Nosy Newsletter #2

Everything noteworthy from November

Dec 02, 2024

Hello, everyone.

Here’s my round-up of noteworthy happenings from November. It felt a busy month, though marginally less exciting than October, which was the best month for me author-life-wise for a very long time (for various reasons, which you can read about here).

My 23^rd book was published…

On Thursday 7^th November, my 23^rd book (and sixth this year) was published.

The Circular Square is an uplifting picture book about how our experiences shape us, and how, even though life can be difficult, there’s always good to be found.

It’s brilliantly illustrated by Neil Clark, and many people have already commented on just how striking his artwork is.

If you’d like to see some behind-the-scenes footage showing Neil’s process, check out his Instagram videos here and here. And you can read about how The Circular Square came to be in this post.

…and included in Reading Rocks Subscription Boxes

Another bit of good news is that the wonderful Reading Rocks selected The Circular Square for their November subscription box for primary educators. That means that the book has gone out to around 165 school classes and educators across the UK.

Here’s what I wrote about that:

“I'm absolutely delighted that The Circular Square will be making its way into children's lives via these brilliant subscription boxes, as I truly believe that reading ROCKS! Books, reading and writing have been a dependable source of immeasurable pleasure and comfort for me ever since I was little, and I'm passionate that all children should have the opportunity to benefit from books in the same way that I have. I hope readers will take comfort from Square's story - and feel inspired to persevere with a positive attitude in tough times - but most importantly, I hope they'll have FUN reading it. So, HAPPY READING!”

Thank you, Reading Rocks!

I spoke to a lot of pupils…

To coincide with the book’s release, my publisher organised for me to visit three schools as part of Tring Book Festival.

Across the day, I spoke to about 450 children, and the bookshop sold 150+ books. It was great fun – so thank you to the schools for having me, and to Templar and Tring Book Festival for organising!

I also visited two other schools this month, spending a day at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy in Bexhill, at which I gave an assembly to my biggest single group yet (around 400 pupils, I think!) …

…and a morning at St Anthony’s School in Chichester, which – funnily enough – is on the same site as my old primary school. St Anthony’s is an outstanding day Special School, catering for boys and girls with a range of learning, medical and language difficulties.

I read I Really Want the Cake to three different classes in turn. I so enjoyed seeing the children – the majority of whom are on the Autistic Spectrum – engaging with the story, and their excitement at being given a copy of the book to take home, which were supplied by Children’s BookFest, who organised the event – so thank you very much, as always, to CBF!

And to Naomi and James Jones on their Words and Pictures Substack

Friday just gone, I featured on the brilliant Words and Pictures Substack (which you MUST check out if you haven’t) in their Words and Pictures with… author interview series.

I was asked many excellent questions, and I tried my best to make my answers excellently insightful. Thanks, James and

Naomi Jones

, for inviting me on – every week, I look forward to reading your Substack!

Thanks for reading Authorly Honest! This post is public, and I’d honestly LOVE you to share it.

The postman delivered a perfect proof

I mentioned in my previous Nosy Newsletter that I was excited to receive the final artwork for my next book with Ella Okstad, due out next year – but that excitement was trumped this week by receiving a proof copy of the finished thing!

I’m unable to share much about this book at the moment, other than it’s about a child with perfectionist tendencies, but I’m looking forward to revealing more (about the book) hopefully quite soon!

And this Substack continued to grow

I gained 88 subscribers this month (including 6 paid ones). So a huge thank you to everyone who’s subscribed so far, and sent me supportive messages. I really appreciate it. Here are this Substack’s current stats, which I’d love to improve upon: