Today’s guest post is by Pamela Butchart, author of the Pugly, Wigglesbottom Primary, and Baby Aliens… series, on the book tour for her newest book, There’s a Werewolf in my Tent! (illustrated by Thomas Flintham).
‘There’s a Werewolf in My Tent!’ Book Tour:
4 days
4 indie bookshop visits
6 Waterstones book signings
Schools visits for 950+ pupils
1 invitation to the glitzy Nibbies
1 BBC Woman’s Hour debut
1 pair of the hairiest werewolf ears EVER
I’ve just returned home from my mini-tour of London to promote my new book ‘There’s A Werewolf in My Tent! And I had an absolute BALL!
Thank you to Queen’s Park Books, The Alligator’s Mouth, Pickled Pepper Books and Tales on Moon Lane for inviting me to spend time in your GORGEOUS bookshops!
Highlights include getting to draw on the fabulous Tales On Moon Lane wall and spend time with the lovely Corinne:
(Those weird lumps turn into a vampire rat. Just in case you were wondering.)
And scare the living daylights out of some Year 4s who are actually about to go off on a camping trip next week (such luck!):
Getting to meet some of my biggest fans at the fantastic bookshop, The Alligator’s Mouth:
And judge the werewolf drawing competition:
Visiting the wonderful Coleridge Primary School with the lovely team at Pickled Pepper Books:
Reading from WEREWOLF for the very first time at Queen’s Park books:
Meeting these wee Pugly fans:
And getting my pic taken with Woody and his awesome Shark scooter. Woody scooted into Queen Park Books with his mum to buy ‘Shark in the Pool’:
I also had a fab time signing books in lots of lovely Waterstones bookshops. I learned that Waterstones Piccadilly is a very romantic place (I got all the goss) and that my accent can be as terrifying to some as an actual werewolf:
I left a few booksellers baffled (and slightly afraid – the ears didn’t help) by giving them a crash-course in Dundonian (my accent kicks in big style around 5.30pm). Sorry Waterstones Hampstead:
I was so happy to have been able to visit so many bookshops and schools during my time in London.
And THEN I also got to attend the (very glitzy!) British Book Awards with my wonderful friends at Nosy Crow…who only went and won Children’s Publisher of the Year!!! HOORAY!
It was such a proud evening. Well done to everyone at Nosy Crow and to Camilla who was shortlisted for Editor or the Year and Ola who was shortlisted for Rights Professional of the Year.
I had a fabulous evening and although I managed to stop myself from being too much of a fangirl, I went a bit selfie-daft:
And I wouldn’t leave until I dragged Axel Scheffler and the rest of the Nosy Crow gang into the photo booth:
The next morning (bright and early!) I was lucky enough to be invited on to BBC Woman’s Hour to chat with (the very funny!) Jane Garvey about werewolves, homesickness and hairy legs (the episode aired yesterday):
I had a FANTASTIC time!
Thank you to Nosy Crow for inviting me to London and for taking such great care of me (I’ve returned home as a person who cannot fend for themselves and who expects food to appear in front of me every few hours).
Thanks also to Catherine, Frances, Louise and Clare for spending time with me and for making sure I got from A to B without getting lost on the tube or distracted by dogs, cats and lovely London pigeons.
Most of all, thank you to all the parents, teachers, school librarians and booksellers who brought children to the bookshops and organised school and bookshop events. YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!
Until the next full moon!
Love & pugs
Pamela x x x