Wednesday 31 March 2010

Mayhewmania: in which our hero Jonathan Mayhew launches Mortlock and a flock of SCBWI fans turn up

So yeah, I was supposed to still be blogging about Bologna - about Ellen Hopkins' really cool talk about writing for teenagers and how to win prizes as explained by Leonard Marcus and the making of Coralilne as told by Fiona Kenshole and various other cool bits and pieces that happened.

But events have overtaken me.

Specifically, the launch of Jonathan Mayhew's amazing new Victorian gothic book MORTLOCK (the young heroine is a knife thrower. How cool is that?)

I went to the book launch (originally, I wasn't invited but we SCBWI people have our ways and managed to force Jon to give up some invites).

It was a thrilling evening at the Water Poet pub in Shoreditch - if you ignored the fabulous shopping and cafes and restaurants, it's like, cobbled Jack the Ripper land. Here is a slideshow of launch photos (thanks to Kathryn Evans and Sue Eves for additional photos):



Did I mention that most of the attendees had a striking resemblance to Jon?

The Mayhew family. Jon said the heroes were composites of his children - or did he say villains?

The SCBWI crowd turned up dressed in Victorian black with a touch of raven and shadows.

 
Bex, Sue, Kathy, Paolo, Laura, Sue, Anita

A tall, dark and handsome stranger flung himself into Mr. Mayhew's arms. It was the Dark Knight aka fellow author of gothic horror Sarwat Chadda.

Dances with Gothic Horror authors

Actors acted.
 

Beautiful women threw themselves at Jon's feet.

He wrote my name down!

The book itself was a thing of beauty.
Red endpapers and pages edged in black

Congratulations, Jon! We are proud of you!


9 comments :

  1. Dulcinea Norton-Smith31 March 2010 at 22:48

    It looks like a night to remember. And actors too? Wow!

    My darling husband has just seen my copy of Mortlock and (though incapable of reading any fiction as "it isn't real") commented "hey cool, the pages are black." Obviously he didn't mean the actual pages or you wouldn't be able to read the black print but it was about as impressed as he has ever been by a fiction book so big thumbs up for Mortlock!

    P.S. I was saving Mortlock for the Bank Holiday but I have no will power and sneakily read up to Chapter 4 today. Shhhh

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  2. This is fab!!A brilliant night and an honour to be there. Jon is a nice, nice man and a hugely talented writer.

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  3. Fabulous endpapers...looking forward to reading the book.

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  4. As long as the endpapers are cool...

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  5. ooooh the book is irresistible. i too am saving it for the easter weekend but finding it difficult to keep away ...

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  6. I started reading Mortlock last night - totally brill! Can't believe that I first read bits of it four long years ago - it's evolved so much since then and become a real cracker of a story.
    Well done to Jon - and you SCBWIers - you look wonderful! Am deeply envious and glowing an unattractive shade of green not to have been able to join you!

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  7. The evening and the book look wonderful. Well done, Jon

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  8. that hand coming out of the ground is well scary. When are you going to sign a copy for me, Jon?

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  9. It was a brilliant evening made all the more wonderful by the presence of all my SCBWI buddies!

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