VISIT CHICKEN AND FROG BOOKSHOP, FOR THE CREAM OF CHILDREN''S NEW BEST SELLERS

This seems a fertile time for writers and, indeed, readers, I have some interesting editors and authors lined up for Michelle Ward's Book Club morning programme on Phoenix 98fm starting on 29 January at 11.30am. Looking forward to welcoming Barry Kirk, well-known newspaper editor, photographer, journalist and actor.

Yesterday's peformance at Brentwood Theatre  of the celebration of the new Young Adult novel  Devilskein & Dearlove by South African author Alex Smith, has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2015.  This is a thrilling endorsement for this small publishing house of Arachne Press - with just six books on their publishing list.   Enjoyed meeting their chief  Cherry Potts (adore her name),  The UK trailer can be viewed via this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sERXgtkW1Fw&feature=youtu.be

To celebrate this very different new book, Cherry and her team produced a video and reading by a professional actor who performed to students of three main schools in Brentwood. The youngsters asked questions of Alex by means of recordings, which no doubt the author will answer in due course.  Quite an unusual afternoon and also a chance to meet up with supersonic theatre boss Mark Reed and his team. Always a joy!  Natasha Radford, owner of Chicken and Frog bookshop, Brentwood has signed copies of Alex's book at a special price - contact her at sales@chickenandfrog.co.uk