday-themed activities for young readers on my website - create your own Peril in Paris inspired luggage tag, make a Taylor & Rose passport, or just watch this super-cute Peril in Paris trailer.

Five favourites

Here are five of the many (many!) books I’ve enjoyed reading recently.

A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders

The final children’s book from author Kate Saunders, who died in 2023, is just lovely. Set in 1973, it’s the story of 12-year-old Jenny, who has just been cast in one of the lead roles in a film. Now, she’s jetting off to France to an idyllic château, where she will join the rest of the cast, including three other child actors. Being on a film set couldn’t be much more different from Jenny’s ordinary life — and she’s about to experience a life-changing summer. Though it’s never referenced directly, Saunders takes clear inspiration from The Sound of Music for this sunny, delightful story, which would make a delicious summer holiday read. Finishing it left me feeling a particular sadness that there will be no more books from Kate to come; instead I will just have to revisit all her other wonderful books including of course the brilliant Five Children on the Western Front as well as her Laetitia Rodd mystery series.

Movies Showing Nowhere by Yorick Goldewijk

This is another book inspired by film — albeit in a very different way. Twelve-year-old Cate leads a lonely life with her distant, silent dad — until a mysterious stranger, Mrs Kano, turns up and offers Cate a job at the run-down old neighbourhood cinema. But this is no ordinary cinema — instead it plays ‘movies showing nowhere’. Mrs Kano’s amazing film projector allows people to travel back in time and go inside their own memories. Soon, Cate is helping her, accompanying people on their journeys into the past. But what about her own memories — will she be brave enough to visit them? And who is Mrs Kano really? Winner of the Golden Pencil Prize for the best Dutch children’s book of the year, this is a beautifully-written, very distinctive middle-grade novel, which shows the form at its best — as a space that can be just as ambitious, subtle and thought-provoking as any other sort of literature.

Nush and the Stolen Emerald by Jasbinder Bilan

I’ve recommended lots of Jasbinder Bilan books here before but I think this one will be particularly appealing to Sinclair’s Mysteries fans and especially for anyone who loves The Jewelled Moth. This 19th century historical adventure story follows Nush, an Indian princess. The British East India Company has taken her family’s land and their divine jewel — an emerald with the power to heal their kingdom. When her father the Maharajah travels to England to ask for Queen Victoria’s help, Nush stows away on his ship, with a bold plan to try and get the emerald back. As always with Jasbinder’s books, it’s beautifully evocative — and it also shines a different light on the Victorian era for young readers, taking in themes of colonialism and empire.

Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell

Now for some adult books. I am a sucker for books set in the literary/publishing world and so when my friend Melissa sent me this, I was immediately delighted. Set in 1990s New York, it’s the story of twentysomething Sawyer who is trying to make it as an assistant in publishing, while dreaming secretly of becoming a writer. Meanwhile, her fiancé is spending increasingly long hours at work and is growing closer and closer to his colleague Kendra. When Kendra’s boyfriend Nick invites Sawyer to meet up and compare notes on what’s going on, she initially finds him annoying — but soon an online friendship evolves over instant messenger and email. Before long, Sawyer and Nick are meeting up every ‘summer Friday’ (in publishing there’s a tradition of taking every Friday afternoon off work during the summer), exploring New York City together and getting to know each other. It’s a charming, nostalgic love story, with more than a hint of You’ve Got Mail — a really lovely summery romance.

You Are Here by David Nicholls

I was lucky enough to go and hear author David Nicholls talk about this at an event in Edinburgh earlier this year. I’ve only just caught up with the gorgeous Neftlix adaptation of One Day, but if you enjoyed that (and of course the original book it was based on) then I think you’ll relish his new novel, which also has a quirky central concept. In this case, we follow the two main characters over the course of a coast-to-coast walk, through different weather, from luxury hotels to grubby bed and breakfasts and everywhere in between — and we see how their relationship changes and evolves along the way. It’s funny and sweet and melancholy and uplifting and well-observed. Given that I love walking and that at least part of the book takes place in the Lake District near where I live, I was probably always going to like this one, but I can heartily recommend it to you as a very enjoyable read.

Don't forget to check out my Bookshop.org.uk page for lots more book suggestions, or take a look at this list of all the books I've recommended previously in this newsletter.

That's all for now! I hope you've enjoyed this edition of the newsletter. I'll be back in the autumn when I’m hoping to be able to share some fun news for Sinclair’s Mysteries fans.

Until then you can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, and Threads. You can also find out more on my website katherinewoodfine.co.uk and of course, you can contact me here.

Happy reading!

Katherine

Header illustration by Karl James Mountford