Podcast appearances and mentions of Quentin Blake

Mike and Duncan catch up over some indie Macallan's whilst discussing the Macbeth Whisky Series. A concept project based on the namesake Shakespeare play, and a combination of brilliance organised by Lexi Burgess, including: Quentin Blake, Sukhinder Singh, Oliver Chilton, and Dave Broom... quite the team up!Plus, some chat for Guinness fans, as the (now Tik Tok) legendary Devonshire Pub in London, is discussed.You can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us a dram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ which will make us very happy, and we will shout you out. Check out the Honest to a Malt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & blog. Browse the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Whisky T-Shirt Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us on: HonestToAMalt@protonmail.com

Today, we take a deep dive into Switch Bitch — Roald Dahl's surprisingly adult collection of short stories — while Pete grapples with his confusion, and slight heartbreak, over why Quentin Blake didn't stay loyal to Roald.Elsewhere, Pete explores the bizarre world of pay-to-shoplift experiences in Japan, sparking a debate on whether fake theft really scratches the same itch. Plus, the lads weigh in on the Angel Boys' return to social media.Email us at hello@lukeandpeteshow.com or you can get in touch on X, Threads or Instagram if character-restricted messaging takes your fancy.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Åsa Warnqvist, litteratursociolog och chef på Barnboksinstitutet, presenterar två män omgivna av en dammig air av bildning, språkintresse och tweed: radiotjänstemannen och akademikern Nils-Olof Franzén och redaktören för Byköpings-posten, herr Agaton Sax - två veritabla renässansmänniskor. Quentin Blake nämns. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.

In this episode of the Potloodcast Floortje Smit is interviewing Olivia Ahmad, the artistic director of The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in London. Ahmad studied illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. Instead of pursuing a career as an illustrator, she became interested in curating. After completing a master's degree in museum studies, she became the artistic director of the House of Illustration in London. The center was set up by the well-known illustrator Quentin Blake around 20 years ago. He wanted to raise awareness and recognition for the art of illustration.The selected images you can find here:https://www.illustratieambassade.nl/potloodcast-potloodcast-25-olivia-ahmad/

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden, CEO of Rubber Cheese.Fill in the Rubber Cheese 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey - the annual benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 3rd July 2024. The winner will be contacted via Twitter. Show references:Lego House in BillundSutton Hoo (National Trust)Sutton Hoo at the British MuseumThe Dig on NetflixSutton Hoo mask on Lego IdeasThe Dig: Lego version of Sutton Hoo treasure 'amazing' (BBC News)Events at The Hold IpswitchAndrew Webb is a LEGO enthusiast who uses bricks in outreach programmes for teams and organisations as diverse at Arm, Pinset Mason, The National Trust, English Heritage, and the Scouts. During the UK's second Lockdown in early 2021, He made the 1500 year old Sutton Hoo Helmet out of LEGO bricks and submitted it to LEGO Ideas. The build achieved international media coverage, and has since been donated to the National Trust. Andrew continues to help attractions and institutions with LEGO programmes. By day, he works as a global head of content marketing for a B2B tech company. Find out more at http://teambuildingwithbricks.com Transcription:  Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, a podcast for people working in and working with Mister attractions. I'm your host, Paul Marden. Today I'm talking to Andrew Webb. By day, Andrew is a content marketer for a tech firm, but in his spare time helps attractions to use Lego as a tool to attract and engage diverse audiences and enable them to interpret history and culture. We're going to talk about what it means to be an building, a model of anglo saxon helmet, and the 24 skills that are used when building with Lego. Paul Marden: So welcome to the podcast. Andrew Webb: Thank you. Paul Marden: On Skip the Queue, we always start with some icebreaker questions that you know nothing about. So let's launch into a couple of those. Book and a pool or museums and galleries for your city break. Andrew Webb: Museum and galleries.Paul Marden: Yeah. I'd expect nothing less given what we're about to talk about. This is one from one of my colleagues, actually, who is really good at icebreakers whenever we do a team building eventually. So he said, “Would you rather have it and lose it or never have it at all?”Andrew Webb: Oh, gosh, I'll have it and lose it for sure. Paul Marden: Yeah, gotta be. That one's from miles. Say thank you, Myles. That was a cracker. Andrew Webb: Do you remember the word there was a great one. Would you rather eat ten donuts or raw onion? Paul Marden: Oh, ten donuts, hand down. I could easily do that. Andrew Webb: I'd get onion. I'd get onion. Every time I would take an onion over ten donuts. I'd be sick after ten donuts. Paul Marden: Oh, no, I reckon I could take that. No problem. Andrew Webb: Okay. Paul Marden: Okay. So we're going to talk a little bit about your adventures in Lego over the last few years. So why don't we kick off and talk a little bit about your original interest in Lego? Because I know it goes back not a long way, because that would be rude. But it goes back to a few years ago, doesn't it? Andrew Webb: It does. I mean, like most people growing up in what we might loosely term the west, I had like, I was a kid, you know, I think most of us grew up with it like that. And then like, you know, growing up in that first age of plastics with Heman, Transformers, Lego, Star wars, all of that sort of stuff. Paul Marden: You're just describing my childhood. Andrew Webb: It's funny because that was. It was all sort of ephemeral, right? I mean, the idea was that the reason why that boom happened, just to dwell on why they're going plastic things. Before that, toys were made out of either tin or wood. So, you know, they were very labour intensive produce there's certainly injection moulding comes along and we could just have anything coupled with the tv shows and the films and all this sort of stuff. So we all grew up in this sort of first age of disposable plastic, and then it all just gets passed down as kids grow up. It gets given away, gets put in the loft and forgotten about. There's a moment when a return of the Jedi bedspread doesn't look cool anymore, right? You hit about 13, 14 and you're like, “Mom, I really want some regular stuff there.”Andrew Webb: So like everybody, you know, I gave it all away, sold it and whatever, but I kept onto my lego and then fast forward, you know, I become a parent and Lego starts to come back into my life. So I'm sort of at a stage where I'm working for a travel startup and I get a press release to go to the Lego House, which if no one has heard about it, where have you been? But also it is a fantastic home of the brick, which Lego built in, opened in 2016. And it is a phenomenal temple to Lego. Not in terms of like a Legoland style approach with rides and things like that, but it's all about the brick and activities that you can do in a brick. Andrew Webb: There is great pools and huge pits of Lego to play with there, as well as displays and all this sort of stuff. They've actually got a Lego duplo waterfall.Paul Marden: Really? Andrew Webb:  Oh, I mean, it's a fantastic attraction. And the way they've done it is just incredible. So they blend a lot of digital things. So if you make a small fish and insert it into this thing, it appears in the tank and swims around and this sort of stuff and the way you can imprint your designs on things. I should just quickly tell you about the cafeteria there as well, just really quickly. So the cafeteria at the Lego House, everyone gets a little bag of Lego and then whatever you build and insert into this sort of iPad sort of slots type thing, and that's what you're. Andrew Webb: So a pink brick might be salmon, a yellow brick might be chicken, whatever, and you put it all in and it recognises it all and then it comes down a giant conveyor belt in a Lego. Giant Lego box and is handed to you by robots. I mean, mind blowing stuff. This is not like with a tray at the National Trust place or somewhere like that for us to come. It is a technological marvel. Absolutely fascinating. So, of course, on the day went, it was a press preview, so there was no canteen workers, so there was no food in the box when me and my daughter, so went without that data, was a bit disappointed. Andrew Webb: But that started that whole reappreciation of Lego, both as a toy to play with my daughter, but also as a way of using Lego in different ways. And that manifests itself in lots of different things. So currently, now, you know, fast forward a little bit. I use Lego for team building exercises, for workshops, for problem solving with organisations, and also just for having fun with adult groups as well as kids. And I think one of the biggest things we've seen since this kind of started around 2000s with the sort of adults reading Harry Potter, do you remember that was like, why are you reading this children's book type of thing? Paul Marden: Yeah. Andrew Webb: And then all the prequel Star wars films came out and Lego made sets about both those two things. And it kind of. I mean, Bionicle saved the company, as only AFOL will know, but it started that whole merchandising thing and adding Lego into that firmament of IP. Right. And we fast forward now, and it's Marvel and Star wars and everything. Paul Marden: You just said AFOL. I know what an AFOL is, but many of our listeners may not know what AFOL is.Andrew Webb: Just to go for acronyms here. So an AFOL is an Adult Fan of Lego. And we've seen actually Lego in the past five years, even earlier. I mean, Lego always had an adult element to it. And one of the original founders used to use it for designing his own house. And there was a whole architectural system called Molodux. So it's always had that element to it. But just recently we've seen, you know, almost retro sets. So we see the Lego Atari 2600 video game system from 1976, which, yeah. Paul Marden: An original NES wasn't there. Andrew Webb: Exactly. NES that's come out. I've got a Lego Optimus prime back here for transformers, you know, all that kind of stuff. So with what's been really interesting is this kidault or whatever, however, call it. And I think that's really fascinating, because if we think about Lego as a toy, we are rapidly approaching the age where we might have three generations of people that have grown up with Lego. Lego first came around in the very late ‘60s, early '70s. And so it's not inconceivable that you might have three generations that had Lego as a child, especially if you grew up in Denmark. A little bit different when it would come to the rest of Europe as they expanded out. So I get to this point, and I'm getting into Lego and doing all this sort of stuff. Andrew Webb: And then, of course, COVID happens and then lockdown happens and we all think the world's going to end and no one knows. Everyone's looking for hobbies, aren't they? They say you were either hunk, drunk or chunk after lockdown. You either got fit, got fat or got alcoholic. So try to avoid those three things. And, you know, everyone's looking for stuff to do, so you have so much banana bread you can bake. And so I stupidly, with my daughter's help, decided to make the Lego Sutton Hoo helmet, the 1500 year old Sutton Hoo helmet found at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, now in the British Museum. Out of Lego, as you do. Paul Marden: I mean, just exactly. Just as you do. So just a slight segue. I was at the National Attractions Marketing Conference yesterday and there were two people presenting who both talked about their experiences of wacky things that they did during lockdown. There was one person that opened a theatre in her back garden and had various different stars just randomly turn up in her backyard up in North Yorkshire. And you choose to build a Lego Sutton Hoo helmet.Andrew Webb: Lockdown, there will be a time, I think, as we look back, tragic though it was, and, you know, a lot of people died, but it was that moment when society sort of shuffled around a bit and people sort of thought, “Well, if I don't do it now, why not?” People were launching bakeries in their kitchens and serving their community and like. And that element of it. And so people have that. The good side of that, I suppose, is that people did find new outlets of creativity. And Joe Wick's yoga class is in their front row walking groups, you know, all this sort of stuff and beating beaten horsemans and learning to play the violin and dust and stuff. Suddenly we all had to find hobbies because we're all just in. Andrew Webb: No one was going to restaurants, no one's going to bars, no one's going to gigs, nightclubs, theatres. We like to make entertainment at home. It was like the middle ages. So I decided to build the Lego Sutton Hoo helmet, as you do. And so I start this in lockdown, and then, like, I get wind that Netflix is making a film called The Dig. And The Dig is all about, I think it's Lily James and Ray Fiennes in it, and it's all those other people. And it's all about when they found theSutton Hoo helmet. And the guy who found it was called Basil Brown, and he was asked by Edith Pretty, who owned the land, to excavate these humps in the ground that were on her estate. Paul Marden: Okay, so she owns this big estate, in Suffolk, right? And, so she can clearly see there's burial mounds in the back garden, but doesn't know what's in them. Doesn't have any clue that there's treasure locked up inside this. Andrew Webb: I'm not even sure she knew there were anglo saxon burial maps since it was. Paul Marden: They were just lumps of ground in the garden. Andrew Webb: Yeah. I mean, she may have had inkling and other stuff I've turned up over the years and whatever. And some of them were robbed sort of georgian times around then. So some people knew what they were and they were somewhere excavated and gold was taken to fund the polynomial wars and whatnot. But she asked Basil Branson, he was like an amateur archaeologist, right? And so he was just like this local guy would cycle over and do. And the film goes into all that, and the film kind of portrays it as working class. Basil Brown should know his place against the sort of British Museum who are sort of the baddies in this film who think they know what. And of course, this is all set against the backdrop of war. So they escalated it all, then they had to rebury it. Andrew Webb: And then it was used as a tank training ground, so lots of tanks rolled over it. So it's a miracle anything was ever found. But when he did find the Sutton Hoo, who told me and a bunch of other things, clasp brooches, shields, weapons and whatever, when he did find it, so people think it kind of popped out the ground as a helmet, but it didn't. And if you look at the photos, it came out the ground in hundreds of pieces. Paul Marden: Oh, really? So you look at this reconstructed mask that's now in the British Museum, and you think, “Oh, so they just found that in one piece,” lifted out as if it was a Lego hat, you know, for a minifig. In one piece? No, not at all. Andrew Webb: It was actually more like a big parlour Lego in the fact that it was just in hundreds of thousands of pieces. And so there was the first guy to have a go at it was an elderly architect at the British Museum who was, I think, blind in one eye. And he had a go at putting it all together. And he used an armature and clay and pins and whatever, put it all together and said, “Yes, I think it was this.” And then actually it wasn't. He got it all wrong. Lots of different pieces after some more research, and then it falls to this. Nigel Williams is another sub architect, and he was famous for. Andrew Webb: There was a famous Portland vase that was broken in a museum by someone pushing it over as a sort of what you might call, like a just stop oil type of protest now, I can't remember what the call was, but someone smashed an exhibit. And he had painstakingly pieced all this together. He was a total dapper dude. Three piece suit, Chelsea boots, proper swinging sixties, and he had to go and put it all together. His version is the one that's in the British Museum, but he was a massive jigsaw fan. And if you think about Lego, what it is a 3d jigsaw. You get a bunch of pieces and you have to make. Make it into a 3d sculpture. So that was one reason, the dig was the other reason. Andrew Webb: The third reason was that the relationship between East Anglia and essentially Denmark and Billand and Anglo Saxon and Jutland and all that area, I'm talking like Vikings and Anglo Saxons and invasions and all this kind of stuff against the native British, there is essentially a relationship between East Anglia, a trade relationship and a conquest relationship between them. So I built this thing and I frantically put it together and I'm late nights and just losing my marbles trying to get this thing to work. Because Lego is not designed to make, like, spherical shapes, necessarily. It's quite blocky. Right. Everyone knows this. It's the square. Paul Marden: Really easy to make a car, really easy to make a house. A spaceship. Andrew Webb: Houses. Brilliant. Yeah. Square stuff is fantastic. But baking, not only a sort of a semicircle, but a hemisphere, which is what essentially a helmet is. Is even harder because you have to get the Lego to bend in two directions. And so a lot of work went into that just to get the actual face piece came together quite easy. And there was once I had the scale of the pieces under the eyes that formed that sort of thing, and then I could build the nose and face. Ideally, it was going to be so that I could put it on my head. I've actually got a massive head. So in the end, I had to realign that and sort of make it into this sort of child sized head. Paul Marden: But it's a wearable thing, right? Andrew Webb: It is. It is wearable. I mean, at one point, it was probably more fragile than the one in the British Museum because it just kept dropping to pieces. So there's a lot of sub plates that are holding together the outer plate. So it's actually sort of. So just quick Lego terminology here. So bricks, obviously are bricks. The flat things with bubbles on are called plates and then the smoother ones are called tiles. Okay. And used a combination of these to create. There's also a technique called SNOT, which stands for Studs Not On Top. We love acronyms in the Lego community. Right? Paul Marden: Completely.Andrew Webb:  So if you say, “Oh, man, I'm an AFOL covered in SNOT,” people know what you want to know what you mean. So after a night in the tiles, I got covered. Yeah. Andrew Webb: Anyway, so I make the helmet, I make the thing, and then, you know, I get a lot of support from the National Trust, specifically East of England National Trust and Sutton, who site itself because it's there. It's their crown jewels. The British Museum, not so much, because they was like, we've got a billion exhibits here. No, it's just one of them. When you've got the Tippecar moon and the Rosetta stone, it kind of pales into significant. But actually, they were helpful. And one of the curators there, who was on Twitter, who sent me a link to some 3d photos, because if you. If you google it's all pictures at the front. That's fantastic. But what does the back look like? Paul Marden: Oh, right, okay. Andrew Webb: So actually, buried deep in the British Museum's website, in their research department, under a filing cabinet, in the back of a server somewhere, are some quite technical photographic images of it, turning every sort of 30 degrees so that. That it's documented as to what it looks. Because you got to remember that everything on the helmet is symbolic of various different things. There is symbols that mean there's a guy on a horse who's sort of fighting and all this sort of stuff. And it all has quite a lot of meaning. I can occur from different parts of history as well. So there's some sort of roman influencing things there and symbols. And so this whole thing is designed to be not only a battle helmet, but it is also because, remember, crowns haven't been invented yet. Crowns are a later mediaeval sort of invention. Andrew Webb: So this is both a symbol of authority, headwear, like a crown, but also a weapon or a piece of defensive armour and equipment. So it has several functions in its life. So it's quite a complex piece of equipment, that this symbol of authority. So I make all this and then I also submit it to a thing called Lego Ideas. So Lego Ideas is a fantastic programme where anybody in the world, members of the public, can submit Lego Ideas, right? And they go onto a website. There's certain criteria, they have to meet a certain checklist, but then the rest of the public can vote for them. So, I mean, if Taylor Swift just stuck together a load of blocks and said, “Vote for this,” she probably hit the 10,000 threshold instantly. Andrew Webb: But I'm not sure Lego would necessarily take that forward as a build. So there is a judging panel that. But actually, some of the most recent really fantastic sets have come out of Lego Ideas. Members of the public, and they're designing things that the Lego designers wouldn't have thought of themselves. So I think that's been kind of interesting. Sadly, Paul, we didn't make the 10,000 threshold. We did a lot of media coverage. By then, lockdown was over and were sort of getting back to our lives and all this sort of stuff. And my daughter was entering her dark ages. And so it sat in my studio for another sort of year and a half and I thought, “What am I going to do with this?” And so in the end, I thought, “Well, you know what? It's gathering dust here. I'm fed up with it, dustin it.”Andrew Webb: And so I actually approached Josh Ward at the National Trust at Sutton Hoo, who has been a fantastic advocate for Lego and for this particular project, and I have to thank him immensely for that. And they got some money and some funding to build a cabinet and also to house it. So I donated it to National Trust and it is now on display there as part of their firmament of interpretational trail. Paul Marden: That must feel pretty good fow you. Andrew Webb: Yeah, it is quite good looking in there and watching kids go, “Wow.” Because Lego is one of those things instantly recognisable for kids. But certain hill as a site is quite complex for children to contextualise because essentially it's several mounds in the ground. And the helmet itself is at the British Museum. Right. They've got a replica built by the royal armouries. There were several of those. They've got those. They have loads of dress up, they have great explainers and videos and they do a lot of work to show the size and shape and things as a cast iron sculpture, to represent the boat, to show just how big it was when it was pulled up from the sea, because he's buried in a boat. So do a lot of that work, sort of that sort of work as well. Andrew Webb: But having this extra funding in the. They opened up Edith's pretty's house now, and having this room where we've got some other things as well, like crayons and paper and other tools and drawings and colouring in and Lego and big chest of Lego just helps, particularly smaller children who, by the time they've walked from the car park around the site, and it has probably flagged it a little bit. And so just providing that little support for them, it's been a fantastic way to contextualise and another way to interpret that. And I think more and more venues could look into that. When you think, well, how else can we add stuff, particularly for children to help tell the story of this place? Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. We went to. It was half term last week and went to the City Museum in Winchester. So they've got some mediaeval, they've got some Roman finds there, and there was lots of fun, but they had. It was full of lots of ways for kids to engage, so there was trails to go around, there was colouring in, make your own mediaeval shield. And all of these things are ways that, you know, my ten year old could engage with it because there's only so many glass cabinets of stuff dug up from the ground that she actually wants to look at. Andrew Webb: I mean, I love. I love pit rivers, right, in Oxford, my favourite museum. Paul Marden: It's crazy, isn't it? I love it. Andrew Webb: But basically, he just went around the world nicking stuff. Right, but as a collection of objects, It's fantastic. Paul Marden: It's deeply unnerving. Andrew Webb: Sorry, sorry if any pit rivers curators are listening there, nick, and stuff about it, but, it is my favourite museum because it's just for kids. It's probably really kind of like, how do you tell that story? I also think there was an article in the garden recently that, you know, the cost of living crisis as well. Parents are looking for value solutions now and so I think it wasn't Peppa Pig World, it was Paddington World. And a family ticket is 170 pounds. That is a huge dent in the family finances for a 70 minutes experience. If you are watching the pennies, if you can afford that and save up for it, whatever. And I know these things are, you know, memory making and all that sort of stuff, and I've been to Harry Potter with my daughter. Andrew Webb: That is not cheap, but it's a fantastic day out because once you're in, you spend the whole day there. If you take a packed lunch, you can save a lot of money on that, on the thing. But I suppose what I'm saying is that, you know, our museums and galleries, particularly traditionally, the what you might call free spaces, public spaces, are facing unprecedented demand in terms of parents looking for cost effective value days out, as well as funding being cut from central government and that sort of. So they have to do a huge amount with less and less for a bigger audience. And that is a strain on any institution and things like that. Other examples of places that get this. Andrew Webb: So obviously with the Sutton Hoo helmet, the hold in Ipswich, which is Suffolk Council's kind of flagship museum in the county town of Ipswich, but instead of calling it, you know, the Museum of Suffolk, they've called it The Hold, which is a reference to the fact it's on, I think it's either because it's on the shore or it's doing sheep, I'm not sure anyway. But a fantastic space, contemporary modern space  had a Lego exhibition a few years ago, borrowed my helmet, had some Lego exhibition stuff to do. And the good thing about that is when these teams have to do quite a lot of comms marketing and, you know, that has a cost as well, but often you see different demographics than perhaps would normally go to a stones and bones museum, if you know what I mean. Right. Andrew Webb: You'll see that it makes it more accessible to the community and to different people who don't like going and looking at the Magna Carta or whatever. For some kids, a day at the British Library is fantastic. Look at all these old books for more, maybe more boisterous children. That's probably not a really great idea. So I think galleries can take a leaf out of this and think, or museums or any institution really can take a leap out of this and think, “How can we do more for less? And what tools can we have that perhaps we haven't considered before, like Lego, as a way to open up our interpretation and our offering?” So this could work in Museum of Docklands, for example. This could work in the royal armouries. Andrew Webb: There's lots of places where if you looking to improve your children's offering that some form of lego, I mean, it ends up all over the floor, it ends up being taken away. Sometimes you've got to watch out for things like that. But that's why I always recommend, like, just the basic blocks and plates, not minifigures and stuff like that, because, you know, they just end up in kids' pockets and trousers. But I do think it is a fantastic tool for developing that interpretation piece. Paul Marden: So I run a coding club using Lego. Okay. So I work with years four, five and six, typically. And we normally start off by the end of two terms, we will be building robotics, programming things, doing amazing things. But we start at the very beginning with just open up a box, and it is amazing what a bunch of seven, eight and nine year olds can do with a two by four red brick just given bricks. Yeah. And they will build amazing things. Yeah. And they will tell you amazing stories. And you also see real diversity in the behaviours of children, because some children, in that free play context, they do not have the skills to do that. And I had one girl recently who hasn't played with Lego, and free play just blew her mind, and she was in tears because she couldn't embrace the creativity of it.Paul Marden: But then the following week, when we were following instructions, she was great at building from a set of instructions, You can do that from a limited palette and give them a mission. Sutton Hoo, build a, I don't know, a sword, build a shield, build something to interpret what you have seen. You're in the transport museum. Build, build. How did you get to the museum this morning? Give them something to do and then let them go. And half an hour later, you will be amazed by what they will have built. Andrew Webb: I actually did something this at the National Archives down in Kew, where they had a kids exhibition. Well, an exhibition in the summer about wacky inventions, because obviously the National Archives holds the patents for all these things, and they've got things like Victorian top hats with umbrellas in, and, you know, all this kind of crazy Heath Robinson style stuff that, you know, forks with four sets of tines, so you can eat four times as much. It just bonkers. Really interesting things. The curators had gone through and found this wacky world, sort of. What's his name? The guy that illustrates Roald Dahl. They got illustrations and all that. Paul Marden: Quentin Blake. Andrew Webb: Yeah, Quentin Blake, yeah. So they had this Quentin Blake sort of stuff, and, like, there was activities. And I came down for some special stuff because they had the first Lego brick patent in the UK. When it was first launched in the UK, 1963, I think it was. That's when they filed the patent. Paul Marden: And I bet. So that patent would be exactly the same as a two by four brick, now, won't it? Andrew Webb: The patent was for a one by four brick. Isometrically dawn. Just three diets. Just three views with what? It was a construction toy. And then the page. Sorry. And the address was just Railway Station Billund.  There wasn't like, just all the mail just went to the railway station in Billund just addressed for attention of Lego. And it's only like. I mean, it's not even a sheet of A4, It's a piece like this. And after it is something like a lamp that won't blow out on a thing, and before it's like some special kind of horse comb, but it's kind of this bonkers catalogue of just these things. But again, it was about, “Right. We did some work. The curators and interpreters looked, you know, had kids analyse the painting to think, what could it be? And look at the dates and structure. Look at that.” Andrew Webb: And then I came out and, like, did some Lego. So we did things like, who can build the longest bridge? Who can build the tallest tower out of a single colour? Those sorts of exercises. But then also the free play was build your own wacky invention. And kids are building automatically dog washers, where the dog ran on a thing and it scrubbed its back. And one kid built something that was like a thing for removing getting pips out of apples. It was just like this sort of like this crazy little tool. They like some sort of problem that he had. Andrew Webb: And I think what this also speaks to is developing those stem skills in children and adults and building that engineering, because I've also ran Lego workshops with explorers who I used to, I thought were between Cubs and scouts, but are actually after scouts. So I did this in my local town, here in Saffron Walden, and was like, “Oh, my God, these kids are like, 15, 16. They're not going to want to play Lego. Some of them are in my daughter's year at school, so. Hello, Amy.” And it was really interesting because we did a series of challenges with them. So the egg drop challenge, can you protect an egg and drop it from the floor? And can you build this and work together? Another good one is looker, runner, builder. Andrew Webb: So you give everybody two sets of the same bricks, and one person is the looker, one person is the runner, one person is the builder. So the looker can't touch, but he can tell the runner. The runner can't look at the model, he can only tell the builder, and the builder can't speak back. And so this is a really useful exercise. And I've done this with teams where, because this is exactly what businesses see, engineering will build a product. Sales or their marketing are like, what the hell is, you know, or whatever it might be. Paul Marden: It's that. It's that classic cartoon of a Swing, yeah. Andrew Webb: Yeah. So it's that, you know, this is what the brief said. Engineering interpreter does this. Marketing saw it. So it's a great tool for things like that. Especially when you put people like the C Suite or CEO's or leaders at the end, because all they're getting is the information and it. It's there and it's how to build communications. Because in life, the fluctuations reverse. A CEO says, “Let's do this.” And by the time it's cascaded down to engineering, who don't get a say, it's not at all what he imagined so, or they imagined so, it's. It's an interesting case of using tools like that. So I did that with these kids and it was fascinating because they're 14, 15, 16.Andrew Webb: A group of three girls won two out of the three challenges and probably could have won a third one if I felt that I couldn't award it to them again because it would just look weird. And they were smashing the looker runner builder thing. They were working together as a team, they were concentrating, they were solving problems, they were being creative, they took some time to prototype, they refined and iterated their design. They were doing all this sort of work. And it's brilliant because 15 year old girls don't often take engineering related STEM subjects at GCSE. Certainly, probably don't take them at a level and more than enough. And I think that I once interviewed Eben Upton, who invented Raspberry Pi, and he said, “We think about the eighties as this sort of like golden age of computing, but actually it was terrible. It was terrible for diversity, it was terrible for inclusion.“Andrew Webb: And he said, “Like growing up, there was one other kid in his town that had a computer, you know, so there was no sort of way to sort of getting other people involved and make this accessible.” And part of the reason now computers have got smaller. Some of the work I did at Pytop was like trying to make technology more accessible and seeing it not just video games and things like that, but actually I can use this in a fashion show, or I can make music, or I can use this to power some lights to do a theatre production, and trying to bring the, I guess, the creative arts into technology. And that's when we start to see the interest application of technology. Andrew Webb: And Lego plays a part in that, in the fact that it is a tool, a rapid prototyping tool that everybody is familiar with. And it is also, you know, clean, safe. There's no, you don't need blow torches and saws and those sorts of things to kind of prototype anything. You don't even need a pair of scissors, you know, it's completely tool free, unless you're using that little mini separator to get your bricks apart. And so I think that just circle back on, like, how the Science Museum or what's the one down there? Isabel Kingdom Brunel Museum and things like that. I can see those guys could be and should be thinking about, “How could we have a Lego programme?“Andrew Webb: You don't have to have a permanent deployment like they've got at Sutton Hoo although that is great because they've got the mast there as the head piece of it. But certainly a programme of events or summer camps or summer events, because I did this with English Heritage at Kenilworth Castle as well. They were having, like, a big Lego build and the public were invited in 15-minute shifts into a big marquee and everyone got given a tile. And the idea was to build the gardens because the gardens at Kenilworth Castle were laid out to impress Elizabeth the first. And so everybody got there was like bunches of stuff and regular bricks, also flowers and this sort of stuff. And it was like, “Come on, we've got to build something to impress a queen.” Andrew Webb: He said to kids, like, “Yeah, you've got to impress. Bling it up, like, dial it to ten.” And were just getting these enormous, like, avatar sized trees with just incredible bits hanging off it. And like, “There she has a teapot because she might want a cup of tea.” And you're like, “Brilliant, excellent. Of course she does.”  And so I think that. And then they moved through. Some of the Legos were selected to be displayed and things like that. So there's different ways you can do it. You can either do it as like. And I'm a big fan of the drop in sessions because kids and parents can just naturally build it into their day rather than the pre built. My child was. We were rubbish at, like, organising things. Andrew Webb: People like, “Oh, great. Half term, it's a chocolate thing, sold out ". And you're like, yeah, because there's 30 spaces for three and a half thousand kids who want to do it. Whereas if it's like a walkthrough or a. In groups phase through and then the activity, small kids kind of conk out after about 20 minutes, half an hour anyway. You get much more people through and much more people get to enjoy the experience rather than the 30 organised people who got up early and booked. So that's my other top tip to any institution, because it's heavily weather dependent as well. Sun comes out, everyone piles pass into the nearest sort of stately home, national attraction. All of those places can definitely benefit English Heritage. Did a really big push this half term, just gone on Lego at several events. Andrew Webb: We had one here at Audley End, there was one at Kenilworth that I was at. There's been pairs of the ones all around the country, because again, you just need a marquee, which most venues have access to because they use them for other things or some sort of space in case it rains. And you just see someone like me and a whole massive tub of Lego and you're off to the races. Paul Marden: Exactly. So we were talking about this at the conference yesterday about ways in which. So for many attractions, people turning up is a literal flip of a coin. Is the weather good or is the weather bad? What can you do to adapt your attraction to be able to deal with when it's bad? And then what can you do to bring people when you have made that adaptation? So, you know, you've now got a marquee and you have a Lego exhibit that you can put into there. So it's just dumping a pile of Lego and a bunch of well trained volunteers or visitor experienced people who can facilitate that, police it, little Johnny sticking minifigs in his pocket. Paul Marden: And then you turn on your Google Adwords and show that you've got this, you know, bad weather reason to go to a stately home that my daughter would turn her nose up to all of a sudden, “Okay, we're going to go and do that. We're going to go and have afternoon tea and you're going to go and play with some Lego and see some animals, maybe.” Yeah, what can you do to attract that extra audience and adapt to the bad weather and service different sorts of people? Andrew Webb: I think that comes down to a bear in mind. I convert some of my Lego lens rather than a venue lens. But I think speaking as a parent and someone who does this is you need a reason to go back to somewhere that you already know. Okay, so you go to Stonehenge, you go and look at the stones, you go, “Wow.” You look at the visitor centre and then it's ticked off. I mean, you see busloads of tourists. Stonehenge is at Cambridge, maybe, or Oxford people, when people do England, Lambeth, Heathrow, London Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge, West End, day trip out on a coach to Stonehenge, maybe to Cambridge, and that's it, off to Paris. Right? So parents like British people like that too. Like why go to Stonehenge four times a year? Or why go to any venue when you're familiar with it? Andrew Webb: It's always about offering something new and something different. Audley End up near where I live, I think, is English Heritage. All through July, every Sunday, they're just doing music. So there's a string quartet or someone with a harp or maybe someone with a guitar or whatever. And you've got a book, but it's. It's not like there's 30 places and it's a bonfight. It's just like, “Oh, wow, they've done something different.” They do a really great thing. Like, they do victorian falconry, for example. So they get someone in who talks about how Victorians use falconry for hunting as a sport, but also for the kitchen table, and they're flying falcons around and doing the whole bit of meat on a string and all this sort of stuff. And everyone, like, “They do a world war two one.”Andrew Webb: I mean, the editorial calendar for any venue's got to look like, “Go and make Christmas food. January, we're closed to kind of dust and clean everything. Valentine's Day, chocolate make you put. It's daffodils”, it's whatever it might be. And then you just build that. Build that programme in and you need. This is why I think that venues now, again, I'll just come back to that. You talk about AdWords, but that, again, is more spend. It's like, how'd you build that mail list? How do you drop into the local Facebook groups and Mumsnet and all that kind of stuff? You know, that's where you can do it organically rather than. Because people don't sit in front of Google necessarily, or think, like, what should we do? Paul Marden: You sit on the sofa on a Thursday night trying to figure out what on earth are we going to do this weekend? Yeah, so you're completely right. The mum's net, the content marketing, is hugely important, isn't it? Andrew Webb: Which is my job. But also it's kind of like how can institutions become part of that? When I say community, if you think about most people travel a thin hour to go somewhere. I mean, people go further afield, you know, but. But basically it's like, what? My mom turns, like, a tea and a pee. So you've got to go somewhere. You've got to have a cup of tea, visit the loos. It's all about tea. It's all about canteens and loos, basically. You could have a World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage site. And it's like, how good's the caf? And are the toilets clean? Yeah, that's what people remember. Gar went hens at dawn. I was awed by the majestic. But that Looney D cleaning, you know, it's not good. It's all that people come home with. Andrew Webb: So, you know, institutions go into place that they are trying to offer different things. Like late nights. We've talked about that. How can we use this space after hours? Because if you think about it, if your institution's open 10 till 6, most people are at work five days a week, you're gonna have students and pensioners who are gonna be not great spenders, either of those two groups. So, late nights, I went to a great one in the National Gallery when the James Bond film. I was kind of sitting royale or whatever. He's still on the top of the National Gallery overlooking Trafalgar Square, and they've got the national dining rooms there and they had Vesper Martini, everyone got a cocktail. Andrew Webb: And then went to look at the fighting Temeraire, which is the bit where he's standing with Q, the new Q, who voices Paddington, whose name escapes me and gives him, like, a gun and a radio, but they're like the fighting Temeraire by Turner is this little thing. And so, you know, you've got to make hay out of that, right? You've got to sort of, like, do a late night, various ones. And so all it was a few cocktails in the cafe next door and are taught by the curator and stuff like that. But 30 people just looking for an experience. And so if venues are clever, of course, the dark side of this is when you get Willy Wonka world up in Scotland. Andrew Webb: Or interestingly, some of the Lego events that have been happening at NEC have caused a massive online backslash in the community for just being exceptionally bad value for money. And so you read about these things that people have said, “Come and visit Santa's grotto, and it's just a muddy field with a tree in it,” so you've got to be careful. But I think those events, those sort of fly by night kind of institutions, don't really work. But how galleries can leverage the creativity of what they're doing? Whether they are come and paint in our, you know, our local gallery, come and have an art class, come and do that. People are looking for stuff to do that is value for money. That isn't always drink lead, you know, it's not always cocktail making or things like that. Andrew Webb: And that comes with a whole heap of other things and dietary requirements for cookery courses and just clean up and the mess and all that kind of stuff. So I think that, yeah, canning organisations, the ones that can really think about that, and I'm happy to help organisations who want to think about this, especially through the life of Lego. They will be the ones that will start to add and build out and develop their. What you might term this whole sector needs a name. The kind of extracurricular offering, we might say, above and beyond their collection and then their traditional interpretation and if they're. Paul Marden: Thinking of doing this. So there's a good why. Yeah, the why is you can reach diverse audiences, helps people with interpretation. Andrew Webb: Quite cheap. Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely. It's a cheap way of extending your offering and diversifying what you do. You can bring in event elements to this, but how do they do it? Apart from engaging with somebody like you? And I'm going to guess there's not many people like you. So that's going to be a tricky thing for some people to do. But if they were starting from scratch, how would they go about doing this? You said earlier, “Don't go mad with buying the bricks and spending a fortune on.”Andrew Webb: There are people like me that can do all this as well as myself. I think that the first thing is plan it. Plan what you need to do. You can't throw this stuff together. You might be looking at. Already the hold have been contacting me for a late night they're doing in September. They contacted me April. Paul Marden: Okay. Andrew Webb: Because if you're a creator, you're planning exhibitions, you are thinking on that long term cycle. Paul Marden: Yeah, completely. Andrew Webb: And so what you need to do is bake this in as part of that curational process or part of the interpretation of things at the start, rather than like, “Right, we're doing exhibit on Peter Rabbit, let's chuck in a load of fluffy bunnies or whatever.” You know, it's got to be. You've got to think about it and have it contextualised. I think the best things are. What success looks like is, first of all, you need a space. Now you can hire a marquee that comes with a cost. If you're a venue and you've got your own or you've got a hall or a stables or interpretational room or something like that, often spaces, specifically bigger ones, will have classroom spaces for school groups anyway. So that's often that can be where you can host these sorts of events. Kids are very familiar. Andrew Webb: The chairs are all small wall colour, you know, etc. Industrial strength carpet in case stuff gets built. So locations like where you're going to stage this? Paul Marden: Yeah. Andrew Webb: Secondly, I think you need to think about, what do we want people to do? What is the experience? What is the narrative piece? Because you can't just say, here's a big part of Lego. Kids will just build cars and houses, right? You know, they need context. You know, if you give a kid a sheet of paper, you could draw anything. They're like, well, what? And so you need to give them a mission almost. They need a task, I think. Also think about, as I said before, keeping the tasks around 20 minutes, because actually adding the time running out jeopardy element is quite fun for kids because they'll go, “Well, I've only got five minutes left.” And often that's when it all falls apart and then they have to iterate the design. Andrew Webb: So think about that kind of moving people through in 15 to 20 minutes cycles. We had kids at Kenilworth, that would go out the exit and just walk back around and come in the front like that. Like four or five times. One boy came in, he was loving it. So think about that. Think about how you're going to move people through the space. Think about what you need to envisage it. So the Kenilworth, for example, there was me hosting it from dawn toward dusk. We had another builder there who was helping take break it all down and put them against the model that we built. There were two members of staff who were letting people through, so just monitoring it from an entry exit point of view, walkie talkies, in case people had issues and things like that. Andrew Webb: And think about when you're going to do it. Okay, so half term is a good one. It's a good thing to do. We saw a lot of this at Kenilworth, but I've seen other places as well, particularly half terms and things like that. You often see grandparents caring for grandchildren, right? Because parents are at work and grandparents can only walk around the site so much before they want to sit down. So sometimes have it, like, think about where they can. And when I was at Kenilworth, grandparents came in with their two grandkids, and the kids started playing and I was like, you could join in, too. Oh, no, I don't want it. You know, they were almost like, “I can't do this. It's like, come on, get in, get in. Come on, grandma. Come on. I'll show you how it works. “Andrew Webb: By the end of that session, they were memory making. I then took their photo with their phones, they'd have this sort of grandparent. But, you know, you always say it like, my grandfather taught me to fish. Like Sean Connery says in the hunt for red October. This sort of moment where sort of, it's a Hollywood trope that grandfather knowledge is sort of passed on type of thing. Right. And so you can see that where you could have this, almost either the reverse of that, of kids showing grandparents, but also they're all having this event outside of the parental unit. So it's a new type of experience. It adds value, it gets people to play with their grandkids. Paul Marden: Priceless. Andrew Webb: So I think that's kind of an interesting way. So think about when, think about where and think about what will be my three sort of tips for any institution looking to put this together. Paul Marden: You gave one the other day which I thought was priceless, which was, don't give them wheels. Andrew Webb: Oh, yes. Paul Marden: Don't include the wheels. Andrew Webb: Take the wheels out of any sets, unless you are the Transport Museum or the, you know, a car based museum, because kids will do wings as well. I'd probably suggest taking those out because kids have just built cars. Some kids have just built cars, you know, even if you give them a mission. Unless that is the mission. The other thing that I would think that venues could do as well as sort of all day events, because it's quite a time drain, you know, on staff and this sort of stuff, but it is a value. The other thing you can think about is one off evening events for adults. Yes, I've done this. I did this at my local add them shops. Bricks, beers and bubbles challenges supercompass teams. Think of it like a pub quiz with brick is the answer. Andrew Webb: So build me a thing that does that kind of thing. Teams all get together, you can race them, you can see who goes the furthest. You can do all this stuff. And the hold is what I'm doing at the hold in September. I did it at the hold a couple of years ago. And what was interesting was that we had quite diverse groups of adults. We had just couples who were clearly AFOLs and were like, “Yeah, I'm going to go to that.” We had a group of friends. One of them had just come back from years travelling and they didn't want to go sort of straight to the pub and just interrogate him about his travelling, whatever. Andrew Webb: They kind of like, “Well, we wanted something to do where we could have a beer and have a chat, but were doing something else whilst we're doing that.” And that's the joy of Lego. Your hands are doing the work and you're almost like the back of your brain is doing the work and you're like, “Oh, yeah, yeah. Before you kick them.” And the concentration levels are there and then you can kind of get into that state of flow. And so they were just having this lovely chat, had a beer, talking about stuff, but also memory making in terms of when he came back from his travelling. So I think that's really important. Andrew Webb: Did you know that this is your brain, right? And then your brain on Lego, there are 24 discrete skills that are happening in your brain. So Lego research this, things like fine motor skills, cognitive sort of thinking about things, future planning, my favourite emotional regulation that is not going, “Oh, my God, it's not working. And smashing all to pieces.” So I've seen this as well with children, is that when you give them a Lego, if you gave them jelly and a football, they'll all just. They're a high energy kind of things, right? And that's fine, great outdoors, kids want to burn off energy. Here's a load of balls. Go crazy, right? Or ball pits, trampolines, bouncy castles, those sorts of things. When you get on Lego, what actually happens is it's very hard to be anarchic, to use a wrong word, but a word. It's very hard to be anarchic with Lego because you can't really do it. Andrew Webb: And so you can get a group of kids together and they'll almost self invigilate. And at one point, I ran it at a local toy shop and the parents are all hanging about and like, “I've never seen them so quiet.” They were just in the state of flow. And so, I think, you know, again, back to the. Back to the explorers and the scouts, that was one of the best sessions that those kids had done as teenagers because the reason was they were given permission to play with Lego. They still had the muscle memory from when they were smaller children. They were solving. They weren't just being told to play with Lego, they were actually solving engineering challenges. How can you design a bridge that will take this weight? How can you protect an egg? How can you think about this? Andrew Webb: And so you need to think about the challenge and the what. You need to think about that, the where and you think about the when, as I said, and get those right. You can have a very exceptional visitor experience for not a huge amount of effort. It's not highly costly, it's not highly technical, it's just a bit of elbow grease and a bit of forward thinking in terms of what we might need. And I think that parents appreciate just that minute away where they can. It's almost like a 20 minute babysitter, right, where they can just go, “Don't touch that.” You know, you're walking around a stately home, “Don't sit there, don't touch. Mind the lady.” All that kind of no data that parents give out institutions, they can just take a breather and check their phones and whatever. Paul Marden: And the kids are just having an amazing time. Andrew Webb: Yeah. And the kids are happy. And at the end of the day, as a parent, we all do our best and you just want, you know, them to be playing with something screen free, getting along and learning something. And, you know, that is the win. That is the ultimate takeout. You can layer on your own institution in context and rev up the visitor experience, bring in new visitors, attract a more diverse group of people that perhaps wouldn't normally come to a Regency Rococo style villa or whatever it might be, then that's all to the better, because, you know, you can start to use this in your planning and you can do what Suntton Hoo did? And go, right, well, we've done this and it's really worked. Andrew Webb: And then I can apply for funding for it and I can expand and I can make it permanent and then I can sort of say, well, this now becomes a tool and a string and arbo for our educational. It doesn't have to be split between visitor attractions and development. It can, you know, you can split it between several parts of the institution and use it in different ways, use it for educational purposes as well as visitor experience. So the world's your oyster with a bit of thinking. Paul Marden: With a bit of Lego and a bit of thinking. Andrew Webb: Bit of Lego, yeah. A few bricks and a couple of tricks and you're off to the races. Paul Marden: Andrew, this has been brilliant. Thank you ever so much. Andrew Webb: You're welcome. Paul Marden: I've got one more question for you before we finish. Now, you bottled this earlier on when I said we always have a book recommendation from our guests. And in spite of having the fullest bookshelf I've seen in quite a long time, you've bottled it on a book. But you did offer me a favourite movie. And so what would be your movie recommendation of choice? Andrew Webb: My go to movie would probably be Withnail and I, Richard E. Grant's first film. Every line has came down from God on a tablet. I mean, it is just. Yeah. Richard Griffiths as Uncle Monty, Paul McGann. It's just one of my favourite films and, you know, cult classic that no one's really. Well, people have heard of it now, but again, they even make stuff out with Alan Eyright. So you can go and watch a screening of it at the farm at Crow Crag up in Penrith, you know, and everyone dresses up and everyone comes with Mister blathering sets tea and I come on holiday by mistake and Jessie says, Danny. Andrew Webb: And, you know, fortunately, for better or for worse, I know these are tough times, but people try and find the fun in things. They try and at the end of the day, everyone's looking for a good time, whether we're children or an adult. You want something to just have a laugh and take you away for a moment. And if films and culture but also experiences can do that, then that's all for the good. Paul Marden: Well, look, this is going to be a challenge, but listeners, if you would like a copy of Andrew's film recommendation, then when we release the show message on X, if you can retweet that and say, “Give me Andrew's movie”, then the first person that does that, somehow I will get the movie to you. It might be on VHS, it might be on DVD, but somehow we will get you a movie. Andrew Webb: I found a CD the other day from a bar I used to go to in Clapham in the noughties and late ‘90s. I said to my mate, look, I'm great, put it on. And I went, “I can't.” I haven't got a CD player anymore. I had to go dig through a box somewhere in the study to find a portable CD player that plugged into my computer that could. By the end of it, we're just laugh. Forget it. Paul Marden: Andrew, this has been wonderful. Thank you ever so much. Andrew Webb: You're welcome. Cheers. Paul Marden: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, SkiptheQueue.fm. The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Help the entire sector:Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsFill in your data now (opens in new tab)

Katie and Sally discuss Pink by Kyoko Okazaki (Vertical, 2013, orig. pub. 1989). Topics discussed include Graham Rawle, Quentin Blake, Jennifer's Body, Jean-Luc Godard, and Lana Del Rey's Phoebe Gloeckner moment. Thank you to our subscribers for making this episode possible!

Zagazoo is a baby like no other. There are some hilarious and unexpected changes in his behaviour as he grows up! Some are very, very strange….

När farbror Knutte köper en motorcykel får Fru Sunesson ärva hans gamla bil. Tillsammans med sin trogna hund ger hon sig ut på vägarna, men mycket kan hända med en gammal bil. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. En humoristisk saga där det hela tiden händer något bang! och boing! och ssskkkrrraaabang! så de får åka till skroten och fixa. Sen är det bara att trampa på gasen igen.Författare: Quentin Blake (boken gavs ut 2003)Översättare: Måns GahrtonBerättare: Fatima JelassiProducent: Matilda Ivarsson Kihlberg, Iris Media

Fru Sunesson är ute och cyklar, men cykeln fungerar inte riktigt som den ska. Tutan hörs inte och kedjan hoppar. Fru Sunesson fixar det, men snart upptäcker hon att det är fler saker som saknas på cykeln Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. En charmig och humoristisk saga om en cykeltur som fortsätter längre och längre bort, tills det slutligen tar STOPP!Författare: Quentin Blake (boken gavs ut 2006)Översättare: Måns GahrtonBerättare: Fatima JelassiProducent: Matilda Ivarsson Kihlberg, Iris Media

Welkom bij de PrentenboekenCast, een podcast over prenten- en versjesboeken die je voor kunt lezen aan kinderen van 0 t/m 6 jaar. In deze aflevering bespreken we boeken binnen het thema GROEIEN.De boeken die we bespreken zijn: BabyboekGOEDEMORGEN van Fleur van der Weel, uitgeverij Querido, 2024Dreumes- peuterboek UIT EEN EI van Paulina Morgan Veltman uitgevers, 2022PeuterboekWAT ZIT ER IN DIE DIKKE BUIK? Van Bette Westera en Aniek Bartels, uitgeverij Gottmer, 2023Peuter- KleuterboekenDONDERKOPJE van Benji Davies, uitgeverij Luitingh-Sijthoff, kartonboekje 2024ZENO ZAAIT EEN ZONNEBLOEM van Kate Petty en Axel Scheffler, uitgeverij Lemniscaat, 2023BIBI PLANT EEN BOOM van William Petty en Axel Scheffler, uitgeverij Lemniscaat, 2023KleuterboekenIK BEN NU ECHT WEL GROOT, van Maisie Paradise Shearring , uitgeverij Boycott, 2023DE GROTE BEERRUPS, van Julia Donaldson en Yuval Sommer, uitgeverij Lemniscaat, 2022WORD NOOIT GROOT, geïnspireerd op de ondeugende originaliteit van Roald Dahl met illustraties van Quentin Blake, uitgeverij De Fontein, 2022Klassieker MIJN KUIKEN - VAN EI TOT KUIKEN - van Eve Tharlet en Géraldine Elschner, vertaald door Joukje Akveld, uitgeverij de Vier Windstreken, 2011Versjesboek LATER ALS IK GROOT BEN, Grootzus & Floortje Schoevaart, uitgeverij Rubinstein, 2021 De muzikale intermezzo's zijn van Erik van Os (compositie) en Frans van der Meer (Productie)We willen @silversterkinderenjeugdboeken bedanken voor de samenwerking en beschikbaar stellen van nieuwe boeken om in onze podcast te kunnen bespreken.Veel luister- én voorleesplezier gewenst!Volg ons ook via: https://www.instagram.com/prentenboekencast/

you really will never guess what happens --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/malutka/message

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a new Dork Matters ep with Ben and Lexi. We're dorking out about the best, most amazing, legendary children's book illustrator-authors! With a bit of conspiracy theorizing about the Sankebetsu brown bear incident. Grab a blanky, get comfy, and let us tell you a story.FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:Sankebetsu brown bear incidentLegendary illustratorsMaurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are, Chicken Soup with RiceDr Seuss (Theodore Geisel), The Grinch, Green Eggs & HamEric Carle - Brown Bear, The Very Hungry CaterpillarRichard Scarry - Best Ever/BusytownBeatrix potter - Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Jeremy FisherClement Hurd - Goodnight Moon, The Runaway BunnyEH Shepard - The Wind in the Willows, Winni-the-PoohUl de Rico - THE RAINBOW GOBLINS!Ezra Jack Keats - The Snowy Day, Peter's ChairBONUS CONTENT:Ul de Rico concept art for The Neverending Story (1984)Sendak's In the Night Kitchen: Unusual History of Censorship by Laura CattrysseBeatrix Potter - The Dead AuthorsProdorkcer Jess Schmidt's picks:say what you will about Roald Dahl, but Quentin Blake is an iconic illustrator in my mindLudwig Bemelmans of the Madeline books was another fave of my childhoodShel Silverstein was my first introduction to poetry and again just iconicThe Velveteen Rabbit was a book that I asked for all the time, illustrated by William Nicholson"I remember that as a child, when I felt overwhelmed, my mother would reassure me by saying, ‘One piece at a time.' That's good advice for many things in life." -Eric Carle SOCIALS:Here's where you can find us!Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagramBen Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade ArtsJess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagramDork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and redditThis podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

Happy New Year!, The Observer, Dark Harvest, Dirty Filthy Love, A Murder at the End of the World, For All Mankind, Rick and Morty, Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures: Zagazoo, Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures: Jack and Nancy, Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder, Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road, The Famous Five, Yes Minister, The Thick of It, Columbo, Blake's 7, JLab Rewind Wireless Retro Headphones, A Hash of Things, New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!, The Observer, Dark Harvest, Dirty Filthy Love, A Murder at the End of the World, For All Mankind, Rick and Morty, Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures: Zagazoo, Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures: Jack and Nancy, Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder, Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road, The Famous Five, Yes Minister, The Thick of It, Columbo, Blake's 7, JLab Rewind Wireless Retro Headphones, A Hash of Things, New Year's Resolutions

Dan got chatting to Huw who plays Jack in Jack and Nancy, one of the amazing animations in Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures on CBBC!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conor has Christmas sorted with a selection of Christmas classics you HAVE to watch over the festive season! Hear from the cast of The Famous Five and Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures! Plus we spoke to the geniuses behind Kung Fu Panda 4! It's a jam packed Christmas episode for you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Un livre, Un lecteur. Florence Berthout reçoit Émilie Nouveau qui parlera du livre « L'ours et l'ermite » de John Yeoman et Quentin Blake. À propos du livre : « L'ours et l'ermite » paru aux éditions Quentin Blake L'Ermite s'ennuie au fond de la forêt : il a ouvert une école mais jamais personne ne s'est présenté. De son côté, l'Ours voudrait bien s'instruire pour devenir intelligent. C'est parti pour de folles journées d'école au bord de la rivière, d'une catastrophe à l'autre, jusqu'à la naissance d'une amitié indestructible entre l'homme et l'animal. Quand, en 1960, Quentin Blake voulut pour la première fois illustrer un livre d'enfants, il s'adressa à son ami John Yeoman. Un duo de génie était né pour le plus grand bonheur de générations de lecteurs. L'Ours et l'Ermite fait partie de ce trésor d'histoires qui peuplent les mémoires de tous les enfants.

Hello and welcome to The Animation Action Hour, An Animation podcast, by animators, for everyone! Episode 31 of the show and its time for our THIRD entry into the Animation Action Hour Hall Of Fame! Entry 3 is an egg-cellent film, its Aardman classic Chicken Run! Plus, we're joined by the incredible animator Dani Abram (Puffin Rock, Star Wars: Visions, Quentin Blake's The Clown) to discuss the movie, its production, its legacy and just to have a good old natter about animation in general! A SUPER-FUN One not to be missed! Like what you hear? Then PLEASE rate and review us on your pod-catcher of choice, and if you'd like to ask us anything, please feel free to get in touch! Contacts: Twitter: @AnimActionPod Instagram: @AnimActionPod E-Mail: AnimActionHour@Gmail.com Dani Abram: Twitter: @Bintykins E-Mail: Dani@DaniAbram.co.uk Her Podcast Twitter: @RetakesPod Podcast E-Mail: RetakesPod@Gmail.com

Go to https://squarespace.com/jonsolo to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code JONSOLO (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ ► Messed Up Origins™ Socials! » https://twitter.com/MessedUpOrigins » https://www.instagram.com/messeduporigins/ ▼ Podcast Links! ▼ » Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jon-solos-messed-up-origins-podcast/id1631064271 » Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zC1NxCX576HHQUoYCuGDo » Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbWVzc2VkdXBvcmlnaW5z » Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e2ab5016-5166-4670-b0a3-7c6ade06947d/jon-solos-messed-up-origins-podcast » Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jon-solos-messed-up-origins-podcast » iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/99117988/ ► SOLOFAM MERCH: » https://bit.ly/SoloFamMerch ► Support the series on Patreon! » https://www.patreon.com/JonSolo ▼ Timestamps ▼ » 0:00 - The Power of Roald Dahl » 1:44 - Chapters 1 - 10 » 10:06 - Chapters 11 - 26 » 21:24 - Chapters 27 - 39 » 28:30 - James and the Giant P**** ► Want more? » ALL Messed Up Origins: https://bit.ly/MessedUpOrigins » Featured Folklore (the animated series!): https://bit.ly/featuredfolklore » Disney Explained: https://bit.ly/DisneyExplained » ALL Mythology Explained: https://bit.ly/MythologyExplained » Norse Mythology: http://bit.ly/NorseMythologyExplained » Folklore Explained: https://bit.ly/FablesExplained » Astrology: http://bit.ly/AstrologyExplained » Messed Up Murders: https://bit.ly/MurderPlaylist ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► Social Media: » Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonSolo » Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JonSolo » Facebook Fan Page: https://facebook.com/TheRealJonSolo » Official Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/jonsolo ► Join the Official Channel Discord: » https://www.patreon.com/JonSolo ► Send Fan Mail to: » SoloFamMail@gmail.com ► Business: » biz@MessedUpOrigins.com (Business Inquiries ONLY) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▼ Art Sources ▼ » Illustrations copyright © 1995 by Quentin Blake: https://www.quentinblake.com/ ▼ Resources ▼ » my favorites: https://messeduporigins.com/books » James and the Giant Peach (kindle edition): https://amzn.to/3Qi7gId » James and the Giant Peach (hardcover edition): https://amzn.to/3Qi7gId » Roald Dahl's Warning: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/25/roald-dahl-warned-politically-correct-publishers-change-one/ » The (re)Writing of Roald Dahl: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/17/roald-dahl-books-rewritten-offensive-matilda-witches-twits/ » Changes made to Oompa Loompas: https://theconversation.com/from-pygmies-to-puppets-what-to-do-with-roald-dahls-enslaved-oompa-loompas-in-modern-adaptations-166967#:~:text=In%20the%20first%20edition%20of,part%20human%2C%20part%20puppet ▼ Credits ▼ » Researched by: Jon Solo » Edited by: Jon Solo » Written & Directed by: Jon Solo #messeduporigins #disney #roalddahl *Amazon links are part of the affiliate program, meaning we get a little kickback every time a book is purchased through that link :)

Questa non è un'autobiografia. Afferma lo stesso Roald Dahl nella prefazione del suo libro intitolato Boy (titolo dall'originale inglese: Boy. Tales of Childhood), scritto nel 1984 all'età di 68 anni e pubblicato in traduzione italiana nel 1994 da Salani (traduzione italiana di Donatella Ziliotto). Vi starete chiedendo: come mai questa non è un'autobiografia? L'autore ne spiega subito il motivo: Un'autobiografia è quel libro che si scrive per raccontare la propria vita e che generalmente è zeppo di ogni specie di particolari noiosi.Mi chiamo Marica Iannuzzi e oggi vorrei parlarvi di questa particolare (non) autobiografia.Boy è rivolto al pubblico più giovane ed è corredato da lettere autografe, fotografie e illustrazioni di Quentin Blake, fedele illustratore dei libri di Roald Dahl. Gli avvenimenti narrati si svolgono in Inghilterra e in Norvegia all'inizio del ‘900 e ricoprono l'arco di vita dai 6 ai 20 anni di questo straordinario autore.Roald Dahl, scrittore di romanzi e racconti e anche regista, è un pilastro della letteratura per ragazzi e padre di numerosissimi personaggi ancora oggi celebri. La sua vita è segnata da continue sofferenze: malattie che gli portano via prematuramente moglie e figli e un gravissimo incidente aereo durante la Seconda guerra mondiale. Da difficoltà, troppo ingiuste, e dagli adulti, troppo seri secondo lui, decide di scrivere per i bambini, l'unico modo per divertire anche sé stesso.Boy di Roald Dahl è la sua (non) autobiografia, la selezione di ricordi con cui quest'autore ci dimostra che le esperienze, positive o negative, possono sempre essere trasformate in qualcosa di utile per noi e per gli altri e trasformabili anche… in libri. Non a caso nelle sue storie lui impasta con leggerezza e profondità i personaggi che ha incontrato nella vita e che noi incontriamo in queste sue pagine. Facciamo qualche esempio: dalla sorvegliante della scuola viene alla luce la terribile signorina Spezzindue del romanzo Matilde; dagli sporadici regali in collegio arriva l'ispirazione per scrivere La fabbrica di cioccolato; dalla proprietaria del negozio di dolci che il piccolo Dahl aveva sul tragitto casa-scuola prende vita la nonna del protagonista de La magica medicina. Nell'ultimo capitolo l'autore comincia a parlare del Dahl adulto, uomo d'affari a Londra, definendosi felice, veramente felice (p. 183). Con il suo solito umorismo considera questa vita semplice se confrontata con quella di uno scrittore che è un vero inferno, perché deve forzarsi a lavorare, deve imporsi un orario, deve trovare continuamente nuove idee (p. 183). Secondo lui bisogna essere pazzi, per fare gli scrittori. La loro sola compensazione è un'assoluta libertà. Il loro unico padrone è la loro anima ed è per questo che hanno fatto quella scelta, lui ne è certo (p. 183).E io sono certa che per immaginare, creare, raccontare come questo scrittore bisogna essere geniali, non pazzi. Bisogna diventare grandi restando bambini. Ed è proprio quello che ci accade quando leggiamo Roald Dahl: diventiamo grandi restando bambini. Perché le sue storie riescono a incantarci a ogni età e a trasformare ingiustizie e difficoltà.

Conduce con Doña Eremita, su perro Mambrú y con los monstruos en el viejo automóvil que nos han regalado. Escucharemos este episodio durante un accidentado paseo, ¿nos acompañas? Mrs. Armitage Queen of the Road es el título original de Doña Eremita, reina de la carretera un álbum ilustrado publicado por primera vez en 2003 por Random House Children's Books, editado en España por Ediciones Ekaré. Escrito e ilustrado por Quentin Blake. Recomendado para lectores a partir de 3 años. ¡Apoya a tu podcast amigo! Compra nuestros libros en tu librería preferida Encuéntralos en Todos tus libros https://bit.ly/TTL_Holamonstruo O bien desde nuestra tienda online en www.holamonstruo.com/books Ayúdanos con la producción de este podcast. Hazte patreon de Hola monstruo con el nivel Monstruo o Súper Monstruo www.patreon.com/holamonstruo Comparte este podcast con tus conocidos y amigos. Habla con los monstruos sobre literatura infantil y juvenil, de los episodios del podcast o sobre nuestros libros ¡Te esperamos en el canal de telegram! https://telegram.me/holamonstruo/ Música del episodio: Sneaky adventure y Happy Boy de Kevin McLeod, Comedy one y Comedy three de Rafael Krux. Todas con licencia CC BY.

Full episode at patreon.com/thicklinespod. Katie and Sally discuss "Pink" by Kyoko Okazaki (Vertical, 2013, orig. pub. 1989). Topics discussed include Graham Rawle, Quentin Blake, Jennifer's Body, Jean-Luc Godard, and Lana Del Rey's Phoebe Gloeckner moment. Support the show and get bonus episodes at patreon.com/thicklinespod. Follow us on Instagram @thicklinespod.

BD, romans graphiques, romans, cinéma... Joann Sfar a un appétit insatiable. Rencontre avec un homme qui participe à faire de la BD un art à part entière. En dialogue avec Alain Berland. Joann Sfar naît à Nice en 1971, d'une mère chanteuse et d'un père avocat. Il grandit dans la culture juive, ashkénaze et séfarade à la fois, apprend l'hébreu et les préceptes de la Torah, mais fréquente l'école publique. Très tôt, et avec l'abondance qui le caractérise encore aujourd'hui, il invente et dessine des histoires. Dès l'âge de quinze ans, il envoie à des éditeurs un projet de bande dessinée par mois, que tous lui refusent avec la même régularité. Après une maîtrise de philosophie à l'université de Nice, il entre aux Beaux-Arts de Paris et se passionne pour les cours de morphologie. En 1993, il passe la porte de l'atelier Nawak, futur atelier des Vosges, où il fera la connaissance de Lewis Trondheim, David B., Jean-Christophe Menu, Emmanuel Guibert, Christophe Blain, Émile Bravo, Marjane Satrapi. En 1994, trois maisons différentes lui proposent d'éditer son travail. Son premier album, "Noyé le poisson", est publié cette année-là par L'Association. Depuis Joann Sfar compose une œuvre d'une originalité absolue. La profondeur de ses histoires n'exclut jamais la drôlerie ou la sensualité. Ses personnages ont la truculence de ceux d'Albert Cohen et le plaisir de dessiner est chez lui aussi communicatif que chez Quentin Blake. Il est de ceux grâce auxquels la bande dessinée s'est éveillée à une vie nouvelle. Après une série d'animation adaptée de son « Petit Vampire » pour France Télévision en 2004, il passe au cinéma avec simultanément "Gainsbourg vie héroïque" qui obtiendra 3 Césars en 2011 puis l'adaptation de son "Chat du Rabbin" coécrit avec Sandrina Jardel et coréalisé avec Antoine Delesvaux, César du meilleur film d'animation. Il réalise en ce moment son second long métrage d'animation « Petit Vampire » adapté de son œuvre avec comme partenaires Studiocanal et France TV et continue les collaborations avec ses différents éditeurs pour ses romans et bandes dessinées. S'il se définit lui-même comme un dessinateur compulsif qui ne passe pas un jour sans prendre son crayon, cet adepte d'un trait vivant jeté sur le papier est aussi un authentique écrivain. Car ce raconteur d'histoires accorde autant d'importance aux mots qu'aux images, aussi à l'aise devant ses planches que face à son écran d'ordinateur ou derrière une caméra. Penser le Présent est réalisé avec le soutien de Société Générale. Mercredi 14 décembre 2022 Amphithéâtre des Loges Crédit photo : © Droits réservés

For our Thursday review, film critic Leila Latif and art critic Ben Luke join Samira to discuss the much anticipated release of the Avatar sequel, The Way of Water and the exhibition of the late Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle Of Thread And Rope at Tate Modern in London. The much-loved and much-celebrated illustrator and author Sir Quentin Blake will be 90 on December 16th. He is well known for his collaborations with Roald Dahl, Michael Rosen and many others as well as for his own stories such as Cockatoos and Mrs Armitage on Wheels. Fellow illustrators and writers Lauren Child and Axel Scheffler join Front Row to celebrate the work and influence of this distinctive artist as plans proceed to open The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in 2024. Image: courtesy of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

En este episodio hablamos sobre las “Reglas de Oro” de la ilustración de Quentin Blake. Quizá conozcas a Quentin por sus ilustraciones para cuentos como Matilda, Charlie y la Fábrica de Chocolates, Fantastic Mr. Fox, entre otros.Nos clavamos en este grande de la ilustración editorial para sacar sus buenos consejos.

In her first-ever podcast interview, Vanessa Baird, one of Norway's most pre-eminent artists, speaks to Danielle Radojcin about her life's work. Taking inspiration from her daily routine at home with her family in Oslo, her drawings are at once darkly comic and profoundly relatable. Vanessa trained at the the Royal Academy in London under Quentin Blake, and is a winner of Norway's most important art prize, the Lorck Schive Kunstpris. She also designed the Nobel Peace prize diploma. She speaks openly about her inspirations, overcoming challenges, and finding kinship through her work with Karl Ove Knausgaard.

Book Vs. Movie: The Witches Roald Dahl's 1983 Children's Novel Vs. the 1990 Nicolas Roeg Cult Classic FilmThe Margos finish October's month of spooky books and movies with 1983's The Witches by Roald Dahl (a favorite of this podcast!) This is one of his last works before his death in 1990 and is based on his love for his mother, Sofie Dahl. Stephen Roxburgh edited the work, and Quentin Blake's illustrations received great praise at the time though the story was thought to be “misogynistic.” It's now known as a modern classic. The story of an unnamed boy who lives with his Norweigian grandmother after his parents are killed and learns about witches who are ALL female and eat children is---intense. He learns that witches all over the world behave differently and that his being sent to an English school might make him vulnerable to the Grand Vulnerable High Witch of All the World. The story has kids turning into mice, magic potions, wigs, pea soup, and so much more weirdness, and an ending that might be more off-putting than encouraging. Nicolas Roeg directed the 1990 film that was considered a box office disappointment because it had a different ending than the book (happier, which Dahl completely hated and should not be a surprise considering what we knew about him) but is now considered a classic. Between the 1983 novel and 1990--which did we like better? You have to listen to find out!!This episode is sponsored by Kensington Books and A Ghost in Shining Armor, the novel by Therese Beharrie.ROM-COM WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC: This Cape Town-set rom-com is the second in a duology about two South African sisters who were separated as children when one was adopted and the other went into foster care. After reuniting as adults, they learn they've each developed unique abilities. The previous book focused on the sister who can manifest her dreams. This book revolves around Gemma, who can see and communicate with ghosts. FOR FANS OF: This #OwnVoices romantic comedy is ideal for fans of authors who have found success blending romance, comedy, and more weighty real-world issues, such as Jasmine Guillory, Abby Jimenez, Helen Hoang, & Alisha Rai. Readers who enjoy authors bringing new perspectives to the world of romance, such as Talia Hibbert and Erin Sterling will also be pleased. Once haunted . . . Gemma Daniels has never been quite the “down to earth” woman her adoptive parents raised her to be. She even has a unique gift: she can see ghosts and likes helping them settle their unfinished business. But the hotter-than-hot stranger she impulsively kisses on a bet is not only a phantom; he's determined to help her. And the only way Gemma can explain his presence is to pretend they're a real-life couple. Twice shy . . . Levi Walker lived—and died—to save his sister. Now he's got a second chance at life if he assists Gemma in reuniting with her long-lost sibling . . . and then never sees Gemma again. But as he starts to enjoy her irrepressible personality, he's finding it hard to abide by any rules at all . . . Gemma is thrilled to be getting to know her sister, but it causes a family rift she may be unable to heal. On top of that, she's falling for a ghost with a dilemma. Levi must decide what loyalty—and living—is truly all about. Gemma and Levi must risk being real with each other to fix their mistakes if they are ever to claim true love.Visit her online at Therese Beharrie and on Twitter @ThereseBeharrie.In this ep the Margos discuss:The life of Roald DahlThe plot of the story versus the 1990 filmThe controversy around the movie and why it is considered a classic filmThe cast: Anjelica Huston (Ena Ernst/The Grand High Witch,) Mai Zetterling (Helga Eveshim,) Jasen Fisher (Luke Eveshim,) Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Stringer,) Brenda Blethyn Mrs. Jenkins,) Charlie Potter (Bruno) and Jane Horrocks as Miss Susan Irvine. Clips used:“Maximum Results!!”The Witches 1990 trailer “Hello Little Bruno”The baby carriage sceneLuke becomes a mouseThey all eat the soupMusic by Stanley MyersBook Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts. Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/ Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

Book Vs. Movie: The Witches Roald Dahl's 1983 Children's Novel Vs. the 1990 Nicolas Roeg Cult Classic FilmThe Margos finish October's month of spooky books and movies with 1983's The Witches by Roald Dahl (a favorite of this podcast!) This is one of his last works before his death in 1990 and is based on his love for his mother, Sofie Dahl. Stephen Roxburgh edited the work, and Quentin Blake's illustrations received great praise at the time though the story was thought to be “misogynistic.” It's now known as a modern classic. The story of an unnamed boy who lives with his Norweigian grandmother after his parents are killed and learns about witches who are ALL female and eat children is---intense. He learns that witches all over the world behave differently and that his being sent to an English school might make him vulnerable to the Grand Vulnerable High Witch of All the World. The story has kids turning into mice, magic potions, wigs, pea soup, and so much more weirdness, and an ending that might be more off-putting than encouraging. Nicolas Roeg directed the 1990 film that was considered a box office disappointment because it had a different ending than the book (happier, which Dahl completely hated and should not be a surprise considering what we knew about him) but is now considered a classic. Between the 1983 novel and 1990--which did we like better? You have to listen to find out!!This episode is sponsored by Kensington Books and A Ghost in Shining Armor, the novel by Therese Beharrie.ROM-COM WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC: This Cape Town-set rom-com is the second in a duology about two South African sisters who were separated as children when one was adopted and the other went into foster care. After reuniting as adults, they learn they've each developed unique abilities. The previous book focused on the sister who can manifest her dreams. This book revolves around Gemma, who can see and communicate with ghosts. FOR FANS OF: This #OwnVoices romantic comedy is ideal for fans of authors who have found success blending romance, comedy, and more weighty real-world issues, such as Jasmine Guillory, Abby Jimenez, Helen Hoang, & Alisha Rai. Readers who enjoy authors bringing new perspectives to the world of romance, such as Talia Hibbert and Erin Sterling will also be pleased. Once haunted . . . Gemma Daniels has never been quite the “down to earth” woman her adoptive parents raised her to be. She even has a unique gift: she can see ghosts and likes helping them settle their unfinished business. But the hotter-than-hot stranger she impulsively kisses on a bet is not only a phantom; he's determined to help her. And the only way Gemma can explain his presence is to pretend they're a real-life couple. Twice shy . . . Levi Walker lived—and died—to save his sister. Now he's got a second chance at life if he assists Gemma in reuniting with her long-lost sibling . . . and then never sees Gemma again. But as he starts to enjoy her irrepressible personality, he's finding it hard to abide by any rules at all . . . Gemma is thrilled to be getting to know her sister, but it causes a family rift she may be unable to heal. On top of that, she's falling for a ghost with a dilemma. Levi must decide what loyalty—and living—is truly all about. Gemma and Levi must risk being real with each other to fix their mistakes if they are ever to claim true love.Visit her online at Therese Beharrie and on Twitter @ThereseBeharrie.In this ep the Margos discuss:The life of Roald DahlThe plot of the story versus the 1990 filmThe controversy around the movie and why it is considered a classic filmThe cast: Anjelica Huston (Ena Ernst/The Grand High Witch,) Mai Zetterling (Helga Eveshim,) Jasen Fisher (Luke Eveshim,) Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Stringer,) Brenda Blethyn Mrs. Jenkins,) Charlie Potter (Bruno) and Jane Horrocks as Miss Susan Irvine. Clips used:“Maximum Results!!”The Witches 1990 trailer “Hello Little Bruno”The baby carriage sceneLuke becomes a mouseThey all eat the soupMusic by Stanley MyersBook Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts. Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.comEmail us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.comMargo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/ Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine

We're back for another Banned Book discussion about Roald Dahl's The Witches (1963) which we've partnered with Nicolas Roeg's 1990 adaptation, as well as tangential conversation about Robert Zemeckis' 2020 film. Thanks to listener Miriam for contributing!Yes, this book was banned...for promoting witchcraft, not Dahl's anti-semitism, which we have to discuss . It's such a shame because the book - with its willingness to put children in danger and its "grim dark" ending - is still great (bonus points for Quentin Blake's illustrations). Then the film is all about Anjelica Houston's Grand High Witch, cute Jim Henson mice, Roeg's POV camerawork and great practical FX.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray> Joe: @bstolemyremoteHave something longer to say or a comment about banned book club? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com or tweet us your responses before the following deadlines:> Nov 24: Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954) / Peter Brook (1964)> Dec 20: All American Boys by Reynolds and Kiely (2015) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katie and Sally discuss "Miss Don't Touch Me" by Hubert and Kerascoët (2014, NBM ComicsLit). Topics discussed include Quentin Blake, Edmond Kiraz, The Hours, Schiaparelli, A Little Princess, Beautiful Darkness, Josephine Baker, and more. Special thanks to Drawn & Quarterly for sponsoring this episode. Our Canadian friends can take 40% off Dan Clowes's "The Death Ray" (coming soon on a special Patreon episode) by visiting mtl.drawnandquarterly.com and using code ThickLinesDeathRay at checkout. Support Thick Lines and get bonus episodes at patreon.com/thicklinespod, and follow us on Instagram @thicklinespod.

Brian Abram is 64 and lives in Halifax. In 2013 he survived a horrific cycling accident that left him paralysed and a full-time wheelchair user.  After weeks in a coma and a year in hospital he returned home to a very different life. He then wrote a silly story to amuse his grandson, who was just 6 months old when he had his accident.  Encouraged by others, (including Quentin Blake who said, “It's an impressive piece of work,”) he self-published his first book in 2019.  Two years later there are now four books.  He now spends his time doing lots of school visits to raise awareness about disability and to show kids that being in a wheelchair, is no barrier to having fun.Everything he makes is donated to charities that help people who have suffered a spinal injury like me. So far, he's raised just over £28,000 for the Spinal Injuries Association and Back Up Some key points from our interview:·        How he recognises that his body might have been broken physically inn his accident, but mentally he remains unbroken·        How his uses his positivity that he inherited from his mother and dark humour to help him·        How he met the woman who saved his life in the most extraordinary way·        How he first decided to write a children's book for his grandson to explain why he was different to other Grandads ·        How he's now passionate about sharing his story in schools to raise awareness of life in a wheelchair and more importantly the fun he can still have“Nothing is forever; be patient” – Brian Abram You can get more info about Brian and his books here: www.grandadwheels.com You can read his personal blog here: www.thestrifeofbrian.com Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch via YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken 

Emma Chichester Clark is one of the UK's foremost illustrators. She has published well over 60 books for children including her own very popular Blue Kangaroo series as well as stand-alone picture books and illustrated books for other writers.Emma studied graphic design at Chelsea School of Art in the 1970s and then later studied illustration at the Royal College of Art where Quentin Blake was her tutor. Her former mentor remains a good friend. In 1988, Emma was awarded the Mother Goose Award for best newcomer in children's books illustrationsIn this episode, Emma talks to Nikki Gamble about her book Mister Toots.About Mister TootsWhen Bella opens her front door and finds an other-wordly, little stranger on the doorstep, her life changes forever! Cold, hungry and lost, the only word the stranger can say is 'Toot!', so Bella and her children, name him Mister Toots, before giving him something to eat and a comfy bed. Soon Mister Toots becomes a much-loved member of the family and neighbourhood.But one terrible day, he disappears into the sky... Will anyone ever see him again? Beautifully illustrated, this poignant, moving story about the power of kindness and compassion, and accepting and welcoming others, will touch the hearts of adults and children alike.

Photograph courtesy of Nong V

Angelo by Quentin Blake - Read by Martyn KennethThis was previously released in September 2020 but has had only 3 listeners in 30 days so I have re uploaded it for you tonight!

Sara Saorin, Francesca Segato"Camelozampa"https://www.camelozampa.com/Camelozampa è una casa editrice di libri per ragazzi, albi illustrati e narrativa dalle prime letture fino ai giovani adulti.Il 3 ottobre 2011 usciva Potterologia, il primo titolo di Camelozampa, una nuova avventura editoriale nata da due piccole case editrici. Da allora, abbiamo pubblicato decine di nuovi libri, portato per la prima volta sugli scaffali grandissimi autori e illustratori e imperdibili titoli fino ad allora dimenticati della letteratura per ragazzi. Abbiamo tessuto reti, incontrato persone straordinarie, che scrivono, disegnano, leggono, continuano a inventare nuovi modi per far incontrare la lettura ai ragazzi. Oggi Camelozampa, festeggia i suoi primi dieci anni di libri!Camelozampa è una casa editrice indipendente nata nel 2011 e specializzata in picture book e narrativa per bambini e ragazzi, fino a giovani adulti. Produce libri di qualità, prestando grande attenzione a ogni aspetto, dai contenuti ai materiali (con l'utilizzo ad esempio di carta in fibra di mais o certificata FSC). Tra i suoi punti di forza la riscoperta di capolavori internazionali della letteratura per ragazzi, mai arrivati prima in Italia o finiti troppo presto fuori catalogo: tra questi, i titoli di Quentin Blake, Anthony Browne, Jimmy Liao, Tomi Ungerer, Marie-Aude Murail, Guus Kujer e molti altri. A queste riscoperte affianca un lavoro di scouting per dare spazio alla creatività di autori e illustratori italiani, emergenti o già affermati. Dal 2018 Camelozampa è una casa editrice ad alta leggibilità. Camelozampa è vincitrice del BOP 2020 Bologna Prize for the Best Children's Publishers of the Year per l'Europa.Sara Saorin, laureata alla Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori di Bologna, è co-fondatrice di Camelozampa, per la quale ha tradotto i romanzi di Marie-Aude Murail, Christophe Léon, Christian Bobin, Alexandre Jardin e numerosi albi di autori come Michael Foreman, Quentin Blake e Anthony Browne.Continua a lavorare come traduttrice, soprattutto in ambito scientifico-divulgativo, e per Camelozampa anima le collane “I draghi” (saggistica sul fantastico) e “Gli arcobaleni” (narrativa per pre-adolescenti).Giornalista e scrittrice, vive e lavora nella zona dei Colli Euganei.Tra i fondatori di Zampanera Editore, poi confluita in Camelozampa, da anni tiene laboratori di lettura animata e scrittura creativa per bambini.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

Fantastic Mr Fox Chapter 3 | Roald Dahl Children's Story Read Aloud Fantastic Mr Fox is a children's novel written by British author Roald Dahl. It was published in 1970 in US. The first U.K. Puffin paperback, first issued in 1974 Later editions have featured illustrations by Tony Ross (1988) and Quentin Blake (1996). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Mr_Fox

Fancy a trip to the seaside? Well join me and my guest as we chat about the artistic Fun 'n Frolics we enjoyed at Hastings Contemporary Seaside Modern exhibition. We spent a couple of hours down in Hastings Rock A Nore in the company of Quentin Blake, TS Lowry and Eric Ravilious. Give yourselves a treat and feast your ears on the delights of this Seaside Modern exhibition with me, your host Deirdre O'Connell. Afterwards we enjoyed a well earned slice of home-made lemon drizzle cake on the cafe balcony as we savoured the delights of the exhibition and the higgeldy-piggledy Rock A Nore view. Enjoy Dee.

Quentin Blake's colouring-in failures, the fireplace precedent, Roald Dahl's big sandal, and more.Join the Iron Filings Society: https://www.patreon.com/topflighttimemachine See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

By Dr. Seuss Pictures by Quentin Blake

Becoming a children's author and illustrator (part 1): The legendary children's author Julia Donaldson & new children's author and illustrator Ted Chaplin talk to We'd Like A Word presenters Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan about how to create really good stories for young readers. Julia is the former Children's Laureate and the author of A Squash And A Squeeze, The Gruffalo, The Smartest Giant in Town, Stickman and more than a hundred books read by and to children, again and again and again. Many of them illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Now Julia is curating an online course to pass on her advice - and the advice of other experts - to other people who would like to become children's authors. It's under the auspices of the BBC Maestro series. You can find more details by following this link https://www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/julia-donaldson/writing-children-s-picture-books - 27 lessons lasting 6.5 hours, costing £80 In the meantime, Julia some surprising revelations for We'd Like A Word listeners. But what about Ted Chaplin - he's been at the top of the movie animation tree for a long time - working Farmageddon (Shaun the Sheep), Early Man, the Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, Captain Scarlet, and Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (but it wasn't his fault - if you've seen the film, you'll know what we mean). But now he's moving into writing and illustrating children's picture stories. It's been more than a year since presenters Paul and Stevyn have been able to get together face-to-face to interview a guest - due to covid - but in this episode we meet in Ted Chaplin's workshop, (which is a lot tidier looking than Steve's, I can tell you). We see Ted's work-in-progress - including a very very cute sloth-like creature. We also talk about Jed Mercurio, The Scarecrow's Wedding, Korky Paul, Strictly Come Dancing and the Great British Bake-Off, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woolly Bear Caterpillar, the Gruffalo, Princess Mirabelle, the Beth and Ginny stories, The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, Hamnett by Maggie O'Farrell, Scoop by Evelyn Waugh, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Brian Blessed, The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, Aardman Animation, The Imaginarium and Andy Serkis, the Highway Rat, David Tennant, Axel Scheffler, secret codes in movie making, Doctor Who and Star Wars, The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Rockabye Rumpus, Oi Frog by Kes Gray, Running on the Cracks, Enid Blyton, Kenneth Grahame, Richmal Crompton's Just William books, The Borrowers, E Nesbit, Judith Kerr, Quentin Blake, Raymond Briggs, smashing a Blue Peter trophy, Pride and Prejudice, favourite writing or drawing implements, Mr Men, Spot the Dog, Captain Scarlet, Cat Deeley, Black Panther, the Hulk, Ant and Dec, bums and farts, a Kookaburra and Faber pencils. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com - which is where you'll find information about Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com - & yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

Becoming a children's author and illustrator (part 2): The legendary children's author Julia Donaldson & new children's author and illustrator Ted Chaplin talk to We'd Like A Word presenters Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan about how to create really good stories for young readers. Julia is the former Children's Laureate and the author of A Squash And A Squeeze, The Gruffalo, The Smartest Giant in Town, Stickman and more than a hundred books read by and to children, again and again and again. Many of them illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Now Julia is curating an online course to pass on her advice - and the advice of other experts - to other people who would like to become children's authors. It's under the auspices of the BBC Maestro series. You can find more details by following this link https://www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/julia-donaldson/writing-children-s-picture-books - 27 lessons lasting 6.5 hours, costing £80 In the meantime, Julia some surprising revelations for We'd Like A Word listeners. But what about Ted Chaplin - he's been at the top of the movie animation tree for a long time - working Farmageddon (Shaun the Sheep), Early Man, the Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, Captain Scarlet, and Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (but it wasn't his fault - if you've seen the film, you'll know what we mean). But now he's moving into writing and illustrating children's picture stories. It's been more than a year since presenters Paul and Stevyn have been able to get together face-to-face to interview a guest - due to covid - but in this episode we meet in Ted Chaplin's workshop, (which is a lot tidier looking than Steve's, I can tell you). We see Ted's work-in-progress - including a very very cute sloth-like creature. We also talk about Jed Mercurio, The Scarecrow's Wedding, Korky Paul, Strictly Come Dancing and the Great British Bake-Off, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Wolly Bear Caterpillar, the Gruffalo, Princess Mirabelle, the Beth and Ginny stories, The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, Hamnett by maggie O'Farrell, Scopp by Evelyn Waugh, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Brian Blessed, The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, Aardman Animation, The Imaginarium and Andy Serkis, the Highway Rat, David Tennant, Axel Scheffler, secret codes in movie making, Doctor Who and Star Wars, The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Rockabye Rumpus, Oi Frog by Kes Gray, Running on the Cracks, Enid Blyton, Kenneth Grahame, Richmal Crompton's Just William books, The Borrowers, E Nesbit, Judith Kerr, Quentin Blake, Raymond Briggs, smashing a Blue Peter trophy, Pride and Prejudice, favourite writing or drawing implements, Mr Men, Spot the Dog, Captain Scarlet, Cat Deeley, Black Panther, the Hulk, Ant and Dec, bums and farts, a Kookaburra and Faber pencils. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com - which is where you'll find information about Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com - & yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

Becoming a children's author and illustrator (part 3): The legendary children's author Julia Donaldson & new children's author and illustrator Ted Chaplin talk to We'd Like A Word presenters Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan about how to create really good stories for young readers. Julia is the former Children's Laureate and the author of A Squash And A Squeeze, The Gruffalo, The Smartest Giant in Town, Stickman and more than a hundred books read by and to children, again and again and again. Many of them illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Now Julia is curating an online course to pass on her advice - and the advice of other experts - to other people who would like to become children's authors. It's under the auspices of the BBC Maestro series. You can find more details by following this link https://www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/julia-donaldson/writing-children-s-picture-books - 27 lessons lasting 6.5 hours, costing £80 In the meantime, Julia some surprising revelations for We'd Like A Word listeners. But what about Ted Chaplin - he's been at the top of the movie animation tree for a long time - working Farmageddon (Shaun the Sheep), Early Man, the Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, Captain Scarlet, and Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (but it wasn't his fault - if you've seen the film, you'll know what we mean). But now he's moving into writing and illustrating children's picture stories. It's been more than a year since presenters Paul and Stevyn have been able to get together face-to-face to interview a guest - due to covid - but in this episode we meet in Ted Chaplin's workshop, (which is a lot tidier looking than Steve's, I can tell you). We see Ted's work-in-progress - including a very very cute sloth-like creature. We also talk about Jed Mercurio, The Scarecrow's Wedding, Korky Paul, Strictly Come Dancing and the Great British Bake-Off, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Wolly Bear Caterpillar, the Gruffalo, Princess Mirabelle, the Beth and Ginny stories, The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, Hamnett by maggie O'Farrell, Scopp by Evelyn Waugh, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Brian Blessed, The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists, Aardman Animation, The Imaginarium and Andy Serkis, the Highway Rat, David Tennant, Axel Scheffler, secret codes in movie making, Doctor Who and Star Wars, The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Rockabye Rumpus, Oi Frog by Kes Gray, Running on the Cracks, Enid Blyton, Kenneth Grahame, Richmal Crompton's Just William books, The Borrowers, E Nesbit, Judith Kerr, Quentin Blake, Raymond Briggs, smashing a Blue Peter trophy, Pride and Prejudice, favourite writing or drawing implements, Mr Men, Spot the Dog, Captain Scarlet, Cat Deeley, Black Panther, the Hulk, Ant and Dec, bums and farts, a Kookaburra and Faber pencils. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com - which is where you'll find information about Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com - & yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

‘Whether Picnic at Hanging Rock is fact or fiction, my readers must decide for themselves.' It's a scorching St Valentine's Day in 1900 when three boarding-school girls and a teacher disappear during a day-trip to Hanging Rock in the arid Australian outback. Fact or fiction? Misadventure or murder? Accident or assassination? Join us on our latest literary podcast adventure as we delve into the mystery, history and hysteria of Joan Lindsay's classic Australian Gothic novel with Kate Young, author of The Little Library Cookbook. From the slow-seeping horror of Hanging Rock to coming-of-age tales of tuck boxes and midnight feasts, high jinks and humour, Kate guides the Slightly Foxed magazine team through the school-story tradition and asks why it's such fertile ground for fiction. On the way we visit the Chalet School, Malory Towers and St Trinian's, and slip into darker territory with Decline and Fall, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. In this month's literary expedition, we take a peek inside Quentin Blake's House of Illustration, and to finish there's the usual wide-ranging round-up of current reading featuring: Anthony Buckeridge's classic Jennings series of prep-school stories; Emily Danforth's romp, Plain Bad Heroines, inspired by Shirley Jackson; and Tsitsi Dangarembga's tale of a young girl from a rural village in Zimbabwe, Nervous Conditions.Please find links to books, articles, and further reading listed below. The digits in brackets following each listing refer to the minute and second they are mentioned. (Episode duration: 44 minutes; 24 seconds)Books MentionedWe may be able to get hold of second-hand copies of the out-of-print titles listed below. Please get in touch with Jess in the Slightly Foxed office for more information. Picnic at Hanging Rock, Joan Lindsay (2:02) The Little Library Cookbook, The Little Library Year and The Little Library Christmas, Kate Young The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark (14:14) The Naughtiest Girl in the School, Enid Blyton (15:14) Malory Towers is a series of six novels by Enid Blyton. The first novel is First Term at Malory Towers (15:21) The Chalet School is a series of 64 novels by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (15:51) Frost in May, Antonia White (20:37) The St Trinian's books by Ronald Searle are out of print (22:53) Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh (23:44) Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro (25:17) The Secret History, Donna Tartt (27:06) Murder Most Unladylike, Robin Stevens (28:37) An Experiment in Love, Hilary Mantel (30:17) Terms & Conditions: Life in Girls' Boarding-Schools, 1939–1979, Ysenda Maxtone Graham (30:55) The Worst Witch, Jill Murphy (31:49 Our Lady of the Nile, Scholastique Mukasonga (33:43) Plain Bad Heroines, Emily M. Danforth (38:53) The Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge are out of print (40:11) Nervous Conditions, Tsitsi Dangarembga (41:53) Related Slightly Foxed Articles Hazy Memories of Hanging Rock, Kate Young on Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Issue 64 (2:02) Chalet Girls, Daisy Hay on Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's Chalet School books, Issue 56 (16:07) Once a Catholic . . ., Melissa Harrison on Antonia White, Frost in May, Issue 54 (20.37) Old Girls and Very Old Girls, Nicola Shulman on Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Terms & Conditions, Issue 52 (30:55) C. T. Jennings and the Problem of Evil, Robin Blake on Anthony Buckeridge, the Jennings books, Issue 17 (40:11) Educating Ulyth, Ysenda Maxtone Graham on the girls' school stories of Angela Brazil, Issue 44 Other Links The Little Library Cafe: food inspired by literature from Kate Young Leave No Trace, Madeleine Watts on lost-children narratives in Australia, The Believer (8:36) Friends of the Chalet School (15:51) House of Illustration, London (36:24) Opening music: Preludio from Violin Partita No.3 in E Major by Bach The Slightly Foxed Podcast is hosted by Philippa Lamb and produced by Podcastable

Ressenya descriptiva del conte infantil "Que bé que ens ho hem passat" de Michael Morpurgo i Quentin Blake. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bibliotecadesalou/message

Learn how to create food imagery that tickles your reader’s taste buds and makes their mouths water! Read the article here. Visit ZayZoh.com for more episodes, articles, and essays. Also, subscribe to my weekly newsletter and Youtube Channel. Here’s why I podcast. Cited Works Greenlee, Cynthia. “A Real Hot Mess: How Grits Got Weaponized Against Cheating Men.” Vice, Vice Media Group, 14 Feb. 2019, www.vice.com/en/article/xwbgen/a-real-hot-mess-how-grits-got-weaponized-against-cheating-men. Dahl, Roald, and Quentin Blake. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Illustrated, Puffin Books, 2007. Cooper, Becky. “Bar Omar: Tables for Two.” The New Yorker, Condè Nast, 9 July 2019, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/20/bar-omar-tables-for-two. Suggested Reading Killingsworth, Silvia, and Kenji López-Alt. Best American Food Writing 2020 (The Best American Series ®). Best American Paper, 2020. Ephron, Nora. I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. Reprint, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2008.

在英國繪本作家昆丁．布雷克(Quentin Blake)豐富的想像力和詼諧幽默中，和喬治、貝拉這對年輕夫妻一起經歷養兒育女這段充滿驚喜與挑戰的生命旅程，體會激情、親密、承諾兼具的幸福之愛。

知「足」常樂 不同國家詮釋的方法很不一樣啊 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Amerika’nın en saygın entelektüellerinden biri olan Sontag’ın ölümünden altı yıl sonra yayımlanan Daima Susan, Sontag'ın hayatına birinci elden tanıklık eden Sigrid Nunez tarafından kaleme alınmış. Quentin Blake, Gökte Bir Tekne'yi dünyanın dört bir yanından 1800 çocukla fikir alışverişi yaparak yazılmış. Yazıları Varlık, Notos gibi dergilerde yayımlanan Ayşe Özlem İnci öykücülüğünün yanında kültür sanat yazıları yazıyor ve spor yazıları yazıyor. Gerçek ile rüyayı iç içe geçirdiği Yerin Dibinden Geliyorum, Adnan Bostancıoğlu ile Köşedeki Kitapçı'da. İyi dinlemeler.

If one were to attempt a Valentine's Day podcast episode (or, in this case, a day-after-Valentine's-Day-post) involving romance, what picture book would you choose? Or, to be a little more precise, what classic picture book best embodies the spirit of Valentine's Day? We're pretty sure it wouldn't be this book, but that's just because sentient candy oinkers aren't really an American thing. We've done two Russell Hoban books on this podcast already (Bread and Jam for Frances and Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas) so why not just top it off with a third? The most notable aspect of this book? We think it finally broke Kate's brain. Show Notes: In the show, we promise to show you Posankka, the mix of a marzipan pig mixed with a rubber ducky. We're including it here, but even seeing it here just . . . it just . . . wow: https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2021/02/Posankka.jpg Betsy references the very odd film adaptation they made of today’s book. As she says on the podcast, she used to show this to the small children around Valentine’s Day at the Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL. She couldn’t find the full film online, but she has at least found the beginning. This gives you a taste of its strange and wonderful start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=EqFmxJgUfnwFuse 8 n’ Kate: The Marzipan Pig by Russell Hoban, ill. Quentin Blake February 15, 2021 by Elizabeth Bird Leave a Comment (Edit) If one were to attempt a Valentine’s Day podcast episode (or, in this case, a day-after-Valentine’s-Day-post) involving romance, what picture book would you choose? Or, to be a little more precise, what classic picture book best embodies the spirit of Valentine’s Day? We’re pretty sure it wouldn’t be this book, but that’s just because sentient candy oinkers aren’t really an American thing. We’ve done two Russell Hoban books on this podcast already (Bread and Jam for Frances and Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas) so why not just top it off with a third? The most notable aspect of this book? I think it finally broke Kate’s brain. Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, or your preferred method of podcast selection. Show Notes: In the show, I promise to show you Posankka, the mix of a marzipan pig mixed with a rubber ducky. I’m including it here, but even seeing it here just . . . it just . . . wow. When I think of this Pig, I think about how it wants to be eaten like the cow in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Tell me your day isn’t at least slightly improved by this Quentin Blake image of an owl dancing in the street. Not good enough? Try a dancing bee then! I reference the very odd film adaptation they made of today’s book. As I say on the podcast, I used to show this to the small children around Valentine’s Day at the Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL. I couldn’t find the full film online, but I have at least found the beginning. This gives you a taste of its strange and wonderful start: And this is the link from listener Erin of two sisters going through real estate listings. Thanks, Erin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJqycg_KcuU&list=PL9X_hxn7HlqV_UkOFFsJugCuO7BwrRHkB For the full Show Notes please visit: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2021/02/15/fuse-8-n-kate-the-marzipan-pig-by-russell-hoban-ill-quentin-blake/

Vamos a escuchar dos cuentos cortos. El primero de ellos es ¿A qué sabe la luna? De Michael Grejniec, trata de un grupo de animales que colaborando consiguen cosas increíbles. El segundo cuento es Los bolsillos de Lola, de Quentin Blake, nos habla de Lola Pelillos y su abrigo tan especial. Esperamos que os gusten las dos historias que hoy os proponemos. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tcuc/message

The Wild Washerwomen by John Yeoman & Quentin Blake - Read by Martyn Kenneth

Con Sagrario Fernández-Prieto. Viajes. Una selección Autor: Stefan Zweig. Ediciones Catedral. 150 págs. De Sevilla a Salzburgo pasando por otros muchos lugares, una especie de crónica sentimental del viejo continente antes de que Europa cambiara tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Escritos durante la primera mitad del siglo XX, los textos de este libro son una muestra de su amor por los viajes, su inagotable curiosidad y su amplísima cultura. La lectura de Zweig es siempre un auténtico placer. Billy y los Mimpins Autor: Roald Dahl, Ilustraciones de Quentin Blake. Editorial: Alfaguara Infantil, 108 págs. Billy vive cerca de un bosque en cuyos árboles habitan unos diminutos seres, los Mimpins, que se han construido en ellos unas confortables viviendas, pero no pueden bajar al suelo porque temen a una temible fiera: el “regüeldallamas”. Una mezcla de fantasía y humor que encantará a los lectores a partir de 10 o 12 años.

How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen by Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake - Read by Martyn Kenneth

Monsters by Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake -; Read by Martyn Kenneth

In this episode of the Roald Dahl Retrospective, Patricia and Arun discuss about the 1996 live action film Matilda based on the 1988 book of the same name. It stars Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, and Pam Ferris. The plot focuses on a young girl named Matilda Wormwood who is born very intelligent, independent, and clever with her love of books while her parents and her older brother pay no attention to her mostly focused on television. When Matilda is brought to school, she meets up with new friends, a lovable teacher with a tragic past, and a ruthless principal who performs unorthodox punishment to her students. Matilda has to deal with her immature family, a pair of cops who are investigating Mr. Wormwood retrieving stolen car parts, and the cruel principal while learning how to use telekinetic powers from her mind. When the movie premiered, it was a box office failure making $33 million dollars out of a $36 million dollar budget. But it was able to make double its budget due to its release overseas and its home video release. Now it's become not only a classic, but also a huge phenomenon with a special edition book showcasing Matilda at 30 released around 2018 illustrated by Quentin Blake, an online challenge involving with lights flickering on and off and moving furniture to the song "Little Bitty Pretty One" by Thurston Harris based on a scene from the movie, a Broadway musical, and an upcoming movie adaptation based on the musical. According to many Roald Dahl fans, they call Matilda the best movie adaptation next to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Do Patricia and Arun agree on this statement? Listen and find out. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/old-school-lane/support

Sixes and Sevens by John Yeoman & Quentin Blake - Read by Martyn Kenneth (E3D)Barnaby sets off on his raft and his mother tells him to stop at each village along the way to Limber Lea. He collects a variety of wild and surprising passengers. Will he be able to get them all to Limber Lea in one piece?

Angelo by Quentin Blake - Read by Martyn Kenneth (E3D)

Fiaba di Quentin Blake, John Yeoman narrata da Gianpiero Kesten

Fiaba di Quentin Blake, John Yeoman narrata da Gianpiero Kesten

Fiaba di Quentin Blake, John Yeoman narrata da Gianpiero Kesten

Thanks for listening to this weeks podcast we were lucky to be able to visit the amazing artist Catherine Cassidy in Cronulla who told us about her no fear attitude to painting from her early days of painting in oils to her current practise of using anything that works. Catherine Cassidy's work can be found on her website https://catherinecassidy.studioor on her instagram https://www.instagram.com/catherinecassidyartist/?hl=enJulie and I spoke of our online classes we have just finished at https://nas.edu.auCatherine spoke of her art education she attended Tafe and National Art school to do a masters. Catherines goal in her artwork is to discover in the landscape, by a certain way of handling paint she retrieves that collective memory of the landscape - she has to keep reminding herself regularly of this need to be immersed in the natural environment. Catherine's attitude was so refreshing to talk too and very honest about her work. She went to art school to prove to herself that she did not need to go. She feels that she works better by being isolated - she wants to be stimulated by the natural world not other artists work. Catherine prefers to work on polyester or board and loves to use acrylic and oil sticks made by Sennelier.We spoke of Quentin Blake on isolation art school using a homemade mix of oil sticks watch the you tube video herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1HHY1DQIvo Rose Wylie's work is a favourite of Catherine's check her out -https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/rose-wylie-raCatherine quotes the artist George Baselitz on her website ‘The artist must deny everything, that's their job.' https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/georg-baselitz-699 check him out   Julie and I went into the National park with the fantastic Tim from Girri Girra Aboriginal Experiences - you can find him on https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=girri+girra&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8Catherines favourite art tool is her finger or a long haired hog haired filbert.Catherine would choose to visit Rose Wylie's studio or Sid Nolan.CONTACTSSubmit any questions by emailing http://fiona@fionaverity.com.au DM us on our instagramFollow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/fionaverity  http://instagram.com/julienicholsonartisthttp://instagram.com/art.wankPodcast artwork by Ingrid Kwong contact her  http://littlescapes.com.au

Sarah Ardizzone is a translator from the French with forty-something titles to her name. This week she joins us on the pod to discuss her career as a translator, the importance of forging a bond with writers and how translation techniques differ between mediums. Asking the questions is Sarah Bower. Meanwhile, Steph and Simon talk about the upcoming drop-in writing sessions and Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, this month's Book Club selection. Join our Discord community of writers and readers here: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Sarah's work spans picture books, graphic novels and travel memoirs as well as children's, young adult and literary fiction. Notable authors include Alexandre Dumas (a fresh version of The Nutcracker), Faïza Guène, the outspoken young French-Algerian voice from the banlieue, and former ‘dunce' Daniel Pennac, whose autobiographical polemics about education are illustrated by Quentin Blake. Twice recipient of the Marsh award, she has won the Scott-Moncrieff prize and a New York Times notable book accolade. What we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Drop-in Writing info: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/drop-in-writing-time-8/ Book Club info: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/book-club-bluebird-bluebird-by-attica-locke/ Music by Bennet Maples.

Illustrator Quentin Blake drew on the walls of a gallery exhibit—a great reminder that we shouldn’t overlook the possibilities of negative space. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to happiercast.com/sponsors. Happier with Gretchen Rubin is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Do The Thing, Side Hustle School, Happier in Hollywood and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HIP Co Arts Editor Mia.L, speaks to the iconic artist Sir Quentin Blake, about his illustrious career and new exhibition ' We Live in Worrying Times' , running from May to September of this year, at The Hastings Contemporary Gallery. This is a previously uploaded interview that had some audio problems. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hastings-independent-press/message

Welcome to our first lockdown podcast! And forgive us for our imperfect audio sins, but boy do we have a bumper catch up on our hands. We kick off with some virtual viewing reviews: Picasso on Paper, Andy Warhol at the Tate Modern, Quentin Blake at Hastings Contemporary, Google Arts and Culture Tours, and the Virtual Viewing Rooms at Frieze New York. And to feed the lockdown boredom, we have a feast of documentary suggestions, and some creative inspiration courtesy of the The Artist Support Pledge and The Isolation Art School. Believe it or not, but there are news stories in the art world that have nothing to do with Covid-19, and we found two of them. We discuss the controversial plans to demolish the buildings that host Picasso's murals in Oslo, and reviews of the 2020 BP Portrait Award winner and why people fixate on her label as a 'self taught' artist. This episode's Artist Focus is war artist Paul Nash. Best known for his striking modernist landscapes of the trenches, Nash was an official war artist in both World Wars. We discuss the changes in his works between the two wars, how witnessing death and destruction influenced his work, and his inter-war experimentation in Surrealism. SHOW NOTESPicasso on Paper at the Royal Academy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOOY6GbV9KsAndy Warhol at the Tate Modern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjgAd6Z-dd0Quentin Blake ‘We live in worrying times' at Hastings Contemporary: https://www.hastingscontemporary.org/exhibition/quentin-blake-we-live-in-worrying-times/Google Arts and Culture Tours: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/10-top-museums-you-can-explore-right-here-right-now/igKSKBBnEBSGKgThe Virtual Viewing Room at Frieze New York: https://frieze.com/fairs/frieze-viewing-roomBecoming Matisse documentary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000hqt7Lee Miller - A Life on the Front Line documentary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000hy2pThe Artist Support Pledge: visit @artistsupportpledge on Instagram The Isolation Art School: visit @isolationartschool on Instagram Grayson's Art Club on Channel 4: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/graysons-art-club The Cel del Nord Virtual Residency: https://celdelnord.com/virtual-residencyPicasso's Murals in Oslo are at the Centre of a Major Controversy: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/picasso-murals-oslo-major-controversyJiab Prachakul - Will Gompertz reviews BP Portrait Award Winner: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52592969Paul Nash, The Landscape of Modernism, film: https://henitalks.com/talks/paul-nash-the-landscape-of-modernism/Review: Propaganda, Power and Persuasion at the British Library: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/reviews/exhibition-review-propaganda-power-and-persuasion-british-library-london-8632201.html

His book illustrations are known and loved the world over – remember Willy Wonka, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, Matilda ... the list goes on.  With a career spanning more than 50 years, Sir Quentin Blake has been one of the most successful illustrators of children's books ever.  But now, Sir Quentin's attention is focussed on that state of the world.  An exhibition of new works, titled We Live in Worrying Times, is open at the Hastings Contemporary art gallery in the south of England. It includes a large-scale mural described as his Guernica, which with its rawness and originality is unlike anything the artist has produced in his illustrious career.

In this episode of TATE Tuesday, gather the kids for story time as Jacqueline Flint reads Three Little Owls, published by Tate Publishing. Three Little Owls is a charming rhyming story by the Italian artist Emanuele Luzzati, and presented here in an English version by John Yeoman and with gorgeous new illustrations by Quentin Blake. Emanuele Luzzati (1921–2007) was an Italian painter, set designer, illustrator, potter, and author. He collaborated with many celebrated film directors, and was nominated for Academy Awards for two of his short films, La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) (1965) and Pulcinella (1973). John Yeoman was for many years Head of English at the French Lycée in London. His collaboration with Quentin Blake began in 1960, and has resulted in a long list of successful children’s books. Quentin Blake taught for many years at the Royal College of Art, where he was head of the Illustration Department from 1978 to 1986. As well as being known for his collaborations with writers such as Russell Hoban and Roald Dahl, his own creations, such as Mister Magnolia, have contributed to his reputation as one of the world’s leading illustrators and an inspiration for artists everywhere. Three irrepressible little owls take us on their journey round the world, from one Christmas Day to the next – fishing, dancing, snoozing, and NOT behaving. Blake’s delightful drawings combine with this fantastical poetic treat to create a story that young and old will enjoy reading again and again. All books are available from the David krut Bookstores - THE BLUE HOUSE - 151 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood - and Arts on Main, Maboneng. The David Krut Podcast is a production of David Krut Projects. Hosted by Annabel Williams & Jacqueline Flint. For more on Tate Tuesday, visit our website at davidkrutbookstores.com

Patricia Bolaños, arquitecta e ilustradora en Nueva York, se toma una copa en el Hotel Jorge Juan con Javier Aznar. Nos habla de su día perfecto en Nueva York, de sus rincones favoritos, de dónde tomar la mejor hamburguesa, de locales de jazz, de casas que espía, de bares y bizarrismos varios, de los Teleñecos y de clubs semiclandestinos. De su Brooklyn. De sus cuadros neoyorquinos favoritos. De Sempé, Roald Dahl, Saul Steinberg y Nora Ephron. De Tiger King (con spoilers). De cine, documentales y libros. De museos, bagels y Hitchcock. De dibujos. De una ciudad que nunca se acaba. Notas del podcast:– Patricia Bolaños: https://www.instagram.com/lapatbol/?hl=es – Peter Pan Bakery: https://www.eater.com/2014/2/18/6277195/watch-a-short-doc-about-nycs-peter-pan-bakery – McCarren Park: https://untappedcities.com/2017/06/05/the-top-10-secrets-of-nycs-mccarren-park/ – Devoción Café: https://www.instagram.com/devocionusa/?hl=es – Neue Gallery: https://www.instagram.com/neuegalerieny/ – Guggenheim NYC: https://www.instagram.com/guggenheim/?hl=es – Museo Cine: https://www.instagram.com/movingimagenyc/?hl=es – Frick Collection: https://www.instagram.com/frickcollection/?hl=es – Fanellis: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/t-magazine/fanelli-cafe.html – Corner Bistro: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/215342648/corner-bistro/?hl=es – Metrograph Cinema: https://metrograph.com – Smalls Jazz Club: https://www.instagram.com/smallsjazzclub/?hl=es – Mezzrow Jazz Club: https://www.instagram.com/mezzrowjazzclub/?hl=es – Caribbean Social Club (a.k.a Toñitas): https://youtu.be/OEnJ-Ag1oyQ – Sempé en Nueva York: https://www.normaeditorial.com/ficha/9788467933703/sempe-en-nueva-york/ – Quentin Blake: https://www.quentinblake.com – The King of Kong (VOSE): https://youtu.be/fc-P8Kyvnz4 – Everything is Copy (documental de Nora Ephron) - HBO: https://youtu.be/N9wiAhnkVBc – El desencanto: http://www.movistarplus.es/ficha/el-desencanto?tipo=E&id=19404 – ¿Cuándo dejamos de pasarlo bien? - Manuel Jabois: https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/10/16/opinion/1539710752_686076.html

Jerm — A few days ago, I was joined by David Icke for a Jerm Warfare conversation. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I couldn’t do it live for legal reasons coupled with new YouTube rules. So I prerecorded it and had a lawyer give it a once-over so that the government doesn’t arrest me for “intentionally spreading misinformation”. It’s all become a bit ridiculous. David Icke is a conspiracy theorist who writes books about lizards, secret societies, and The Queen eating children after midnight. Add some illustrations by Quentin Blake and you’ve got yourself a perfect Roald Dahl bedtime story. Anybody who takes him seriously should probably go into self-isolation for a while. Related blog post

Scritta da Quentin Blake e John Yeoman, narrata da Gianpiero Jam Kesten.

Scritta da Quentin Blake e John Yeoman, narrata da Gianpiero Jam Kesten.

Scritta da Quentin Blake e John Yeoman, narrata da Gianpiero Jam Kesten.

This episode is a real treat! I tell one of my favourite stories: 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Roar', all about a fashionista dinosaur! And my Book of the Week is 'The Boy Who Loved Everyone' by Jane Porter and I'm really excited because I got to meet Jane and talk to her about all of her wonderful books! She's such a lovely lady and I hope you enjoy the interview! She even talks about some of her favourite books, including 'Uncle' by J P Martin and Quentin Blake! Don't forget to subscribe, share, rate, review and ENJOY! x And you can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/mamagstories Support this podcast

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! For this episode, we read and watched: Roald Dahl’s original novel, published in 1964. Read on Amazon or iBooks. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 1971 movie directed by Mel Stuart, adapted by Dahl and David Seltzer, and starring Gene Wilder and Peter Ostrum. Watch on iTunes or Amazon. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the 2005 movie directed by Tim Burton, adapted by John August, and starring Freddie Highmore and Johnny Depp. Watch on iTunes or Amazon. Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 2017 direct-to-DVD animated musical comedy adaptation of the Gene Wilder movie. Not the book. It’s weird. Watch (or don’t) on iTunes or Amazon. Footnotes: Mr. Bucket, buckets of fun! Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, written by Dahl and published in 1972. Quentin Blake’s Willy Wonka vs. Joseph Schindelman’s Willy Wonka A comparison of the old, racist Oompa Loompas, and the revised Oompa Loompas Cracked.com’s The 6 Most Secretly Racist Children’s Books Was beloved children’s book author Roald Dahl a raging bigot? The Dead Authors Podcast Chapter 34: “Roald Dahl featuring Ben Schwartz” Scriptnotes, a podcast hosted by John August and Craig Mazin “Cheer Up, Charlie” The scene where the little girl almost gets hit in the face during the filming of Willy Wonka Matt Gourley’s I Was There Too: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Big Fish with John August” The trailer for Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (and Arielle’s reaction to watching it for the first time) You can follow Adapt or Perish on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can find us online at adaptorperishcast.com. If you want to send us a question or comment, you can email us at adaptorperishcast@gmail.com or tweet using #adaptcast.

Award winning children's author & illustrator Lauren Child discusses how her career began, and she shares the secrets behind her Charlie & Lola books. We explore creative inspiration including Charles Schulz the creator of Charlie Brown & Snoopy, and we chat about boredom being an important ingredient of creativity. We discuss Lauren's choice of music to listen to whilst working, and you might be surprised by her answers.We also chat about Quentin Blake, plus we talk about the art form of children's writing & illustration and why this isn't as valued as it should be. If you enjoyed the podcast, please like, subscribe, or comment. You can find us on Instagram (just search for Makers of the Universe). And you can email us on makersoftheuniverse@outlook.com with any feedback or ideas.

It was Podcast moving day last week and the EdTechLoop Pod is happy to now be hosted by Podbean! However all the archived shows did not make it through the move so over the next few weeks before the school year begins I plan to post some of our most popular past episodes starting with the very first BiblioTech podcast featuring local writer and illustrator Brianne Farley. Please excuse the poor audio quality, we hadn’t dialed the studio or editing in yet but the interview is too good to not have on the feed. And as always, thanks for listening and inspiring.Please forgive the first attempt to transcribe the podcast. As always, we will strive to improve.0:00 - StephieThis is Brianne Farley, and she is an author and illustrator, and a local Traverse City Area Public Schools, alumni, we're gonna chat today. 0:37 - StephieWhat’s your background, your educational background and career, what your career path has been. And if you want to look, you know, in when I say educational background. Back in elementary school, the experiences you had an elementary school how those have carried along with you and how you ended up in the career that you're in. Okay. 1:02 - Brianne All right. Well, I started. Well when I moved up here to Traverse City when I was seven, and I started Old Mission, and we live actually right, my parents live right behind Old Mission. Yeah okay and that's like the world's best playground. I think when I did when I first did a visit at Old Mission with my book that's like, all I talked to the kids about was, I was like, tell me about your playground. Is it the coolest is the pond still haunted. and they're like, No, and I was like, It’s still haunted. 1:37 - BrianneAnd so I went to Old Mission and then, and then I went to the talented and gifted program at Central. And then, yeah and I went to East, Central High School, and  StephieWhen did you graduate? BrianneI graduated in ‘02. Yeah, I was the first class after the split. Okay, yeah.  StephieSo one year after split.  Brianneyeah yeah one year to split, and. 2:06 - Brianne And then I went to McAllister college actually on the recommendation of my principal, Mr. Townsend,  StephieMr Townsend Yeah, yeah,  BrianneFunny enough, he’s been my principal since elementary school. Interesting. He kept moving up as I graduated and so yeah he’s been my principal forever and then you say, also go to college here.  StephieAnd then he and he promoted your book for you. 2:35 - Brianne Yeah. Yeah, he's my publicist. 2:40 - Stephiehe's a great person  Briannehe is great. He's so great. Um, and then after McAllister, I  StephieWhat was your focus there.  BrianneOh I went there for English. I like knew that I wanted to be an editor. And so I went for English and I really loved, art, but I thought that for some reason I had this idea that if I made art my career I would hate it, like, like you said, like the pressure of having to make something that makes me not like it anymore. So I really loved reading I loved books as a total bookworm growing up and, and so I knew I wanted to be an editor and then I went off to New York after a year of college, and did an editorial internship and totally hated it. Yeah. I really hated it. And  StephieWhat do you think it was. Did you find it too technical or too, was it, work was mundane? BrianneI was at a very small publishing house. And so I think that having a little bit of a different view of what editing was then what I saw at this house and which actually is probably not very accurate it's like how other houses edit but, um, yeah it was like it was a little too mundane it was I thought that I was going to be like in the trenches with the writers like helping them like what if you used this other word here and, and that's not what it was at this house. 4:13 - StephieDid you have much contact with authors.  BrianneNo, no, no. Yeah, it ended up being this very I mean it was like an internship, they were like yeah like organize our computer. Like, this is what editing is. So then, I, I was an art minor and then I went down to Chicago and was working at the Art Institute there and was an administrative assistant.  StephieOkay, did you like that.  BrianneI really did yeah, that was a great job. The best part about it was that you could take classes for free at the School of the Art Institute. Yeah, so I started taking more classes and then I did a residency and, and then, was like why am I doing this is I should really, realy make that happen so I applied for grad school and went to SCAD for illustration and SCAD is the Savannah College of Art and Design. StephieGeorgia? BrianneGeorgia. Yeah.  StephieAnd your focus was the illustration, and had that been your interest? Would you say, Did you find that and trust when you're in Chicago? BrianneNo I, well, a little bit I had grown up loving Roald Dahl and Quinten Blake, and I'd actually went to his at TAG we had to write a speech every year about when I grow up, do they still do that? they should still do that because it tells you what you want to be when you grow up. ‘Cause that’s what I wrote my speech about. I was like, I want to be Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. Although I guess the year before I said I wanted to be Benjamin Franklin and that didn't pan out. StephieThere’s still time 6:01 - Brianneto be a founding father. It could still happen. 6:06 - BrianneYeah, so I said that that's what I wanted to do so. I think that that kind of stuck with me. StephieAs an illustrator, do you focus in a certain medium, or you explain that, like, what, what would an illustrator, what would that look like, like what classes did you take? What kind of a focus in your art education, did you have? BrianneWell, um, I think I lucked out, knowing that I was interested in children's books going into it. Because I was able to kind of tailor my graduate experience toward children's books, and actually my first book was a homework assignment in grad school, I took a class called directed projects which is basically, it's like a directed free-for-all, like, you pick a project that you want to do over the course of the whole semester. And, and it has to be a series of some sort of some people that like branding, like they've made up a brewery and branding, like you know made several different kinds of beer labels or something and, and I picked a kids book and...  StephieAnd did that become Ike?  BrianneYeah that became “Ike’s Incredible Ink.” Yeah, do your homework kids. 7:30 - StephieSo, that was what year of school. How long have you been in?  BrianneThat, it's a two year program and that was the first quarter of my second year there.  StephieSo, from that homework assignment, how did they get from there to the published book?  BrianneGosh, like a combination of super hard work and crazy good luck. Like anything in life. I kind of hit the ground running with this project and got...I was able to finish the entire book in the whole in 10 weeks. And you were only supposed to do three interior spreads and a cover, and I was, I don't know crazy person was like I'll do all of it and, so, which ended up being great, because I had; so Peter Brown, who's a author, Illustrator, he was coming to SKAD to give a presentation, and at the same time I knew that my friend Ryan who I was in grad school with had a friend Pete who was coming to town, I didn't realize that these are the same person. And so I was sitting in the grad studio at SKAD doing my work working on Ike, and Pete and Ryan came in we were hanging out and talking and then my professor walked in and he was like, oh, Brianne I see you’ve met Peter Brown. He's like, you should have them look at your book, and I was like, Oh, (laughing) okay. And so he took a look at it and send it to his agent and the agent liked it and now here we are. And now Peter’s one of my closest friends so that worked out to, socially. 9:21 - StephieOkay, so what were some of the steps like so then agents said, I really like this. Then what? BrianneWell, that's the trick with kids books is that you. It's very rare that you get your book published without an agent. Without an agent your manuscript goes into the slush pile they call it which is like about as organized as it sounds, but with an agent, you have all these doors open where the agent is kind of the first gatekeeper and they kind of carry a stable of people that whose work they like. And then they will go into the publishing companies and either in person or by email kind of promote your work and say like this is something that we're working on. We think that it would be a good match for you so they'll kind of try to pair you up with a, with an editor. And then the editor is usually the one that does the acquiring till they find a manuscript that they like that can either. If you're an author illustrator they'll have some sample drawings with the manuscripts and this year, just an author, it won't have any illustrations with it. 10:28 - StephieSo from the time that it went to an agent and was selected, how long does it take typically or did it take for your book for your first book? BrianneUm, for my first book. It took about a year from, my agent is Paul Rodine, and it took about a year from when Paul picked it up to when Candlewick said hooray, we want your book. But it can go much faster than that. I don't, I don't know how long it takes us first books but yeah that's what happened with mine. StephieAnd then it was published how soon after that? 11:09 - BrianneUm, let's see well that was another funny one because that I had, you know, finished a book basically and then had to kind of go back to square one with their suggestions and revisions. But I think the whole process took maybe another, not quite another year altogether and then it takes another year to actually get public, come out into bookstores. So, like I finished this book “Secret Tree Fort” in April. Last April, and it comes out this coming April. Yeah. 11:50 - StephieAnd I can't wait to talk about that. 11:53 - BrianneFor Ike, having it published. So tell us about what it's like, it's in bookstores. Did you do a book tour? Did you get to talk with kids, I get to talk with kids. I didn't do a book tour that the publishing company sent me on or anything, I would, kind of, I'm going to get caught by the IRS telling you this but like, if I ever wanted to go on a trip I would call up a bookstore and be like, Hello, and just start writing off this trip. But yeah, it was great, bookstores are really happy to have you because you're free and you help sell their books and you're kind of like an hour long babysitter. And then schools are great too I am, I was able to do a bunch of school visits with TCAPS last spring, yeah, it was.  StephieThe weather was a little iffy, yeah. 12:52 - BrianneYeah, somewhere in there  StephieIt could have been arranged in November. BrianneCould be anytime. 12:59 - BrianneBut, yeah, it's wonderful , the kids provide a lot of good feedback and you get to see like what they respond to and what they're interested in. 13:10 - StephieDo you have any like best quotes from kids a lot along the way about your book or funny questions? 13:20 - BrianneWhen I first started, hats off to the  teachers, I like knew nothing about crowd control and like what questions you could ask kids and whatnot, like, like you can't just be like, How are you, because they'll be like, “I'm going to a birthday party and there's a swimming pool and…” And that was actually my very first reading as a kid raised his hand and said, “I'm going to a birthday party.” Anyway, let me see, at the end of the presentations I draw a rocket with the kids and I like to tell them that they can that I'm going to draw Ike inside of the rocket but that they can draw whoever they want and I had a little kid, tell me that they're putting their grandma in the rocket to the moon, like I'm going to send my grandmother to the moon. 14:08 - StephieWhat happened with that.  BrianneYeah, so they yeah this is some pretty some pretty great stuff. I've also been really blown away with the other end of things, kids being like, so how do I get an agent? What's the difference between self publishing a published book? Who are you?  StephieLike a little kid. I mean some of those.  BrianneSome of those questions came from like fifth graders but I was really impressed that they even... 14:38 - StephieWhen you're young, did you write for fun and to illustrate books for fun?  BrianneYeah, yeah. I actually, when I was in third grade. Our Old Mission did a program where you could write a book and the library would bind it and have like put a bar code on it and have it in the library and anybody could check it out. So that was really inspiring I got to do that.  StephieDo remember what you wrote for that book?  BrianneYeah, it was a book called, Trees are Homes, and I distinctly remember making the cover first and then kind, of just plowing my way through the rest of the book and the book kind of like taking a turn somewhere and then like not really being about that by the end. StephieBut cover was set. BrianneTrees are Homes, and it was like animals live in trees, so you should recycle, recycling's good, boy do I like paper, it just kinda like wandered. 15:37 - StephieDo you remember checking out friends books and like having friends check out your book. Do you remember having like...  BrianneI do remember. I do remember going into the library and checking to see if anyone had checked out my book. Yeah, it's like the first version of like social media, any likes? 15:58 - StephieWell, that must be an amazing experience, now to see, Ike, and to see, Secret Tree Fort.  BrianneYeah, it's crazy like it when, when Ike first came out, I was on a road trip and stopped at this Barnes and Noble in the middle of nowhere and found it. Yeah, and one of my good friends lives in Anchorage, and she sent me a photo of like in her local library, and I was like, “oh, thanks for donating that book to your library,” and she was like, “it was just here.” 16:31 - StephieSo “Secret Tree Fort,” comes out in April. Can you tell us a little bit about it?  BrianneSure, it's about, about two sisters and older sister just wants to read and the younger sister wants to the older sister to play with her.  StephieDoes this have any connection to your own life?  BrianneOh yeah, it's incredibly biographical. This is me never wanting to put down a book. And this is my younger sister, little toe head, her being very energetic and wanting to play and we actually we did play together as kids, and when we did play a lot of what we did was plan tree forts, or tree houses we would have drawings of like okay on the third floor will have the observation deck and then the slide will lead to the pool. And we'd be like dad. Let's do this. 17:27 - StephieDid you have a tree fort?  BrianneWe did, we did, it was a, it was a box in a tree but it did have a zip line. Yeah that's all you need. 17:37 - StephieYou just need a little, little bit of wood in a tree in your house. Yeah. Yeah. So illustration wise, did you use a similar sort of process when you were working on this book? BrianneNo, not at all. I did a lot of print-making at McAllister this great printmaking professor, and I somehow I didn't even know that print-making existed before I got there. And she kind of opened up this whole world they really fell in love with it and so I guess I think a lot of my work is informed by printmaking but maybe by different processes. So, the first book is about a blob of ink who can somehow get up and walk. And so it's about ink and paper and craft and like making things with their hands so I wanted it to be made with ink and paper so it's it's ink line work and collaged paper that's actually collaged digitally. And then this is also kind of made digitally, I drew the book with charcoal and pencil and different layers. Okay, different pieces of paper so like the outline will be a piece of paper and then like the texture will be on another piece of paper and then I scan it all into the computer and color it digitally, which is a total headache. I don't know why I work like that but…StephieWhat made you choose to do it that way does it give you more options.  19:11 - BrianneYeah, I think I really love getting the color right and the texture right is really important to me and I like it when the color and the format of the book kind of helps you tell the story. So, in this book, the younger sister is telling her older sister about this tree forth that she has that, you know, as she talks you kind of see the tree fruit in the background like growing floors and slides and the whale observation area. And, and I wanted to kind of, kind of interacting with an imaginary environment and I wanted there to be some visual cue that was like, “This isn't real.” “And this is real.” And so I made this real for myself that everything that was real would be very muted, and everything was imaginary you can be these technicolors, and the computer let you kind of set that up and play with it. 20:12 - StephieDid you enjoy that process? So, you know, very different from Ike. Did you enjoy doing it that way and was it a lesson to be learned would you do it that way again. 20:27 - BrianneI don't know, actually, it’s funny that you ask. I had a publisher contact me and asked me to submit a sample of work and I like can you make it just like how you made “Secret Tree Fort,” and I was like, ugh. Okay, maybe if I was a better artist I wouldn't need to do it that way but it's like, I need to fuss with it forever to be like, oh no I made this tree dark so then this tree has to be light so then this part has to be more colorful but I don't know if I do it again. It's definitely really fun to work like that it's kind of like how you build a screen print. Yeah, I like that. I love the look of it. Yeah, and I love the control but, boy is it time consuming. 21:20 - StephieWhat I’ve seen of it, it’s beautiful. So when this book comes out will it be the same thing when you visit schools again, and maybe get a few bookstores at some exotic locations? 21:31 - BrianneHopefully, yeah. Yeah, I love doing school visits it's really, really fun. Yeah, I love doing the school visits, it's kind of like the opposite of sitting alone and drawing. Standing up in front of an auditorium of eight year olds. 21:54 - StephieWhen you mentioned that, that being alone and working, I know that you've been involved with A26. And can you tell us a little bit about, first what that is and what you've done.  BrianneSure. A26 is an amazing organization and I know that you said that Front Street Writers is kind of a little bit near it. A26 was started by the writer Dave Eggers and legend has it that he wanted to start a tutoring program in San Francisco and bought a commercial space, and then was told that, because it was a commercial space and zoned commercially it had to sell something and it couldn't just be a tutoring center and so he was like great we sell pirate supplies. And so the front of the store sold pirate supplies in the back of the store… StephieI love that it happened that way. 22:50 - BrianneYeah, so then they were really surprised to find out the pirate supply section of the store kind of helped the kids, like it made it this like, very special space and it also helped take away the stigma like meeting after school homework assistance or like taking an extra writing class just for fun. I'm a big dork, that’s something I would do. And so, it helped with that and then also it was bringing in people from the neighborhood to be like, what is this place? And that led to people volunteering just because they like walked in to see what the Pirate Store was about. And then the revenue from selling like a tub of lard pays the rent on the stores. Yeah, so now it's nationwide and all of the stores had like a front and then there's a secret tutoring center in the background. So I think they want in Michigan, haven't been a robot repair shop.  StephieYeah, yeah, Seattle is time travelers. I think there's a Bigfoot one. What’s New York?.  BrianneIt’s the superhero supply store. I first got involved with the one in Chicago, which is the spy supply store.  StephieYeah, I just love to go in one. BrianneYeah, yeah, it's the one in Chicago so funny that it has the sign out in front, that's like, nothing to see here, nobody needs to come in, you don't need anything. And for a while I had to change it because it was like two effective people are like, Oh, yeah. 24:18 - StephieAnd so did you do workshops there?  BrianneYeah, yeah, I did a comic book writing workshop and autobiographical comic book ratings that was great. And also the one. Oh, we did block printing with character descriptions so I had the kids make black print of face, and they wrote a character description of it and then they all traded prints and then wrote a description of that someone else's portrait. It's really fun activity Yeah. StephieSo thinking about working with kids and, have you thought about, like, doing something more like that doing more workshops with kids is that an area that you might pursue?  BrianneYeah, yeah, hopefully. That's the great part about living here now is I have all this extra time I was, I was working. When I first moved to New York I was working for random houses, uh, well first as an administrative assistant and then there's a book designer. And then I left to do more illustration but came as rehired as a freelance designer so I was working there part time. And then, and now that I live here, I can have a little bit more time on my hands, because I’m not working at Random House. StephieSo right now are you do your projects in the pipeline that are working on? BrianneI do. I don't know what am I allowed to share. I'm working on getting my promotional plan ready for it Secret Tree Fort. You start kind of amping that up about three months out but you have to know what you're going to do before the three months are here. And, and then I signed up to do it I can tell you about this. I signed up to do a book called “Charlotte the Scientist is Squished,” and that's my first book that I’m just illustrating in not writing on hey yeah.  StephieSo where is that in the process? BrianneThat is signed up... StephieSorry to interrupt you. How did you get connected to that book? Did the author see your work?  BrianneNo, that's, um, gosh that's another book was like, yeah, and like, usually it happens this way but I don't, that’s not how it happened for me, usually an author submits their manuscript to a publishing company and then the editor buys the manuscript, and then the editor and the art director work together to find an illustrator. But in this case, my agent represents the author and, and I had told my agent that I wanted, I was like I'd really like to try illustrating somebody else's manuscript. And I said, we've got this manuscript do you want to illustrate it and we'll send it out to publishers that way and I like there's no guarantee, they like they might drop your illustrations, like, whatever. Yeah yeah so that's how I got connected. 27:29 - StephieSo, and that book will be coming out like I said a couple years away. BrianneThat'll be coming out in spring ‘17.  StephieOkay, I’m excited to see it. 27:42 - BrianneYeah, me too. It's on the manuscript is being edited right now and is with the author. And as soon as they finalize the manuscript then I get a hold of it. 27:55 - StephieWill you be working on that here? will you be back in New York? Or can you work anywhere? BrianneOh gosh, I don't know. Yeah, I can work anywhere. That's great anywhere that has Wi Fi and a flat surface.  28:11 - StephieBesides, what you've done in the book form,where else has your art appeared, what other format? Tell us about, tell us about your art, separate from books?  BrianneUm, well, I did a couple publications with, I did a drawing for McSweeney's, and for the New York Times, did one for them. So I've done a couple editorial pieces here and there, but I found that editorial is like, kind of this constant, you need to keep reminding our directors that you're around, and I just I love doing children's book so much that I'd rather spend my time doing that.  StephieThat's really your passion.  BrianneIt is it's so great, it's like it's like don't tell any other illustrators but it's like you get to, basically, you're like free rein you have like 32 pages to just go nuts, and with editorial it's really really fast turnaround and people make beautiful stuff. I really have a deep admiration for editorial illustrators but and I don't work that way very well. StephieBut it's gonna work, what you enjoy.  BrianneYeah. Yeah. can anybody see your art around town? 29:25 - BrianneOh, the Little Fleet. Yeah. That was the best job. Yeah, I did the mural at Little Fleet. 29:35 - StephieTell us about that process? BrianneYou introduced me to Allison. And Allison was so great. She actually, it was so funny because they had just moved here from Brooklyn, and I was living in Brooklyn, at the time, and she was like, oh yeah, she sent me a couple images of what she was interested in and she was like we want these free hand kind of line drawings on our wall, and I started sending her sketches and she's like, can you know, can you just come in and like, do crazy stuff all over the wall. It's like, Oh yeah, totally.  StephieAnd you did it. Tell us about like the actual process where people there?  BrianneOh yeah, they... I started at 11 in the morning so I got all set up before anybody came in, and then I just worked the whole day. And it was, yeah, there are people there and watching and luckily I was up on a ladder, with my back to everybody. I wasn’t too aware of anyone watching. That's pretty good. Yeah, and you're adorable daughter was there, StephieShe does love knowing there's. 30:47 - BrianeIt's their balloon. 30:50 - StephieDid you? It has it looked like watching it that that you had planned out where things would go because everything fits so nicely, like how much pre-planning...  BrianneSmoke and mirrors.  StephieDefinitely. It looks that way. But can you just like did you look at this face and you're able to just, I mean how much of that was planned ahead in your mind and how much of it, and I mean I like out of  the blue here.BrianneThey told me that they wanted some like goofy characters and I've actually painted my bathroom in New York with chalkboard paint and had been actually like the week that she contacted me had filled my bathroom wall with these like crazy characters, and I sent her a photo of it and she was like, yeah, that's what we want. That works out well. So I had a kind of a eight and a half by 11 piece of paper with just some doodles on it and like character ideas, but all the layout was done on the fly. It was fun, it was exhausting. I think the only thing I knew going into it was that I wanted to have all of the characters marching in one direction because I wanted them to be like a fleet. Yeah, and I wanted to put that there's a cherry with a face in it that I knew that I wanted to up there, but... StephieYou obviously such an eye and experience. Was it nerve racking to do in front of people? And maybe we're looking back to people but have you ever painted like in a public setting?  BrianneNo, no. You know, I think I would have been, you know, if someone had come up to me and said, will you draw my portrait that would have terrified me but the fact that she was like, draw these crazy characters that you love drawing. I think that made it fine.  Stephie Did you go back and change anything, or was it just as is. 32:56 - BrianneNo, Yeah, I think one girl I kind of made for myself was that I would get off the ladder as often as possible so that I could step back and look at it from a distance. I think that really helped. But for the most part if I, I kind of saw how things were fitting together as I was moving from left to right. But yeah, I think I did have a little freak out in the beginning, so I wasn't really sure about the paint. The paint was like going on the wall and was really weird way like I felt slimy and I was like this is terrible, like, no one told me that painting on a wall it feels different than drawing with the marker. 33:41 - StephieSo that was your first time painting, something like that, of that scale? 33:46 - BrianneYeah, but now I love it funny. Yeah, I would love to do it again. 34:03 - StephieOkay. So switching gears a little bit. I'd love to talk about books and libraries, in particular. I mean we touched a little bit on the book project that you did at Old Mission but what are some of the things you remember now that you're, you know, in your career and following your passion for what you're doing and looking back at you know school libraries, public libraries and books in general I know you're a big reader and always were. What are some of the experiences you remember, and in what ways do you think school libraries and libraries in particular impacted you? Or some of your memories?  BrianneGood question. I guess, I have really fond memories of my librarians feet, you know, she would kind of sit on like a big armchair and everyone would kind of like crowd around. I just, I remember I loved that, like intimacy of like being read to. Really wanting to know what happened next, like, I remember the librarian at Central reading us “The Giver” and just being like, oh, when I found out that it was color that had been missing I was like, “What!” stop everything. Being read to it's just so special and it really brings the books to life, and, and I found I was really surprised when I visited schools that told me that I was going to be presenting to first graders as well as fifth graders. It's like I hope this presentation works for all ages. And I was really surprised by how engaged the fifth graders were that they still love being read to and enjoy picture books and just get something totally different out of it.  StephieAbsolutely, yeah. picture books are, they hit  kids at all different levels. And some of them are really, and, and maybe not in particular yours but some are geared, really there's middle school kids and some projects that there are picture books that are at that level, I mean in the details well as, What's the subject and it's quite mature. It's always thought of as her very young children. The format is really not necessarily that way. BrianneYou know I really think that's a mistake, actually I find myself when I talk about books trying not to say, kids books. I tried to say picture books cuz i mean i think that a lot of them are for audiences of all ages and that, and that booksellers are making a mistake kind of pigeon holing what age range, they can present to.Have you ever seen this book? Death, Duck, and the Tulip by Wolf Elbrooke? I think it's his name. He's a German guy. European kids books, they're like crazy like boobs, and there's all kinds of stuff in there. They’re a little bit edgier. It’s about a duck that meets death, and they kind of hang out together and then at the end of the book the duck dies, and that’s whole book and it's like really beautiful and, and just kind of like, this is what happens. Sometimes things die. And so it's like, I think it would be good. And it really struck me, you know, a certain age. Yeah, that was really really powerful, yeah. A good thing for kids of all ages. StephieI don't think that kids stop needing to be or stuff enjoying to be read to. It's not, it doesn't end in fifth grade. Middle School, even when even High School, and the adults. Yeah, being read to is something that's pretty universal.  BrianneYeah, it's very soothing to be read to even as an adult, it's nice to have someone just read something out loud. And, and I think that you get you get access to, you know, like words that you might not normally hear read out loud, like you're like, Oh, it's not hors d'oeuvres? Yeah, I think, I think it's really important and I think, yeah, I think that there's I actually I find myself having a little bit of a hard time talking about like, like what my favorite picture books are because I'm like there’s the books that I love as a kid. And then there's the books that I love now, and I don't have, I don't have kids and so like I don't really know what it is that kids respond to and Charlotte who I work with at Smith and Jones studios she brought in this whole stack, she, she labeled them a post it notes and she's like these are good books. These are terrible books. 39:10 - StephieLike, what made those terrible? Was it content, they were boring was it…? BrianneYeah, I mean, I think some of it was. I mean picture books I such a hard audience because you're appealing to a very young child and the parent that has to read it one hundred times in a row. And so I think some of them were books for her kids love them and she was like, I never want to see these books again. Yeah, yeah, but so I don't have that, I don't know I don't have the input of actual little kids so I'm going off like this is a beautiful book. I'm touched by this book, I don't know if kids would actually like it. 39:47 - StephieSo the unfair question. What were some of your favorite books as now and as a kid, and not just picture books like what are some of your, you mentioned the Giver, just favorite books?  BrianneI think the first book I remember being just obsessed with was the BFG Roald Dahl, and I loved that book. And then I went and read everything of Roald Dahl’s that I could find. He's super talented and dark. I love that too. Yeah. And I think as a kid I really, I really liked Sneeches by Dr. Seuss and, oh, Just a Dream by Chris Van Alsberg. That probably inspired Trees are Homes. Protect your environment. And what else: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, anything by Maurice Sendeck, the Little Bear books, and Where the Wild Things Are, Go Dog! Go! I recently re-read that and was like this book is brilliant. Yeah. And, and now...There's so much out there. Again, I'm like, I don't know if kids like these are not, but Greg Pizzoli is really great author, Illustrator. He just said a book about the “Watermelon Seed.” Okay, about a crocodile that follows a watermelon seed and Pool by, oh gosh, JHyeon Lee I think is her name and I think that that just one has a magical place in New York called the Society of illustrators and that's a museum slash art studio, that's just illustrations, And they hold, they do separate several competitions throughout the year but there's the original art show is just for children's books. And I think that that just won the original art show. It's a really cool space it's like this little converted townhouse, and it's kind of bright red door so you feel like you're kind of walking into a magical home. StephieWow, great, things like that are celebrated. What a wonderful spot to celebrate that kind of creativity. 42:16 - BrianneThat's the thing I miss most about Brooklyn is that a lot of my friends also wrote and illustrated book so they've also got some really beautiful books coming out. StephieAnd their titles, you can share? BrianneYeah. Um, let's see, Ruth Chan has her first book coming out which is, “Where's the Party,” which is about a cat that wants to throw a party but then all of his friends are busy. And it's based on her real cat Georgie. And let's see, my friend, Dasha Tolstikova has this really beautiful illustrated novel coming out I guess that's what you call it so it's long but it's not really a graphic novel, probably like a hundred pages, “A Year Without Mom.” And that's about when she grew up in Russia and her mom moved to America, and she stayed in Russia for another year and then followed her mom so it's about that year, she's 13.  StephieSo, like a middle grade, Middle School?  BrianneYeah, probably for like that same age group, 12-13. And she's also got a couple of picture books coming out “The Jacket.” She illustrated and that's like doing really, really well. It's a, it's a book about a girl who, I guess it's about a book, who, a girl buys the book and he's so happy to have someone who loves them. It’s so cute. 43:44 - StephieSo, yeah. Any other thoughts on experiences you remember, projects you did that standout related to books or illustration in school, other experiences in other schools or libraries that you remember? 44:00 - BrianneWell, each. And, and the librarians and I think I was really lucky to be in that talented and gifted program they have a lot of really great like kind of interactive projects where you are encouraged to write and, and draw, or they would maybe give you like several options of how to complete a project which I think is really great for kids learn and express themselves in different ways so you could either you know like, put on a play or like make a board game. I think that's always the one I chose like make some stuff with your hands, you could make, like, a little sculpture. I remember really loving my science classes, because I like making all the models.  StephieSure, yeah, it's interesting isn't it like even as a small, small young learner like those things that carry through, things that you love, you know, they might change, but some of those things stay. They are  what is important to you even as an adult. 45:11 - StephieWell, are there, anything is there anything I didn't ask you that you want to share. 45:17 - BrianneI can think of any. Any ideas?. 45:20 - LarryOkay, so the voice from the other side of the monitor. There, there are three questions I want to ask if you have the time. The first one I was fascinated by the conversation you guys had about picture, picture books, not being available, or is this something with the authors and publishers now making picture books for adults. First of all, was that their coffee table books, but not really because oftentimes, coffee table books don't contain a narrative. There more non-fiction. There might be a correlation between and especially for high school readers that correlation between picture books, and then read and students that have enjoyed picture books then graduating to graphic novels yeah I mentioned graphic novels and I wanted to know if you felt there was a connection there between the picture book and the graphic novel.  BrianneDefinitely, I think that and I think graphic novels are really filling a hole that's been present in, in the books that are available that that graphic novels aren't just like superhero graphic novels anymore that you can get like these really beautiful narratives that, I think that this is the first year that a graphic novel won, oh gosh, I'm going to get it wrong, some big literary prize was won by a graphic novel this year  StephieFor kids or adults?  BrianneFor kids it's like the Caldicot of, and I'm going to show you like such a dummy, I have to figure out what it is but it was like the Newbery, Yeah,  StephieEl Daffo, I think it was an honor.  BrianneWas it an honor?  StephieWe’ll have to crack this detail, definitely. 47:10 - BrianneIt's a great book, you should check it  StephieIt’s in our elementary libraries. 47:17 - BrianneBecause you can read it, like, I read it sitting in a cafe. You know the whole thing.  StephieOur libraries just received a donation from AAUW, for the book “Roller Girl.” BrianneI heard it’s wonderful. 47:30 - StephieYes, and it has wonderful messages for young girls. But it was. I'm guessing it was the first time we've had from that group, a graphic novel donated which, you know, there's so much more. Yeah, the quality of graphic novels, has come so far. But it really connects with kids all readers it really. Yeah, we've seen that really sparks kids who may or may not love to read and then it kind of ties, you know, good, kids who love to read anyway are drawn to it but sometimes you're reluctant readers of graphic novels less intimidating.  BrianneYeah, yeah. Another. I have friends who teach in the Bronx who say that the graphic novels are this like huge gateway for kids that like might not even feel comfortable reading or maybe like English language learners or... it’s a nice, nice I like that and I think it makes, it can make, like, difficult topics more accessible. I think that, like I'd rather read a history graphic novel than like read a history book. Yeah. 48:36 - StephieAnd the graphic novel “The Fun House” which is for adults. BrianneMaking so much. It's amazing so many ways right now which is funny because I taught that book in my autobiographical comic book writing class for A26. I mean, my friend Grace and I taught the class together and we just we photocopied, like one page out of a bunch of different books and showed kids like these are different styles of autobiographical comics.  StephieWell it, kinda as a segway but I think it's now on Broadway. It’s become a Play. And I think she has another graphic novel coming out.  49:15 - BrianneI know that she's like a regular comic, like a series. But I think that that kind of predates “Fun Home” but I don't know who the next book is. StephieWell and that was, you know, for, for example in “My Mom's” book we read, you know, it was the first time I think a lot of people were exposed to a graphic novel. It just it's come so, there's, there's just so much more at every level, and and that's an example of amazing illustrations, and amazing narrative as well.  BrianneYeah, I was really lucked into a great class, and that McAllister my first class was called superheroes. And it was English class that we studied graphic novels and then books about graphic novels, and books about superheroes, like Frankenstein and Orlando like these kind of like super human people in literature, but it was my, It was great, and it was my first exposure to, like, critical discussion about a graphic novel I think it was the first time I'd ever read a graphic novel. We read Watchmen. We read Dylan Horrocks, what is it called, “Hicksville,” it’s a great book. It's about New Zealand and they ended up studying abroad in New Zealand and then I came back and read it again was like, it's so cool because it's about the, I mean it's about a guy who loves comic books, but it's also about the, kind of mythology of New Zealand and, like, Captain Cook discovering New Zealand and his interaction with like the Maori people that were already in there legend of how New Zealand came to be and it's like you learn all this stuff. You don't even...  StephieYou have to go back through this tape and make a reading list. 51:03 - BrianneI spent way too much time with books. 51:11 - Stephiesomething else who said that. I'll remember. LarrySo I didn't realize that the graphic novel question was going to just.. BrianneI love graphic novels! And I don’t love them as much as most people do. I’m, like, no connoisseur, but I do know that they're like, I think they're incredibly under appreciated, and should just be like, thrown out like confetti. 51:34 - LarryAs an Illustrator there’s a whole other conversation about how you relate to, to not only the pictures, specifically as an artist but also how you would tell your stories in a picture book, as opposed to a graphic novel and vice versa. But those aren’t the questions that I want to ask is that much longer. I think, you know, the idea is kind of keep this under an hour, and we're getting close to it. So, what I wanted to maybe close with if Stephie doesn't have any more questions, are two questions. One is, what is the most important thing and putting you on the spot here and I recognize this, what is the most important thing you believe you learn from a teacher. 52:31 - BrianneI have no clue. Actually I guess cuz we're talking about like learning styles, because I think that's where that's kind of what we're going for with graphic novels was I like, that someone's learning style, I learned better with that. I also think it's important to do the learning style that you're not good at, and I, I, so when I was in, let's see, fourth, fifth and sixth grade so at TAG, we had to every week give a science report out loud in front of the entire class. And it's like, my deepest fear, like, like you would you rather be buried alive or give a report in front of class. And. And I think that that was incredibly helpful to kind of just like stand up there and just get used to it and like those communication skills are super helpful and every single part of your life going forward so I don't know if I'd say that they taught me to like face my fears or if they taught you that you can just like practice something and get good at it and, but. That persistence is more important than natural ability. 53:48 - StephieSo then when you have 250 first through fifth graders staring gymnasium.  BrianneOh yeah, I was terrible. My first couple of presentations I was like, BLLL Stephie Looked very polished to everyone, 54:03 - BrianneNot through natural ability, It was through like going home and being like, Okay, I need to redo my entire PowerPoint presentation. I think it's something that like is probably the most important part of a when kids go to those presentations is like seeing that there's a huge leap between where they are and like where they'll be as an adult, and that you can kind of be like, I was really bad at these things, and then you just do them a lot. And then you're good at them. Like I have friends were like, “your such a better drawer than I am,” and I'm like, “you're such a better lawyer than I am,” and they’re like, “I went to school for that,” and I'm like, “I did to.” It’s not magic, you just keep trying it. 54:51 - StephieAnd, and wanting to keep trying. Have the love for it. And that's, I mean the segue’s to but having kids, especially local like when you're talking to an Old Mission and when you talk to other schools in our district, for them to say she went, like, she sat here, she was in my school being a kid here, and then she's really doing the thing that I'm wanting to do. That is incredibly powerful for kids. BrianneYeah, and I actually don't remember this, I vaguely remember it but a cartoonist came to Old Mission when I went there, and I guess I came home from that author visit and my and told my mom that I wanted to be a cartoonist and was, like super inspired by it, yeah, vaguely remember this guy coming but, yeah, that's has a huge impact on me. Yeah, just like opening up the scope of, like, what you think is possible. StephieAnd I think the library is clear on that, yeah and experiences for kids. Bring the world in and through books to the world for kids.  BrianneIt opens you up to the things that you might not naturally seek out, like, I just went to our library on Woodmere the other day I was looking for books about Matisse and came home with a book about Danish chairs, because it was like sitting out on a table and I was like Oh, chairs! that’s what’s like, so magical about libraries is that you're like, you know, it's all just there. And you might kind of wander into something that you weren't looking for. And then the librarians are these like incredible gatekeepers who are just way smarter than I am. 56:37 - StephieBut that's what we hope the libraries are doing is opening up all these possibilities.  BrianneYeah, and that's something that like the internet can't replace. I visited an elementary school, where the librarian stands in the hallway, and she has like hand picked out books for certain kids and as she sees them walk by she would be like this book is yours. This is a really cool. I’m sure that they feel really special. StephieAnd knowing your readers, you know, connections. 57:11 - LarryOkay. So last question. And then ties in exactly you segueing your segue. What advice would you give a student interested in pursuing a career in publishing? So, you inspired one of those, one of those kids. BrianneI hope you like ramen noodles. You will not be rich. I guess, yeah, I guess what we've been talking about. Of course you have a natural interest in certain things but that, that persistence will get you way farther than any, like, ability you may have like out of the gate, and that, Neil Gaiman gave a speech that I think about all the time where he said that you only have to be two of three things, either have to be talented, pleasant to work with, or on time, you only have to be like, be only two to those. It's like if you're pleasant to work and on time then you don't have to be that talented. 58:17 - StephieSo true. 58:19 - BrianneYeah, you can. I think there's something, really something to be said for persistence and pleasantness. 

“It's about time” is the tagline for the new Doctor Who series, referencing the programme's time-travelling exploits, but also the arrival of the first female Doctor in the show's history. Jodie Whittaker will be the 13th Doctor and tells us how she's tackling a role with so much history, attention and anticipation around it.Haruki Murakami's novels are awaited by eager audiences not just in his native Japan but the world over. Killing Commendatore is his latest and it delivers all the things his readers have come to expect: brushes with the supernatural, an almost audible soundtrack and a narrator who's lost his way. How successful is it? Critic Alex Clark reviews and analyses the Murakami phenomenon.Quentin Blake, one of the world's best loved illustrators, takes us around the first ever exhibition dedicated to his figurative art. Featuring large-scale oil paintings and drawings it reveals a more experimental side to his practice. Blake explains how this darker, more serious work emerged.Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Hannah Robins

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! For this episode, we read and watched: Roald Dahl’s original novel, published in 1964. Read on Amazon or iBooks. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 1971 movie directed by Mel Stuart, adapted by Dahl and David Seltzer, and starring Gene Wilder and Peter Ostrum. Watch on iTunes or Amazon. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the 2005 movie directed by Tim Burton, adapted by John August, and starring Freddie Highmore and Johnny Depp. Watch on iTunes or Amazon. Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 2017 direct-to-DVD animated musical comedy adaptation of the Gene Wilder movie. Not the book. It’s weird. Watch (or don’t) on iTunes or Amazon. Footnotes: Mr. Bucket, buckets of fun! Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, written by Dahl and published in 1972. Quentin Blake’s Willy Wonka vs. Joseph Schindelman’s Willy Wonka A comparison of the old, racist Oompa Loompas, and the revised Oompa Loompas Cracked.com’s The 6 Most Secretly Racist Children’s Books Was beloved children’s book author Roald Dahl a raging bigot? The Dead Authors Podcast Chapter 34: “Roald Dahl featuring Ben Schwartz” Scriptnotes, a podcast hosted by John August and Craig Mazin “Cheer Up, Charlie” The scene where the little girl almost gets hit in the face during the filming of Willy Wonka Matt Gourley’s I Was There Too: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Big Fish with John August” The trailer for Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (and Arielle’s reaction to watching it for the first time) You can follow Adapt or Perish on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can find us online at adaptorperishcast.com. If you want to send us a question or comment, you can email us at adaptorperishcast@gmail.com or tweet using #adaptcast.

An Interview with Robert Kent For my thirty-fifth Dream Gardens kid lit podcast, I interviewed author and blogger Robert Kent about his favorite middle grade children’s novel,  The Witches by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. First published in 1983, The Witches tells the story of a young boy and his grandmother who stumble upon a devious plot … Continue reading Podcast #35: The Witches by Roald Dahl → The post Podcast #35: The Witches by Roald Dahl appeared first on Dream Gardens.

Peter Rabbit Welcome to 2018! This is the start of the second year for the podcast! As a recap from last year we put out 44 episodes. Almost an episode a week. We had two interviews. One with a Japanese exchange student (Yudai Tanabe), and one with Susie at Laughing Orange Studios. We covered about 23 different rabbit breeds, and three hares, so it looks like every other episode is about a breed. My favorite three episodes from last year were the Space rabbit episode, the Jack-a-lope, and Halloween Rabbits. What was your favorite episode? Post in the comments for the show! I would like to thank those that purchased through Amazon to support the show. It looks like Amazon is not seeing enough activity, and is threatening to shut down the account.  "We are reaching out to you because we have not seen qualified sales activity on your account." Remember it does not cost anything extra to use the link on the hareoftherabbit.com website.  I appreciate the support! Today we are going to check out Peter Rabbit! Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by Beatrix Potter. He first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902 and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912. Spinoff merchandise includes dishes, wallpaper, and dolls. He appears as a character in a number of adaptations. This weeks item is A Peter Rabbit Book! The rabbits in Potter's stories are anthropomorphic and wear human clothes: Peter wears a jacket and shoes. Peter, his widowed mother, Mrs. Josephine Rabbit, as well as his sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail live in a rabbit hole that has a human kitchen, human furniture, as well as a shop where Josephine sells various items. Peter's relatives are Cousin Benjamin Bunny and Benjamin's father Mr. Bouncer Bunny. Helen Beatrix Potter, known as Beatrix, was born on 28 July 1866 to Rupert and Helen Potter in Kensington, London, and she is one of the most beloved children's authors of all time. She was the daughter of Rupert and Helen Potter, both of whom had artistic interests. Her father trained as a lawyer, but he never actually practiced. Instead he devoted himself to photography and art. Her mother Helen was skilled at embroidery and watercolors. Beatrix got to know several influential artists and writers through her parents, including painter John Everett Millais. Her younger brother Walter Bertram was born six years after her birth. Both Beatrix and Bertram loved to draw and paint, and often made sketches of their many pets, including rabbits, mice, frogs, lizards, snakes and a bat. Beatrix was always encouraged to draw, and she spent many hours making intricate sketches of animals and plants, revealing an early fascination for the natural world that would continue throughout her life. Although she never went to school, Beatrix was an intelligent and industrious student, and her parents employed an art teacher, Miss Cameron, and a number of governesses, including Annie Moore, to whom she remained close throughout her life. Two of Beatrix’s earliest artist models were her pet rabbits. Her first rabbit was Benjamin Bouncer, who enjoyed buttered toast and joined the Potter family on holiday in Scotland where he went for walks on a lead. Benjamin was followed by Peter Piper, who had a talent for performing tricks, and he accompanied Beatrix everywhere. The most exciting time of the year for Beatrix was the summer, when the family traveled north to spend three months in Scotland. The children had the freedom to explore the countryside, and Beatrix learned to observe plants and insects with an artist’s eye for detail. When Beatrix was sixteen, the family stayed instead at Wray Castle, overlooking Lake Windermere, where Beatrix began a lifelong love of the countryside and of the Lake District. Botanist, Artist and Storyteller Beatrix was invited to study fungi at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, and she produced hundreds of detailed botanical drawings and investigated their cultivation and growth. Encouraged by Charles McIntosh, a revered Scottish naturalist, to make her fungi drawings more technically accurate, Beatrix not only produced beautiful watercolors but also became an adept scientific illustrator. By 1896, she had developed her own theory of how fungi spores reproduced and wrote a paper, ‘On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae’, which was initially rejected by William Thiselton-Dyer, director of the Royal Botanical Gardens. Undeterred, Beatrix continued her research, and after a year George Massee, a fungi expert who worked at the Kew gardens, agreed to present her paper to the Linnean Society of London, as women at that time were not permitted to do so. Although the paper was never published, scientists still recognize her contribution to mycological research today. Long before she was a published author, Beatrix Potter drew illustrations for some of her favorite stories, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Cinderella, as well as her sketches from nature. Her imaginative art led to the publication of her earliest works – greeting-card designs and illustrations for the publisher Hildesheimer & Faulkner. There followed more publications, including a series of frog illustrations and verses for Changing Pictures, a popular annual offered by the art publisher Ernest Nister, which cemented Beatrix’s desire to publish her own illustrated stories. Potter first tasted success as an illustrator, selling some of her work to be used for greeting cards. The story was inspired by a pet rabbit Potter had as a child, which she named Peter Piper. Yes, there was a real Peter Rabbit. He was a Belgian buck rabbit named Peter Piper. He was actually the second rabbit that Potter kept as a pet—the first was Benjamin Bouncer, who was the inspiration for Benjamin Bunny. They were part of a menagerie of animals that Potter and her brother adopted as children, which also included birds, lizards, mice, snakes, snails, guinea pigs, bats, dogs, cats, and even hedgehogs. Potter was especially fond of Peter Piper, and would take him on walks on a leash. She later described in a letter how he liked to lie in front of the fire “like a cat. He was clever at learning tricks, he used to jump through a hoop, and ring a bell, and play the tambourine.” In one of her personal editions of Peter Rabbit, Potter wrote an inscription dedicated to “poor old Peter Rabbit, who died on the 26th of January 1901. … An affectionate companion and a quiet friend.” Through the 1890s, Potter sent illustrated story letters to the children of her former governess, Annie Moore. The first Peter Rabbit story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, was originally created in 1893, when Potter was 26 years of age, sent a letter to Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of Potter's former governess, Annie Moore. The boy was ill and Potter wrote him a picture and story letter to help him pass the time and to cheer him up. The letter included sketches illustrating the narrative. Transcript Eastwood Dunkeld Sep 4th 93 My dear Noel, I don't know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were – Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter. They lived with their mother in a sand bank under the root of a big fir tree. "Now my dears," said old Mrs Bunny "you may go into the field or down the lane, but don't go into Mr McGregor's garden." Flopsy, Mopsy & Cottontail, who were good little rabbits went down the lane to gather blackberries, but Peter, who was very naughty ran straight away to Mr McGregor's garden and squeezed underneath the gate. First he ate some lettuce, and some broad beans, then some radishes, and then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley; but round the end of a cucumber frame whom should he meet but Mr McGregor! Mr McGregor was planting out young cabbages but he jumped up & ran after Peter waving a rake & calling out "Stop thief"! Peter was most dreadfully frightened & rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate. He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages and the other shoe amongst the potatoes. After losing them he ran on four legs & went faster, so that I think he would have got away altogether, if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net and got caught fast by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new. Mr McGregor came up with a basket which he intended to pop on the top of Peter, but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind, and this time he found the gate, slipped underneath and ran home safely. Mr McGregor hung up the little jacket & shoes for a scarecrow, to frighten the blackbirds. Peter was ill during the evening, in consequence of overeating himself. His mother put him to bed and gave him a dose of camomile tea, but Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper. I am coming back to London next Thursday, so I hope I shall see you soon, and the new baby. I remain, dear Noel, yours affectionately Beatrix Potter After Potter sent the Moore children (including Noel's siblings Norah and Eric) two more illustrated letters, one about a squirrel named Nutkin and another about a frog named Jeremy Fisher, the children's mother, Annie, suggested she turn them into children’s books. In 1900, Moore, realizing the commercial potential of Potter's stories, suggested they be made into books. Potter embraced the suggestion, and, borrowing her complete correspondence (which had been carefully preserved by the Moore children), selected a letter written on 4 September 1893 to five-year-old Noel that featured a tale about a rabbit named Peter. Potter biographer Linda Lear explains: "The original letter was too short to make a proper book so [Potter] added some text and made new black-and-white illustrations...and made it more suspenseful. These changes slowed the narrative down, added intrigue, and gave a greater sense of the passage of time. Then she copied it out into a stiff-covered exercise book, and painted a colored frontispiece showing Mrs Rabbit dosing Peter with camomile tea". Potter’s beautiful illustrations came from her interest in the natural world. As a child, she would draw and sketch animals around her with a sharp, observing eye. She could be quite ruthless about it, in fact. When a pet died, she would skin and boil its body so she could use the skeleton for anatomical sketches. She studied the plant world as well, producing over 300 paintings of mushrooms by 1901. (Her study of mushrooms led Potter to submit a paper on spore reproduction to the Linnean Society of London. But it had to be read by botanist George Massee because women weren't allowed at the meetings.) All this practice and close observation led to her elegant style, where animals look real even though they’re wearing top hats and petticoats. As Lear explains, Potter titled The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor's Garden and sent it to publishers, but "her manuscript was returned ... including Frederick Warne & Co. ... who nearly a decade earlier had shown some interest in her artwork. Some publishers wanted a shorter book, others a longer one. But most wanted colored illustrations which by 1900 were both popular and affordable". The several rejections were frustrating to Potter, who knew exactly how her book should look (she had adopted the format and style of Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo) "and how much it should cost". She decided to publish the book herself, and on 16 December 1901 the first 250 copies of her privately printed The Tale of Peter Rabbit were "ready for distribution to family and friends". So Potter reworked Peter Rabbit, doubling its length and adding 25 new illustrations. Six publishers rejected the story, in part because they didn’t agree with Potter’s vision for the work. She wanted the book to be small for children’s hands, and the publishers wanted it to be bigger, and therefore more expensive. Potter refused, explaining that she would rather make two or three books costing 1 shilling each than one big book because “little rabbits cannot afford to spend 6 shillings on one book, and would never buy it.” In December 1901, she self-published Peter Rabbit. The 200 copies sold out in a few months and she ordered a reprint. Meanwhile, Potter continued to distribute her privately printed edition to family and friends, with the celebrated creator of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, acquiring a copy for his children. When the first private printing of 250 copies was sold out, another 200 were prepared. She noted in an inscription in one copy that her beloved pet rabbit Peter had died. To help Peter Rabbit get published, a friend rewrote it as a poem. While Potter was self-publishing, Canon Rawnsley, a family friend, rewrote the story in rhyming couplets in an attempt to get publishers interested again. His version began: “There were four little bunnies/ no bunnies were sweeter/ Mopsy and Cotton-tail,/ Flopsy and Peter.'' Rawnsley submitted his text with Potter’s illustrations to the publishers Frederick Warne & Co. They agreed to publish the book, but with one stipulation—they wanted to use Potter’s simpler language. In 1901, as Lear explains, a Potter family friend and sometime poet, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, set Potter's tale into "rather dreadful didactic verse and submitted it, along with Potter's illustrations and half her revised manuscript, to Frederick Warne & Co.," who had been among the original rejecters. Warne editors declined Rawnsley's version "but asked to see the complete Potter manuscript" – Warne wanted color illustrations throughout the "bunny book" (as the firm referred to the tale) and suggested cutting the illustrations "from forty-two to thirty-two ... and marked which ones might best be eliminated". Potter initially resisted the idea of color illustrations, but then realized her stubborn stance was a mistake. She sent Warne "several color illustrations, along with a copy of her privately printed edition" which Warne then handed to their eminent children's book illustrator L. Leslie Brooke for his professional opinion. Brooke was impressed with Potter's work. Fortuitously, his recommendation coincided with a sudden surge in the small picture-book market. Their interest stimulated by the opportunity The Tale of Peter Rabbit offered the publisher to compete with the success of Helen Bannerman's wildly popular Little Black Sambo and other small-format children's books then on the market. When Warne inquired about the lack of colour illustrations in the book, Potter replied that rabbit-brown and green were not good subjects for coloration. Potter arrived at an agreement with Warne for an initial commercial publication of 5,000 copies. Negotiations dragged on into the following year, but a contract was finally signed in June 1902. Potter was closely involved in the publication of the commercial edition – redrawing where necessary, making minor adjustments to the prose and correcting punctuation. The blocks for the illustrations and text were sent to printer Edmund Evans for engraving, and she made adjustments to the proofs when she received them. Lear writes that "Even before the publication of the tale in early October 1902, the first 8,000 copies were sold out. By the year's end there were 28,000 copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in print. By the middle of 1903 there was a fifth edition sporting colored end-papers ... a sixth printing was produced within the month"; and a year after the first commercial publication there were 56,470 copies in print. Over the years, The Tale of Peter Rabbit has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and as of 2008, the Peter Rabbit series has sold more than 151 million copies in 35 languages. Peter Rabbit made his first appearance in 1902 in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The story focuses on a family of anthropomorphic rabbits. The widowed mother rabbit cautions her young against entering the vegetable garden of a man named Mr. McGregor, telling them: "your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor". Her three daughters obediently refrain from entering the garden, going down the lane to pick blackberries, but her rebellious son Peter enters the garden to snack on some vegetables. Peter ends up eating more than is good for him and goes looking for parsley to cure his stomach ache. Peter is spotted by Mr. McGregor and loses his jacket and shoes while trying to escape. He hides in a watering can in a shed, but then has to run away again when Mr. McGregor finds him, and ends up completely lost. After sneaking past a cat, Peter sees the gate where he entered the garden from a distance and heads for it, despite being spotted and chased by Mr. McGregor again. With difficulty he wriggles under the gate, and escapes from the garden, but he spots his abandoned clothing being used to dress Mr. McGregor's scarecrow. After returning home, a sick Peter is sent to bed by his mother, while his well-behaved sisters receive a sumptuous dinner of milk and berries as opposed to Peter's supper of chamomile tea. In The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, first published in 1904, Peter's cousin Benjamin Bunny brings him back to Mr. McGregor's garden and they retrieve the clothes Peter lost in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. But after they gather onions to give to Josephine, they are captured by Mr. McGregor's cat. Bouncer arrives and rescues them, but also reprimands Peter and Benjamin for going into the garden by whipping them with a switch. In this tale, Peter displays some trepidation about returning to the garden. In The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies, first published in 1909, Peter has a small role and appears only briefly. He is grown up and his sister Flopsy is now married to their cousin Benjamin. The two are the parents of six little Flopsy Bunnies. Peter and Josephine keep a nursery garden[a] and the bunnies come by asking him for spare cabbage. In The Tale of Mr. Tod, first published in 1912, Benjamin and Flopsy's children are kidnapped by notorious badger Tommy Brock. Peter helps Benjamin chase after Brock, who hides out in the house of the fox, Mr. Tod. Mr. Tod finds Brock sleeping in his bed and as the two get into a scuffle, Peter and Benjamin rescue the children. Peter makes cameo appearances in two other tales. In The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, first published in 1905, Peter and Benjamin are customers of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog washerwoman. The two rabbits are depicted in one illustration peeping from the forest foliage. In The Tale of Ginger and Pickles, first published in 1909, Peter and other characters from Potter's previous stories make cameo appearances in the artwork, patronising the shop of Ginger and Pickles. To mark the 110th anniversary of the publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Frederick Warne & Co. commissioned British actress Emma Thompson to write The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit, in which Peter ends up in Scotland after accidentally hitching a ride on Mr. and Mrs. McGregor's wagon. The book was released on 18 September 2012. In autumn 2012, it was reported that Thompson would write more Peter Rabbit books. Her next tale, The Christmas Tale Of Peter Rabbit, was released in 2013, followed by The Spectacular Tale Of Peter Rabbit in 2014. “Once upon a time there was a serious, well-behaved young black cat, it belonged to a kind old lady who assured me that no other cat could compare with Kitty.” Thus begins the newly discovered children’s story by renowned British author Beatrix Potter. In 2016, Beatrix Potter fans received welcome news. A previously unpublished story, The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots, would be making its way to bookstore shelves that fall. An unedited manuscript for the work had been discovered by children's book editor Jo Hanks. Potter had only done one illustration for the book so Quentin Blake created the images to accompany this tale. Peter is said to be in the newly rediscovered book, The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots. According to the publisher, Peter is now older, “full-of-himself” and has “transformed into a rather portly buck rabbit." Now, Penguin Random House has announced the story, which was written over a century ago, will be published in September, 2016, in conjunction with celebrations being planned to celebrate the 150-year anniversary of Potter’s birth. ‘The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots’ tells the story of a cat who’s leading a double life. Jo Hanks, a publisher with Penguin Random House, discovered the 1914 manuscript two years ago after he came across a mention of it in an obscure literary history of Potter which sent him to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and knee-deep into the Potter archives. It appears the author was intending to publish the story; she had written and revised it twice, and after rewriting it for a third time she had it typeset. The author had even begun the process of laying out a proof dummy. The only thing left were the illustrations. Then life interrupted her; World War I started, a new marriage and a new farming business among her distractions. Whatever the reason, she never completed the manuscript, which has been described as possibly her best work – filled with humor, rebellious characters and even a couple of intriguing villains. Some old favorites also make an appearance; Peter Rabbit of course, although older, and everyone’s favorite hedgehog: Mrs Tiggywinkle. The author had completed just one drawing to accompany the story, so Quentin Blake, who provided the illustrations for Roald Dahl’s books, has been selected to complete the illustrations for The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots. Merchandising Peter Rabbit was the first character to be fully merchandised, and it was Beatrix Potter’s idea. In 1903, seeing the popularity of Peter Rabbit, she began to sew a doll version for Warne’s niece, writing, “'I am cutting out calico patterns of Peter, I have not got it right yet, but the expression is going to be lovely; especially the whiskers—(pulled out of a brush!)” She patented the doll, making Peter Rabbit the oldest licensed character. Potter was one of the first to be responsible for such merchandise when she patented a Peter Rabbit doll in 1903 and followed it almost immediately with a Peter Rabbit board game. She also invented a Peter Rabbit board game for two players in 1904, a complex version of which was redesigned by Mary Warne and came to market thirteen years later. In addition to toys and games, Beatrix published books, including Peter Rabbit’s Almanac and painting books for Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-duck. She felt passionately that all merchandise should remain faithful to her original book illustrations and be of the highest quality. The merchandising helped make Peter Rabbit into a popular icon and turned The World of Beatrix Potter into one of the biggest literature-based licensing organizations of its day. The character has been depicted in a multitude of spinoff merchandise such as porcelain figurines and dishes. Peter Rabbit had also appeared on the packaging of the infant formula Enfamil. Frederick Warne & Co owns the trademark rights of the Beatrix Potter characters. However, most of the stories are in the US public domain, as they were published before 1923. American copyright Warne's New York office "failed to register the copyright for The Tale of Peter Rabbit in the United States", and unlicensed copies of the book "(from which Potter would receive no royalties) began to appear in the spring of 1903. There was nothing anyone could do to stop them". To her dismay, the firm failed to register copyright in the United States, leading to piracies and loss of revenue. Although she helped save the company in 1917, after embezzlement by another Warne brother nearly bankrupted it, she scolded them on quality, condemning a copy of Peter Rabbit’s Almanac for 1929 as “wretched.” She wrote sharply, “It is impossible to explain balance & style to people, if they don’t see it themselves.” While she enthusiastically crafted her own unique merchandise prototypes — including an extraordinarily soulful Peter Rabbit doll — she could have had no idea of the extent of commodification to come. The enormous financial loss ... [to Potter] only became evident over time", but the necessity of protecting her intellectual property hit home after the successful 1903 publication of The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin when her father returned from Burlington Arcade in Mayfair at Christmas 1903 with a toy squirrel labelled "Nutkin". Potter asserted that her tales would one day be nursery classics, and part of the "longevity of her books comes from strategy", writes Potter biographer Ruth MacDonald. She was the first to exploit the commercial possibilities of her characters and tales; between 1903 and 1905 these included a Peter Rabbit stuffed toy, an unpublished board game, and nursery wallpaper. Considerable variations to the original format and version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, as well as spin-off merchandise, have been made available over the decades. Variant versions include "pop-ups, toy theaters, and lift-the-flap books". By 1998, modern technology had made available "videos, audio cassette, a CD-ROMs, a computer program, and Internet sites", as described by Margaret Mackey writing in The case of Peter Rabbit: changing conditions of literature for children. She continues: "Warne and their collaborators and competitors have produced a large collection of activity books and a monthly educational magazine". A plethora of other Peter Rabbit related merchandise exists, and "toy shops in the United States and Britain have whole sections of [the] store specially signposted and earmarked exclusively for Potter-related toys and merchandise". Unauthorized copying of The Tale of Peter Rabbit has flourished over the decades, including products only loosely associated with the original. In 1916, American Louise A. Field cashed in on the popularity by writing books such as Peter Rabbit Goes to School and Peter Rabbit and His Ma, the illustrations of which showed him in his distinctive blue jacket. In an animated movie by Golden Films, The New Adventures of Peter Rabbit, "Peter is given buck teeth, an American accent and a fourth sister Hopsy." Another video "retelling of the tale casts Peter as a Christian preacher singing songs about God and Jesus." The Peter Rabbit (rather than other Beatrix Potter characters) stories and merchandise are very popular in Japan: many Japanese visit the Lake District after becoming familiar with Potter's work at an early age at school. There is an accurate replica of Potter's house and a theme park in Japan, and a series of Mr McGregor's gardens in one of the largest banks. Merchandisers in Japan estimate that 80% of the population have heard of Peter Rabbit. In 2016, Peter Rabbit and other Potter characters appeared on a small number of collectors' 50p UK coins. Movie Adaptations In 1938, shortly after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney became interested in making an animated film based on The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Potter refused. Some accounts say this was because she wanted to remain in control of the rights to her work. Others suggest that she didn’t think her drawings were good enough for large-scale animation, which she thought would reveal all their imperfections. However, most likely Beatrix Potter refused to give the rights to Disney because of marketing issues. In 1935, the story was loosely adapted in the Merrie Melodies short film, Country Boy. It shows some modifications in relation to Beatrix Potter's original story, most notably the Rabbit family surname is changed to "Cottontail" and Peter having two brothers and a sister rather than 3 sisters. In 1971, Peter Rabbit appeared as a character in the ballet film The Tales of Beatrix Potter. In late 1991, HBO aired an animated musical adaptation of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, narrated by Carol Burnett, as part of the network's Storybook Musicals series, which was later released to VHS by Family Home Entertainment under HBO license. Several of the stories featuring Peter Rabbit were also animated for the 1992 BBC anthology series, The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends and two edutainment titles published by Mindscape The Adventures of Peter Rabbit & Benjamin Bunny in 1995 and Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit's Math Garden in 1996. Both of which have since been released on VHS and DVD. In 2006, Peter Rabbit was heavily referenced in a biopic about Beatrix Potter entitled Miss Potter. In December 2012, a new CGI-animated children's TV series titled Peter Rabbit premiered on Nickelodeon, with a full series run beginning in February 2013. Peter was voiced by Colin DePaula throughout Season 1 and recanted by L. Parker Lucas for Season 2 in the US version. In the U.K. version he is voiced by Connor Fitzgerald. Also in 2012, Quantum Theater produced a new stage adaptation of the tales of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. Written by Michael Whitmore the play toured the UK until 2015. More recently, John Patrick is adapting a number of Beatrix Potter's tales into an upcoming live-action/animated musical feature film for his brand-new film studio, called Storybook Studio. The film will be titled Beatrix Potter's The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends. One of the stories adapted for the film is The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Peter will be voiced by child actress Sienna Adams. John Patrick has released a preview clip of the film to YouTube. An animated/live-action adaptation, Peter Rabbit, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, is scheduled to be released on 9 February 2018. James Corden will voice Peter Rabbit and Rose Byrne will star in the live-action role of the lead female named Bea. Other cast members include Margot Robbie, Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki. Will Gluck is directing and producing the film and Zareh Nalbandian is also producing, while Lauren Abrahams is overseeing the project for Sony Pictures Animation. Peter Rabbit's feud with Mr. McGregor reaches new heights as both compete for the affections of a kind animal lover who lives next door. Cast Domhnall Gleeson as Mr. Thomas McGregor, a farmer and exterminator who seeks to be rid of Peter Rabbit and his mischievous acts. Rose Byrne as Bea, a kind animal lover who Thomas meets next door. Sam Neill as Old Farmer McGregor. The film is scheduled to be released on February 9, 2018. The Lake District When Peter Rabbit came out, Potter was 36 years old. She worked closely with her editor, Norman Warne, on it and several other books. The two became very close and in July 1905, Warne proposed marriage, even though Potter’s parents objected to his social position. They didn’t want their upper-class daughter to marry a man who worked in a “trade.” Still, Potter accepted his proposal. One month later, Warne fell sick and died of a blood disorder that was probably un-diagnosed leukemia. She bought Hill Top Farm in the Lake District that same year and there she wrote such books as The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907) and The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (1908). Beatrix loved the Lake District, and it became her solace after the death of her beloved Norman. Afterward, Potter remained unmarried for many years. Finally, in 1913, she married William Heelis, a lawyer. Her family objected to him, too. Income from her books enabled her to invest in farmland, including Hill Top Farm, which would become a feature in many of her tales. As she invested in the Lake District, she developed a relationship with William Heelis, a local solicitor who assisted her property dealings. William proposed to Beatrix in 1912, and they were married in London the following year. In 1913, Potter married local lawyer William Heelis. She only produced a few more books after tying the knot. Potter published The Fairy Caravan in 1926, but only in the United States. She thought the book was too autobiographical to be released in England. The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930) proved to be her final children's book. They lived together at Castle Cottage in their beloved Lake District until her death in 1943. Beatrix was a staunch supporter of the National Trust, having been impressed on meeting its founder Hardwicke Rawnsley from her first visit to the Lake District at sixteen. She followed its principles in preserving her buildings and farms in keeping with the rural culture of the area, and she saved many farms from developers. Instead of writing, Potter focused much of her attention on her farms and land preservation in the Lake District. She was a successful breeder of sheep and well regarded for her work to protect the beautiful countryside she adored. During her lifetime, Beatrix bought fifteen farms and took a very active part in caring for them. Dressed in clogs, shawl and an old tweed skirt, she helped with the hay-making, waded through mud to unblock drains, and searched the fells for lost sheep. Beatrix bred Herdwick sheep on her farms in the Lake District, and said she was at her happiest when she was with her farm animals. She won a number of prizes for her sheep at local shows, and became the first elected female President of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders’ Association in 1943. Legacy Beatrix died in 1943 Potter died on December 22, 1943, in Sawrey, England. In her will, she left much of her land holdings to the National Trust to protect it from development and to preserve it for future generations. leaving fifteen farms and over four thousand acres of land to the National Trust. In accordance with her wishes, Hill Top Farm was kept exactly as it had been when she lived in it, and receives thousands of visitors every year. Potter also left behind a mystery—she had written a journal in code. The code was finally cracked and the work published in 1966 as The Journal of Beatrix Potter. To this day, generation after generation are won over by her charming tales and illustrations. After Potter died in 1943 at the age of seventy-seven, Warne cast itself as the guardian of her legacy. But eventually the guardian began behaving badly, seeking to wring profits from its most famous long-eared property. In 1983, Warne was acquired by Penguin, itself owned by the international conglomerate Pearson, the largest book publisher in the world. Then, as scholar Margaret Mackey chronicles in The Case of Peter Rabbit: Changing Conditions of Literature for Children, Warne embarked on the expensive process of remaking printing plates for Potter’s books. While the new reproductions were a welcome improvement, Warne festooned them with what Mackey terms “aggressive” assertions of copyright, although Peter was already in the public domain. (In the UK, copyright protection lapsed but was then extended until 2013 when the European Union “harmonized” copyright law.) Warne seized on its “re-originated” illustrations to declare itself “owner of all rights, copyrights and trademarks in the Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations,” going so far as to attach a “tm” to the scampering Peter on the cover. Back in 1979, the publisher had sued a competitor, claiming trademark rights to eight images from Potter’s books that, it argued, were identified in the public mind with Warne alone. The case was settled out of court, but Viva R. Moffat, a legal scholar who teaches at the University of Denver, has called Warne’s claims (in a paper on “Mutant Copyrights”) a “stretch.” Warne has applied for trademarks in the US, and in the EU for every imaginable Peter Rabbit–related item that might feasibly be sold, from “books and texts in all media” to “toilet seat covers” and “meat extracts.” Moffat assails the practice of forcing trademarks to pinch-hit for lapsed copyright, while another legal expert, Jason Mazzone (who teaches intellectual property law at Brooklyn Law School), defines the placement of misleading warnings on public domain works as “copyfraud” in his book by the same name. Warne’s zealous pursuit of its rights has not deterred it from crass acts of its own. In 1987, the same year it published its painstakingly remade edition, the firm allowed Ladybird Books, a purveyor of cheap paperbacks owned by the parent company, Pearson, to market The Tale of Peter Rabbit with bowdlerized text, eliminating Potter’s dry wit, dispensing with the pie made of Peter’s father (Mrs. Rabbit instead explains that Mr. McGregor just “doesn’t like rabbits”), and replacing Potter’s illustrations with photos of stuffed animals. Warne was excoriated in The Times of London, which condemned the new edition as “Hamlet without the ghost, Othello without the handkerchief.” Undaunted, a few years later Warne took out an advertisement in The Bookseller — “Peter Rabbit Packs a Powerful Punch” — threatening those who wandered into its garden with “expensive legal action” One last question: why do so many Japanese tourists visit Potter's Lakeland cottage? According to the man from the Cumbrian tourist board interviewed on Radio 5 earlier this week, it is because Japanese children use her books to learn English. I love the idea of a nation mislearning another through such a distorting lens. To the people of Japan, I say this: your delightfully outré Edwardian syntax will do you no good in modern Britain, nor will your bizarre Potterian ideas about our dress codes and ethical views http://mentalfloss.com/article/75173/9-facts-about-peter-rabbit https://www.peterrabbit.com/about-beatrix-potter/ http://www.hbook.com/2013/05/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/peter-rabbit-and-the-tale-of-a-fierce-bad-publisher/ http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/04/tale-of-peter-rabbit.html https://www.biography.com/people/beatrix-potter-9445208 https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/dec/07/booksforchildrenandteenagers http://www.newhistorian.com/peter-rabbit-returns-for-potters-150th-birthday/5869/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Rabbit_(film)   © Copyrighted

The Turner Prize-winning artist, writer and Reith lecturer Grayson Perry discusses his new show The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever! at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The new works on display include tapestries, ceramics and sculptures, many of which reflect Perry's engagement with politics, the state of Britain, sex and religion.Front Row announces and talks to the winner of this year's Baileys Prize for Women's Fiction live from the ceremony.Just ten days before her death, Helen Dunmore wrote a poem for her friends. Samantha Bond reads Hold Out Your Arms.At a ceremony in the UK Capital of Culture Hull earlier today, Lauren Child was named The Waterstone's Children's Laureate. The creator of the hugely popular Charlie and Lola, Clarice Bean and That Pesky Rat books is the tenth writer to hold the title and joins the likes of Chris Riddell, Anne Fine and one of her own heroes Quentin Blake. Lauren, who wants to promote creativity in young people during her two year tenure, will be talking to John Wilson live.Would you be more likely to go to the theatre or a concert if you were allowed to pay whatever you liked? John talks to Annabel Turpin of the Stockton Arts Centre, who has done just that for her theatre goers, and discusses with Jane Donald of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra whether it would work for them. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Rebecca Armstrong.

In this episode me and my friend Paul say farewell for now to Steven Spielberg as we discuss his most recent film to date, 'The BFG'. We also discuss the books of Roald Dahl (and the art of Quentin Blake), the Queen meeting James Bond back in the 2012 Olympics, the animated version of The BFG and compare this film to a tonne of Spielberg films from E.T to Schinder's List. Oh, and we preview my new film podcast- Easy Riders Raging Podcast. A podcast where we will be discussing the films of the 60's one at a time. Available now from iTunes and all good podcatchers everywhere.

1. Biff som president? BIFF? 2. Saxen dør aldri 3. Charles Darwin 4. Den avdøde, arvingen og skatteinnkreveren 5. Gange-Rolv! 6. Brev fra en lytter! 7. Takk for oss! I dagens bonus blir det prisapp, ribbepostei, ribbeoppskrift, slarv om Hellstrøm, kalkun med Gordon Ramsay, den politiske situasjonen, science fiction-ståa, James S. A. Corey & the Expanse, Robert Heinlein & Stranger in a Strange Land, Paul Stanley Robinsons 'Aurora', menneskehateren Roald Dahl, illustratørene Quentin Blake & Ralph Steadman og Nigella Lawsons bakrusmat. Velbekomme! Legg igjen din beskjed til Lønsj på 73881480 Lønsj på Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lunsjnrkp1 Epost: l@nrk.no

Quentin Blake, Emma Chichester Clark and Brit Bennett

In our ongoing quest to become better librarians by reading every genre (regardless of our actual interest) we tackle Books in Translation.   Listen to your hosts Anna Ferri, Meghan Whyte, Matthew Murray, and Jorge Cardenas discuss the reasons for reading books in translation, publishing barriers to international works, the importance/effect of a translator, which language should you read a book in, the Canadian context, grants to read War and Peace, and what makes a great book. Your Hosts This Episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Jorge Cardenas | Matthew Murray Recommended One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; translated by H.T. Willetts (Russian) If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino; translated by William Weaver (Italian) Bitter Rose by Martine Delvaux; translated by David Homel (Quebec) Closely Watched Trains by by Bohumil Hrabal; translated by Edith Pargeter (Czech) Silk by Alessandro Baricco; translated by Guido Waldman (Italian) Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa; translated by Gregory Rabassa (Peru) The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac; illustrations by Quentin Blake; translated by Sarah Adams (French) HHhH by Laurent Binet; translated by Sam Taylor (French) Arvida by Samuel Archibald; translated by Donald Winkler (Quebec) Other Books Read/Listened 70% Acrylic 30% Wool by Viola Di Grado; translated by Michael Reynolds (Italian) The Cyclist Conspiracy by Svetislav Basara; translated by Randall A. Major (Serbian) The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; translated by Alison Anderson (French) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (Russian) The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin; translated by Ken Liu (Chinese) Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō; translated by Cathy Hirano (Japanese) (audiobook) DNF The Alphabet House by Jussi Adler-Olse; translated by Steve Schein (Danish) The Dinner by Herman Koch; translated by Sam Garrett (Dutch) Questions: Do you seek out or avoid works in translation? Do you ever feel like you are missing context/need more footnotes? Have you read a book than was significantly better or worse in one language than another? Are there genres that exist only (or predominantly) in non-English languages? Links/Other Good-Bye and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi - “a book translated from Japanese to Spanish to English and purportedly released without Tatsumi’s knowledge” 15 books with more characters than you can keep track of - Infographic Valeria Luiselli Shake Hands with the Devil by Roméo Dallaire Translation Wars - New Yorker article about translations of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky Marathon reading of War and Peace - BBC 2016 BBC adaptation of War and Peace - Wikipedia Why Americans don’t read foreign fiction - The Daily Beast Why do you read translations? - Goodreads Icelandic christmas book spree - NPR article “Do MPs ever abuse Hansard?” - “the late Philippe Gigantes, during a filibuster in the Senate, read one of his books into the record, which contributed not only to the filibuster but also provided a comp[l]ete French translation he later had published.” Japanese Golf Comics Books translated into Klingon - “Four Klingon translations of works of world literature have been published: ghIlghameS (the Epic of Gilgamesh), Hamlet (Hamlet), paghmo’ tIn mIS (Much Ado About Nothing) and pIn’a’ qan paQDI’norgh (Tao Te Ching).” Meanwhile in Canada: Literary Translation in Canada - l'Association des traducteurs et traductrices littéraires du Canada/Literary Translators' Association of Canada Why aren’t there more translations in Canada publishing? - The National Post (includes numbers on English/French translation grants) The forgotten mimics - The National Post (includes the House of Anansi controversy) Canada Council Translation grants: National International Quebec SODEC grants - (In French only) Ambos - magazine of Quebec translated literature aimed at English audiences Places to find reading suggestions: Reading the world - review Funny/uplifting Arabic novels - list 2015 Nobel prize in literature - The Guardian article on Svetlana Alexievich Translation awards - Wikipedia Three Percent - a resource for international literature Asymptote Journal - World lit   Canadian books in translation fall 2015 - 49th parallel A book that was originally published in another language - Book Riot Read harder challenge Other podcasts Three Percent Podcast - A whole ongoing podcast on the topic of translated and international literature connected with the Three Percent blog mentioned above Fiction in translation - The Guardian podcast Bestsellers around the world - Books on the Nightstand podcast Check out our Pinterest board and Tumblr posts for all the Books in Translation people in our club read (or tried to read), and follow us on Twitter!

Bedtime Story for Ella - Nursery Rhyme Book by Quentin Blake

Tom Hardy and the late James Gandolfini star in the thriller The Drop, reviewed by Jenny McCartney. Saxophonist Jan Garbarek and David James discuss the Hilliard Ensemble. Quentin Blake on Paula Rego and Honoré Daumier: Scandal, Gossip and Other Stories at the House of Illustration. And Assaf Gavron on the reality of life in Israel in the 21st century in his new novel, The Hilltop. Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Philip Pullman chooses a song by Georges Brassens, called Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète. Plus BBC archive clips about Brassens featuring Quentin Blake, Posy Simmonds and Julian Barnes.

With John Wilson. Lenny Henry returns to the stage after a succesful run playing Othello. He now stars in the Pulitzer prize-winning play Fences by American playwright August Wilson. Lenny Henry discusses the importance of the play and the challenge of memorising his lines in a role where he's rarely off the stage. The winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for children's book illustration is announced today. Previous winners include Raymond Briggs, Shirley Hughes, Lauren Child and Quentin Blake. John talks to this year's winner. The foghorn is a disappearing sound from the British coastline - increasingly made redundant by the advances of GPS technology. Now an ambitious project is using GPS technology in the service of a Foghorn Requiem. Composed by Orlando Gough, the requiem features three brass bands, a flotilla of vessels positioned offshore, and the Souter Lighthouse Foghorn itself. Composer Orlando Gough and artist Lise Autogena discuss a one-off musical performance that aims to fuse the sounds from land and sea. In tonight's Cultural Exchange, Joan Bakewell discusses her choice - Luchino Visconti's sumptuous 1963 film adaptation of di Lampedusa's novel The Leopard.

Illustrator Quentin Blake; Danny Boyle, Nick Hytner and Gemma Bodinetz on regional theatre funding cuts; Lionel Shiver reviews A Bigger Splash at Tate Modern and Shahidha Bari reviews Light from the Middle East at the V&A; The War of the Worlds composer Jeff Wayne; Dramatist Anya Reiss and actor Matthew Kelly on Chekhov's The Seagull; Comedian and author Ben Elton.

With Mark Lawson. Quentin Blake is known for his illustrations of books by Roald Dahl and Michael Rosen, as well as his work as a writer and an exhibiting artist. In his 80th year and as he publishes a new book of drawings, he reflects on how the breadth of his work, from children's books to hospital wards, makes him one of Britain's most recognized artists. Dramatist Anya Reiss, who was a teenager when her first play ran in 2010 at the Royal Court in London, has now adapted Chekhov's The Seagull. She and actor Matthew Kelly, who stars in the production, discuss the new version, and reveal why one of the play's most famous lines has disappeared. A new TV series examines how Adolf Hitler managed to persuade millions of people to support his vision for Europe that led to the deaths of 60 million people. Historian and documentary maker Laurence Rees is the writer and producer of The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler, and he explains his theories. Producer Stephen Hughes.

Quentin Blake, one of Britain’s best-loved and most successful illustrators, famous for bring to life the stories of Roald Dahl. Quentin talks about the artists and paintings who inspired him to take up illustration including works by Daumier, Goyer and Rembrandt.

Kirsty Young's first castaway is one of our most popular illustrators, Quentin Blake. His work is immediately recognisable and is full of energy, anarchy and joy. An award-winning author in his own right, he is best known for his long collaboration with the author Roald Dahl. In the same way that it is impossible to think of Alice in Wonderland without imagining Tenniel's solemn drawings, when one imagines Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach it is invariably Quentin Blake's pictures that spring to mind. As a child growing up in the London suburbs he was self-contained, quiet and serious. Family friends remember that he didn't say much - but that he always loved drawing. His cartoons were first published in Punch when he was 16, making him one of its youngest ever contributors, but after graduating from Cambridge and training as a teacher, he decided his future lay not in one-off sketches for magazines, but in book illustration. He was named the first ever Children's Laureate in 1999 and in 2005 was awarded the CBE. He lives in London and continues to work towards the establishment of a museum celebrating the history and techniques of illustration.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: String Quartet No 2 - Intimate Letters by Janácek Book: Collected Works by Charles Dickens Luxury: Arches watercolour paper

Kirsty Young's first castaway is one of our most popular illustrators, Quentin Blake. His work is immediately recognisable and is full of energy, anarchy and joy. An award-winning author in his own right, he is best known for his long collaboration with the author Roald Dahl. In the same way that it is impossible to think of Alice in Wonderland without imagining Tenniel's solemn drawings, when one imagines Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach it is invariably Quentin Blake's pictures that spring to mind. As a child growing up in the London suburbs he was self-contained, quiet and serious. Family friends remember that he didn't say much - but that he always loved drawing. His cartoons were first published in Punch when he was 16, making him one of its youngest ever contributors, but after graduating from Cambridge and training as a teacher, he decided his future lay not in one-off sketches for magazines, but in book illustration. He was named the first ever Children's Laureate in 1999 and in 2005 was awarded the CBE. He lives in London and continues to work towards the establishment of a museum celebrating the history and techniques of illustration. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: String Quartet No 2 - Intimate Letters by Janácek Book: Collected Works by Charles Dickens Luxury: Arches watercolour paper