Patrick Ness's Blog, page 18

Events, events, event and and iPod of Home

 Late again, I know. Busy writing, I swear! Also, LOTS of events coming up, including World Book Day stuff, Scribblers in Cardiff next week, the Cologne Book Festival, the Oxford Book Festival...  Hope to meet quite a lot of you in the next month.

In the meantime, ever noticed how songs about home are always melancholy?  Here's an iPod EP that's proof:

Home, Depeche Mode - I tend to like the ones Martin Gore sings, and this one's lovely.  And melancholy.

Home and Dry, Pet Shop Boys - Well, that's not saying much, Pet Shop Boys are always melancholy.

Home, Tom McCrae - A very pretty (and melancholy) track from an under-rated songwriter.

Home, Erasure - Another under-rated group.  And a terribly melancholy song.

Home Upon The Hill, Jim Moray - And finally something chipper from one of my favourite singers.

Greetings to all the new commenters from all points on the globe and walks of life; brilliant stuff, I really do read them all.  More soon.

Me on BBC Breakfast! Watch, I tell you.

So I was on BBC Breakfast this morning, as I may have mentioned, and you can watch me here, starting about the 12 minute mark, after Emeli Sande.

In other cool news, A Monster Calls has also been shortlisted for the LA Times Book Award and the Bram Stoker Awards.  Tremendous stuff, I'm delighted.

Hello to the new commenters!  Busy day...

I'm on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday

Quick hit to say that I'm booked to be on BBC Breakfast tomorrow (Tuesday) around 845ish.  Have a look, if you're up. See how I do on live national TV with millions watching. No pressure.

I won the Red House Book Award!

Hey, all, sorry for a quiet week (I was on holiday), but I returned yesterday for the Red House Book Awards, and not only did A Monster Calls win its category, but it won the overall Book of the Year, too!  Which is brilliant!  Based on the votes of 83,000 young readers, it's an amazing award to win. 

It was presented at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre in front of 900 young readers, all provided with noisemakers (which was brilliant).  Jim Kay was there, too (here are some good photos from the Achuka blog), and we both got these amazing portfolios made by reading groups around the country, as well as an amazing silver statue presented by Michael Morpugo.  A fantastic day all around and a huge honour.

Greetings to all the new commenters, and now I'm back in the swing of things...

A Monster Calls paperback on Amazon

In addition to the new entry below, yes, I know, there's been some confusion on Amazon about the A Monster Calls paperback, but that's the collect link there.  It's correct on Waterstones and Foyles and of course on the shelves of your local bookstore!

Stuff and things and a playlist

I've got a number of things coming up soon, like the Red House Book Awards on Saturday, an appearance in Cardiff on the Scribblers Tour, and looking over a whole host of foreign-language versions of A Monster Calls (French, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Taiwanese...).  But I do too much business here.  I haven't done an iPod EP in ages, so here's one for you, yes?

One Day Like This, Elbow - A brilliant song to forget a winter's day.
Two Divided By Zero, Pet Shop Boys - Their best non-single.
Three Babies, Sinead O'Connor - At her best, she'll break your heart.
Four Seasons In One Day, Crowded House - Great song in concert, too.
Five Get Over-Excited, Housemartins - Makes no sense at all if you're not English.
Six Months in a Leaky Boat, Split Enz - I once used this in a story.
Seven Sisters, Tori Amos - Not usually a Tori fan, but this last album is quite good.
Dinner at Eight, Rufus Wainwright - If I could sing, I'd sing this.
Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four), Eurythmics - Not what it sounds like; from the Orwell novel.
There Goes A Tenner, Kate Bush - No one quite like Kate, though this also baffled me as a lad.
And welcome to all the new commenters!  I'm so sorry I can't answer all questions, but I do read them all and I love to see them.  More soon, I promise.

A Monster Calls wins Red Tentacle!

Now, this is awesome:  A Monster Calls has won the Red Tentacle Kitschie.  What's brilliant is that this is an adult book award with an incredible pedigree (last two winners were Lauren Beukes and China Mieville).  Seriously, check out all their lists here.  Really great stuff, I'm chuffed to bits.

AGONISINGLY, though, because of that freight train derailment outside Euston, I couldn't bloody go!  I had to sit at home, sick with disappointment, watching everyone tweet about how great the awards party was.  Grumble, grumble. Still, though, check 'em out.

Also, A Monster Calls has just been released in Japan and was featured in Friday's Weekly Book Review.  I hope some of you were able to catch it.

Greetings to the new commenters.  I write this snowbound...

A Monster Calls paperback! And The Siobhan Dowd Trust

I've completely neglected to say that the A Monster Calls paperback is out tomorrow!  It's lavishly illustrated, includes everything from the hardcover, and frankly, a complete steal at £8.99.  Check it out!

I also wanted to take a moment to point you to the Siobhan Dowd Trust.  Before she died, Siobhan arranged for all of her earnings from her books to be put into a trust, which now does AMAZING charitable work getting books into the hands of those young readers who might not be able to afford it.  Definitely have a look, a very good thing.

Greetings to the new commenters (or one, if they're all the same Jack).  Some very cool stuff coming up soon...

Foyles on Wednesday

Hey, guys sorry for a delayed update, but I'm working, I'm working!  There's a TON of fantastic stuff in the planning stages, and I'm also writing like crazy, so just bear with me.  And I'll try to keep these entries from being so all-fired boring and business-like all the time!

First, though, don't forget Wednesday is my event with illustrator extraordinaire Jim Kay about A Monster Calls at Foyles Charing Cross in London (so for all of those who've been annoyed that I hardly ever seem to do London events despite living here, I've finally got one!).  Tickets are free, reserve them here.  Seems to be a nice crowd already.  And in the meantime, they've got an exhibition of Jim's drawings on as well. 

More soon, I promise, and greeting to all the new commenters (and all the very nice Mock Newbery thoughts).  I'm currently watching Nadal/Djokovic, so I'm rushing to get back to that...

Extra week to vote for Red House

The Red House Book Award has extended its voting for a week, so if you're so inclined to vote for A Monster Calls (or any of the other fine books), you've got six more days!

Don't forget I'm going to be appearing at Foyle's Charing Cross on 1 February with Jim Kay (tickets are free; reserve yours here), but in the meantime, they've got an exhibition of Jim's amazing illustrations running in their gallery now.

I reviewed a very good YA novel called In Darkness in yesterday's Guardian, and there's a cool analysis of A Monster Calls on the Red Tentacle Award website.

Greetings to the new commenters.  More soon.