Category Archives: Blog

First lines and first chapters

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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Stay gold, Ponyboy

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Joanna Nadin

There’s something almost alchemical about the moment a hard copy of your book is finally pressed into your hot hands. A strange kind of magic that has turned the base material – people and plot and places – that has … Continue reading →

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The making of a mixtape…

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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Everybody Hurts – a story of love (and ping pong)

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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Joe All Alone on CBBC

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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Home alone?

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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Blowing my own trumpet

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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Rachel says…

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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(Almost) The Time of My Life

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Joanna Nadin

*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 →

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Wonderland

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Joanna Nadin

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 →

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