Category Archives: Blog
First lines and first chapters
Find out how writers from David Almond to Frank Cottrell Boyce to Sue Townsend have grabbed their readers from the off, and kept them turning pages long into the night. And have a go at writing your own first page … Continue reading
The making of a mixtape…
Rob has it right in High Fidelity: “The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Teen
Tagged Anthony McGowan, Elvis, Everybody Hurts, Leeds, mix CD, Mountain Goats, romance, The National, YA
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Everybody Hurts – a story of love (and ping pong)
It began, as so many great love stories do, with an argument. This time, however, there was no prom, or even eyes meeting across a bar; rather boy (Anthony McGowan) met girl (me) on Meg Rosoff’s blog, shouting about Jane … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reading, Teen
Tagged Anthony McGowan, Atom Books, Everybody Hurts, Joanna Nadin, Leeds, love, teen cancer, YA romance
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Joe All Alone on CBBC
About three years ago, before Joe was even published, I got a phonecall from a TV producer who had got hold of the manuscript, read it in one sitting, and was determined to persuade CBBC to make it into a … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reading, Teen
Tagged books, CBBC, child poverty, Joanna Nadin, Joe All Alone, tv drama
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Home alone?
I’m at the UKMG extravaganza next Saturday in Nottingham, celebrating books for 9-12 year olds, including my own Joe All Alone. But ahead of that, I’m getting shouty rather than celebratory. This went up over on Pewter Wolf’s blog today, … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reading, Teen
Tagged child poverty, CPAG, Huckleberry Finn, Joanna Nadin, Joe All Alone, middle grade, UKMG
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Blowing my own trumpet
No one likes to blow their own trumpet. Bar Katie Hopkins and Ornette Coleman maybe. But sometimes, a whole raft of people say a whole raft of nice things and you want to shout out to the world “See, I’m … Continue reading
Rachel says…
Today’s blog tour stop is with Amy Bookworm, who has carried out an insightful interview with Rachel herself. No, really… (plus the last pages of The Facts of Life, in case you need a little catch up). Hello Rachel! You … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reading, Teen
Tagged diary, My So-Called Life, Rachel Riley, Saffron Walden, teen, The Time of My Life
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(Almost) The Time of My Life
*coughs in attention-seeking manner* So, as I shall be spending World Book Day editing the least-book-related document you could imagine, I thought I’d get a book out instead. Officially on shelves tomorrow, The Time of My Life is the last … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reading, Teen
Tagged My So-Called Life, Rachel Riley, Saffron Walden, Time of My Life
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Wonderland
Wonderland was the first time I properly tried to unravel the idea of identity – what makes us who we are, and if it’s possible to change, a theme that ran through my teen years and much of my adulthood … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reading, Teen
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Joanna Nadin 