Robin Stevens's Blog, page 13

Agatha and Poirot – and happy Easter!

Hello, Detectives, and happy Easter to all who celebrate! I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.

I have some exciting news that I’ve had to keep to myself for quite a while, but can now finally share with you: there’s a new documentary about Agatha Christie called Agatha and Poirot: Partners in Crime that’s airing on ITV tomorrow evening (Monday 5th of April at 9pm) – and I’m going to be featured on it!

I’m talking about Agatha’s influence on me, and about her life in general. Although I don’t quite know which clips they’ll be using I did go on at length about her mysterious disappearance – so it’s possible that will feature!

I’m very excited (and a bit nervous) to be appearing alongside so many famous faces – I hope you enjoy the finished product! It’s been wonderful to work with Sohail and the team on this, and I’m delighted that it’s finally out there.

Agatha and Poirot will first air on the 5th, and then be available on ITV Player in the UK. It’ll re-air later in the month as well, so you’ll have a second chance to catch it on live TV!

The Very Merry Murder Club

I have a lovely announcement for you this afternoon, Detectives: there’s a brand-new crime anthology coming your way in October this year!

Some of you will remember the Mystery and Mayhem short story collection I was part of quite a few years ago. It was a wonderful book to work on, and it showcased a lot of brilliant children’s crime writers. These days, though, the children’s crime scene looks pretty different – and we thought the time was right to bring back the Crime Club brand for a whole new anthology starring all-new writers! I’m working with author Serena Patel and the team at Farshore Books to create The Very Merry Murder Club, which will be hitting shelves on the 28th October this year.

The Very Merry Murder Club teaser cover – full cover by Harry Woodgate to come!

This time around I’ve not been able to contribute a story to the collection (I’ve got a lot of projects I’m working on at the moment that meant I just didn’t have enough time to write something else) – but I’m very happy to step aside and be your introduction to 13 authors you may not have come across before.

Those authors are: Abiola Bello, Annabelle Sami, Benjamin Dean, EL Norry, Elle McNicoll, Dominique Valente, Joanna Williams, Maisie Chan, Nizrana Farook, Patrice Lawrence, Roopa Farooki, Serena Patel and Sharna Jackson, and the book will be illustrated by Harry Woodgate.

I’m so very excited about this book – it’s been such a brilliant project to work on already with Serena and the Farshore team, and I can’t wait to share it with the world! You can read the Bookbrunch announcement post here, and you can pre-order the book now from Blackwell’s, Waterstones, Amazon or your local indie bookstore.

Watson and what’s happening with me

Hello Detectives,

Thank you so much for your patience and understanding these last few months. As you know my father died in January, and I took some time off to mourn him. Sadly, just as I was coming back, I had another small tragedy to deal with: Watson, my pet bearded dragon, died at the age of 11.

11 is very old for a lizard, and Watson led a fantastic life. It was absolutely her time to go, and I know that she’s at peace now, but I feel very sad to have had to say goodbye to her. Pets really are important, and for me Watson was a companion during many difficult times in my life. I got her just as I was beginning work on the first Murder Most Unladylike book, and she was with me all the way to the end of the series – it feels both enormously sad and fitting that she lived exactly one Murder Most Unladylike of time.

I know she was very special to lots of you too – you sent me so many beautiful letters about her, and fan art of her, over the years – she will be so very missed, and the Murder Most Unladylike fandom won’t be the same without her!

Because of all these sad things happening, I’ve struggled to work as normal this year. Although I’m back online more now, I’m still rushing to catch up with everything I missed – I still have a lot of author emails to respond to, I haven’t updated this website with a new prompt for a while, I haven’t filmed a YouTube video this year … all is not as it usually is! If you have sent me a message, please be patient as I try to work through the backlog, and know that I’m going as fast as I can. And the things that have to take priority are VERY exciting indeed!

At the moment I’m focusing on the proofread for Once Upon a Crime, my book of short stories coming out in August this year. A proofread is the final checks before a book goes to print – so we really are nearly there with this one! I’m also helping my publisher Puffin finalise Once Upon a Crime‘s cover – which will NOT be black and white, as a lot of you assume! It’s really beautiful, and I’ll be sharing it soon – that’ll be the subject of my first video this year, as well as my first newsletter.

And after that … I’m starting to write Ministry of Unladylike Activity! The first book will be set in autumn 1940, and will star May Wong and two new friends, one of whom will be the series’s main narrator! I’m working hard on their characters, and am almost there with both – I can’t wait to tell you more about them!

So keep watching this website and my social media for updates, and remember that good things are on the way, even if it’s feeling tough at the moment.

My father

Dad and me at Pembroke college in the 1990s

My clever, funny, wonderful father, Robert Stevens, died on Saturday morning after a long illness.

He led an amazing and rich life (sample stories include ‘once during the War a bomb landed at the bottom of our garden but it didn’t go off’ and ‘my first wife and I were part of the test cases that led to Roe vs Wade’) and I feel so lucky to have been able to share it with him.

He’s been loudly predicting his death since my siblings were children, and has survived an amazing list of illnesses, but his indomitable spirit and incredible stubborn streak took him all the way to 87 years old, outlasting every doctor’s prediction. It still doesn’t feel real.

He was a loyal husband to my mother Kathie, a brilliant father to my brother Richard, my sister Carey, and me, and a loving grandfather to my niece Rebecca and nephew Ryan. We’ve all known this was coming but it’s still a painful shock.

am so proud of all of Dad’s accomplishments at all of the institutions he worked at, and very touched by the tributes that are coming in. Pembroke College Oxford, where he was Master when I was a child, have written this wonderful piece on his achievements, and Haverford College, where he was working when my parents met, have written this. It makes me so proud to know that Dad was the President who finally pushed them to admit women during his tenure, against enormous opposition. And not forgetting UC Santa Cruz, where he was Chancellor when I was born, and where he (and truly, this is one of the most important aspects of his legacy) finally allowed the students to have the banana slug as their school mascot.

Dad was the reason I got into crime fiction and murder mysteries – he gave me all of the authors who have become most important to me – and I feel so lucky to know how thrilled he was with what I’m doing with my life. He was one of my biggest supporters.

I’m not going to be online much over the next month or so, for obvious reasons – please do be patient if you’ve sent me a message. I’ll get to it when I can, but at the moment my first priority is my family, and taking time to grieve. I will not be posting new videos, or sending out newsletters – please do not be in touch asking about these, as I will not respond.

If you would like to pay tribute to Dad (and please don’t feel you have to!), a donation to Dementia UK in his name would be very meaningful, or a donation to a charity that works to expand access to education, something that he was absolutely passionate about. His granddaughter Rebecca has nominated the Bi-Co Mutual Aid fund if you’re in America.

Finally, I want to thank the incredible NHS staff who took care of him during his last hospital visits, and the staff of his care home who were so kind and loving towards him, and managed to keep Covid out for the whole pandemic so we could be with him in his final days. I am so grateful, and I feel so lucky that his passing was peaceful and surrounded by people who cared.

Dad is, of course, in my books, in aspects of the fathers of both Daisy and Hazel. I’m glad to know he’s there, and he’ll always be there. I miss you, Dad.

This post was originally a Twitter thread – if you’d like to see more photographs of Dad, please head over there.

Writing Prompt Mondays: Prompt 26

Happy New Year, Detectives!

The beginning of 2021 has been more difficult for me than I was expecting. I am absolutely fine and safe, but for (non-covid) personal reasons I’m not able to spend very much time online at the moment. I’m not going to be responding to emails for a while, or filming new videos, and I’m very behind on reading website comments. I will read your wonderful stories for Prompt 25 eventually, but for now I’m just going to share a new prompt with you, as I know those of you in lockdown will be looking for a new challenge!

My prompt for you for the beginning of 2021 is something I think we’re all looking for in our lives at the moment: magic.

Your story (or poem, or script, or song) can be about the magic of everyday life or the kind of magical spell that you wish you could cast. You can set it in our own world, a fantasy realm, the past, the future … anything you like! As always, the way you interpret this prompt is totally up to you. Have fun with it!

The rules:

It can be as long or as short as you like, and take you as much or as little time as you want.It can be any genre (type) of story you want. If you have an idea for something that I haven’t mentioned, don’t wait for my permission – just go for it! This is your creativity working!You are not allowed to worry about grammar or spelling.You are not allowed to worry if it isn’t perfect, or criticise yourself as you’re writing.You are encouraged to make a plan before you begin, to make it easier for you to get to the end of the story. This can be two words or a whole page! But if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.Get to the end of the story without stopping to go back and fix bits you don’t like. Once you’ve finished, read it through again. If you still don’t like those bits, you can edit them now!If you want (and only if you want!) you’re allowed to post the first 500 words of your story in the comments below. I have to moderate the comments so it may take a while for them to show up – please be patient. I don’t want to see you apologising for your story or minimising what you’ve done when you post – writing a story is a triumph and you should be proud!Please do not use your full name when you comment – first names are fine, or you can make up a username that you like! Also remember to stay safe online and not get into private discussions with anyone you don’t know in real life without telling an adult first.If you like someone else’s story, you are allowed to comment to say so! If you’d like to give them ideas that might make their story even stronger, that’s OK, but please be kind and remember how deeply we all care about our writing. A good format for feedback might be something like: ‘I loved ****! Have you thought of ****? I think it might make your story even better!’ I will delete any comment if I feel it’s critical without being constructive.I can’t promise to give feedback on any individual stories – I’m not marking them!This isn’t a competition, and there will be no winners and no prizes, though I may choose a story or two to highlight in future posts.

I will look at these stories when I can, but I can’t guarantee when that will be at the moment. Until I’m back, stay safe, take care of yourselves and your loved ones and delight in all the small good things that make up our lives.

Saying Goodbye to 2020

Hello Detectives! Today is the 25th of December – Christmas Day, and the day on which the plots of both Mistletoe and Murder and Death Sets Sail are resolved!

I’m currently on holiday, spending Christmas with the family members who are part of my bubble. It’s very hard not to be able to be with the rest of my family, but I feel lucky and grateful to be able to rest and to be with people who are so special to me.

I know 2020 has been an extremely hard year for us all. No matter what else has been going on in your life, you’ve also had to deal with a pandemic – it’s exhausting and frightening and sad. I’ve said this a lot this year, but please be kind to yourselves right now, because you really need it!

Whatever you celebrate, I hope you’re taking time to rest and enjoy small wonderful things right now. I am currently getting a lot of joy from our puppy, Howl. He is seven months old and sweeter than ever – here he is looking hopeful and festive under the Christmas tree.

I’ll be back in January for what – I hope very much! – will be a more positive year. Once Upon a Crime will be published in August, and you can pre-order it now. Look out for announcements about its colour and finished cover! I’ll be working hard on the first book in my Ministry of Unladylike Activity series, which will publish in 2022 – and I’ll hopefully be able to tell you more about its plot and characters. And finally, I’ve heard that the beautiful sprayed-edge editions of the Murder Most Unladylike books will be rolled out a bit quicker than planned! At the moment, the first three books in the series, as well as the last two, have sprayed edges – and it’s looking like the rest of the series will get the same treatment by the end of 2021.

I won’t be able to even plan any in-person events until my family and I have all had the vaccine, and I feel confident that a crowded space wouldn’t put any of you in jeopardy. I love meeting you, and I know how wonderful it is to be able to talk to an author you love, but it’s simply not worth the risk of anyone getting seriously ill! If you want to order signed copies of my books, please visit Round Table bookshop – I’ll be sending out orders from my home into 2021, for anyone who wants them!

Again, take care of yourselves and others during the holidays. Remember that no feeling is final, that everything changes eventually and that it’s all right to take comfort in fiction when reality feels like too much. And I’ll see you all in 2021!

December Video: Festive Gift Guide!

Hello detectives! For my last video of this year, I decided to make a whistle-stop tour through some of my favourite books of the year, to help you with all your book gifting needs! I hope you enjoy it – and enjoy the holidays!

I’ll be back with more videos next year – thank you so much for watching, everyone!

Writing Prompt Mondays: Prompt 25

First of all, huge congratulations to everyone who attempted last month’s NaNoWriMo challenge! Whether or not you met your writing goal or not (and I know a lot of you did – incredible work!), just taking part was a big step – and this year especially, anything you managed to write should be celebrated as a big win!

I was really impressed with all of the writing samples you posted. I particularly liked Edith’s Hunger Games fanfiction (completed lower down in the comments!), Elise’s evocative music-box doll story, Lucy B’s boarding school story and Inaya’s story about a British soldier in India, but you are all winners in my book!

This month’s prompt is the 25th, and the last of 2020. I first started these prompts in the spring, during the first lockdown in the UK. It’s been such a strange, hard year, and I feel so proud of everyone who’s taken part over the last eight months. You’ve supported each other so wonderfully, and it’s been such a joy to see your skill and creativity grow with each story you post.

The first prompt of 2020 was all about history, and so I think it’s fitting that the last should be about the opposite. I’d like you to write about the future.

As usual, you can interpret this in any way you want. You can write about your ideal (or nightmare!) future, you can write about what you imagine will happen in six months or in six hundred years, you can write about a future very different to today or one that is almost the same. You can write fanfiction, you can write a poem, you can write a song or a play script – whatever you want!

The rules, one last time for 2020:

It can be as long or as short as you like, and take you as much or as little time as you want.It can be any genre (type) of story you want. If you have an idea for something that I haven’t mentioned, don’t wait for my permission – just go for it! This is your creativity working!You are not allowed to worry about grammar or spelling.You are not allowed to worry if it isn’t perfect, or criticise yourself as you’re writing.You are encouraged to make a plan before you begin, to make it easier for you to get to the end of the story. This can be two words or a whole page! But if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.Get to the end of the story without stopping to go back and fix bits you don’t like. Once you’ve finished, read it through again. If you still don’t like those bits, you can edit them now!If you want (and only if you want!) you’re allowed to post the first 500 words of your story in the comments below. I have to moderate the comments so it may take a while for them to show up – please be patient. I don’t want to see you apologising for your story or minimising what you’ve done when you post – writing a story is a triumph and you should be proud!Please do not use your full name when you comment – first names are fine, or you can make up a username that you like! Also remember to stay safe online and not get into private discussions with anyone you don’t know in real life without telling an adult first.If you like someone else’s story, you are allowed to comment to say so! If you’d like to give them ideas that might make their story even stronger, that’s OK, but please be kind and remember how deeply we all care about our writing. A good format for feedback might be something like: ‘I loved ****! Have you thought of ****? I think it might make your story even better!’ I will delete any comment if I feel it’s critical without being constructive.I can’t promise to give feedback on any individual stories – I’m not marking them!This isn’t a competition, and there will be no winners and no prizes, though I may choose a story or two to highlight in future posts.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the end of these prompts. I’ll be back in the second week of January 2021 (a bit later that usual because I won’t be back from my Christmas break on Monday 4th yet!) to give you your first prompt of the new year. Stay safe and happy, wherever you are, and enjoy whatever holiday (if any!) you’re celebrating. And thank you again for making these prompts so much fun to post!

Happy Mistletoe and Murder season, Detectives!

It’s the first of December – which means that it’s finally the perfect time of year to read Hazel and Daisy’s most festive adventure!

It’s also, of course, the time when you might be looking for present ideas for yourself and your loved ones. I’m going to create a festive gift guide for you soon, but for now you might enjoy my top five children’s books of 2020, or my story about the best book I was given for Christmas as a child.

And remember that if you want to order a signed and personalised copy of any of my books, just head to the Round Table Books website!

Enjoy this month, Detectives, wherever you are!

Signed and Personalised Copies of all of my books available from Round Table!

I’m very pleased to end the week by sharing something that’s been in the works for a long time: I’ve partnered up with Round Table Books in Brixton to offer fans anywhere in the world the chance to buy signed and personalised copies of every single one of my books!

I’m hoping that this offer will carry on for a while, but if there’s something you specifically want to give as a Christmas or Hannukah gift, please order as soon as possible, as international postage deadlines are coming up in a few weeks. If you can’t see your country of residence on the order menu, don’t worry – this is just an oversight, rather than an exclusion. Get in touch with Round Table to let them know, and they’ll sort it out as soon as possible. And if you have any other queries – you’ve ordered the book to the wrong person, for example, or you’re struggling to find the thing you want – ask Round Table for help and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

You’ll also see a signed edition of Once Upon a Crime available – please be aware that you can pre-order that now, but it won’t arrive with you until the book publishes in August 2021!