Belated updates, events, news, etc

Hello everyone, sorry I am not very good at this blogging thing am I?

 (from hedgehog calendar I just needed a pic to start the post with)

Book update and a Christmas treat

So I haven't talked about it TOO much on here, but most of you know that in November I had my first YA book published by the wonderful Hot Key Books- The Isobel Journal. I thought that it might be nice if I shared a little more about what I've been doing since its publishing and get some links together of some videos, interviews, resources etc for those who are interested, so that is what I will be putting into this post :-)

But I'll start off with a treat for those of you who already know about the book:
I started making a playlist of songs to go with the book a while ago, but never really got round to actually uploading it to 8tracks. The idea was that I would choose some songs which flowed with the themes of the book- starting off with "About Me" (or at least, the fictionalised Isobel) through the love, heartbreak, and optimism of teenage girlhood. The book is full of references to music that I like so I have tried to include those mentioned too. What I'd like is if people could read along, and the music could act somewhat as a soundtrack. Or, just listen to it because you like cool music.
Here it is, finally uploaded as a Christmas treat - sorry about the awful "artwork"!

 

I also illustrated the tracklisting for you- I wish I had my scanner at home but since I took it to uni, I'll just upload this photo for now... I hope it's readable! I think if you click it you can view it bigger.

Snoopers Paradise

New drawing + things

Hey Internet, heres a little drawing I did yesterday that I particularly liked. I wanted to post it but I thought I should probably write something to go with it but I didn't really know what. So here are just Some Things I've Been Doing... The last week I've been off uni and back at home, which has been really nice- as you saw from the last post I was starting to really miss it. It was surreal, I'd only been away for 6 weeks but it felt like it had been forever. Then I went to stay at my friends for Halloween and we saw Frankenstein (the Nation Theatre production) at the cinema, and on Friday night I saw a Q&A on Regent Street with Simon Amstell (my hero) and it was ace, I asked him a question and it'll be on the podcast of the event hopefully!!! Will post about that then with a link if I remember. Now I just really need to do my work which is due in on Monday!!! eeeeek. I am slightly doing this blog post just to avoid doing an essay on T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" (stupid poem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) 

Anyway here you go, a drawing of a girl looking at herself in the mirror in her pants and thinking about how cool it is being a girl, probably. See ya x

  

A little tiny bit of a catch up

SO hello!!! It has been a little while since I last did a blog because obviously I came to university and it's been busybusybusy. Today I handed in my first 2 assignments and that felt good. I have been doing a lot of things, more than I can really write about. I just wanted to let everyone know I was O.K. Brighton is a very great and cool place to be and I feel like I have only explored like 0.05% of all the exciting things to do, but I guess I have 3 years to enjoy it. I have been doing some book related things, including going to Laura Dockrill's WOT event where I met Mel Geidroyc (omg GBBO fangirl SQUEAL), Caitlin Moran, and obviously Laura Dockrill which felt like a super honour because I have loved her for aaaages and I have all of her books and everything. She is honestly the most genuine and kind person who is very supportive of me. So much that she also took part in a little video interview with me for book promotion which I will post up here soon when it is done being edited by the very nice Sanne and Cait from Hot Key.
I have tried to be a bit cultural and I have seen a stand up show with Adam Buxton at the Brighton Comedy Festival, Kernel Panic, and it was so so so good and then I MET HIM!!! Which was the dream. Sorry this is just becoming a name drop post but whatever. Then last week I saw a great and emotional show called Credible Likeable Superstar Rolemodel at the Soho Theatre in London with the girls from Hot Key. It was a very moving show about the rolemodels children get in 2013. I nearly cried a lot worrying about my 5 year old sister. Bryony Kimmings (who wrote the show) performed the show with her 9 year old niece and talked about their project Catherine Bennett- an imaginary pop star who tries to be a credible likeable superstar role model. It is very very good- google her! I saw a play on Saturday at Battersea Arts Centre called Gym Party which was o.k (6/10) and on Wednesday I'm going to see the lovely Lanterns On The Lake do some songs. Soon I will get to go home again and give hugs to everyone at home which will be really great because whilst I am having a fun time - I promise, parents!!!!! - 5 weeks of not being at home is starting to make me a little bit homesick. Which is of course a totally normal way to feel. I had a nice bit of post from my dad today with a nice record from a charity shop with a nice cover which made me smile.
Tomorrow is the vegetable market and I am going to get lots of yummy stuff- I am eating well don't worry Responsible Adults... It turns out I am quite enjoying cooking these days even if I burn literally everything to the bottom of my pans. I am really into spinach and chick peas and sweet potatoes. I am also enjoying school, English is good and interesting and I'm absolutely loving Philosophy- I'm so happy with it since I knew nothing about it before I came here. It's sometimes like hard maths but I like that it's all about feelings and gut instincts not like science or something. I do keep falling asleep in my lectures which is embarrassing/bad but I think I might take up coffee.
Anyway I guess that's all I feel like writing right now... Here are a couple of drawings I've been doing, one is about homesickness (don't WORRY I'm FINE!) (and yes i KNOW I FORGOT TO FINISH THE PATTERN ITS BUGGING ME TOO) and one is just the view from my window at night (where I saw a badger the other day).

a trip to wigan and a charity shop origami book

Here are some scans from a book I picked up in a charity shop called Good Samaritans in Wigan. I think it's an origami book and the illustrations are super duper cute. The rest of the shop was pretty rubbish but I was drawn to this book and got it for 25p.
I actually had a surprisingly good day when I went to Wigan! Checked out "Cassette Store Day" at Static Records which is lovely and full of nice people. I got 2 tapes but haven't listened to them yet. I rummaged around the charity shops for a few hours and found one shop where all the clothes were £1! I got a black H&M mini skirt and a blazer, and a cute cushion cover for £2.50 in total. I got Lilo and Stitch for my sister on DVD and cried like a baby when we watched it. Then I had lunch at a cute veggie cafe called The Coven - I had Chinese vegetable fritters and noodles. Yum yum. I aso had a look in the 'normal' shops and got a tartan skirt in H&M and some earrings with horses on in the Topshop sale.

 

 

 

Going away to college

So, if you follow me on my other social networking outlets you are likely to know that on the 15th of August I recieved the A Level results I wanted (AAB) and will be going to The University Of Sussex in September to study Philosophy and English. You will also know I am EXTREMELY excited about it. One of my friends told me not to romantisice it too much but it's all I can do right now. I have turned into Carey Mulligan in An Education.