SF SAID
Author of the Varjak Paw books, Phoenix, and now TYGER!
Saturday 15 June 2024
The Writing of Varjak Paw
Friday 8 March 2024
World Book Day 2024
Every year, I am blown away by all the amazing things that people do to celebrate books on World Book Day! I love it - it really is an incredible thing for a writer to see their books being celebrated in that way. So here are some of the highlights I've seen this year...
Happy #WorldBookDay! Best day of the year… π―π 𧑠@whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/fr6ImoAlOT
— Rebecca Rouillard π (@rrouillard) March 7, 2024
@whatSFSaid I have loved being Varjak today! Thank you for writing these books. @HartfordManor72 pic.twitter.com/R3A7k0WjiP
— Emily Underhill (@emderhilly) March 7, 2024
A huge thank you from me and my sons for the Varjak books. Happy world book day pic.twitter.com/2hsvqR5qMr
— Jo Kirby (@JoKirby62472699) March 8, 2024
Fantastic start to World Book Day! We’ve just finished reading Phoenix by SFSaid @whatSFSaid. Look at our shadow guards, Bixa, Major Dashwood and we’ve even got Lucky with his burnt bedsheet! An amazing book that got a round of applause when we finished! @SWJSmrflem @swalneyj pic.twitter.com/AeNca4d7pV
— Mrs Banks (@mbaswjs) March 7, 2024
More from the Book Bake-Off @HaslingdenHigh a Tyger inspired stripy cake from Alice Hardwick in Year 7! #WorldBookDay2024 @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/FvQT7BnLxW
— Haslingden High School Library (@hhsch_library) March 7, 2024
Meet the Paw family in Year 3 π There were lots of cats in the year group today, reflecting our love of the book we're currently reading - Varjak Paw by SF. Said π @arkvicprimary @ArkVicAcademy @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/QpCK7n6Bch
— Year3ArkVic (@Year3ArkVic) March 7, 2024
We're seeing some AMAZING costumes and decorated items to celebrate #WBD24 - well done everyone! π€©
— Authors Abroad (@AuthorsAbroad_) March 7, 2024
Kylie from our UK Bookings team has been helping her children decorate #BookDay potatoes featuring @sarahVroberts @sethburkett & @whatSFSaid and we love them! #WorldBookDay2024 pic.twitter.com/m5PCHzsXKB
Fabulous costumes and lots of book inspiration from Year 4 today! #WorldBookDay @whatSFSaid @TomDaley1994 ππ pic.twitter.com/8bXZ2T4hB9
— Claverdon School (@ClaverdonSchool) March 7, 2024
#WBD MEMORIES #gangstagranny #tyger @davidwalliams @whatSFSaid What character will you be this year?πππ #WBD2024 pic.twitter.com/0QjtAiITgH
— English@Malmesbury (@EnglishMalmesb1) March 7, 2024
@TJPrimary @StratfordPrim @bishoptonprim @WillowsCE @BridgetownPS We loved celebrating #WorldBookDay with you Primary Quiz 2024, discussing Tyger by @whatSFSaid You were all so knowledgeable but extraπ to our winners from @TJPrimary Keep reading❤️π#SuASEngage @WarwickshireSLS pic.twitter.com/JX9ppPD7h0
— Stratford upon Avon School (@StraUponAvonSch) March 7, 2024
Year 4 enjoyed designing their own front cover for a graphic novel edition of Varjak Paw as part of our #WorldBookDay2024 activitiesπππΎπΎ@ReadingatSHPA @whatSFSaid @PrincipalSTH @STHAssistantHT @StHelensAcademy pic.twitter.com/iAygj76pzK
— ClassRauf@StHelen's (@ClassRauf23) March 8, 2024
Reading in Unusual Places, for @WorldBookDayUK (the book is Tyger by @whatSFSaid). Location : Balloon Museum, London pic.twitter.com/acTBP7a7hb
— Sarah B (@ThatSarahBee) February 24, 2024
Some more here… pic.twitter.com/G7XPJj7uMF
— Sarah B (@ThatSarahBee) February 24, 2024
Red Kites have chosen S.F. Said as their author as part of World Book Day. Here are some of their amazing poems based on the book Tyger. #BLSwriting @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/HZ9R6QvyxS
— Brigstock Latham's CE Primary School (@BrigLathamsSch) March 12, 2024
Thursday 22 February 2024
Author Visits: Children's Bookfest & Rose Green Junior School
I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to Karen Ison and all the students and staff I met at Rose Green Junior School when I had the pleasure of visiting them last week – and to Georgina Lippiett, Jen Rogers and everyone at Children's Bookfest for making this visit possible!
Children's Bookfest is an amazing organisation that brings authors into schools. The authors do events, and then every child is given a copy of a book, which the author signs and dedicates for them. I was delighted to do an event for them in Chichester last year, and was excited to do another one in Bognor Regis at Rose Green, organised by the brilliant teacher Karen Ison.
We had a fantastic assembly where we talked about reading and writing and books, and it was clear that there were many brilliant readers in this school. Some of them had come across all my books before, from Varjak Paw onwards. But the book that everyone was currently reading was my new book Tyger, which Children's Bookfest had given to everyone in Years 5 and 6.
I saw some fantastic creative writing and artwork that Year 6 had done with Tyger last year. And this year's Year 6 were already getting started on it – a wonderful thing for an author to see!
It's an incredible thing to feel the buzz around reading and books that this kind of visit creates. There's something so inclusive and inspiring about giving a book to every child on a visit, and I've loved working with Children's Bookfest. So thanks again to everyone who was part of this brilliant day! And thanks to Karen Ison for the fantastic photos!
Monday 4 September 2023
Tyger is Book of the Month in Waterstones & Foyles!
Some amazing news! The Tyger paperback has just been published – and it's been picked as Children's Book of the Month in both Waterstones and Foyles!
I love bookshops, they've always been my favourite places, so this means more than I can say. It's been absolutely amazing to see some brilliant Tyger bookshop displays on Twitter and Instagram, and I'd love to see more – please send me pictures if you see any!
We are absolutely thrilled with our new children’s book of the month - Tyger π ✨ by one and only @whatSFSaid @DFB_storyhouse pic.twitter.com/hyOgRrusRl
— Waterstones Westfield (@WaterstonesWest) September 1, 2023
The amazing SF Said (@whatSFSaid) very kindly came and signed some copies of Tyger! Make sure to come in and grab your copy π―π€ pic.twitter.com/yaNC2KklsO
— Waterstones Brighton (@BrightonWstones) September 1, 2023
@WaterstonesRose window and displays. We love this book so much. pic.twitter.com/Iwktm8lT5m
— James (@Jasup13) September 1, 2023
Our Children's Book of the Month, Tyger, is a thrilling good vs evil adventure in which two children and Tyger battle to save their home. It reads like a classic piece of storytelling, whilst also exploring themes of segregation and prejudice which remain all too relevant today. pic.twitter.com/7FHVJwGwYa
— Waterstones Alty (@WaterstonesAlty) September 1, 2023
Wednesday 9 August 2023
TYGER PAPERBACK!
I'm so excited to be able to share the TYGER paperback with you – and it's just as beautiful as the hardback! I think Dave McKean's cover is one of the most amazing covers I've ever seen – just look at the way it comes to life when you open it out!
It's published on August 31st by David Fickling Books, but is available for pre-order now – here are some links:
Wednesday 28 June 2023
Competition!
I'm running a competition with BookTrust! We want young people to create pieces of writing and artwork inspired by animals - just as I was inspired to write Varjak Paw and Tyger. There are lots of prizes to be won, including sets of books and signed artwork, and the first 1,000 entries will all receive a free poster! There are lots of free resources to help you, too - all the information is on this page on the BookTrust website! And here's a video to get you started:
Tuesday 23 May 2023
Tyger wins Children's Book Of The Year at the British Book Awards!
Incredible news - my new book Tyger has just won the Children's Fiction Book Of The Year at the British Book Awards!
Congratulations to TYGER by @whatSFSaid, illustrated by @DaveMcKean, winner of Book of the Year: Children's Fiction (supported by @theweekjunior)! All the judges agreed that the book already "felt like a classic" @DFB_storyhouse #BritishBookAwards #Nibbies pic.twitter.com/3wbPfyOhXT
— The Bookseller (@thebookseller) May 15, 2023
You can read all about it in this wonderful piece on The Bookseller site.
And here's a video of the whole evening - you can see me receiving the award from Davina McCall from around 1:33!
Thursday 2 March 2023
World Book Day 2023
Happy World Book Day 2023! This year, I made a World Book Day video of me reading aloud from Tyger, and it's been amazing to see people watching it in classrooms, libraries and homes around the world. And I absolutely love seeing all the different ways people celebrate their favourite books, so here are some of the incredible pictures I've seen this year - including the very first ever World Book Day TYGER costumes! Huge and heartfelt thanks to everyone!
World Book Day was so much fun, dressed as the #Tyger by @whatSFSaid and illustrated impeccably by @DaveMcKean pic.twitter.com/FCmzTtoO2I
— MisterEmm (@MrEmmTeach) March 3, 2023
Happy #Worldbookday from Thaea to @whatSFSaid - #Tyger the hit of the year in her book π :) pic.twitter.com/HUBMQYhcu4
— rebecca woodhead king (@byrebeccaking) March 2, 2023
WBD 2023! Year 6 Glusburn School. Tigers for Tyger by SFSaid @carlygallacher @whatSFSaid @glusburn_cp pic.twitter.com/6XSxXhzRGj
— carlapop (@carlapop18) March 2, 2023
For #worldbookday Emily dressed up as @whatSFSaid great character Varjak Paw. A brilliant book her while class read earlier in the year. pic.twitter.com/j9Z7Ec0r1g
— Andy (@mumblingoutloud) March 2, 2023
@whatSFSaid Check out this amazing World Book Costume @WCommonPS pic.twitter.com/wdgmHHVwvK
— Kate Ainley (@ainley_kate) March 2, 2023
World Book Day Year 5. Phoenix by SFSaid is our read aloud so we have LOTS of shadow guards, Lucky’s mum, Bixa, the whole universe and Mystica! @whatSFSaid @swalneyj pic.twitter.com/2TVyVnjE3v
— Mrs Banks (@mbaswjs) March 2, 2023
Happy World Book Day! @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/GkjObpxam9
— ππ§.πππ‘π¨π€π£ π©πππ»ππ½ππΏπΊπ¦ (@TheStudentLeads) March 2, 2023
@whatSFSaid what else could it be? #Tyger pic.twitter.com/WWa8LQ04rN
— abiDHT (@Abster12Watson) March 2, 2023
This cat must learn to fight….
— Mrs M (@MrsMHeadteacher) March 2, 2023
Loved #WorldBookDay2023 and sharing my love of my favourite books and a top character, Vajak Paw @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/sFk09ARb0L
@whatSFSaid Putting the Seven Skills in practice today, maybe? pic.twitter.com/10IfSlVcFM
— Bek (@abeehkr) March 2, 2023
Enjoyed being Varjak Paw today, featuring orange eye contacts πΎ @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/y06ySjsFxN
— hollie (@hollieteaches) March 2, 2023
Well done to our world book day costume winner from Maple classππ#cpsnmaple #cpsnworldbookday #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/dQrY4dRcAX
— Coppull Primary School & Nursery (@CoppullPrimary) March 2, 2023
Hawthorn class are starting the day with a reading from @whatSFSaid new book Tyger! We are so excited for Varjak Paw next term too! #WorldBookDay2023 pic.twitter.com/3rFG84ZKKY
— Newington CEP (@NewingtonCEP) March 2, 2023
Dressed as his fave book, Tyger by @whatSFSaid for #WorldBookDay @HannahMorePri pic.twitter.com/Wy1GLlvPjM
— Jessica Hodge (@VegAnd2Veg) March 3, 2023
One Varjak Paw for #WBD. @whatSFSaid she is a super fan and would like to know, “what inspired you to write this book?” πΊ pic.twitter.com/pSWkbdiGc2
— Claudia Moss (@Clauds_M) March 3, 2023
@whatSFSaid World Book Day! pic.twitter.com/70YhpDFYJm
— Dani Boucher (@DaniBoucher1) March 3, 2023
I tried. A little terrifying if nothing else. pic.twitter.com/QWNjqsy4Y0
— Miss S (@teachinginge) March 4, 2023
Dressed up as Tyger for #WorldBookDay2023 and lent my copy to an excited Year 6 pupil @whatSFSaid . I’m sure she will love it as much as I did! #readingforpleasure pic.twitter.com/j2hUD4f24P
— Miss McTasney (@MissMctasney) March 4, 2023