Storyshaped

We have the splendid pleasure of speaking with Sharon Gosling this week on the podcast - yes, only the author of one of our absolute favourite books of 2022, The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott! The stories that shaped Sharon are wide-ranging and exciting, and our chat with her was fun, informative, and full of brilliant books. Come along with us as we take a walk through Sharon's Storyshaped life, and who knows? You might find she's Storyshaped in just the same way as you.Books mentioned in this episode include some of Sharon's own:The Diamond Thief, winner of the Redbridge Children’s Book Award 2014The Ruby Airship The Sapphire CutlassThe Golden ButterflyHouse of Hidden WondersThe Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott. Her adult books have included The House Beneath the Cliffs and The Lighthouse BookshopAnd the stories that shaped her include:Little Grey Rabbit, by Alison UttleyMeg and Mog, by Helen Nicoll and Jan PienkowskiBoys' Best Adventures (any books that helped you to survive in the wild)The Circus of Adventure, by Enid BlytonAmazon Adventure, by Willard PriceBeaver Towers, by Nigel HintonWhen Marnie Was There, by Joan RobinsonThe Girl Who Ran Away, by Joan RobinsonThe Flight of the Doves, by Walter MackenTrixie Belden series, by Julie Campbell Tathem and othersThe Hardy Boys, by Franklin W. Dixon (collective pen-name)Little Women, by Louisa May AlcottThe Animals of Farthing Wood, by Colin DannTwenty-Five Years in the Word Mines, by Graham JoyceWhy Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette WintersonThe novels of Terry PratchettBabel, by R.F. KuangThe British Library collections of short storiesThe novels and short stories of Shirley JacksonThe work of Kelly LinkHag, edited by Carolyne LarringtonFolk, by Zoe GilbertParnassus on Wheels, by Christopher MorleyA Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories, by Joan AikenThe Faithless Lollybird, by Joan AikenOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Today's guest is the BRILLIANT M.G. Leonard, author of some of the best books for young children available today. Her books have been personally inspirational to us, and M.G. herself is such a fount of inspiration, wisdom, and compassion - her insights into writing, the importance of stories, and how she used her own story to reshape her own life, is a must-listen. Come and join us, and find out how M.G. Leonard is Storyshaped.Books mentioned in this week's episode include M.G.'s own:Beetle BoyBeetle QueenThe Battle of the BeetlesThe Beetle Collectors' Handbook (non-fiction)The Tale of a ToothbrushThe Highland Falcon Thief (with Sam Sedgman)Kidnap on the California Comet (with Sam Sedgman)Murder on the Safari Star (with Sam Sedgman)Danger at Dead Man's Pass (with Sam Sedgman)Sabotage on the Solar Express (with Sam Sedgman)The Arctic Railway Assassin (with Sam Sedgman)TwitchSparkThe Ice ChildrenThe stories which shaped her include:Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret GardenRoald Dahl, The TwitsThe Work of Enid BlytonAstrid Lindgren, Pippi LongstockingWilliam Shakespeare, MacbethE.L. Grant Watson, What to Look for in Autumn (Ladybird Book)Elise Rousseau and Phillipe J. Dubois, A Short Philosophy of BirdsOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

It's Thursday, which means we've got another wonderful Storyshaped podcast for you all! We're speaking with the incredible Efua Traoré, author of Children of the Quicksands and The House of Shells, two beautiful Middle Grade novels set in Nigeria and infused with the folklore, magic, and culture of that vibrant country. Efua takes us through her early days as an adventurer, tree-climber, go-getter and dreamer, and how stories - both in her local library and in the culture all around her - shaped her imagination and sparked her creativity. Come with us as we learn about how her first published story was shaped, and by whom; listen in as she shares her dreams for the future of children's literature in Nigeria and in Africa, and stay with us till the end for some tantalising hints about what's next from this incredible author! Are you ready? Then, let's get Storyshaped.Books mentioned in this week's episode include Efua's own:Children of the QuicksandsThe House of ShellsThe stories which shaped Efua include:Tales by Moonlight - a TV show from Efua's childhood in Nigeria which retold stories from folkloreEnid Blyton, The Famous FiveAlf Proysen, Mrs PepperpotC.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of NarniaAstrid Lindgren, The Six Bullerby ChildrenOtfried Preussler, The Little Water-SpriteTales From... (A collection of folktales and legends from all around the world)Louisa May Alcott, Little WomenArthur Conan Doyle, The Speckled Band (Sherlock Holmes)Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes)Chinua Achebe, Things Fall ApartChimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Purple HibiscusSabine Adeyinka, Jummy at the River SchoolTolá Okogwu, Onyeka and the Academy of the SunTomi Adeyemi, Children of Blood and BoneNnedi Okorafor, Akata WitchNatasha Bowen, Skin of the SeaNamina Forna, The Gilded OnesJordan Ifueko, RaybearerOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.