I’m really, really excited about this one.
First of all, I love going to the Hay Festival, in Wales, in the summer. Hay is in the most beautiful spot: surrounded by green rolling hills, and full of interesting book and antique shops. It’s the perfect place to just lie in a summer field, and read a book. Which is what a lot of people do. During the festival, they talk a lot about books too.
The first year I went (which was 2010, when Threads was very young), the sun shone all day, every day, I got to meet many of my writing heroes and HAVE DINNER WITH THEM, and then go on a YA PANEL with them, and it was altogether fab. Last year, I did an event with Lucy Peden from Bliss magazine, which was AWESOME. OK, so it rained, which it often does, but as long as you pack a pair of wellies, you’re fine. This year …
Well, this year, the lovely Mary Byrne, who’s running the children’s bit and is AWESOME in her own right, has put me in an event with Sarah Webb and Luisa Plaja. It’s called ‘It’s a Girl Thing’ and it’s on Tuesday, 28 May. Come and see us. Catch Cathy Cassidy in the morning, us in the afternoon, and Derek Landy later. Yes, really. It’s going to be an amazing day.
Here’s what it says about our event: “Three fabulous queens of teen, Sarah Webb, Sophia Bennett and Luisa Plaja, talk about why they love to write for girls and how they develop their stories.”
For a start, there’s pretty much NOTHING MORE ON EARTH I like to talk about than why I love to write for girls and how I develop my stories. Also, Sarah and Luisa are good friends of mine, and write fabulous books for girls, like the Amy Green series, set in Ireland (Sarah’s) and Diary of a Mall Girl, just out (Luisa’s), and I could sit and chat to them for AGES.
If you come, we might let you get the odd word in edgeways, and ask us a question or two. But mostly it will be us, talking about girls and books and writing and each other’s books, and … It’ll be hard to shut us up, basically.
So come. Book your tickets now. (And for Cathy and Derek and all your other favourite people, who’ll be there too.) You’ll have fun.
Book festivals. Awesome.