Patrick Ness - Diary

Win £1,000 books for your school

2012-05-17T09:10:48Z

Teachers and School Librarians in the UK! The wonderful folks at The Siobhan Dowd Trust (and if you don't know my connection to that, you really haven't been paying attention) are running a competition around the "Joy of Reading" where you could win £1,000 work of free books for your school.

Just share what you've done to promote the joy of reading in your school. The ten best, judged by Michael Rosen, the Best Children's Laureate Ever, will get £1,000 of books for their school. Details here. Good luck! The Trust really does some wonderful work...

(Also, not a clue how to get rid of that A before the pound symbol...)

Boy, it's hot in this library...

2012-05-15T14:58:24Z

It's cold outside, but for some reason, this library where I'm working is about 100 degrees. I've even propped open doors.

I'm just back from Edinburgh, where I had a terrific visit with Canongate, who'll be publishing my next adult novel in May 2013 (and don't worry, more YA novels are very, very much in the pipeline). Again, it'll be called The Crane Wife, and it's lovely that you keep all asking questions about it, but I'm not saying anything yet at all, I'm afraid. All in good time.

Meanwhile, I'm still writing, writing, writing. Lots of stuff to come, lots of news to come, too, when it's all ready. In the meantime, greetings to all the new commenters. It's great to hear from you all, even if I can't answer every question (sorry!). I've also got buttons just there on the left for Twitter (on which I sark about quite regularly) and a Facebook fan page, if you're so inclined. Good stuff coming...

What is it, anyway?

2012-05-10T07:20:59Z

Currently in the midst of writing and re-writing a number of things, so much it often feels like my brain is going to bleed out my ears. Let's hope not. I do listen to lots of music while I work (and always) and noticed quite a few folks on my iPod trying to answer the eternal question. I give you my No, That's Probably Not It playlist.

What Is Love?, Deee-Lite - the lyrics sheet to this actually says *speaks faux French*

Love Is A Catastrophe, Pet Shop Boys - Well, of course, that's what they'd say.

Love Is A LaserQuest, Arctic Monkeys - Ditto

Love Is A Stranger, Eurythmics - It's savage and it's cruel and it shines like destruction...

Love Is A Losing Game, Amy Winehouse - Oh, when she was on, no one could touch her.

Love Is Like A Bottle Of Gin, The Magnetic Fields - But a bottle of gin is not like love.

Warmest greetings to the new commenters, truly. As ever, more soon.

Big new book announcement!

2012-05-04T15:15:27Z

Oh, yeah, that's what I said. This was supposed to come out next week, so I was going to have some fun building this up and teasing you all, but the internet is a leaky, leaky place so it was instead announced today, a week early.

Never mind, it's true! The fantastic folks at Canongate Books have just bought The Crane Wife, my first adult novel in nine years, to be published spring 2013.

I'm pleased as punch. ("pleased as Punch"? Is it about Punch and Judy, thay saying? We don't have Punch & Judy in America, and being pleased as fruit punch makes no sense, so...) Anyway, very, very excited indeed, and don't worry. This definitely does NOT mean that I'm not going to write any more teen fiction. Not even a little bit. Lots more to come on that front, stay tuned. I TOLD you there were big announcements on the way...

Back from LA

2012-05-01T21:29:10Z

Bit of gap in updates, I know, but I've been away in LA! As I may have mentioned. That's where I got the great movie news about The Knife of Never Letting Go, which is cool. I do have other news, but I'm not allowed to say any of it yet, so as I always say, stay tuned, there's some cool stuff (well, I think it's cool) coming soon, I promise. In the meantime, how about a Little Playlist, as always culled from my own iPod:

Little Red Corvette, Prince - Fabulous song, and - looked at one way - completely obscene. So don't look at it that way.

Little Tornado, Aimee Mann - Oh, no, no, you don't know, you don't know.

All My Little Words, The Magnetic Fields - Now that you've made me want to die/You tell me that you're unboyfriendable.

A Little Respect, Erasure - Oh, you sing along, you know you do, and we all miss that high note.

Little Lion Man, Mumford & Sons - Everyone seems to moan about Mumford & Sons, but this is a great running song, especially when you sing the naughty word very loud.

Big Love, Jim Moray - And one "Big" song; Jim Moray's cover of Fleetwood Mac, revealing it was a stomping folk song all along.

Greetings to all the new commenters - I do promise that all movie news will be here first - and as I said, more soon.

MOVIE NEWS! Really quite cool movie news...

2012-04-24T01:42:57Z

Charlie Kaufman, Oscar-winning writer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which I think is one of the greatest films of the last 25 years) and Being John Malkovich, is going to write the script for the movie of The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Yeah, I know. Seriously. I don't even know what to say next. Charlie Kaufman! I just can't tell you how excited I am about this news...

LA Times Bookfest today

2012-04-21T16:23:21Z

VERY quick hit as I'm travelling and would like to get out of this hotel room, please, but a reminder I'm on (in a couple hours!) at the LA Times Book Festival. Hope to see some of you there.

Greetings to all the new commenters; I really am sorry I can't respond to them all (I'd have no time to do any other writing!), but I do read every single one. There's some exciting bits of news brewing, so as I always say, more soon...

London Book Fair & LA Times Book Fest Tickest On Sale

2012-04-15T15:17:05Z

This week, I'm honoured to be Author of the Day on Wednesday at the London Book Fair. If you happen to be around the Fair, I'll be doing an event at the Pen Lit Cafe at 11.30.

I'm also at the LA Times Book Festival this Saturday! And tickets go onsale (for all of $1 each) today. If you're in the neighbourhood, check it out. I'm on with Mal Peet and John Corey Whalley at the Davidson Continuing Education Centre venue (it's a big place).

And greeting to all the new commenters. I'm sorry I don't have time to answer every question, but I do read them all, including the reference to his Chaos Walking tumblr. More soon, but I am going to have a busy week or two...

New interview videos from me and Jim, plus a bit of confusion on Amazon...

2012-04-11T15:42:28Z

I've spoken a number of times about how much I love the Carnegie Shadowing Scheme, and this year is now different. It's already got tons of reviews of A Monster Calls, and now has brand new video interviews with me and Jim. Check 'em out!

Also, I know there's quite a bit of confusion lately on Amazon over the A Monster Calls paperbacks. We're trying to get it fixed, but here are the correct links. This is the illustrated paperback (an absolute steal at the price) and this is for a smaller, less expensive, non-illustrated paperback coming out in September.

I'd always recommend the illustrated one (it's lavish, and cheap!), but there've been a lot of requests for the smaller, non-illustrated one, so why not have something for everyone? I'm cool with that.

Don't forget I'm in Los Angeles next week at the L.A. Times Book Fest, but in the meantime, greetings to the new commenters and, as ever, more soon...

Cultural Round-up

2012-04-08T14:01:08Z

Hey, there, I get asked quite a lot what I'm reading, what I listen to, etc, etc, so on this very slow Easter Sunday (in which I've re-caulked my bathtub, so embrace, please, the glamour of an author's life), I thought I'd answer a few.

I've just finished reading Louisa Young's wonderful My Dear I Wanted To Tell You and am currently halfway through Philip Roth's Indignation. Possibly not for younger readers, I reckon. I'm also giving Game of Thrones a try, why not?

The last film I saw was Wrath of the Titans (yep, that's what I said), and the last play I saw was when I took my brother and his family to see Les Miserables, which you can judge all you like, it's a good night out. Three days before that I saw Complicite's incredible Master and Margarita at the Barbican. Again, really, really not for younger viewers, but then again...

The last music downloads I made were Jonsi, The Decemberists, The Hunger Games soundtrack (it's really quite good) and Seth Lakeman, and on telly I'm currently watching Game of Thrones, Mad Men and 30 Rock, which makes me laugh and laugh and laugh ("Remember when I insulted stubborn people? That took forever to sort out.").

So that's me in a cultural snapshot on Easter 2012. You? Warm greetings to all the new commenters. More soon...

A Royal Playlist

2012-04-02T15:35:49Z

Not much going on at the moment except that I'm going to the LA Times Book Festival at the end of the month, so in honour of Season 2 of Game of Thrones, here's a royal playlist, culled from my very own iPod.

Kingdom of Rust, Doves - An amazing song from a shamefully overlooked band; great running track, too.

Prince Charming, Adam and the Ants - As ever, ridicule is nothing to be scared of.

Killer Queen, Queen - Who doesn't keep Moet & Chandon in a pretty cabinet?

Kingdom Come, The Civil Wars - The best track from The Hunger Games soundtrack. But you knew that.

The Queen's Rebuke, The Decemberists - Because if you don't own Hazards of Love yet, what makes you think you're welcome on my website?

Enjoy, but in the meantime, greetings to all the new commenters. I do read them all. FYI, I've been getting a few PR requests through the site, which is great, but best is if you try the Contacts tab above and go directly to the right source! More soon...

Carnegie and Greenaway shortlists!

2012-03-27T09:06:19Z

Fantastic news in that A Monster Calls has been shortlisted for BOTH the Carnegie Medal shortlist and the Greenaway Medal shortlist, which means Jim's fantastic illustrations get recognised all on their own. Brilliant stuff!

Only a quick hit today, as I'm buried in writing, but greetings to all the wonderful new commenters, young and less young. I do read every single one.

LA Times Book Fest! Yep, I'm coming to America...

2012-03-22T20:19:30Z

Hi, all, as part of the all-around coolness of being shortlisted for the LA Times Book Award, I'll also be appearing at the LA Times Book Festival on Saturday, 21 April at 1.30 on the Davidson Center Stage. Even better, I'll be appearing with the mighty Mal Peet and John Corey Whaley. Tickets are only a dollar and look to be available on 15 April. I'll keep you posted, but hope to meet some of you there.

Greetings to all the new commenters! More soon...

New video interview

2012-03-17T12:44:16Z

Just a quick hit to day to say there's a brand new, 10-minute interview of me online, to mark me being Author of the Day at this year's London Book Fair, which is quite a cool honour. Even better, I was having a good hair day.

More soon, greeting to the new commenters!

Cool things!

2012-03-15T21:46:49Z

Hey, all. I had a great day today, talking to Year 9 at The Hemel Hempstead School. Got asked some of the most interesting questions I've ever had. Nice stuff!

I found out today I've been shortlisted twice for the extremely prestigious Jugendliteratur Prize, the top literary prize in Germay and one of the top literary prizes in the world. It's a tremendous honour, and if you're German-speaking, check out the German A Monster Calls. It's called Sieben Minuten Nach Mitternacht.

A Monster Calls has also been shortlisted for the also very cool UKLA award, which is also a huge honour. So a good week!

In the meantime, don't forget I'm at the Oxford Literature Festival next Saturday, greetings to all the new commenters, and just to say I went to the premiere of The Hunger Games movie last night. Fans are going to love it...