Blog
7 February 2008
Blackheart was launched at Borders, Oxford, on Monday with ninety local school children in the audience. A fun event - let me know what you think of Cat's latest adventure!
And if you want to read the Blue Peter webchat, follow this link.
Posted by Julia Golding on 06 February 2008
4 February 2008
Black Heart of Jamaica came out today officially. I launched it at Borders, Oxford, this morning so thanks to the schools who were there to mark the occasion. If you want to chat to me about it, do log on the Blue Peter website.
Posted by Julia Golding on 04 February 2008
22 January 2008
Not long to go before Black Heart comes and to celebrate there will be lots happening: *New look Cat section on my site with added extras *New style presentation for events all about the theatre *Launch in Borders Oxford on morning of 4 Feb, tour of the country 25-29th including the Bath Festival and many more events besides. *Appearance on Go For It with visit to Drury Lane(Sunday evening programme on BBC Radio 4) * Blue Peter web chat I'll post the details as and when I have them all. Prepare to swash your buckle with Cat in the Caribbean (an alternative title I did in fact consider - like it?).
Posted by Julia Golding on 22 January 2008
8 January 2008
Back to work after a long break. It is hard to get in gear after a pause, isn't it? I've not been completely idle. I've just finished Jenny Uglow's book on Bewick (a contemporary of Cat who did beautiful engravings of animals and country scenes). Loads of information about Newcastle at that time, very appropriate as soon I'll be going to the Seven Stories Centre. Best wishes to my readers for the New Year.
Posted by Julia Golding on 08 January 2008
14 December 2007
Preparations for Christmas slowly being made in the Golding household. I'm in a nice place because I've done all I need to do this year so can start to work on books for 2009 under no pressure, leaving plenty of time of mince pies and carol services. My favourite thing about Christmas? - definitely going to Church, preferably the midnight mass with lots of candles and atmosphere, or else the crib service with my children. I also like the presents - the giving these days rather than the receiving. Best present? Of course, a really good book.
Posted by Julia Golding on 14 December 2007
11 December 2007
I've just discovered that Sirens is out in Japan, complete with club with its own Society Symbol. Follow the link if you are a Japanese reader (or curious other) and take the test to find out your companion.
Posted by Julia Golding on 11 December 2007
7 December 2007
Had a fun day with the boys at the City of London School right on the banks of the Thames. Congratulations to you all for being so ready to volunteer for the girls' parts! Mind you, with past pupils including Daniel Radcliffe, I shouldn't be surprised to find you all budding actors. Tomorrow's a big day for the Campaign against Climate Change. I'll be on Millbank, London, with the others on the march (timed to coincide with the big meeting in Bali of world leaders). There are marches all round the world (I've already seen photos of ones in Australia). What can one person do about climate change? Very little. But lots of 'one persons' joining together and then we have a chance to save the planet for the next century.
Posted by Julia Golding on 07 December 2007
1 December 2007
Having finished the first draft of Cat 6, I'm now taking a holiday with Darcie Lock. This is in fact a book I started 18months ago and put aside, much to the horror of the home team who hated me leaving her in dire straits for so long. I'm having great fun with her, bringing back some old characters, inventing some new, trying to find new territory for a thriller...
Posted by Julia Golding on 01 December 2007
16 November 2007
I had one of those powerful flashbacks to childhood this morning prompted by, of all things, chopper bikes. Picture late 70s early 80s - the cool thing to have was a chopper with extra long seat to give your friends backies. They were chunky design, a bit like the fashion of squarecut hair and flared trousers. Then came BMXs and skateboards, which also went along with drainpipe trousers (I doubt there's a link). I should own up to having none of these things, content with my shopper bike (height of uncool). But one can always dream - or give them to a character in one of my books... Cat won't get any of these things, but I am drawing to an end of my first draft of Cat's Cradle - an exciting time for a writer.
Posted by Julia Golding on 16 November 2007
6 November 2007
I visited Years 5 and 6 at Pinewood School today (hi folks) - a beautiful drive along the line of the Downs. Very near the school is the White Horse - a Iron Age (I think) picture carved in to the hillside (look it up on Google Images if you want to know what it's like). I find old places like that really inspiring. Why did they make the image which is best seen from the air? Was it a 'keep out - our tribe lives here'? Or religious? Or just for fun? The stories start to come when you think along these lines, don't they?
Posted by Julia Golding on 06 November 2007
16 October 2007
Had an extraordinary time on Sunday being the guest speaker at the evening service at St Paul's Cathedral, London. I'd never done anything like it before. I read the section from the Minotaur where Connie asks Gard about the creation of the earth - probably the most overtly spiritual thing I've written - but I also mentioned Cat and her hunt for a publisher around St Pauls (the then publishing district). Of course, she fell in to the hands of horrid Mr Tweadle... Thanks to Ed Newell for asking me to speak as part of their series this autumn on childhood (it was a privilege) - still to come: a composer and a clown!
Posted by Julia Golding on 16 October 2007
8 October 2007
Winner of the Darcie Lock competition is Agent Bluejay. Here is her reasoning for the name: I think that if I was to have a code-name it would probably have to be...Bluejay. This is because I love the little things and some have said that I am a little like them myself. They are noisy and annoying (this is like me) but they scrub up prettty well and their distracting blue coats can be useful. They can flit easily in and out of danger and are deceptively intelligent. I would like to think that I would be a little something like that if I were ever on a mission with Darcie. Last but not least the bluejay can sing many different songs and can sound like many different birds. Adaptable! Thats me! (I hope) Runners up: Agents Slug, Tortoise (who likes Stingo because he's 'like a gobstopper- hard but ever so sweet), Cool (anagram of Loco), Pinkleponklepipsikin (unguessable), Lion-Cub, Monkey, Angel Ice and Typhoon. You were all so clever with your reasons that I found it hard to choose. I'll be in touch by email to arrange your prizes. (Agent Monkey - I need an email for you - or you can drop me a line via the contacts page telling me where to send your prize!!) Julia
Posted by Julia Golding on 08 October 2007
3 October 2007
Darcie Lock competition has now closed and I will be judging the entries this weekend so watch this space to hear the winners. There were some excellent suggestions for codenames - I'll include a sample when I announce the result. I've been busy travelling - Bath, Spalding, Cambridge, Handcross Park - so greetings to all of you who have met me recently. I'm in Cheltenham this weekend - a chance to catch me at a public signing if you want a gold signature!
Posted by Julia Golding on 03 October 2007
17 September 2007
One of the exciting things about being an author that I did not anticipate before I set out on this career is the issue of foreign editions of my work. The Companions Quartet is coming out in the States and elsewhere even as I type but I think I'm most excited about the Japanese edition as this will be illustrated. I won't of course be able to understand a word of it, but I'm looking forward to flicking through it back to front. If you've read any of my books in a foreign edition, let me know what you think of the translation (or in the case of America - the Americanisation). In the States Col and Connie have moms not mums, eat chips rather than crisps and put things in trash cans rather than rubbish bins. Enjoy!
Posted by Julia Golding on 17 September 2007
7 September 2007
I wanted to write a little about Cat's name following a query from a reader. Those of you with sharp eyes will note that the continuation of Brydges Street outside Drury Lane is called Catherine Street after Queen Catherine of Braganza, Charles II wife. It seemed natural to me that Sheridan would pick this as Cat's name as her surname was taken from the theatre. It also hints as his political leanings, though you don't need to worry about that. I was just giving a nod to the Sheridan biography by Fintan O'Toole which makes him out to be a more subversive character than previous accounts with links to his Irish background and sympathy for the much put-upon Catholics of his era.
Posted by Julia Golding on 07 September 2007
24 August 2007
One of my regulars on this site (Mischa) has made a fan site for Cat, including an 'exclusive' interview with Cat which we worked on together. If you want to have a look, visit www.catroyalseries.piczo.com
Posted by Julia Golding on 24 August 2007
23 August 2007
It was great fun being up in Edinburgh again. I was particularly impressed by the girls from St Goerge's (hi girls) who have now been to every one of my Edinburgh appearances. Thanks to all of you who turned up or who stopped by to say hello in the signing tent. The Authors' Yurt smelled a bit of damp dog this year and the site was a touch waterlogged, but, hey, it was still brilliant. I enjoyed sharing the platform at one event with Adele Geras. If you are one of my older readers and have not tried her Ithaka or Troy, you should - well worth a read. A question to all you Cat fans out there: some of the people who write about children's books wonder if I've made the spoof critics at the front too difficult for you lot to understand - yes, really. I write the critics not expecting everyone to get all the jokes/point but to sense that there is one there to tease out if you feel so inclined (the names I pick are always real people who lived in or just after Cat). I started doing it as a bit of fun as I got fed up with the hundreds of books endorsed by other writers - 'this is the best thing since sliced bread', you know the sort of thing. Tell me what you think about them. If you have any questions that Google can't answer about the people in the list, do let me know as I'd be delighted to take your further in to the fascinating culture of what is known as the Romantic era of literature.
Posted by Julia Golding on 23 August 2007
17 August 2007
Off to Edinburgh tomorrow so hope to see some readers there. I'm particularly looking forward to meeting Adele Geras with whom I'm sharing a session on Monday about writing historical novels. She has many years of experience writing for young people and adults so I'm sure I'll learn a lot. I love Edinburgh as a city - so dramatic with the castle right in the middle - so I'm anticipating a good four days.
Posted by Julia Golding on 17 August 2007
10 August 2007
Hi everyone. Back from holiday so if you emailed in the last two weeks you'll find a reply in the Contact pages. There were lots of you though so you may have to scroll back through! Thanks for everyone who took the trouble to leave a review of the latest books. I'm glad Cat O'Nine Tails has pleased Cat fans. I particularly like the scene in Bath...
Posted by Julia Golding on 10 August 2007
9 August 2007
Just got back from holiday so if you've emailed you should now have an answer. Do check the contact page and scroll back through.
Posted by Julia Golding on 09 August 2007