Events & Signings

I'm doing quite a few events & signings in the next few weeks.  If you'd like to come and get a signed copy of Phoenix or Varjak Paw, here are the details!

First up is a morning signing at Clerkenwell Tales (30 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE) on Sunday 15th September from 11am-12pm.  Everyone is invited, there's no entry fee, but there will be juice and biscuits, and signed copies of my books!

Then I'm doing a signing at Waterstones Bury St Edmunds (36 Butter Market, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1DW) on Thursday 10th October from 4pm-5.30pm.  Again, no entry fee and open to all, so I hope to see some of you there!

Finally I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone I met at Waterstones Kensington on Monday 9th September.  The event was called 'Geeksploitation', and it involved a quiz, dressing-up, cupcakes and much general mayhem!  Sci-Fi & Fantasy authors Andy Robb and Sean Cummings were also there.  Here's the fabulous flyer, for the record:

Please call (0843 290 8419), email (events@kensington.waterstones.com) or find us on facebook (Waterstones Kensington) & Twitter (@HSKWaterstones) for more info or to book tickets.  

Varjak Paw Around The World, #6

#6: Poland

This was one of the very first Varjak Paw translations that appeared, so it still means a lot to me.  It felt totally magical to see the cover with a different language on it; amazing to think that there would be people who thought of this book as 'Sny Kota Warlapa'.

At the time, a Polish friend told me the title meant something like 'The Dreams Of Warlap The Cat'.  I really like that.  I love the idea of putting the dreams right up there in the title, as they really are central to the book.

I'm not quite sure why they changed his name from Varjak to Warlap, but I've heard from another friend that 'Varjak' actually means 'warrior' in Polish.  (I wish I could say I knew that when I wrote it, but I didn't!)  I think that would make it a good name for a cat who dreams of becoming a great warrior – but maybe they wanted to avoid confusion...

If there are any Polish speakers looking at this blog, I'd love to hear from you!  And if you would like to see more Varjak Paw translations, have a look here...

Phoenix inspirations: Astrolabes

My new book Phoenix is set in space. The story takes place in a galaxy at war, where Humans and Aliens are deadly enemies. The main character is a Human boy called Lucky. He's trying to cross the galaxy to find his father, but the only people who will help him are the crew of an Alien starship – and an Alien warrior girl, with neon needles in her hair.

When I first started thinking about the story, back in 2005, all I knew was that it would involve an epic journey. But when I realised it was set in space, I thought a lot about the starships, and how they'd work. And one thing that really transformed it was the idea of the Astrolabe.

This is an actual Astrolabe: part of the collection held at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Astrolabes were ancient astronomical devices, popular in the Islamic world a thousand years ago, and then in medieval Europe.

They enabled people for the very first time to find their exact positions, wherever they were, even at sea, and navigate from there. They were analogue computers – like the GPS of their day!

It was when I started to think about Astrolabes that I made a breakthrough with the starships in my book. What if there was a science-fiction version of the Astrolabe: an incredibly powerful navigational device that enables people to cross the great gulfs of interstellar space? What if you could actually go into one of these devices: if it allowed your consciousness to move through space, faster than the speed of light – even at the Speed of Dark?!

That's one of Dave McKean's incredible images from the book! When Dave and I talked about ideas for illustration, one of the first things I gave him was a bunch of images of Astrolabes – and I was amazed when I saw what he'd done with the idea. I hope you like it too!

Amazing Reactions...

I'm feeling a little emotional tonight, because there've been some seriously amazing reactions to Phoenix coming in...

For a start, one of my very favourite writers, Jacqueline Wilson, sent me a postcard telling me she thought was Phoenix was brilliant (and yes, she actually underlined the word 'brilliant'), structurally perfect, and a total page-turner!  And then she wrote a piece on her website about her summer reading, which says she 'especially loved Phoenix'!  When one of your heroes says something like that, it really means the world, especially when their own work is so brilliant in every way...  I can't wait to read her next one, Diamond, which is out in September!

Then I got a text from Paul Stewart, the awesome author of The Edge Chronicles, Wyrmeweald and Barnaby Grimes, saying that he'd started reading Phoenix on Wednesday, couldn't stop, and had just finished it on Friday morning!  He apologised for reading it in two days when it had taken me seven years to write – but he knows what a compliment that is, something every writer dreams of hearing...  I couldn't thank him enough, particularly as I find his own work unputdownable...

And then there've been some fantastic reviews in the past few days.  I particularly love this one by Shelagh Rowan-Legg on Dorkshelf, who also interviewed me for the same site.  She says Phoenix is:

"one of my best reading experiences this year.  A science fiction story with amazing and real characters, dramatic action, a fascinating mythology and incredible artwork by Dave McKean, I can’t recommend this enough...  At nearly 500 pages, the book may seem daunting, but it’s the kind you can’t put down... A remarkable adventure story for any age."

Click here to read the full piece!

Space Stories Blog & Edinburgh Book Festival

I've just done a piece for The Guardian books blog about space stories - here's the first paragraph:

I write fiction for young people because I love the infinite imaginative space it offers. Children and young adults are incredibly open to the literature of the fantastic. So far this century, we've enjoyed stories about magic and wizards, vampires and werewolves, and post-apocalyptic dystopias. Yet the most fantastic subject of all remains unexplored territory: space.

Click here to read the full piece!

Also, I'd like to say a huge thanks to the Edinburgh Book Festival for hosting me today, and to everyone who came to my event and was involved in it - thank you all so much!   I hope you enjoy reading your new copies of Phoenix!

Lovely Review!

I just wanted to say a big thanks to Vincent Ripley for his lovely review of my new book Phoenix on his site, Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books.

"Just like the brightest light from the furthest star, this book is a creation to behold...  It is a breathtaking epic space adventure that will have you gripped in so many ways... If you particularly enjoy a good sci-fi space fantasy then this book is for you - it has certainly rocketed to the top of my favourite reads this year.  Even if you wouldn't normally enjoy this genre, I would still recommend that you try this book, as it really is that good."

Click here to read the full review!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: Lift-Off!!!

And so at last my new book Phoenix is published today!

It should now be on sale in all good bookshops, and all over the web.  The 'Buy Now' button on my publishers' page will take you to lots of places you can find it – including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

Happy reading everyone...

...and if you leave a comment on one of the images I've been posting in the last week, I will pick one comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 1

Only one day to go till the publication of my new book Phoenix!  A nice interview with me appeared today on SFFWorld.com - click here to read it.

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 2

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 3

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 4

An amazing review of my new book Phoenix appeared today in the Daily Mail, where Sally Morris described it as "a thrilling space/sci fi adventure...  fabulous, high octane stuff, with an uplifting ending, stunningly illustrated by the brilliant McKean"!

It's now just a week till publication, and Phoenix is officially available to order.  Have a look at my publishers' page, where the 'buy now' button links to lots of places you can order it, including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

To celebrate, I'll be posting one of Dave McKean's amazing images here every day.  Please please share these as widely as you can, and help spread the word...  And if you leave a comment on one of these images, I will pick a comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 5

It's a week till publication of my new book Phoenix, and it's now officially available to pre-order!  Have a look at my publishers' page, where the 'buy now' button links to lots of places you can order it, including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

To celebrate, I'll be posting one of Dave McKean's amazing images here every day.  Please share these as widely as you can, and help spread the word!

And if you leave a comment on one of these images, I will pick a comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

Ready?  Here goes!

First Reviews of Phoenix...

The first reviews of my new book Phoenix are beginning to come in.  It's a strange moment for me; having spent seven years writing the book, I have no idea at all how it will seem to someone reading it for the first time...

Vanessa Lewis in picks it as a highlight in The Bookseller's August preview, and says:

"I became totally immersed in the ethereal world created by SF Said in Phoenix... This is an evocative read that highlights the ravages of war while making us consider our place in the universe.  Dave McKean's illuminating illustrations add atmosphere."

And Jill Murphy gives it a fantastic review in The Bookbag - click the link to read the full piece:

"I loved this space quest of a story. It has great worldbuilding, sparkling characters and a thrilling plot. It's beautifully illustrated by the great Dave McKean, who gives the galaxy its rightful majesty.  

You won't find any spoilers here at Bookbag. We hate them. But I will say that Phoenix has a wonderful ending. It's sad but uplifting, grief-stricken but beautiful, and is and utterly, utterly appropriate culmination of the clever plot. I cried!

There aren't many space epics written for middle readers and after enjoying Phoenix so thoroughly, I can't imagine why. Kids love all the TV shows and films - Star Trek, Star Wars etc - and the genre allows for sparkling, nutty characters, so I'm at a loss to explain why this fertile ground isn't cultivated more. It should be. So hats off to SF Said for this fabulous tale. And to Dave McKean, for giving the magnificence and the glory of the galaxy such awe-inspiring artwork.

Phoenix comes highly recommended for all younger fans of sci-fi, a rip-roaring plot and who love a reluctant hero who never stops trying."

What a wonderful review, I really couldn't ask for more!  And I totally agree with her about space epics; I've never understood why there are so few for young readers...

Varjak Paw Around The World, #5

#5: Turkey

One of the nicest things about publishing a book is watching it travel the world.   Varjak Paw has been translated into many languages; there are many editions around the world, and I've been doing a series of posts about them all.  This week, I'm looking at the Turkish edition of Varjak Paw, where he's called Varjak Pençe!

Apparently 'Pençe' means 'Paw' in Turkish, so that makes sense. This edition of the book is printed on a special kind of foil paper, so it's quite glittery in real life, but very hard to scan. Apologies if it looks a bit dark!

Here's the back cover.  As with the German edition, the Turkish publishers decided to switch front and back around, which is fine with me, as I love them both!  The interiors are the same as the UK edition, with all of Dave McKean's fantastic artwork.

Here's the first page, so you can see how it reads in Turkish.  I've learned a few new words by looking at it – for example, the Elder Paw becomes 'Yaşlı Pençe' – but my Turkish isn't strong enough to tell if it's a good translation or not.  So if there are any Turkish-speaking readers looking at this blog, I would love to hear from you!  And if you would like to see more Varjak Paw translations, have a look here...

Big Thanks!

It's been a busy few days, and some big thanks are in order!  First, to everyone I met at the London Film & Comic Con – the organisers, the brilliant Waterstones booksellers, and all the lovely people who came and bought advance copies of Phoenix – thank you!  It was a special day for me, because it was the first time I saw an actual copy of Phoenix, so thanks to everyone who's been part of that journey...  Here's a picture of Dave & I signing; and no, that Toblerone bar didn't last very long!

And today I had the great pleasure of visiting Taxal and Fernilee Primary School, where I met some awesome Varjak Paw fans, some fantastic young readers & writers, and some brilliant teachers!  It was wonderful to hear all your stories, thoughts, and enthusiasm for books; I hope you'll all keep on reading and writing...  And if you want to see the Phoenix book trailer I mentioned, click this link, or have a look at the next post down in this blog!

The Supernova is on YouTube!

Prepare to be amazed: Dave McKean has made an absolutely stunning trailer for my new book Phoenix!  Watch it on YouTube now - and please please share the link, we really need to get this out there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5yQjwqDFXA&feature=youtu.be

Recommended: July 2013

With my new book Phoenix now only a month away, it seems like a good time to share some inspirations.  So this month, I'm recommending Contact: a brilliant novel about the first contact between humans and aliens, written by Carl Sagan.  There's a film version too, with Jodie Foster, but I prefer the book – it's beautiful, original, thought-provoking science fiction, written by a scientist with a real gift for storytelling.

I first encountered Sagan through his amazing TV series, Cosmos.  I watched it as a child in the 1980s, and re-watched it while writing Phoenix.  It was one of my biggest inspirations.  Apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way.  Professor Brian Cox has said it meant a lot to him too – so if you liked his Wonders Of The Universe, or if you're at all interested in stars, galaxies and space, you should definitely watch Cosmos!  It's all up on YouTube: here's the first episode.

And here's a very silly but entertaining song that uses some of Sagan's quotes from the series – it became an internet phenomenon, and is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me!  But the space imagery in it goes to the heart of what I was trying to do in Phoenix, so I hope you enjoy it too...

School Visit: St Mary's Primary

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone at St Mary's Primary School for giving me such a warm welcome when I visited this week!

It was brilliant to see all the work you've been doing with Varjak Paw, and to hear your enthusiasm for Phoenix too!  It was especially exciting to be able to show you Dave McKean's fantastic book trailer for Phoenix – hopefully I'll be posting a link to it here soon, along with some more news!

The Supernova Is Coming To Edinburgh!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be doing a public event for my new book Phoenix at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year!  The event is titled 'Intergalactic War with SF Said' and it's happening on Tuesday 13th August, from 12-1pm.

I love what they've written about Phoenix on the official event page:

Adventure, space, destiny, aliens, explosions, starships, distant stars and galaxies. Whoa! Amazing! Come join S F Said to hear about his latest breathtaking book, Phoenix. Meet Lucky, an ordinary human boy who wakes to find an incredible power rising in him and a supernova coming, bringing with it a war between humans and aliens. Only one boy can save the galaxy – just as well he’s called Lucky!

Tickets are now on sale; here's a link to the booking page!  And of course there'll be copies of Phoenix on sale, which I'll be signing after the event.

I've had some fantastic experiences at Edinburgh in the past, and met some great audiences there, so please come if you can!  There are some wonderful writers doing events this year – some of my favourites include Julie Bertagna, David Almond, Meg Rosoff, Keith Gray, Garth Nix and Sally Gardner, who won the Carnegie Medal this year for her fabulous book Maggot Moon!  Congrats Sally – hope to see you there!

Phoenix: Interior Art Preview!

Have a look at this great feature by Dave McKean on The Guardian about his current work, which includes one of his amazing illustrations from my new book Phoenix:

This one totally took my breath away when I first saw it.  I hope you like it too... and if you do - please share it!

Phoenix To Launch At London Film & Comic Con!

I'm thrilled to be able to announce that Dave McKean and I will be launching my new book Phoenix at the London Film & Comic Con on Saturday July 6th!

Official publication isn't until August, but there'll be advance copies of the book on sale, and we'll be doing a public signing from 11am to 1pm - so come and get your copy first!

Full details and booking forms can be found on the official website.  It's going to be an amazing weekend, there are some incredible people coming – Peter Dinklage & Lena Headey (Game Of Thrones), Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Eve Myles (Torchwood), even Peter Mayhew & Kenny Baker (who played Chewbacca & R2D2 in the original Star Wars!)  I can't wait!!!

Allerton Literacy Festival

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone I met at Allerton Primary School, where I was honoured to take part in the Allerton Literacy Festival last week!

Thank you for giving me such a warm welcome – it really meant a lot to hear how much you'd enjoyed reading Varjak Paw.  Things like that make all the hard work worthwhile!

It was great to hear about all your own stories too; there was some fantastic work going on there!  So good luck with your own writing – and please look out for Phoenix in August!

The Supernova Is Coming...

Exciting update on my new book Phoenix!  It's now just two months until publication, and we sent the final files to the printers this week – so I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to post the front cover here!

Hasn't Dave McKean done an incredible job?!  Just wait till you see the interior art!  I'll be posting some in the not-too-distant future, along with more updates, sneak previews, and announcements about events... In the meantime, please share this image (there are buttons below for facebook, twitter etc), and help to spread the word!

School Visit: Hillsgrove Primary

I just wanted to say big thank you to the Year 3's of Hillsgrove Primary School, who I was very honoured to visit this week!

It was amazing to meet so many Varjak Paw fans, and to see all the great work you've been doing.  Thank you so much for your warm welcome and your brilliant questions; I really enjoyed the visit!

It was especially amazing to hear how much some people were looking forward to Phoenix!  I hope you'll enjoy it too... let me know what you think when it comes out!

Lovely comment!

hi sf said I love your books!!! they're amazing!!! Especially Varjak Paw. We have been reading it at school and it is really interesting. We just wanted to say hi!!! :D

NADINE GREEN

Hi Nadine!  Thanks so much for your lovely comment, you've totally made my day!  I hope you'll enjoy reading The Outlaw Varjak Paw as well - here's one of my favourite images from it:

In fact, that's one of my all-time favourite pictures by Dave McKean – along with the unbelievably brilliant work he's done for my new book, Phoenix!  Publication is less than 3 months away now, so I'll be posting some of those new pictures soon...  hope you like them too!  And please let everyone at your school know that there is a new book on the way!!!