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.

High School Monsterical

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

I tried. I held out for weeks, despite the desperate pleas of my daughter: MILLIE: Please Mummy, but Hannah and Ava have seen it. And Hannah has completely fallen in love with Choy. ME: Troy MILLIE: Yes. Choy. I want … Continue reading →

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Remember remember

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

Today have mostly been trying to explain the colossal significance of the 5th November to a five year old. But the details of bonfire night and the US Presidential Election seem to have got muddled on the way. Me: Will … Continue reading →

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White (lie) Christmas

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

Hurrah for Christmas is here, the season of goodwill, mince pies and too much Haribo.  Oh, and little white lies: Millie: Is Father Christmas real? Me:             Yes Millie:            But how can he get round the whole world in one … Continue reading →

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Christmas presence

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

Hurrah, it is that time of year again. Yes – the annual hand-wringing exchange of emails between me and my brother James about what to get our parents for Christmas. For example: James: And our father. What shall purchase for … Continue reading →

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Twit(ter)

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

I tried. For literally weeks. Well, alright, days. I said I was absolutely under no circumstances going to sign up to Twitter i.e. sign away yet more swathes of my day when could usefully be writing / making cups of … Continue reading →

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Dream big

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

Have known since was 8 that was never ever going to be Darcey Bussell type (nor did Darcey Bussell, given that this was 1978 and do not think she was born yet, but you get drift). Was not through some … Continue reading →

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Easy A

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Joanna Nadin

As any fule kno, am obsessed with teen movies. Mostly because I write teen books, which are all begging to have movies made of them, if only to keep Millie in Hannah Montana DVDs, and also because my own teenhood … Continue reading →

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