Originally, I hadn’t bought a ticket to this event, at Felixstowe Book Festival 2018, as I thought it was only for children and accompanying adults. When I discovered I could attend, I bought a last minute ticket and I am so glad I did.
This workshop covered different techniques for making books. We were given paper, pens, needle and thread.
We were shown three different techniques. First we created a simple folded book and they showed us how to use this technique to create a thin long book or a short wide book.
Then, we made a shaped book. The design they taught us was in the shape of a house. Inside we cut out doors.
We were encouraged to fill in our books. I choose to turn the ‘house’ book into Noah’s home with easy words for my son to read. Another attendee theirs into a row of beach huts, someone else had the house changing through the seasons and a girl drew each house belonging to her best friends. It was great to see how universal the design was for each person.
For the folded book, we were asked what our favourite word was. Mine is “banana”. We were then challenged to fill our books based on our favourite word. I decided to write about different colour bananas to the tune of “one potato”. Later, I gave the book to Noah to colour in. He was able to read the colours and word banana easily. As a minion fan, he found it funny that it was about bananas.
The final technique we were shown was a stitched book. They taught us how to gather a suitable number of pages and the right size cover. We were shown how to safely make the holes for binding and the pattern to use for the stitch using a waxed thread.
We then had time afterwards to try making any of the methods again or to continue decorating and filling in our books. I made another stitched book and used floral paper from their scraps box. I plan to use this as a notebook to records ideas for a best selling novel!
The scraps box was full of all sorts of different bits of paper ranging from left over card/paper to gift wrap and gift bags to wallpaper. For the cover you need something thicker than the paper used inside. It really demonstrates how creating your own books is very sustainable as you are repurposing stuff you may have otherwise thrown away.
Around the room were several books for anyone wanting to learn more about making books. They recommended:
The event was brilliant. Emily and Jeni worked well together to deliver an engaging and interactive workshop. I hope they continue to return to Felixstowe Book Festival to share their knowledge and enthusiasm of making books.
*****
I had planned to create a video to illustrate how to make these but haven’t had the time. Hopefully, I will one day.
Have you ever made a book – what style do you make and what did you use your creation for? I am hoping to do this with my son to encourage his writing. Please let me know if you’ve got any tips.
This was the second event of the 2018 Felixstowe Book Festival that I chose to attend.
It was hosted at Felixstowe Library and they put on a selection of nibbles. The sandwiches were really good and I got a glass of fresh orange juice in a wine glass (very sophisticated). Not so sophisticated was trying to juggle my paper plate, glass, mobile phone, notebook and pen but I somehow managed.
A post shared by Hayley Long (@hayleylongevity) on
The format of the event was Hayley interviewing Virginia about her book and chatting a little about her own too – like they were two authors hanging out. It was very informal between the pair. It made the event very personal as they told us about their books and what inspired them to write these stories.
Afterwards, we got to mingle and I had a wonderful inspiring chat with Virginia.
More about Hayley and her new book “Being a girl”.
Hayley was inspired to write a book that gives teen girls advice on how to survive puberty, however, there are lots of useful tips that would benefit women of all ages. She describes her book at ‘How to make life easier’.
Hayley showed us some pages from her book with illustrations by Gemma Correll (famous for Pugs, not Thugs) and that some text is small like a whisper and some text is big and loud. It looks like a fun book by about an awkward subject.
I was delighted to hear that Hayley is a local girl and went to school here. It is really inspiring to hear that someone with similar roots made it and that it is possible.
Writing about such a personal topic was quite scary to publish as she wasn’t sure what reaction she would get. Of all the complaints she envisioned, she had not anticipated people would complain about a tampon on the cover.
I didn’t buy her book today but if it is still around when my little girl is starting high school it sounds like the kind of empowering book I would want her to read. She has also written other stories that are based around the Suffolk area that sound really good.
More about Virginia and her new book “Who Runs The World”.
Virginia is a very passionate woman who talked about how much the world has changed in the past 100 years for women, like being able to vote and how she feels there is still more to be achieved. She discussed the recent equal pay success but that she thinks the next step is to change the culture and is supportive of the ‘me too’ movement. It’s not just about changing the law but about changing the way we think towards each other about what is right and wrong.
The idea for this book was sparked whilst chatting to someone studying Tess of the d’Urbervilles at school. She has also studied this book 30 years ago. I’ve never read the book so I had to try to follow what it was about by what she was saying but it sounds as if the main character is repressed by a man and although she liked it in school she now looks back and sees how wrong it is.
Virginia’s imagination then began exploring the idea of a world where women were in control and how this comes about. She didn’t want to simply switch society over, she wanted to create something new. Then she came up with the idea of a virus that only affects those with the Y chromosome.
Killing off all the men made me giggle. It made me think about a warning I read once about why you should never piss off a writer. I couldn’t find the quote online so I made my own (see image above) which captures the gist of it. Virginia doesn’t want men to die but this quote makes me feel there are few men that may have made her virus deserving list.
Virginia is very animated when she speaks, especially doing typing hands when talking about writing. It made her a very likeable person to listen to. She told us about how difficult writing this novel was as she kept worrying about what people would think and if she has portrayed women without men’s influence in their life correctly.
She questions how gender is portrayed and spoke about how strong women are always made out to be masculine and asks why this is. Why can’t women be allowed to be strong and still accepted as a woman?
Virginia likes to make people think “How do you want the world to be different” and is often impressed at school visits how much the children are aware of what is wrong with the world and how they want to change it.
After the interview there was time for us to eat some more food, buy the books and chat to the authors.
I waited patiently and then had a lovely chat with Virginia. I asked her about whether people had judged her for writing SciFi. Most people I know, judge me for writing fantasy. She was very encouraging about writing what you love and never giving up.
I asked her about how long it took her to find the right agent. She told me that a few years ago she had been writing scripts and had an agent but when she wrote The Rain she found a publisher quickly and was picked up by an agent too. She told me never to take rejections personally and to keep trying. She also pointed out that self publishing has come a long way and especially for Sci-Fi and Fantasy it can really expand the market for writers.
She encouraged me to find local writers groups as these can be really useful to critique your work. Another lady overheard us talking and introduced herself. She does a leisure learning course at a local college on Creative Writing and encouraged me to come along and meet the other students who often form their own group once the course is complete.
I bought Who Runs The World and Virginia signed it and wrote a nice message to me inside to encourage me to never give up.
Parents with children aged 2 to 6 years old were able to drop in between 10am and 12noon to try out the Arty Mouse range. This is ideal for their age group.
This was a free event (no ticket needed). However, the books were available to buy at half price and I couldn’t resist.
Representatives of Arty Mouse (I think from Top That Publishing) and volunteers of Felixstowe Book Festival, had prepared tables with different activities for the children to try. The children were able to move freely between the tables.
Here is a pic of Noah trying out their Arty Flashcards. These cards enable children to practice their writing and develop their reading skills.
Afterwards, children were rewarded with a certificate and some Haribo sweets. Sadly, I left behind Noah’s certificate and drawing of a cat, although, I think I would have been in more trouble with him if I had lost the sweets (luckily I put them in my bag).
The Arty Mouse products are a little bit special and make lovely gifts (especially the box kit books). I told Noah he could have two for the summer but the box ones I’m saving for his birthday and Christmas. He was very good about me taking them away as I could tell he wanted them most.
Noah was excited to get started in his book right away and really loved the themes in the book. He’s very into anything with wheels and robots are trending with him at the moment.
As I mentioned earlier, I am already a fan of Arty Mouse after discovering the fabulous books during last years Felixstowe Book Festival. I can’t believe I haven’t written a review of those we bought last year and I will make up for that later this month.
I have bought a ticket to an event and plan on attending some of the free activities. I will attempt to fit in as much as I can.
I love that each year the festival gets bigger and the events get better. Here is a flashback at my posts on previous years to give you an idea of what to expect:
Alwyn Hamilton talked about her book Rebel of the Sands being traditionally published and gave great insight into the process and what to expect. She talked enthusiastically about her novel and gave some teasers of what is coming soon. I think everyone bought a copy.
Top That Publishing gave an amazing talk on the picture book publishing industry and truly demonstrated their breadth of knowledge. I still have my PowerPoint slides from the event.
Top That Publishing also ran a free Arty Mouse event which my son loved. Children were encouraged to try out their interactive activity books – I ended up buying two (review coming soon).
This year
I am confident it will be another amazing year as there really is something for everyone and I promise to share with you what I get up to this year.
Are you going or wish you were going? Let me know which book festivals you recommend.
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post listing literary festivals taking place in the UK throughout the UK that have caught my eye. To read the full list, please click here.
This post is to remind you of those taking place this Summer. I have added a few more to the list for the upcoming months.
The event has various activities taking place and you can buy tickets for those you are interested in. Some of these events are talks by authors and others and workshops or tours. There are events for a wide variety of genres taking place through the two days.
Events range from exhibitions, speakers, workshops and children’s activities. Events are mainly held at the local Library and Orwell Hotel, however, this year will also have events taking place across the coastal town, for example woodland walks and readings on the beach.
This event is for young people only (18 and under – hence the student price). I had to include it because if I was young, I would go. This event has a number of speakers, workshops and activities and as you would expect a focus on YA and children’s fiction.
My dream is to one day be invited to be a speaker but if I ever want that to happen I need to stop dreaming and get writing.
Tickets: Various (£19.50 to £25 – although more ticket options will be released nearer the date)
The event is set in a small village with beautiful inspirational views. It is run by volunteers for those that enjoy reading and writing and is continuing to grow each year. The event runs from 9:00am to 5:15pm, following a programme of events that covers everything from book signing, guest speakers, workshops and can include lunch.
This festival is hosted in four different locations across the year. This even is held at Dartington Hall to enable readers to meet the authors of the books they love. There is a wide variety of events over the 10 days and you can either pay per event or a collection of events (1 day, 5 days or 10 days ticket).
This event is in addition to the London Film and Comic Convention. The YALC have exhibit stands where you can speak to authors, agents and publisher and buy books. They have agent one-to-ones, workshops and speakers at the convention and lots of space to sit down and read. The focus her is on YA Literature.
The tickets include access downstairs to the London Film and Comic Convention. If you are a fan of Marvel, DC, Anime or anything like that you can pop downstairs to see their exhibits and stalls too.
I really want to go but I’ll be 39 weeks pregnant so I don’t plan on travelling into London and being on my legs all day (there’s a lot of walking about).
The brochure will be made available on 7 June 2018 and will detail the programme of events. Previous years have had an impressive line up of over 1,000 authors from household names to debut rising stars, illustrators, musicians and artists attending the event.
Usually the event is split between two venues (Felixstowe Library and The Orwell Hotel). Although, these two venues will host most of the events, new venues have been added. All across town, their are workshops and author talks for anyone introduced in books and writing. Each event, isn’t that expensive, from free to about £10 – you did need to buy tickets.
I’m going – are you?
So, I’ve been most years to the festival since it started 6 years ago and look forward to going every year. Each year, the festival gets bigger and better. I tried to make a spreadsheet of what events are on and where and IT’S MASSIVE!
As of 31st March 2018, the tickets for Felixstowe Book Festival became available to the public to buy.
Alwyn gave some great insight into the traditional publishing route for writers. She talked about what went into naming her novel, the movie right and so much more. She was an engaging and likable author who spoke enthusiastically promoting her book.
Simon and Dan were like a tag team delivering their well prepared talk. They shared so much on what goes into publishing a picture book and had prepared a presentation for all the participants (a copy I still have). This was a great talk for illustrators and writers alike. These guys had a wealth of knowledge and the time flew by. We all would have happily spent the day with them absorbing all the information they had to offer.
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post listing literary festivals taking place in the UK throughout the UK that have caught my eye. To read the full list, please click here.
This post is to remind you of those taking place this Spring.
This festival is made up of events and you buy tickets to participate in events. Events vary between workshops, speakers and screenings.
If you miss the event, this seaside town is still worth a visit. They have one of the most beautiful traditional bookshops, a lovely beach and chip shops.
This event promises to deliver a platform for underrepresented women writers such a lesbians. This is sure to be a positive event that is making a difference to supporting diversity and inclusion. Supported by DIVA magazine and The Guardian.
If Erotica is your thing, then there is a convention just for you. This event is in its 7th year and often sells out. It has schedule of speakers and events and is a structured event.
This year has a talk on how to blog about sex for the shy writer – aghhh the world of an erotic writer. One day I may be brave enough to write and share erotic fiction but for now the thought still makes my cheeks turn read (no, not like that!). I would probably benefit from the ‘confidence’ talk.
You buy tickets for the events you want to attend. There are a lot of authors attending and giving talks and there are events for children too. The event is not at one location but across the city so make sure you are able to get from one location to another if you booking multiple events. Filter the events by the category you are interested in, i.e. Workshops, etc.
This event is geared towards those involved in publishing but and has various talks on keeping those in the industry up-to-date with financial, legal and trending themes in the publishing world. There are plenty of exhibits covering pretty much every type of genre you can think of.
It is their 70th year running! This 17 day event will bring the streets of Bath alive with music and literature. Check the ‘What’s On’ page on the website to find events that take your interest. Each event requires a ticket and the price differs.
Everyone I know who has been to Bath has always returned gushing about how amazing it is. They are also home to one of the most well known and prestigious writing competitions (Bath Novel Award).
I wanted to do this post at the start of the year but January flew by. So here is a list of the the literary (and book) festivals that have caught my eye and are coming up this year:
If you are a fan of Romance fiction this could be the event for you. You can check the hundreds of authors attending to see if one of your favourites are going. Then you can meet them and take your books with you for them to sign. There will be book sellers to.
They have events all over the world so if you miss this one, check out some of the other dates/locations.
Run with the Time Literary supplement, this event has a number of activities such as talks, discussions, workshops for writers through to activities for kids.
If you miss the event or can’t attend, they also offer free videos and podcasts from the event.
This festival is made up of events and you buy tickets to participate in events. Events vary between workshops, speakers and screenings.
If you miss the event, this seaside town is still worth a visit. They have one of the most beautiful traditional bookshops, a lovely beach and chip shops.
This event promises to deliver a platform for underrepresented women writers such a lesbians. This is sure to be a positive event that is making a difference to supporting diversity and inclusion. Supported by DIVA magazine and The Guardian.
If Erotica is your thing, then there is a convention just for you. This event is in its 7th year and often sells out. It has schedule of speakers and events and is a structured event.
This year has a talk on how to blog about sex for the shy writer – aghhh the world of an erotic writer. One day I may be brave enough to write and share erotic fiction but for now the thought still makes my cheeks turn read (no, not like that!). I would probably benefit from the ‘confidence’ talk.
You buy tickets for the events you want to attend. There are a lot of authors attending and giving talks and there are events for children too. The event is not at one location but across the city so make sure you are able to get from one location to another if you booking multiple events. Filter the events by the category you are interested in, i.e. Workshops, etc.
This event is geared towards those involved in publishing but and has various talks on keeping those in the industry up-to-date with financial, legal and trending themes in the publishing world. There are plenty of exhibits covering pretty much every type of genre you can think of.
It is their 70th year running! This 17 day event will bring the streets of Bath alive with music and literature. Check the ‘What’s On’ page on the website to find events that take your interest. Each event requires a ticket and the price differs.
Everyone I know who has been to Bath has always returned gushing about how amazing it is. They are also home to one of the most well known and prestigious writing competitions (Bath Novel Award).
At the time of writing, the tickets are not yet online. But, from previous years there have been free events as well as events you can pay for a ticket. The paid for events have not been expensive (under £10). Events range from exhibitions, speakers, workshops and children’s activities. Events are split between the library and the Orwell Hotel.
I’ve been a few times to this festival. There have been some amazing speakers and engaging workshops.
This is event is for young people only (18 and under – hence the student price). I had to include it because if I was young, I would go. This event has a number of speakers, workshops and activities and as you would expect a focus on YA and children’s fiction.
My dream is to one day be invited to be a speaker but if I ever want that to happen I need to stop dreaming and get writing.
This event is in addition to the London Film and Comic Convention. The YALC have exhibit stands where you can speak to authors, agents and publisher and buy books. They have agent one-to-ones, workshops and speakers at the convention and lots of space to sit down and read. The focus her is on YA Literature.
The tickets include access downstairs to the London Film and Comic Convention. If you are a fan of Marvel, DC, Anime or anything like that you can pop downstairs to see their exhibits and stalls too.
Date: TBC:5 August 2018 to 14 August 2018 (Last year was 6 October 2017 to 15 October 2017)
Location: Cheltenham
Tickets: TBC (Advanced booking for members)
The information for the site is currently about last years event which was aimed at families and young adult. I recognised a lot of the names and books in attendance and the event is supported by The Times and The Sunday Times. I expect it will be very promising again this year.
At the time of writing, ticket prices weren’t available. This is a really big event with a lot of things going on simultaneously and something for every taste. I have never been but would love to go one day.
At the time of writing this years date and prices were yet to be confirmed. I included it because last years line up was full of house hold names (like Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Miranda Hart, etc). I’m sure this year will be just as promising – this is one to watch!
Many more
There are loads more great festivals around the country and I have only highlighted a small sample.
Please let me know if you are or have been to any of these or have any to recommend.
