Naomi Novik's Blog, page 6

Nominate UPROOTED For The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award

Hi Everyone,

Naomi has been informed that Uprooted has fulfilled the minimum requirements and has moved to the next round in The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Awards — the Nomination Round.

In the Nomination Round, Uprooted has to garner at least 50 nominations within the time period in order to qualify for the next and final round. The nomination will start on September 11 and end on September 30. We invite all of you to nominate the book here: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=996

You may also nominate other books here: http://www.theromancereviews.com/bookvote.php

So get out there and vote! We need those 50 nominations!

Thank you in advance!

Shawn

Naomi’s Dragon Con Schedule

Title: This Animal Seems…Familiar…

Time: Fri 04:00 pm Location: Embassy C – Hyatt (Length:1)

Description: Companions, fire lizards, telepathic wolves—in fantasy lit, animals always have our backs.

Title: Ask the Author: YA Writing Craft

Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1)

Description: Ask your favorite YA authors for their best writing & publishing tips & tricks.

Title: Adventures in Super Fantasy

Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Embassy C – Hyatt (Length:1)

Description: Authors write on the fly, then pass to another writer. Hilarious improv mayhem!

Title: Fangirl Hour with Naomi Novik

Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: Embassy C – Hyatt (Length:1)

Description: Naomi Novik is a fan like us. And she has thoughts. Lots of thoughts.

Title: Autograph Session

Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: International Hall South – Marriott (Length: 1)

Title: Old Enough—Adult Books for YA Readers

Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Embassy A-B – Hyatt (Length: 1)

Description: Ever wanted to introduce a YA reader to more mature fiction? Our panelists discuss same with suggestions.

Title: Magical Women

Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: Centennial I – Hyatt (Length:1)

Description: Brilliant women of fantasy lit on influences, experiences, & fictional women they love the most.

Ask Naomi: Is UPROOTED Appropriate For A Young Reader?

Naomi Novik

Diane C. writes: Is Uprooted appropriate for a young reader? Thank you for your time!
Naomi answers: I find it really hard to answer this question, because it depends entirely on the child in question. I was climbing on the piano when I was ten to sneak down my mom’s copy of Clan of the Cave Bear, but I was also the kind of reader who happily sailed right past anything that my brain wasn’t ready to process: I thought it was all about cool Stone Age survival skills and Ayla being the most awesome with her Cave Lion totem whoo!

(I do think in general books are safer than video in this way, because the reader has to continuously cooperate with the experience — if a reader hits something that disturbs them, they can skip ahead or quit reading.)

Anyway, I will go out on a limb and say, Uprooted is more appropriate for a ten year old than Clan of the Cave Bear. But it was written for adults, and there is violence and death and sex in the book. I hope none of it is gratuitous, but that can make it hit harder. I would suggest reading it first yourself before giving it to a young reader.

US Cover Reveal: LEAGUE OF DRAGONS

Here is the US cover for League of Dragons!

There is no release date yet.

More soon! Stay tuned!

Ask Naomi: Will You Write A Sequel To UPROOTED?

Naomi Novik

Uprooted has captured the imaginations of readers all over the world!

When something like that happens with a book, the very next question is, “Will you be writing a sequel to it?” Uprooted has such a wonderful mythos and world that it is rife with sequel possibilities. I know I’d love one!

I sent the question to Naomi last week, in hopes that she would share if she has any plans. Here is what she said:

“It’s not out of the question but not currently planned either!”

Short and to the point. It looks like we will have to wait a while to find out! I know Naomi is putting the final touches on League of Dragons, the final Temeraire novel, and after that she has any number of stand alone projects that she wants to write, including a handful of short stories.

Will she return to the world of Uprooted. The future will tell us!

What are you reading right now?

Ask Naomi: Tell Us More About The UPROOTED Polish Fairy Tale?

US Edition

Alvin Moser asks: In the acknowledgements to Uprooted, you mentioned that the name of your protagonist was taken from a Polish tale about Agnieszka and the Yellow Cow. You implied it was well known in Poland. My boss’ name is Agnieszka and she grew up in Poland and has not heard of this tale. Could you cite a source for the tale? My search of the Internet has yielded nothing.
Naomi Novik answers: You know, I don’t actually know how well-known the story is in Poland, because my experience is indirect. It’s called “Agnieszka Skrawek Nieba.” My mother had a few books of Polish fairy tales that she read to me, and that was one of my two favorite stories. The author is Natalia Gałczynska. My mother read it to me from her collection O wróżkach i czarodziejach, which was in turn inspired by older French fairy tales.

It was famous enough that it was made into a TV movie over there, I believe — my mother just recently tracked down a copy of it for me that we’re going to be watching together soon! Agnieszka is a little girl who goes into an enchanted forest to rescue her lost cow and ends up breaking the curse that divides her village from the one on the other side. I always loved as a child hearing a story with a little girl as the hero. The story is about not fearing and hating foreigners, a story that I have to think was inspired by the war and upheaval of the time: the magic phrase is “the people on the other side of the forest are just like us.”

Here’s a picture of the book on the official website for her (and her husband, a famous poet himself): http://www.kigalczynski.pl/natalia/prace/ — the little girl in the blue dress is the little girl Agnieszka from the story, that’s the edition I have.

Naomi At Space City Comic Con This Weekend

Naomi is attending this weekend’s Space City Comic Con in Houston, TX!

It should be a lively convention, filled with some wonderful writers and big-name celebrities! Naomi has one panel on Saturday. Here are the details:

Strange New Worlds on Saturday at 4:00 pm

Programming Room 3 – Room 100

Quincy J. Allen, Dave Farland, Jonathan Maberry, Naomi Novik, Josh Vogt

There will likely be a signing to follow the panel!

Naomi hopes to see you there!

Naomi’s SDCC Schedule

Naomi is attending the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con next week!

Here is a list of her panel and signing appearances. She is keeping quite busy, on some wonderful panels with some very talented authors!

Here are the dates, times, places, and panel/signing information:

The Modern Fairytale

Myth, legends, folk, and fairy tales make up some of the oldest and most treasured stories of human history. More than just entertainment, they teach lessons, preserve tradition, and influence entire generations. Heroes, heroines, dragons, faeries, genies, and demons live on in today’s popular fiction. Authors Renee Ahdieh (The Wrath and the Dawn), Laura Bickle (Dark Alchemy), Tonya Hurley (Hallowed), Julie Kagawa (Talon & Rogue), and Naomi Novik (Uprooted) discuss new works of fiction that borrow from these stories and other tales as old as time. Moderated by Ali T. Kokmen (Barnes & Noble, Nook Digital).

Thursday July 9, 2015 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Room 32AB

Booth Signing

Naomi Novik (His Majesty’s Dragon), Zen Cho (Sorcerer To The Crown)

Friday July 10, 2015 2:00 – 3:00PM

Del Rey booth #1515 – FREE BOOKS

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Family Feud

Who is the most popular Doctor Who companion? How about the worst place to Hulk out in? Authors Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive series), Patrick Rothfuss (the Kingkiller Chronicles series), Ernie Cline (Armada), Naomi Novik (Uprooted), Chuck Wending (Zer0es), Leigh Bardugo (The Grisha Trilogy), and Austin Grossman (Crooked) square off in an epic game of Family Feud, answering questions posed by Heath Corson (Nerdist) about the hottest topics in geek culture.

Saturday July 11, 2015 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Room 7AB

Author Talk with Del Rey Books

Del Rey Books has been publishing the best of science fiction and fantasy for nearly 40 years. Authors Alan Dean Foster (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Jason Hough (Zero World), Naomi Novik (Uprooted), Scott Sigler (Alive), and Harry Turtledove (Bombs Away) discuss their latest novels and answer questions about writing and publishing. Moderated by Tricia Narwani (editorial director, Del Rey).

Saturday July 11, 2015 7:00pm – 8:00pm

Room 9

I hope to see some of you there! And so does Naomi!

Naomi In A New Podcast

Naomi is featured in a new podcast!

Midnight in Karachi, a weekly podcast about writers, publishers, editors, illustrators, their books and the worlds they create, is hosted by Mahvesh Murad!

This week, award winner writer of the Temeraire series Naomi Novik is on the podcast, talking about fanfic, dragons, both real and metaphorical and her much lauded new novel Uprooted—available now in both the US (Del Rey) and UK (Tor Books UK).

Midnight in Karachi, Episode 17 (31:50)

Click HERE to listen to the podcast on Tor.com!

Hope you enjoy it!

Warner Bros. Options Movie Rights To UPROOTED

Uprooted to Warner Bros.

The Hollywood Reporter ran an article last week about negotiations for the film rights to Uprooted, and many of you wrote to ask about it or congratulate me.

I couldn’t say anything though because the news was a little premature and the deal hadn’t been finalized yet! But now I am so pleased and excited to be able to confirm that yes, Warner Brothers – home of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies, among many other wonderful fantasy films — have optioned the rights to turn Uprooted into what we all hope will be another series of wonderful fantasy films.

Many people were involved behind the scenes in getting this deal to happen, but I particularly have to thank brilliant producer Jeff Kleeman, for championing the book from the start, and the wonderful Ellen DeGeneres for getting behind the project. I’m so delighted to be working with them and with Niija Kuykendall and Julia Spiro at Warner.

Now comes the fun part: seeing talented filmmakers set to work, to bring the Wood and the rest of Angieszka’s world to the big screen! I’m very excited and hope you are too.