Robin Stevens's Blog, page 24

Diana Wynne Jones Keynote Speech: Living a Charmed Life

I talk a lot about how much I love Diana Wynne Jones’s books, and how much she’s influenced me as an author – so much that I was invited to the Diana Wynne Jones Conference in Bristol in August to give a keynote speech about her!

Below is the text of that speech, as I read it out in August – I hope you enjoy it.… Read more

Book recommendations – September 2019

My September book recommendations are here!

They are …

The Girl who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson (8+)
Max Kowalski Didn’t Mean It by Susie Day (8+)
Bearmouth by Liz Hyder (12+)
Chinglish by Sue Cheung (16+ for racism – please note that the age rage suggestion on the video is incorrect.… Read more

Announcement: Daisy and Hazel’s new mystery The Case of the Drowned Pearl will be one of the 2020 World Book Day Books!

I’m not very good at keeping secrets – but now that I’m an author I’ve had to do my best to learn. And I think I’ve done pretty well at keeping this news under my hat: in 2020, my ENTIRELY NEW short story The Case of the Drowned Pearl, featuring Hazel, Daisy, Alexander and George, will be one of the World Book Day £1 books in the UK and Ireland!… Read more

Detectives for climate action!

Today, the 20th September, saw the biggest worldwide climate strike to date. Millions of people marched all over the world to demand urgent action to tackle the climate crisis. The news is scary, and it’s easy to feel small and powerless in the face of the scale of change needed, but it’s clear to me that every single one of us has a part to play, and that no one is too small to make a difference.… Read more

Top Marks for Murder is getting Irish – and Northern Irish – events!

I’ve been hearing a lot from wonderful Irish and Northern Irish fans who hope I’ll come to visit them – so many that I decided to do something about it! I’m delighted to be able to say that I’ll be visiting Belfast on the 19th of October and Dublin on the 20th of October – more details are below.… Read more

Booktrust review of Top Marks for Murder

Booktrust have given Top Marks for Murder a great review!

This teen murder-mystery, set in an exclusive girls’ school in 1936 is reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s boarding school novels, but with a hefty dose of Agatha Christie’s gruesome, puzzling plotlines … this is a glorious slice of fantastical escapism.

Booktrust

Go here to read the full review – I’m very pleased to see this!… Read more

August book recommendations video

Here to help you go back to school in style, it’s my August book recommendations video!

I’m going to be taking a bit of a break from the Internet for a few weeks while I tackle … a very important writing project that I can’t tell you much about at the moment!… Read more

Top Marks for Murder has been reviewed in the Financial Times!

Top Marks for Murder was given a wonderful review in last Saturday’s Financial Times, as part of Susie Feay’s round-up of new children’s and YA fiction. She calls it:

… a riotously retro world of pashes and plaits, feasts and gym-slips.

Susie Feay, Financial Times, 24th August 2019

… Read more

Top Marks for Murder is Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week – and a Sunday Times Bestseller!

I’m beyond thrilled to say that not only did the wonderful Nicolette Jones pick Top Marks for Murder as her children’s book of the week (£) in the Sunday Times on the 25th, but it was part of the children’s chart printed in the paper that day, making it an official Sunday Times Bestseller!… Read more

The first part of the Top Marks for Murder tour finished on a high!

Last weekend I visited two cities, Birmingham and London, and held two fantastic Top Marks for Murder signings. Thank you to everyone who came along, and especially to booksellers Jamie-Lee and Sue for organising the events!

With a fan at Foyles Birmingham



With two fans at Waterstones Finchley Road, London



With a fan in London – who brought me two beautiful Hazel and Daisy models she’d made herself!… Read more