Liz Pichon's Blog

I wanted to do a trailer for Tom Gates to use for events and other things.
So I contacted Phil who's a very clever bloke and wears various hats for different types of work he does. He's based in my old studio The Annex (in Brighton). Here's a selection of his work:
Kralinator
http://www.mandalaman.co.uk/
http://www.krum.co.uk/

And HERE's the TRAILER!
Phil did all the voices and animation and I wrote the script and storyboard. I'm really happy with the way it's turned out.
It's exactly how I imagined it would be!

MY big news is Book 6 is written Tom Gates EXTRA special TREATS (not) and I'm doing the drawings NOW. AND there's going to be a Tom Gates ANNUAL.I'm totally RUBBISH at keeping up the blog when I'm writing.So here's a round up of what I've been up to over the last few months and some other stuff too.(It's a lot.) Tom Gates Best Book day EVER - World Book Day got to NUMBER ONE in the WHOLE book charts for two weeks which was pretty special. I went on a mini book tour after and met a LOT of Tom Gates fans that were all really enthusiastic. 

And the WINNER is... Stockton Book Award
visiting schools.
Other award nominees - Sarwat Chadda
(you can see his arm!)Penny Dolan,Lissa
Evans and AF Harrold (with beard).

Went STRAIGHT to Bologna Book Fair
with Mark to meet up with
Team Scholastic.
Scholastic stand.
Scholastic had arranged a special dinner
for some of the Tom Gates publishers
from around the world. Scholastic group MD Catherine Bell
and part of the "rights team" 
Emily and Ruth. Who have done an AMAZING
job getting the book out there. 
Tom Gates is now in 23 different 
languages and in Canada - Australia-
New Zealand South Africa AND will be in the USA soon.


French publisher with the Japanese.

Japanese Tom Gates and the presents they
gave me too. A lucky cat and lovely scarf.
Bookseller used Zak's picture of me.
YES OK - we looked in the bookshop in Florence.
We took the fast train (200MPH) 
to Florence on the last day.
It was STUNNING.
Back home practicing banana 
doodles that feature in
book 5.
A keen fan sent me pictures of the T-shirt he wore
on World Book Day. It's brilliant.
Along with all the Tom Gates stuff
I'm still working on a painted picture book - written
by Rachel Mortimer and one in a series called
Jack and The Jelly Bean Giant.
It's really weird painting again and took
me a while to get back into it. All those JELLY BEANS!
Had the PRIVILEGE of being Author Of The Day
at The London Book Fair this year.
I've never been before and it was ENORMOUS.
Giving the interviewer the EVILS.
Being interviewed by Martin Chiltern from the
Telegraph was fun. He brought a banana for me
to doodle on (it's sounds wrong I know).
Everyone looks enthralled.


The real banana doodle.
AND TOM GATES CAKES!
Booktrust had drinks at the end of the book fair. 
That's Sarah McIntyre in green and the lady in 
pink is the fabulous Babette Cole who 
wrote one of my FAVOURITE
books ever - Dr Dog.
I'm missing a HAT.
Publication celebration at the Book Nook in hove.
I met with Gary at Waterstones who's in charge
of EVENTS and he showed me the card
I did a while back, which I hadn't seen.  Southampton and signing the tablecloth
next to Jacqueline Wilson.
Fantastic doodles
Up to the Norfolk Children's Book Centre.Their walls are COVERED 
with authors drawings and signatures.
Including mine now...
One boy at an evening event I did showed me his
book that he'd been drawing in.
WOW there were PAGES and PAGES of these wonderful
drawings. 
Really amazing!
Simon and Marylyn run the
Nofolk Children's Book centre and that's
Simons sister and Corrine from Scholastic.
More events on tour.
I did a lot of pointing.
I popped into to see lovely old friends in Norwich
Ben and Claudia. Ben showed me his new tattoo.
I thought it might have been easier
and less painful to just buy the book?
Back to London that night and OMG had
the BEST view ever had in a hotel.
Muswell Hill Book Shop was ACE.
Signed and chatted a LOT.
Shrewsbury next. Stayed in the gorgeous B&B that
looked like a page from a magazine.

More really wonderful art. I got to keep
this one and I have it on my shed wall now.
BRIGHTON Festival in May.This is the very
talented Laura Dockrill who has written and illustrated
a funny book called Darcy Burdock. She's currently
Booktrust Writer in residence too. 
Mr Rosen and Mr Ardagh taking the p**s out of me
(which they did a lot.)
We were on a panel called
How Do You Write Funny Books For Children?
(A good question.)

Trying to get a word in edgeways...
Jamie Thomson (AKA The Dark Lord) had enough of Philip.
I sent this to Philip - "Saw this and thought of you."
Scholastic was up for
"CHILDRENS PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR"
at the industry BookSeller Awards.
Here's Alison Green and Zoe.
Team Scholastic Andrew (Creative Director) and Hilary
who sipped water all night UNTIL THEY WON!
She made a great speech and TG got a name check too.
With Axel Scheffler and THE AWARD.
Me giving out prizes for READ FOR MY SCHOOL
run by Booktrust. 
Mr Rosens EYES were everywhere in Brighton.
I started to write book six and went to visit Zak who's
working in Greece for seven months. It's the first time I've tried writing anywhere but the shed.
 I didn't do too badly!
Mr Ardargh (again) and Justin Somper at the NEW Children's
Laurette announcement in Kings Cross.
Philip SUNG and Patrick Ness had
to listen to him.
He left early.

The FANTASTIC Malorie Blackman
who everyone agrees
is a great choice of Laureate.
She's already ruffling feathers nicely.
Book SIX Tom Gates EXTRA SPECIAL TREATS (not)
 cover taking shape.
French addition of Tom Gates - I LOVE the translation.
With the old gals Alyx and Catherine from Scholastic
(now BOTH at Macmillan).
In Belfast for the School Libraries Conference.
Getting ready to SKYPE for Leicester BEST Book Awards.
The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates won!
Tom Gates won the Doncaster Book Award AND
Wakefield Book Award and I was sent a fantastic medal
from the international Schools in Japan -
The Sakura Medal. I've never won a medal THAt big. Sakura Medal for The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates.
Somerhill School in Hove -
looks like I'm doing shadow puppets.
We doodled too.

On the way to Number 11 Downing Street.
For the launch of the Summer Reading Challenge.
It was VERY hot and we could SEE into number 10
Downing Streets garden where ANDY MURRAY was
being given a party.  
More number 11 pics next blog.
It's not as fancy inside as you'd expect!

It's EXACTLY two weeks since World Book Day and wining the Blue Peter Book Award.My feet have only just touched the ground!
From Monday 4th March to the 8th I did loads of MARVELLOUS book events as part of World Book Week as well. It was a full on and pretty crazy. 

7th March was World Book Day and was part of The FANTASTIC (if slightly daunting)"The Biggest Book Show On Earth". It went out live from the the Queen Elizabeth Hall London South bank and Kids all over the country and world tuned in to watch it. The authors and illustrators (that's us) were each given a topic to talk about for FIVE minutes. Mine was "How To Capture Your ideas And Plan Your Writing (not easy to do in 5mins).
AND IF you went over your 5 mins, Tony Robinson had been told to hover behind you. At least he didn't have a HOOK.
NERVOUS ME?... (I so was.) I very happy to have been part of the day. AND Tom Gates WBD book has been a BESTSELLER which is exciting.


You can watch the whole show (or bits of it) again here. There's loads of other great stuff on their website too.

Here are some pics from world Book Week and the show too.
Sara from the Steyning Book
 Shop with her lovely grandson.
Fantastic drawings from the event.

NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER!
Tom Gates World Book Day. Met Rachel Bright who started
the show and was really lovely.
You'll see her work everywhere! 
Fellow Brightonian Author
Guy Parker Rees who did
some live drawing,
getting miked up.
Calm before the storm.
Very popular author
Cathy Cassidy and Rachel.
Shirley Hughes who was
calm and very un-flustered
drew Alfie,  from her books.

Guy- Rachel_Cathy and me.
Lauren Child was there to talk about
her fantastic Ruby Redfort books.
 Francesca Simon who writes
Horrid Henry.
Tony Robinson who was chairing
and talking about
his book and Francesca.
All lined up.
Nervous hand wafting for the official photo.
Kirsten who's the Director of World Book Day's wearing very sparkly shoes.


I made a charm bracelet
and did my nails for
the occasion.













In that red folder was my corrections
for Tom Gates Book Five -
I did some work on
the train up to Manchester.



My BLUE PETER TOM GATES DOODLE
for them.
Straight after the show, I rushed to catch a train up to BBC Manchester for the announcement of the Blue Peter Book Award (another live broadcast). Tony De Saule and Nick Arnold (who wasn't there) won for Horrible Science and I won for Genius Ideas(mostly). 
To say I was pleased and overwhelmed was an understatement. I was going to get a BLUE PETER BADGE!WHOO HOOO.
It was really interesting watching how full on live TV is. All very stressful.But me and Tony stood where we were supposed to and the presenters were very friendly. The make up artist was so nice - I want her to do my make up all the time. Here's a flavor of the day. THANK YOU to Blue Peter and all who read and voted for Tom Gates. YEAH!


Jill - from Scholastic and winner  Tony.
Me in Media City Manchester BBC.
Getting make up tips from make up artist. 
I didn't write down their names - but both
make up artists were really lovely
to chat to and kept me nice and calm!
I should have gone in...


Making bath bombs for mothers day. Lights... camera... 
I had to stand behind the screen
for the whole of the MAKE section of
the show. Doing a SWAP on live telly. I kept finding bits of flitter everywhere.
Here we are with the children who appeared
live and were SO cool about everything. Helen and Barney show off my picture.
I GOT A BADGE and a very fancy trophy. 

TA DAH!

 WHAT A DAY... then I went straight to Manchester Airport and flew to down to Southampton. 
I got FRISKED at the airport because I forgot I was wearing my badge. Next day - Friday 8th March - was The Southampton Book Award... 

to be continued.

What an AMAZING time we had last night!
Really BIZARRE and slightly unreal.
Congratulations to all the winners!
I still can't believe Mark and I (and team Scholastic) got to be part of it all.
Thanks to everyone at Scholastic for getting the book out there.
I'm back at my desk in me cosy shed - what a different world.

I decided that as this was probably NEVER going to happen again - I would be shameless chat to everyone I could - drink champagne and generally be merry and sparkly.

I did all the above. 
Here are photos for proof.


The BRILLIANT Caitlin Moran
giving ELLA some good advice (see below).

Quick scrape with Marks razor... READY!

All the EXTRA sparkle Glad I shaved now.


It was spec savers after all.


I told Caitlin that 
I'd bought Ella her book
"How To Be A Woman" 
But she hadn't read
it because I'd given it to her.

SO Caitlin said we needed to TEXT her...
SHE did!...this was to Ella on my phone
WITH photo.
Let's see if it works.
With Gok Wan
Nominees all had their pics taken.I chatted to Mary Berry and got
her to sign a sticker so I
can put it in my book.She was
GLOWING and very lovely.
Kathy Lette looking festive.
Mark, Caroline (my wonderful agent) and me.
Me and Johnny Duddle - who won the WATERSTONES
prize with The Pirates Next Door.
We had already decided David Walliams was
the winner (he was!).

We were RIGHT at the back but Lorraine Kelly
presented.

David Walliams said "Children are the future.."
and recited song lyrics.
Miranda Hart was funny and very jolly.

Ian Rankin picked up
outstanding contribution.And said
he still had his best work ahead of him
despite what the
latest review in Private Eye said ...
CUE HUGE CHEER from
Ian Hislop (next to Clare)
Clare my editor who looked fabulous and so did new MD Catherine, who took loads of pictures of Mark and I and was great
company all night. We had a BLAST! So many photographers.


Ian Rankin and award.
Jonny's skull tie - 
The winner is....
International author of the year.
Eowyn Ivey with her award.
I was too embarrassed to
say I messed up Claire Baldwins
photo with her well deserved
award.
Caroline took this -
(I need a new camera - my
pics are rubbish!)
The goodie bags...full of spec stuff.




I had a whole set
of painted nails. The Templar team photo.
Goodie bag selection.

Here's a few more pictures from out and about on the Tom Gates Tour.Starting at the BATH festival and other school events...
John Mclay (Bath festival Organiser) 
at the Bath Children's Festival.  Look at Alyx's expression!
She thought I had flash on my camera when
I was taking photos of Julia Donadlson
and Axel Scheffler being interviewed
on TV before their event.

It was VERY interesting listening to both
Author and Illustrator
talking about their books.
Julia and Axel signing books.
Where's Wally?
Found him!
Empty seats before my event.
It was the poshest venue ever.  Bath event went well (I think!) This was the LARGEST group I've done at Highgate School - Nearly 400 children gulp. They were all VERY attentive! What a doodle!
 

Fabulous work Harry.
Benjamin brought his own book jacket
to show me!
STAR Oscar!
Bumped into Gill (Sky Hawk)and Martin
(Horrible Histories)who
was illustrator in residence
for the festival this year too.

I set off at the end of September for the Tom Gates
Book Tour for a couple of weeks 
and visited LOADS of fantastic libraries - schools and festivals.

The children (as ever) did some wonderful drawings and doodles.
Questions asked:
How old are you? 
(How old do you think?... answers varied from 83 to 33)
Why did you start writing? 
(So I could illustrate my own stories.)
Where do you get your ideas from? 
(EVERYWHERE... remembering my childhood, funny stories from friends and family too.)


It's been all go.
Here's photos from the tour below.
Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell do
their VERY funny talk at
 Read To Inspire. 


Chris Riddell drawing for the
 Read To Inspire
talk we did to teachers at the
University Of Brighton.
I was VERY intimidated to be
drawing in front of Chris!! Not scary at all...
The ladies from my Wadhurst Library sessions.
25th September.

Morriston Comprehensive 27th September
School Swansea have posters! School session The Hive Worcester.


Summer Reading Challenge prize
giving at Worcester -
The Hive Library 3rd October

Talking to Illustration/Graphic
students at The Hive. 


Dinner with Margret Pemberton, Catherine,
Melanie McGillowy Anne Gibson and
John McLay (Bath Festival Organiser)
in Bristol. Churchill Academy - with Melanie who made fantastic
brownies! She also does a great blog called
LIBRARY MICE - 
Look at the great doodle Emily did!
Posters and a Tom Gates display.
These shoes were painted on a school wall 
(I can't remember which one!)
I was a PRIZE at Backwell School. We had a very
nice lunch and it was fun chatting to
the kids, asking them what funny storiesTHEY had about school.

 Part One:No excuses, I keep taking pictures and thinking I must do my BLOG then work beckons and I feel constantly guilty that I should be finishing of my writing or art work.
So here's a quick round up of the MANY fabulous people I met and things I've been up to over the summer and autumn.
Here's some pics from...Edinburgh Lily writing in the yurt. Steve Cole doing his thing in the yurt

Nile Rogers from afar... Alex T Smith (check out his fantastic blog)
holding a portrait that the young daughter
of a fellow author did of him. Good likeness.




































Adam Stower was a photo STAR at the festival. Me (pretending) to write. Alex- T- Smiths portrait!

Lily with the castle.


Emma Thompson. Very clever lady who
has done cards (Felicity Wishes)
and books (Princess Pearl)
 for nearly as long as me! 









Slightly BLURRY Rose Impy
(Shortlisted Author)
who was on the Funny
Prize Panel with Philip and myself.

The panel.


Dinner with Guy Bass and his lovely wife -
Catherine, Charlotte, Claire (book trust) and Lily.
Next day we saw the PANDAS!

They were very RELAXED.







 My very first Book Launch (ever)
Genius Ideas (mostly)September 20th 2102 
Scholastic gave me a fantastic book launch (my first ever). It was a lot of fun and a chance to say thank you to everyone who's helped make Tom Gates book a success!It was quite overwhelming really - not like me to be lost for words.


My lovely friend Davina
who Mark and I shared a flat
with yonks ago.
The winning doodle of the night!

Silver bling nails for the night.

Andrew the Creative Director
doing bunting.

Designer Tom dancing?
Alyx Price with little Tom.Catherine with baloons

Goodie bags





Old mates Claudia and Kate doodling.



My brother and sister in- law
Chris and Christine.














Ella - giving me a look!


Prizes for the doodle competition.
Lucy and Catherine with BOOKS.

Nicola won! Gorgeous flowers from Scholastic.

The  judging is done for this years Roald Dahl Funny Prize.

But my lips are sealed until 20th September when the short list  will be officially announced. 
(Still can't believe I won last year, so it's a HUGE privilege to take part again).
There were many marvellous books on offer and I enjoyed reading and discussing them with my fellow judges who are: 
Lucy Mangan - Excellent journalist with regular columns in The Guardian (this weeks column is about being a judge)- Stylist magazine and writer of several very funny books herself. Mel Giedroyc - Presenter- writer - comedian- actor -currently presenting The Great British Bake Off and all round lovely person. Ed Vere-  Award winning illustrator - writer - painter. Working with Tiger Aspect on an animation of his wonderful book The Getaway. Ed's picture book was short listed for last years prize.

Michael Rosen- Where do you start? Past Children's Laureate - writer - performer- presenter and all round witty - informative and fabulous chairman of the Funny Prize.Michael has an excellent new book out himself,Fantastic Mr Dahl - which I now have a signed copy of.
On Monday we went to the Roald Dahl Museum for a judges day out.
HILARIOUS from the start, we piled on to a train where Michael kept us informed at every station of places he went to school/doctors/lived and generally frequented. 
Mel then added an excellent nugget of information about Chorleywood - being  the birth place of sliced white bread - fascinating and all true. 

 Here's some pictures from the day:




Photos were taken for evidence
Our tour around the museum was really interesting.


Natasha - a journalist from The Sun has done a piece
to go with the publication of Michael's book.





Love this...






My attempt at being creative.Mel was recording a 4'oclock show for Radio 4 extra about the prize. She chatted to us all about the books and process of being judges. The programme will go out some time around the 20th September. Though I'm guessing it might take that long to edit, as we were laughing and scraping our chairs a lot (which wasn't very helpful for the - very patient - sound recordist).


Trying to record.

Ed reading a REALLY very funny book. Lucy trying out Roald Dahls chair.



Press pictures of the judges enjoying ourselves.  Roald Dahl kept the top of his hip bone
after an operation on his desk - just about where Ed sat.



Mel expertly eating cake. Bloody marvellous it was too. It's a funny book honestly.
A good time was had by all. Roald Dahls grave with giants
footsteps leading down from a bench.






Roald's second wife's daughter, who died suddenly,
very young, is buried next to him.
(Born the same year as me.) Not sure why people leave money and
club biscuits on his grave?


The benches have Roald Dahl's
children's names on themalong with this engraving in the stone.
























The overall prizes are announced in November after the
children have had their say too. I think we've come up with a great list of really funny books in both ages categories for boys and girls. There was surprisingly little table thumping - raised voices or snivelling which was a relief. Especially to Claire from Booktrusted who has looked after us all SO well throughout the whole process. Thanks Claire!
This was last years event with all the other authors and illustrators. 

Talking of funny things...went for a last swim (for a while) and saw someone had put a pair of trunks on Queen Victoria's head. Sadly... I was amused.

The  judging is done for this years Roald Dahl Funny Prize.

But my lips are sealed until 20th September when the short list  will be officially announced. 
(Still can't believe I won last year, so it's a HUGE privilege to take part again).
There were many marvellous books on offer and I enjoyed reading and discussing them with my fellow judges who are: 
Lucy Mangan - Excellent journalist with regular columns in The Guardian (this weeks column is about being a judge)- Stylist magazine and writer of several very funny books herself. Mel Giedroyc - Presenter- writer - comedian- actor -currently presenting The Great British Bake Off and all round lovely person. Ed Vere-  Award winning illustrator - writer - painter. Working with Tiger Aspect on an animation of his wonderful book The Getaway. Ed's picture book was short listed for last years prize.

Michael Rosen- Where do you start? Past Children's Laureate - writer - performer- presenter and all round witty - informative and fabulous chairman of the Funny Prize.Michael has an excellent new book out himself,Fantastic Mr Dahl - which I now have a signed copy of.
On Monday we went to the Roald Dahl Museum for a judges day out.
HILARIOUS from the start, we piled on to a train where Michael kept us informed at every station of places he went to school/doctors/lived and generally frequented. 
Mel then added an excellent nugget of information about Chorleywood - being  the birth place of sliced white bread - fascinating and all true. 

 Here's some pictures from the day:




Photos were taken for evidence
Our tour around the museum was really interesting.


Natasha - a journalist from The Sun has done a piece
to go with the publication of Michael's book.





Love this...






My attempt at being creative.Mel was recording a 4'oclock show for Radio 4 extra about the prize. She chatted to us all about the books and process of being judges. The programme will go out some time around the 20th September. Though I'm guessing it might take that long to edit, as we were laughing and scraping our chairs a lot (which wasn't very helpful for the - very patient - sound recordist).


Trying to record.

Ed reading a REALLY very funny book. Lucy trying out Roald Dahls chair.



Press pictures of the judges enjoying ourselves.  Roald Dahl kept the top of his hip bone
after an operation on his desk - just about where Ed sat.



Mel expertly eating cake. Bloody marvellous it was too. It's a funny book honestly.
A good time was had by all. Roald Dahls grave with giants
footsteps leading down from a bench.






Roald's second wife's daughter, who died suddenly,
very young, is buried next to him.
(Born the same year as me.) Not sure why people leave money and
club biscuits on his grave?


The benches have Roald Dahl's
children's names on themalong with this engraving in the stone.
























The overall prizes are announced in November after the
children have had their say too. I think we've come up with a great list of really funny books in both ages categories for boys and girls. There was surprisingly little table thumping - raised voices or snivelling which was a relief. Especially to Claire from Booktrusted who has looked after us all SO well throughout the whole process. Thanks Claire!
This was last years event with all the other authors and illustrators. 

Talking of funny things...went for a last swim (for a while) and saw someone had put a pair of trunks on Queen Victoria's head. Sadly... I was amused.

Blimey- I've been busy.
No blogging for a while but I've been working very hard (managed to fit in a teeny weeny holiday too).Got MASSES of great stuff coming up over the next few months.
So will try and post more blogs, tweets and everything else I'm supposed to do these days.

Won't waffle on, here we go...

July 5th  Catherine had organised a fantastic press session doing back to back radio interviews from a London studio.I mostly talked about the summer reading scheme and why reluctant readers  seem to like Tom Gates. 
(Rock radio was my favourite interview by the way.)





































Took part in Tales Of The Moon Book festival. 
(Read Sarah McIntyres Blog which 
has lots of great pictures and information on it.
She was there on the Tuesday before me. 
http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/490219.html#cutid1)

Jugs @ Tales Of The Moon Bookshop Dulwich Chris Haughtons dog - 
from his lovely book Oh No George 

David bought us cakes.

A decorated T-shirt.
Paper bangers!!

The sugar and CAKE is kicking in.
One kid had coloured in the 
endpapers - looks FAB!

Naughty David Maybury 
adding stickers to things 
he shouldn't.

The doodle wall in Tales Of The Moon



David Maybury eating cake.
Follow David on 
Twitter.@davidmaybury
He's the editor for 
the Children's Books Magazine
when he's not eating cake.  Lily on the way to Southwark
to do event in the local library.

I found out ON stage that I'd won the
SOUTHWARK BOOK AWARD.
Which news to me!

Lily took all the photos.
She's very helpful -
(all down to good parenting of course.)












After a meeting at Scholastic where I was finishing off
the new Tom Gates book - the sun was out so 
I SNUCK off to the Ladies ponds Hampstead.
In my student days I spent a lot of time there 
(probably too much).
The bus took a de-tour and went 
right past my old primary school Brookfield Junior - 
which is opposite Highgate cemetery. 
Kids would look out of the window 
and regularly claim to have seen GHOSTS during class. 

It was a bit freaky.




Ladies Ponds is the antidote to a very busy London.
It's like being on holiday but swimming in
slightly brown water.


Olympics - Liverpool and more summer stuff on next blog...