Patrick Ness's Blog, page 17

London Book Fair & LA Times Book Fest Tickest On Sale

This week, I'm honoured to be Author of the Day on Wednesday at the London Book Fair.  If you happen to be around the Fair, I'll be doing an event at the Pen Lit Cafe at 11.30.

I'm also at the LA Times Book Festival this Saturday!  And tickets go onsale (for all of $1 each) today.  If you're in the neighbourhood, check it out.  I'm on with Mal Peet and John Corey Whalley at the Davidson Continuing Education Centre venue (it's a big place). 

And greeting to all the new commenters.  I'm sorry I don't have time to answer every question, but I do read them all, including the reference to his Chaos Walking tumblr.  More soon, but I am going to have a busy week or two...

New interview videos from me and Jim, plus a bit of confusion on Amazon...

I've spoken a number of times about how much I love the Carnegie Shadowing Scheme, and this year is now different.  It's already got tons of reviews of A Monster Calls, and now has brand new video interviews with me and Jim.  Check 'em out!

Also, I know there's quite a bit of confusion lately on Amazon over the A Monster Calls paperbacks.  We're trying to get it fixed, but here are the correct links.  This is the illustrated paperback (an absolute steal at the price) and this is for a smaller, less expensive, non-illustrated paperback coming out in September.

I'd always recommend the illustrated one (it's lavish, and cheap!), but there've been a lot of requests for the smaller, non-illustrated one, so why not have something for everyone?  I'm cool with that.

Don't forget I'm in Los Angeles next week at the L.A. Times Book Fest, but in the meantime, greetings to the new commenters and, as ever, more soon...

Cultural Round-up

Hey, there, I get asked quite a lot what I'm reading, what I listen to, etc, etc, so on this very slow Easter Sunday (in which I've re-caulked my bathtub, so embrace, please, the glamour of an author's life), I thought I'd answer a few.

I've just finished reading Louisa Young's wonderful My Dear I Wanted To Tell You and am currently halfway through Philip Roth's Indignation.  Possibly not for younger readers, I reckon.  I'm also giving Game of Thrones a try, why not?

The last film I saw was Wrath of the Titans (yep, that's what I said), and the last play I saw was when I took my brother and his family to see Les Miserables, which you can judge all you like, it's a good night out.  Three days before that I saw Complicite's incredible Master and Margarita at the Barbican.  Again, really, really not for younger viewers, but then again...

The last music downloads I made were Jonsi, The Decemberists, The Hunger Games soundtrack (it's really quite good) and Seth Lakeman, and on telly I'm currently watching Game of Thrones, Mad Men and 30 Rock, which makes me laugh and laugh and laugh ("Remember when I insulted stubborn people?  That took forever to sort out.").

So that's me in a cultural snapshot on Easter 2012.  You?  Warm greetings to all the new commenters.  More soon...

A Royal Playlist

Not much going on at the moment except that I'm going to the LA Times Book Festival at the end of the month, so in honour of Season 2 of Game of Thrones, here's a royal playlist, culled from my very own iPod.

Kingdom of Rust, Doves - An amazing song from a shamefully overlooked band; great running track, too.

Prince Charming, Adam and the Ants - As ever, ridicule is nothing to be scared of.

Killer Queen, Queen - Who doesn't keep Moet & Chandon in a pretty cabinet?

Kingdom Come, The Civil Wars - The best track from The Hunger Games soundtrack.  But you knew that.

The Queen's Rebuke, The Decemberists - Because if you don't own Hazards of Love yet, what makes you think you're welcome on my website?

Enjoy, but in the meantime, greetings to all the new commenters.  I do read them all.  FYI, I've been getting a few PR requests through the site, which is great, but best is if you try the Contacts tab above and go directly to the right source!  More soon...

Carnegie and Greenaway shortlists!

Fantastic news in that A Monster Calls has been shortlisted for BOTH the Carnegie Medal shortlist and the Greenaway Medal shortlist, which means Jim's fantastic illustrations get recognised all on their own.  Brilliant stuff!

Only a quick hit today, as I'm buried in writing, but greetings to all the wonderful new commenters, young and less young.  I do read every single one.

LA Times Book Fest! Yep, I'm coming to America...

Hi, all, as part of the all-around coolness of being shortlisted for the LA Times Book Award, I'll also be appearing at the LA Times Book Festival on Saturday, 21 April at 1.30 on the Davidson Center Stage.  Even better, I'll be appearing with the mighty Mal Peet and John Corey Whaley.  Tickets are only a dollar and look to be available on 15 April.  I'll keep you posted, but hope to meet some of you there.

Greetings to all the new commenters!  More soon...

New video interview

Just a quick hit to day to say there's a brand new, 10-minute interview of me online, to mark me being Author of the Day at this year's London Book Fair, which is quite a cool honour.  Even better, I was having a good hair day.

More soon, greeting to the new commenters!

Cool things!

Hey, all.  I had a great day today, talking to Year 9 at The Hemel Hempstead School.  Got asked some of the most interesting questions I've ever had.  Nice stuff!

I found out today I've been shortlisted twice for the extremely prestigious Jugendliteratur Prize, the top literary prize in Germay and one of the top literary prizes in the world.  It's a tremendous honour, and if you're German-speaking, check out the German A Monster Calls.  It's called Sieben Minuten Nach Mitternacht.

A Monster Calls has also been shortlisted for the also very cool UKLA award, which is also a huge honour.  So a good week!

In the meantime, don't forget I'm at the Oxford Literature Festival next Saturday, greetings to all the new commenters, and just to say I went to the premiere of The Hunger Games movie last night.  Fans are going to love it...

If you want to complain about teenagers, you're talking to the wrong guy

Just back from a couple days on the Scribblers Tour in Cardiff.  Spoke to 500 year 7s on Thursday and 500 year 10s on Friday, and I have to say, they proved (yet again) why teenagers are the best readers on the planet.  Smart, interested, and completely creative - both groups did writing exercises for me and both groups produced brilliant material - I tell ya, I've got the best job in the world.

Couple things coming up, including Oxford Literature Festival and lit.Cologne, BUT - hot off the presses - I'll also be appearing at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival on 21 April.  More details (inc. how to get tickets) when I get them.  Great chance to meet readers the world over.

Greetings to all the new commenters; sorry I can't answer everyone's questions.  If I did, I wouldn't have enough time to write!  But I do read every word of every comment, I promise.

Scribblers tomorrow and things to come

I'm off to Cardiff tomorrow to talk to 1,000 young readers as part of the Scribblers Tour, which'll be great.  Hope to see some of you there.

And I know, it's been slow lately, but that's GENUINELY because I've been writing.  Oh, how I've been writing.  Different things, too!  I've been so busy I can barely squeak.  But I'm working, I'm working.

PLUS, there have been other things that I can't quite talk about yet (but soon), that are really cool.  As soon as I can tell you, I will, I promise.  But for now, writing, writing, writing...

Greetings to all the new commenters.  I really do read every one.