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David Almond & Sara Grady

This month we are talking to top children’s author David Almond, who has sold over 1 million books, and Children’s Programme Director at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Sara Grady, about their work, the Book Festival and Outreach.

David Almond will be visiting schools as part of the Outreach Programme that is run by Edinburgh International Book Festival and Scottish Book Trust. The Outreach programme will run over two weeks in August and also features Sam Enthoven, Tim Bowler, Sophie Mackenzie, Mario Ivan Martinez and Rachel Hazel.

Down to Sara Grady interview

David Almond

What was the first book you had published?
A collection of stories called Sleepless Nights. It was published in 1985 by a small north-eastern press called IRON. Print run of 500. It has one or two things in it that I quite like, but some I hate...

Do you have a daily writing routine? How do you go about it?
When I'm writing a novel, it's 9-5 with an hour's lunch break. I try to write 1000 words a day, but usually don't hit that. And I throw a lot away and I rewrite and rewrite. I write in a cabin at the bottom of the garden. I'm very busy, and I travel a lot, so I also have to be able to write on the move - on trains, in hotels etc. But the best work's always done at the desk.

What would you do if you weren’t a writer?
I'd be a brilliant midfielder for Newcastle United.

Who’s your favourite author?
I have lots of writers I keep returning to; Raymond Carver, for instance; Flannery O'Connor; Marquez.

Could you give us some tips for young people interested in becoming writers?
Just write. Enjoy writing. Don't think you have to write something really good every time. Allow yourself to doodle and scribble. Play with words/characters/stories. Allow yourself to be influenced by the writers you like. Write about the things that you like and that you know about. Don't think you have to know the whole story when you set off. Plot and plan if you like to, but don't get confined by the plan. Allow your story to grow like a living thing. Trust your imagination. Look at the ordinary world and see how astonishing it is. Try to get some of the ordinary wonders of the world into your work. Write longer than you think you can. Write better than you think you can. Write. Write again. Don't get precious or conceited about writing. Enjoy your life and look after yourself.

Are you looking forward to coming to Edinburgh for the Book Festival and who are you looking forward to seeing?
Yes. I love Edinburgh Book Festival - it's probably my favourite of all the festivals. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of people, Mal Peet, Anthony Browne...

Your new book, Jackdaw Summer, will be on sale early at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Tell us a little bit about it.
It's set in Northumberland during a long hot summer. Two boys, Liam and Max, are led through the countryside by a jackdaw. They discover a baby abandoned in an ancient farmhouse. The baby is taken to a foster home, where Liam meets an African refugee and an orphan called Crystal. So begins a summer of great change, of growth, astonishment and some savagery.

Clay was recently adapted for television. What did you think of the television version?
I thought it was brilliant. It really caught much of the essence of the book.

What was your favourite book as a child?
King Arthur and His Knights of The Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green.

Sara Grady

Can you begin by telling us a little bit about the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Children’s Programme?
The Book Festival is 25 years old now. In 1983, there were a couple of tents and about 25 authors - and now we're the biggest Book Festival in the world, with over 750 authors jammed packed into two amazing weeks with loads of things for pretty much every taste and style.

I'm the Director of the Children's Programme which means I plan, design and schedule every one of our 300 events for kids and families from nursery rhymes for toddlers to graphic novels and gritty teen fiction. It's a great job because I love books, I love kids and I love thinking up new ways to get people excited about stories.

Can you explain what Outreach is and why it’s so important?
Outreach is about giving as many people as possible the chance to experience great events and meet real live authors in person. It is absolutely crucial to what we do.

The Children's Programme in Charlotte Square see almost 45,000 kids and families come to our garden every summer from all over the world. But for lots of different reasons, sometimes it's impossible for people to join us. So our Outreach programme takes the Book Festival experience out to people who can't come to us. Mostly this means authors visiting school groups, though we also work with socially excluded young people and community groups too.

We believe books are for everyone. Every single person, grown-ups and kids, should read what they like and be inspired - no matter where they live, where they come from, how much money they make or what they do. The whole purpose of the Book Festival is to share the amazing experience of hearing an inspiring author talk about their work, and Outreach helps us do just that. Because Outreach is such a big job, we team up with Scottish Book Trust and City of Edinburgh Libraries and work together to do what none of us could do alone.

How do you choose which authors go on Outreach?
First, I read tons of books to decide which authors we want to have at the Festival. Then I invite a huge list of authors, and luckily most of them say yes (although sometimes people are having babies or moving to Australia and can't come).

From the list of authors who are coming in August, we write them a letter explaining why we think Outreach is important and ask them if they would like to be a part of it. Lots of them say yes, so from that list we try to have at least one event for every age group from 5-15 and spread things out as fairly as possible (for example, if an author did Outreach last year, we'd maybe give a new author the chance this time).

How did you get your job as Children’s Programme Director?
In America, I used to be a producer of plays and films and things. I started by volunteering with school plays, and just kept at it because I loved planning and designing exciting things for people to go to and see. I even did a show at the Fringe Festival when I was at Uni.

When I moved to Edinburgh, I started working in the children's department of a bookshop because I have always loved kids books and helping recommend stories to people (it's like matchmaking, but more fun).

So when the Festival needed a new Director, I knew this was the job for me. It was all my favourite things - planning interesting events, talking about books and sharing stories with kids.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing in August?
I am really excited about all the new books coming out this summer (like the newest Artemis Fowl and the new Ology book), but I have a secret confession. I love to go to events about things I have never heard of. This year I might try our events on crazy inventions or how to make movies or learning to do magic tricks. That way it's always an adventure, you never know what you might discover.

Who would you recommend to our readers?
As always, it depends on your taste:

To tickle the funny bone - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
To learn something new - 101 Things You Wish You Had Invented (and some you wish no one had) by Tracy Turner
For wickedly fun adventures - The Bag of Bones by Vivian French
For bouncy youngsters - Posy by Catherine Rayner
and For Thrilling Escapades - Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve