July 2010 Archives

I've talked here about contributing a piece of, ahem, artwork for the Play The Shape Game book for Children's Laureate Anthony Browne along with writers, illustrators and celebrities like Emma Thompson, Anthony Horowitz, Andy Stanton and Phillip Pullman.  Every penny of profit goes to The Rainbow Trust.

Well, now, for this week only, there's an online auction where you can bid for all the original artwork, including my own, signed by me.  There are staggeringly beautiful ones by Catherine Rayner, Axel Scheffler, and - what I think is the best one - the brilliant Shirley Hughes, so why you'd want to buy my one (which proves that, as an illustrator, I'm not a bad writer) is beyond me.  Still, some great artwork and all for an excellent cause.  I even already have one bid for 20 quid!  I'm flattered beyond all reckoning.

Remember, Losing It, with a new story by me, is on sale now, and a big welcome to the new commenters, a few of whom have read it already!  But check out the auction, a good thing all round.

This week launches the Play The Shape Game book by Children's Laureate Anthony Browne, where he asked a bunch of celebrities, artists and writers to play the shape game for charity.  The result is a pretty spiffy picture book with all the proceeds going to The Rainbow Trust.

I'm in the book (with a very modest drawing), along with people like Emma Thompson, Philip Pullman and Quentin Blake.  Lots more about it here and here and here (which has a wee gallery).  You'll be able to buy the original artworks for charity in an online auction, more details soon.  Check it all out!

The Losing It launch at Foyles on Thursday was great!  Standing room only, so I got to meet lots of readers (including Rebecca from the Comments page; Hi, Rebecca!).  Really good fun.

There's a very nice profile of me just out in the new Publishers Weekly in the United States in the lead-up to the US publication of Monsters of Men.  It says some really kind things about the books, including from some US booksellers, which is great.

It also reveals some more info about my next book!  Including, perhaps a little earlier than I might have liked, the title.  As I announced here, my next book will be taking the last work of the most excellent Siobhan Dowd and turning it into a novel.  It's a honour to have been asked, like being handed a baton from a terrific writer.

And now it has a title!  It's going to be called A Monster Calls and will be out May 2011 in the UK.  Yes, I know, two Monster titles in a row, but what can I say?  The right title's the right title.  Even cooler, it's going to be illustrated throughout (the illustrator's still a secret for now, shhhh). 

And, in the way of these things, I'm also preparing to start on the book after that, which'll be another big evil book that I can't wait to get to.  I hope you'll like them both!

Don't forget, I'll be appearing at Foyle's Bookshop this Thursday.  Details are here and a few free tickets arestill available, just email events@foyles.co.uk.  Hope to see you there.

Just a quick note today to say that a podcast I recorded for the Sydney Writers' Centre in Australia is now online!  It was recorded trans-continentally, -oceanically and -equatorially, so the connection is a touch rusty and the transcript records my every mid-sentence change of mind, but it's me talking about my writing process and writing the books, etc.  The Writers' Centre has loads of writers' resources, so check it out!

Be sure to scroll down for other recent info, including upcoming events.  And big welcome to the new commenters from all over the world (Washington, Wisconsin, Spain, South Africa, and Will again, too (hey, Will!)).  Great to hear from you all.

Just a reminder that next Thursday, 22 July at 6.30pm, I'll be at Foyles Bookshop on Charing Cross Road in London taking part in a launch event for Losing It.  Tickets are free, email events@foyles.co.uk for info (and if you bring along Chaos Walking, I'll happily sign those, too.)

And also that tickets are now on sale for my Sunday, 22 August event at 4.30pm at the Edinburgh Book Festival, where I'll be talking about Monsters of Men.

Great new set of comments, too, including one by Jack which I had to mostly delete but which I sort of answered and sort of didn't.  Ah, it all gets tricky not giving stuff away, doesn't it?

The first official US print review of Monsters of Men, and it's a starred review in Booklist, which is brilliant.  There've been loads of blog reviews, too (like here and here and here, for a few examples among many, which is very cool).  And again, I'll be in the US in October.

Today is also the publication day of Losing It, a short story collection revolving around the issue of teenage virginity.  Less controversial and a lot more touching and funny than it sounds.  I've got a new story in it, as do Keith Gray, Melvin Burgess, Anne Fine and a bunch of others.  It's already getting some press and some very good reviews.

AND, of course, on 22 July at 6.30pm at the Foyles Bookshop on Charing Cross Road in London, I'll be taking part in a launch event for Losing It.  Tickets are free, email events@foyles.co.uk for info (and if you bring along Chaos Walking, I'll happily sign those, too).

Welcome to the new commenters (including new blog reviews, fab!), working on North American ebooks (see earlier entries for details), and more soon...

Another thing I'm involved with this month is the new book Play The Shape Game by the Children's Laureate Anthony Browne.  45 celebrities, including Jo Brand, Emma Thompson and Quentin Blake, play the shape game by adding to a shape that Anthony Browne drew.  All proceeds go to charity, and somehow I've ended up in it, too (though my own contribution shows quite clearly that not all writers can draw). 

There'll also be charity auctions for the original artwork for each of us, with again all proceeds going to charity, so one of you might be able to buy an original piece of artwork by me!  Why you'd want to is a whole other question...

Also out now is a brand new edition of The Knife of Never Letting Go in France.  My French publishers, Gallimard, have released a new teen imprint called Pole Fiction, of which La Voix du Couteaux is one of the first six!  Cheers, too, to Ben, for putting it up the comments!

And welcome to all the new commenters, great to hear from you.  I do get a lot of questions that could be answered by a quick poke around the site (Events and Books and having a scroll through the Diary), so do feel free to have a look round!  And I'm sorry that I can't answer every question, I really am!  But I've got a couple of books that need writing and they eat up all my time!  If you would like to send me a letter, though (as someone asked), you're more than welcome to write to me through my publisher:  Patrick Ness, c/o Walker Books, 87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ.  They pass on everything to me. Cheers!

Things are hotting up for the US release of Monsters of Men on 28 September.  There've been some fantastic early blog reviews and it's just received a starred review in the new Booklist, which is brilliant.  There's also the recent news about audio books, the US trailer, and I can also say that I'll be coming to the US in the Fall for a tour!  I know, cool, huh?  More details as I can share them...

Speaking of events, don't forget I'll be appearing at Foyles Bookshop on Charing Cross Road on Thursday, 22 July at 6.30pm with Keith Gray and others to talk about Losing It, the new anthology I've written a story for.  I've got a few more details now:  There'll be a panel of us up first, then signing and plenty of time to meet and chat.  Feel free to bring the Chaos Walking books as well, happy to sign those, too.  It's all FREE, email events@foyles.co.uk for tickets.

Hello to new commenters Olivia, Aharon and Greg!  More soon.