In my previous post I talked about my first two days of talks and my kids workshop and school visit in Beijing.
This time it is about serendipity - my new book and exploring Beijing.
After the first kid's drawing/story telling workshop at the Beijing Bookworm I go back to my beautiful zen hotel room at the Beijing Opposite House (a room I'd like to take home!)
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| I can't believe it. In my room are two advance copies of my new book. Juliette my designer at the Tate Publishing in London has organized a speedy delivery across China from the printers in Shanghai. |
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| First thing I check is the gatefold. The ladder works beautifully! Tiz Ott's Big Draw is real at last - and ready to hit the shelves in May 2015 |
I have to hurry to my planned meeting with Niu Shuo, the picture book publisher whom I met in our panel talk the first evening.
She travels two hours across Beijing to show me her lovely books and catalogue. Now I can show her my latest too!
Niu Shuo, publisher at Mengxi Jindian holding my book.
I am holding the first book she shows me - another surprise!
It is the Chinese co-edition of a book illustrated by none other than Layn Marlow,
my dear friend who is a mainstay of our picture book critique group in London!
It is the Chinese co-edition of a book illustrated by none other than Layn Marlow,
my dear friend who is a mainstay of our picture book critique group in London!
(Layn I have to give you this copy next time we meet - signed in admiration by your Chinese publisher!)
Here is the cover of the Mengxi Jindian publisher catalogue.
Niu Shuo explained that although China is huge, distribution is a problem. They are expanding the general interest in picture books by organizing community workshops about what picture books have to offer.
She loved Tiz and Ott and told me that this page
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| The Beijing Bookworm had a good selection in their shop of my books from France, the UK/ US and Australia to sign after my workshops. |
It takes place in the Bookworm bookshop-library-bar-restaurant-event spaces in three centres, Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu.
I'm full of admiration for Peter Goff the managing director of the Beijing Bookworm, and Daniel Clutton in Suzhou and all those working for it.
"We’ve created Bookworm Literary Festival to be a forum for thought and dialogue – fundamentals of a progressive society. Literature is an ongoing, live, global discussion, and Bookworm Literary Festival is proud to be part of it."
I was proud to be part of the China Bookworm this year too!
This year writers as diverse as Tahar Ben-Jalloun, Victoria and Ian Hislop (whom I didn't meet) to the venerable poet and translator of Jose Luis Borges, Willis Barnstone (whom I was lucky enough to meet) came from all corners of the world. I was sorry to miss Stephen Mooser, writer and SCBWI co-founder, but I was delighted to a couple of talks with frend and fellow children's author-illustrator Frane Lessac from Australia. More about that next post!
I am so grateful to Peter Goff and all of his team for selecting me out of an amazing international list of authors and illustrators, and for making me feel so welcome. Thanks too to Olivia Liu SCBWI China regional advisor, Angela Cerrito and Kathleen Ahrens of International SCBWI for recommending me to the Bookworm. And I'm grateful to my dear friend, author-illustrator Sally Kindberg who went 3 years ago, for encouraging me to take up the surprise invitation that I received back in November.
You can find more about the festival here.
Finally a huge thanks to all of the team, volunteers and the sponsors for an amazing stay especially to my Beijing Bookworm volunteers Carol Zhang, Naina, and Jack who were perfect guides around the city when my work was done.
Here now are a few sights and a sketch...
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| After my school workshop, Jack showed me around the park of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven. |
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| There were families visiting from other parts of China |
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| as well as quiet areas where people could read and areas where older people gathered to sing... |
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| or in this case play an ancient instrument - not for the tourists, just for pleasure. |
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| My one free day in Beijing was spent with lovely Bookworm volunteer Carol Zhang who showed me around....
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| What a huge place...full of tourists from all over China, but |
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| off the main drag, to the east and west |
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| there were plenty of details to discover - I found the roofs fascinating |
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| and inside one building, people were trying on traditional palace costumes |
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| They were tourists too - look at their shoes! |
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| So many interesting contrasts of old and new! |
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| But I'm not a dedicated tourist. I am happiest when I can find a table somewhere to sketch. |
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| And I loved these yellow tables - even the fake flowers in little baskets. It was the only snack bar we could see in the Forbidden Palace - somewhere to sit down at last! |
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| Carol took photos while I went into meditative sketching mode... |
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| ....painting a courtyard, above the tables on the east side of the Forbidden Palace. Just wish I had had time to do more sketching! |
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| Still I caught a few other moments on my Iphone before the battery ran out. |
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| This garden courtyard at the north end of the Forbidden City, was particularly beautiful |
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| and I loved the square doors, and the colours... |
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| And later, after I recharged my phone outside the Palace, Carol and I walked around a popular lakeside area. |
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| Here's a cafe on the lake for Tintin fans... |
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| Back near the hotel in Sanlitun, our hip area of Beijing, this father was playing a classical instrument. They looked like they had travelled a long way. Were they guest workers? |
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| Another contrast, close to the hotel entrance |
More to come about that and Chinese children's books, another sketch, work and wanderings in old Suzhou.
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