Author Archives: Joanna Nadin

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About Joanna Nadin

A former broadcast journalist and special adviser to the prime minister, since leaving politics I’ve written more than 80 books for children and adults, as well as speeches for politicians, and articles for newspapers and magazines like The Guardian, Red and The Amorist. I also lecture in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, and hold a doctorate in young adult literature. I’m a winner of the Fantastic Book Award and the Surrey Book Award, and have been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Booktrust Best Book award and Queen of Teen among others, and twice nominated for the Carnegie Medal, for Everybody Hurts, and for Joe All Alone, which is now a BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated BBC TV series. I've also worked with Sir Chris Hoy on the Flying Fergus series and ghost-written Angry Birds under another name. I like London, New York, Essex, tea, cake, Marmite, mint imperials, prom dresses, pubs, that bit in the West Wing where Donna tells Josh she wouldn’t stop for a red light if he was in an accident, junk shops, crisps, Cornwall, St Custard’s, Portuguese custard tarts, political geeks, pin-up swimsuits, the Regency, high heels, horses, old songs, my Grandma’s fur coat, vinyl, liner notes, the smell of old books, the feel of a velveteen monkey, Guinness, quiffs, putting my hand in a bin of chicken feed, the 1950s, burlesque, automata, fiddles, flaneuring, gigs in fields on warm summer nights, Bath, the bath.

There’s no place like….

So my smelly little brother has washed the last of the Glastonbury filth off himself, and Andy Murray is yet again making me lose the ability to write in the afternoon, which can mean only one thing: the summer holidays … Continue reading

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I AM Buttercup Jones (and Lola, and quite a few other characters too)

It’s the nature of writing that every heroine I have conjured up, from Penny Dreadful to Rachel Riley has a little of me in her. In the case of Rachel, pretty much all of me. So much so, that when … Continue reading

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Buttercup Jones meet the World

OMG. Buttercup Mash is published, like, TODAY, and I am NOT EVEN JOKING. It’s on bookshelves in shops, and on Amazon, and everything, which, like I KNOW. I mean, seriously, have they no IDEA how OFF THE SCALE this is. … Continue reading

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Penny Dreadful is unleashed

Not content with appearing at Hay not once, but twice this week, I also have a sickening three books out, the first of which, Penny Dreadful, is unleashed on an unsuspecting public today. Her name isn’t actually Dreadful, it’s Jones. … Continue reading

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Making Hay (and the sun had better shine)

I love being a writer. I love being able to wear my pyjamas or a ballgown to work (and believe me, I have done both), without anyone but a seven year old telling me I am dressing inappropriately (although usually … Continue reading

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Richard and Judy

There is no way of saying this without blowing my own trumpet, so cover your ears if you don’t like the noise, but ‘Spies, Dad, Big Lauren and Me has been picked for the Richard and Judy Summer Book Club, … Continue reading

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Buttercup 2: Return of the crazy

Dear Dr Sven OK, so it’s, like, nine days until publication, not that I’m counting or anything, but, well, yes I am actually, wouldn’t you? I mean, it’s the biggest thing to happen to me since Rachel Riley messed it … Continue reading

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Officially me

After years of woeful neglect (tumbleweed rolling across the ether, broken bottles, possibly dog poo lurking at the edges), my website has been given a much-needed makeover and update. You can find out more about me, Rachel Riley, and my … Continue reading

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Bad hair day

When I was about nine, my sole desire was to own a Twirly Curls Barbie. This was a normal Barbie (in the American sense of the word, i.e. not at all) but with the added genius of a key in … Continue reading

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The pursuit of love

I blame High School Musical – a film I blame for a lot of things (chirpy American accents, cheerleader outfits, being constantly told to ‘get my head in the game). But today, I am blaming it in part for Millie’s … Continue reading

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