I have not posted for an absolute age - my sincere apologies! I have been having a bit of a time and it hasn't left much room for other things.
Towards the end of September I received a most unexpected email - an invitation to participate in a Children's Book Festival. In India. In November. I was a late ring in. Someone had had to pull out. Would I be interested? The only correct answer here was YES!!! so I stepped on to the rollercoaster...
...and I have only just stepped off. We already had a visit to the US to see our eldest planned and organised for the first half of October. Away we went to San Francisco (a cool city!!), Yosemite (epic!!) and Santa Cruz (surprising!!).
San Francisco
Santa CruzAs soon as we got home I started the visa process - how hard could it be right? As other invitees had been knocked back with one kind of visa I was advised to apply for a different kind. This worked for them but I was ultimately rejected with only about ten days to spare. I retried with the original visa type but time was running out and there were public holidays and visa office shut closures and my passport with visa attached did not arrive back until the day before my flight. Lets just say it was a very stressful lead up to a solo trip in to the great unknown.
I was part of the Bookaroo Children's Literature Festival in Delhi from the 8th to the 10th of November. I had a session each day and was able to hang out with other writers and illustrators from around India and the wider world, and watch other sessions, for the rest of the time. Despite Winter being just around the corner it was exceedingly warm and the smog was significant. Monday and Tuesday were a whirlwind schedule of school visits and other events arranged by the NZ High Commission and then I headed home on the Wednesday.
Humayan's Tomb
I didn't do much sightseeing (except Humayan's Tomb and surrounding monuments and gardens which was epic and wonderful, the complementary museum tour by an expert astounding, and a visit to Dilli Haat Market which was a visual feast) but I got to meet so many wonderful people, young and old, and everywhere inbetween. I was impressed by the children who were enthusiastic and confident and lovely, and at every stage I was so well taken care of.
Since my return the German edition of Lucy and the Dark, published by Atrium Kinderbuch Verlag, has been released and it has been most exciting to see the response and reviews coming through. I went to the Coldplay concert which I absolutely loved, and now I am just seeing a bunch of rejections coming through for picture book manuscripts and poetry which has brought me back down to earth with a clunk. I'll report back soon with my end of year stocktake, and a look ahead to what 2025 might bring. Talk soon.
