Festivals and other fun

It's been a busy time on this writers' calendar.

In mid-May, I headed south to Franschhoek in the Western Cape, one of the most beautiful places on this planet, for the annual Franschhoek Literary Festival.

Before the main programme began, a few days were spent trying to get kids in the valley hooked on books. Every class was visited by an author or illustrator, and we did our best to get them enthusiastic and excited about reading. I chatted to the grade 8's at Franschhoek High School about my drug of choice (reading!!) with my "Get addicted to reading" schtik. It went so well!

My favourite moment was when a teacher came up to me afterwards and told me that the schoolgirl seated near her had listened raptly as I read a funny section from my most recent book, Rock Steady, and when I finished the chapter, the girl whispered, "Ah, lees nog!" ("Read more!"). These are the things that make writers glow pink and gold!

After the Children's Programme, I stuck around for the rest of the festival. It was fantastic to hear fabulous writers - international and local - talk about their books, their inspirations and their writing processes (everybody's is different). The special thing about this festival is how it takes over the town and everything becomes wonderfully relaxed, informal and wine-soaked. Writers are chatty, friendly and approachable, and do a load of interacting with their audiences. I got to meet a bunch of my tweeps in person, which was fantastic.

Last weekend was the second RMB Kingsmead Book Fair, also a must-do event on the local literary calendar. The day before the festival, a small group of writers and illustrators took an outreach programme to schools in the area, again spreading reading-fever. It is such a priviledge to connect with these smart, eager kids - I love it!

At the festival itself, between chatting to a host of SA's magnificently talented authors, I spoke to a room full of tweens and young teens abot Rock Steady, and got asked some really interesting questions - fun! It's always a pinch-yourself moment afterwards when you sit down to sign copies of your book.

Next up (Saturday 1 July, at 2pm) is a discussion panel with three other South African YA writers (Fiona Snyckers, Sinovuyo Nkonki and Katherine White) at Skoobs Theatre of Books at Monte Casino, Johannesburg. We'll be debating who should decide what teens get to read. It promises to be fabulous, so join us if you can!

On 18 June, I'll be chatting at the Brescia House Book Fair, and on 3 July I'll be in Durban as a guest of honour for the international finals of the Kids Lit Quiz - those kids are so awesome and so well-read, it's scary!

It's a busy couple of months, but when I get young people to pick up and read books, then I feel energised and satisfied. Please feel free to contact me via the website if you have a comment on one of the chats or books, or would like to invite me to your festival, school or event.

Keep reading!

On writing and momming

Michael Ferguson wrote a very flattering article about me for the May Mothers' Day issue of of Get IT magazine. He said lot a very kind things - a couple of them were even true! But the gist of it was this: mothering is the hardest job in the world, just try your best to lead and guide, and give on trying to control.

About my writing:

"Joanne has written two young adult novels Turtle Walk and the sequel Rock Steadywhich was released in February this year. 'I wanted to write realistic fiction and tell stories in a local setting with smart, funny and resourceful heroines instead of the cliché male lead. I also wanted them to be the kind of books that my daughter likes to read. My main goal was to write great stories with current ecological themes.'

 
You can read the full article here.

Photos: Dylan Slater Photography 

The photoshoot was an exercise in hilarity. I bribed everyone with caprese muffins (mozzarella cheese, basil, sun-dried tomatoes - omnomnom) and they were all so kind.

Dylan, the photographer, kept urging me into the trees - I felt like I was getting my Twilight on. (I bit my lips and kept scanning the boughs for a glimpse of Edward, but all I saw was leaves and treetops. And hadedahs.)

It was a lot of fun to be a cover"girl" at forty-mumble, but methinks I prefer writing to modelling :)

YA in SA Author Interview

I was interviewed by the fabulous Matt Imrie, the brains behind Teen Librarian, as part of their YA in SA Authors feature.

Matt does such great work for libraries in the UK and works hard at innovating ways to get young people to read. His site makes for fascinating reading.

You can read the interview, in which I speak of my books, my inspiration and handing out balloons in shopping malls while wearing a bathing suit, here and you can follow Matt on Twitter at @Mattlibrarian.

The Next Big Thing - Blog Tagging

I was tagged in a blog by author Jayne Bauling so now it’s my turn to talk about my newly released novel Rock Steady which is the sequel to Turtle Walk. Three teen eco-warriors aim to save the country’s invaluable San rock art heritage, but along the way, they will discover that there are other things worth taking a stand for.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I’ve always loved the Drakensberg, and I’m fascinated the weird and wonderful San Rock Art around our beautiful country. I was horrified to learn that our art heritage is under threat not only from pollution, graffiti, and the weather, but also from theft. Around the world, the illegal trade in antiquities (including rock art removed from caves and rock-faces) is estimated at about 8 billion dollars per year. Only the international trades in illegal arms and drugs rank higher. I wondered what would happen if I pitted my eco-warriors against a gang of these thieves.

What genre does your book fall under?
It’s a Young Adult novel. I’ve had feedback from readers between 10 and 16 years. The older readers get more of the subtext and the subtleties, but it’s “clean” enough for younger readers.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
My daughter would kill me slowly and painfully if she didn’t get to play Sam! If the gods of movies ever decide to film this, though, I would only hope that they would cast South African actors – we have such talent in this country!

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Some things, both inside ourselves and out, are worth standing up for, and some things and people need to be stood up to!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About four months, with a bunch of edits and rewrites after that. I wrote this book much faster than the previous one, and I think it flows more smoothly as a consequence.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My inspiration for the series comes from the books I see on the YA bookshelves at book stores – almost exclusively written by foreign authors, telling stories very often based in fantasy, with a preponderance of male protagonists and feeble girl sidekicks who serve as loyal friends, victims to be rescued, or passive foils to the boy’s actions. With this series, I wanted to write realistic fiction (a break from wings and wands and fangs), telling our stories in our local settings, with smart, funny, resourceful, kick-ass heroines. In short, the kind of books I’d love my teen daughter and her friends to read. The feedback on that score has been amazing!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Readers have loved the humour and the romance. In this book, Samantha suffers at the hands of a poisonous teacher and her anxiety spikes as a result. I’ve let my experience as a psychologist guide the characterization of the teacher and Sam’s response, and I think any reader who has ever been bullied or found themselves freaking out, will be drawn into that aspect of the story.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book is published by Protea Boekhuis in South Africa.

Who are you passing the baton to for next week’s Next Big Thing?
I am passing it on to South African authors Louis Greenberg and Fiona Snyckers.
Louis Greenberg has most recently released creepy books The Ward and The Mall as half of the writing duo S.L.Grey (along with Sarah Lotz).

Fiona Snyckers’s most recent book is Trinity on Air, the follow-up to the successful Trinity Rising.

Rock Steady gets covered!

Rock Steady, due to be released within the next month, is off to the printers along with its new cover! I'm delighted :) Here is the new spread (front and back covers).

Samantha Steadman, and her best friends smart-mouthed Jessie Delaney and politician’s daughter Nomusa Gule, are back at boarding school, in grade 9, and they are up against a whole new set of challenges. Their creepy new Science teacher – the Poison Dwarf - takes delight in tormenting Sam, and she’s started counting and checking everything in a way that has her friends worried about her sanity. Add to that Sam’s determination to uncover and stop the illegal trade in San rock art, a blossoming new romance (or two), and a dangerous survival competition in the mountains which will endanger the trio’s lives, and Sam will need all her wits and courage to stand steady.

The eco-warriors are back in this funny, exciting sequel to Turtle Walk (which can also be read as a stand-alone book).. This time they aim to save the country’s invaluable rock art heritage, but along the way, they will discover that there are other things worth taking a stand for.