R A I L H E A D

I've spent the last few weeks finishing Railhead, which will be published by Oxford University Press next October.  Here's what it looks like at the moment...

It's not really finished, of course, because it now has to be handed to a copy editor who will find lots of errors and inconsistencies which will need correcting or explaining away. But I've been reading it (via Skype) to Sarah McIntyre (who has been sworn to secrecy, of course) and it finally feels like a complete story.

Illustration: Sarah McIntyre

In some ways Railhead is a return to the style of Mortal Engines - it's set in a sprawling, far-future civilization, and it has evolved from many different drafts, written over many years. But it's turned out to be less jokey than Mortal Engines, and somehow less English, I think - nobody could ever claim this one is 'steampunk'.  And it's a much bigger world than Mortal Engines, so, although Railhead is going to be one of my longer books, there's still a lot which I haven't had a chance to explore yet. Once Christmas is out of the way I shall be looking into the possibilities of a sequel.

That's all I'm going to say about Railhead until nearer to the publication date, and I may not say very much then. I think one of the dangers of the internet is that we writers talk too much about our books, happily explaining where all the ideas came from, what the influences were. Part of the pleasure of reading a book is working those things out for yourself!

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Bun!

Just home from the Edinburgh International Book Festival, where Sarah McIntyre and I unveiled our all-new Cakes in Space multimedia CAKETACULAR.  Which went well, I think. The plan was to do something that was less like a usual author event, and more like THEATRE, my dears. So we perform what amount to comedy sketches built around ideas from the Cakes in Space book before Sarah leads the audience in some community drawing and we finish, of course, with a song.

We were very nervous beforehand - would we remember our dance moves, would the video insert work, etc... But all went smoothly, and we had two great audiences. Thanks to everyone who came along, and to the Festival organisers and technical staff, and to Elaine and Keo from Oxford University Press for looking after us.

And it wouldn't be Edinburgh if Sarah didn't manage to get us photographed Looming Over Authors More Famous Than Ourselves in the Authors' Yurt. Here we are looming over Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman...

We'll be back on stage soon, at Daunt Books in London on 13th Sept, at the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival in Devon on 20th September and at Manx LifFest on the Isle of Man on 26th/27th September (exact timing TBC)

Oh Crumbs, Here It Comes...

...A batch of Beastly Battenburgs and Bad Bath Buns!

Photo: Sarah McIntyre

Sarah McIntyre and I have been doing some pre-publicity for our killer confectionary space adventure CAKES IN SPACE. As you can see, it's a very serious business, and we have a NEW LOOK.

Photo: Michael Thorn

Cakes in Space isn't out until September, though it can be pre-ordered now (there will be an official launch at Daunt's Bookshop in Marylebone High Street around publication day).  But it was good to have a chance to road-test our glam new spacesuits and try out the Cakes in Space song. Sarah did a brisk tour of newspaper and TV/Radio offices during the day, and I joined her for the last leg in the afternoon; you can see Sarah's blog about 'Operation Cake Drop' here.

Photo: Sarah McIntyre

And, in the evening, our publishers at Oxford University Press laid on a fabulous party at BB Bakery in Covent Garden. By happy coincidence, some finished advance copies of the book had just come in, so we were able to read a bit, and show off Sarah's beautiful illustrations.  There's a whole gallery of pictures by Achuka's Michael Thorn, who is seen here sandwiched between futuristic weirdoes...

And here's our Seawigs/Cakes team: designer Jo Cameron, publisher Liz Cross, and editor Clare Whitston.

Photo: Sarah McIntyre I think...

The costumes were made by Wendy Benstead, from Sarah's drawings. Mine fits me better than anything I've ever owned, so from now on I will always be dressing like this.

Radio Seawigs and Signing Tour Times

Early this morning, While England Slept, Sarah McIntyre was putting on her awesome new hat and making her way to the studios of Radio London 94.9, there to enthuse to Saturday Breakfast Show presenter Jo Good about art and comics and our new book, Oliver and the Seawigs.  Here's a link to the interview...



On Wednesday next week we'll be launching Seawigs with an event at Daunt Books in Marylebone. It's free, but you need to phone or e-mail to reserve a place, and tickets are going fast!

Then on Thursday (5th Sept) we'll be off on a whirlwind signing tour of London bookshops.  If you'd like to meet us on our way round, and maybe have us sign and draw in your copy of Oliver and the Seawigs, this is our schedule (though these times are approximate: if the shops are busy and traffic is bad we may end up running a bit late).

10am – Hatchards Piccadilly

10:30am – Waterstones Piccadilly

11:30 am – GOSH! Comics, 1 Berwick Street, Soho

Noon – Blackwells Charing Cross Road

12:30pm – Foyles Charing Cross Road

1:30pm – Foyles Royal Festival Hall


There seems to be quite a buzz about Seawigs, which I very exciting - I can't remember this happening with any of my other books. It partly proves what a good idea it was to work with the magnificent McIntyre, but it also has a lot to do with our publisher, Oxford University Press. It's great to be working with a team who really understand and love the book, and are making such an effort to get it noticed. I'll be doing my best to help by donning clingfilm wig and/or matelot hat again next week, and frantically practising the Sea Monkey shanty on my ukelele. But don't let that put you off.  Hope to see you there!

Oliver and the Seawigs

Oliver and the Seawigs won't be officially published until September 4th, but the publicity shenanigans have already begun. Our lovely publishers, Oxford University Press, threw a spectacular pre-publication party on the Golden Hinde in London this week, and you can find a full report by my illustrator and co-author Sarah McIntyre over on her blog. It may feature scenes of me playing the ukelele and wearing sneakers and a t-shirt (new book, new look).  It also features the news that Oliver and the Seawigs will be published in the USA next year!

And here's a trailer that's been produced for the book by MB Films, featuring some of Sarah's artwork.

Oliver and the Seawigs - Trailer from MB Films on Vimeo.

To mark the actual publication of Seawigs there will be ANOTHER party - well, more of an EVENT really, at Daunt's Books in Marylebone, London. We'll be reading from the book, sarah will be drawing, and I daresay we'll be singing our Sea Monkey song again (I might even have learned the chords by then).

Admission is free, but places are limited, so if you'd like to come, you'll need to book a ticket. Here are the details: