New York! New York! Round-up of SCBWI's 2013 Conference

By Candy Gourlay
(Who wasn't there)

Photo from the Empire State Building by Teri Terry (sholdn't you have been at the conference, Teri?)

Notes from the Slushpile sent a reporter to the recent SCBWI Conference in New York but she somehow ended up on the wrong side of the stage at the wrong event.

Are We in a Golden Age of Books and Not Noticing It?

By Candy Gourlay

I've been binge-blogging these past couple of weeks while on a writing break.

After a long period of trying not to blog because I had to finish writing my novel, I crawled out of the Writer's Cave and blogged here, here,  here, here, here, here and here.

But now I've got edits to do so I'm back in the Cave again. If anyone asks, I'm not here ;)

I've been thinking about golden ages recently after hearing Helen Mirren on the radio talking about cinema's Golden Age being that transition between silent films and sound when nobody knew what to expect from the new technologies and so ANYTHING could happen.

We children's authors are a supportive bunch, cheering each other on through gritted teeth

By Candy Gourlay

Hilary Mantel (Photo: Harper Collins)

Go, Hilary!

After winning the Booker Prize a second time (with the second book of her trilogy), Hilary Mantel also grabbed the Costa Prize. £30,000 prize money. Blimey.

Sally Gardner of course won the Children's Costa for Maggot Moon.