Storyshaped

So, if we sound a bit giddy on this week's episode, that's because we were! Head-whirlingly, we got to speak to Patrice Actual Lawrence, who is one of the most accomplished authors around. Patrice has written for all age groups, from picturebooks right up to YA (with equal aplomb), and her journey to creating this masterful body of work is an interesting one. Come with us as she takes us through her Storyshaped life.Books mentioned in this week's episode include Patrice's own:OrangeboyIndigo DonutEight Pieces of SilvaNeedleRose, InterruptedIs That Your Mama? illustrated by Diane EwenElemental DetectivesPeople Like StarsAnd the stories which shaped her include:Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie BlackmanMalory Towers, by Enid Blyton (and Patrice's own New Class At Malory Towers)Rainbow Magic, by 'Daisy Meadows'The work of John AgardThe work of Grace NicolsThe work of Julia DonaldsonThe work of Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Stephen KingThe work of Jenny Downham, especially Before I DieThe story of Jonathan Strong, an enslaved man in 18thC LondonThe Rivers of London (series), by Ben AaronovitchLove in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia MarquezDr Dolittle, by Hugh LoftingThe Railway Children, by E NesbitLittle Women, by Louisa May AlcottThe Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson BurnettThe Diddakoi, by Rumer GoddenOur Beautiful Darkness, by Onjaki, ill. Antonio Jorge Goncalves, trans. Lyn Miller-LachmanA Guest in the House, by Emily Carroll100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Cafe, by Julian Sedgwick and Chie KutsuwadaBefore the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - the book Sinéad was trying to recall!Tsunami Girl, by Julian Sedgwick and Chie KutsuwadaThe Pigman, by Paul ZindelRumblefish, by SE HintonThe Body, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Misery, Pet Sematary, all by Stephen KingOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

This week, we were honoured to speak to an undisputable Queen of Children's Literature - Julie Sykes! Julie is the author of well over a hundred books, many of them co-written with the equally excellent Linda Chapman. Her bestselling series include the Netflix-adapted The Unicorn Academy, but throughout Julie's almost thirty year career she has written for the youngest children right up to teens. Come with us for a brilliant insight into Julie's life, career, work - and just how she keeps her creative flame lit, even after all these years.Find Julie online at her website: www.juliesykes.co.ukFind out more about International Literature Festival Dublin at www.ilfdublin.comTickets for the LIVE Storyshaped event are available here: LIVE STORYSHAPED PODCAST EVENTTickets for Susan's solo event are available here: DISCOVER THE MAGICAL WORLD BETWEEN THE RAINTickets for Sinéad's solo event are available here: THE SUN, THE MOON, AND TWO STARSBooks mentioned in this week's episode include some of Julie's own:The Unicorn Academy series (co-written with Linda Chapman; illustrated by Lucy Truman)The Mermaid Academy series (co-written with Linda Chapman; illustrated by Lucy Truman)The Woodland Magic series (illustrated by Katy Riddell)The Perfect Puppies seriesThe Princess Ponies seriesAnd the stories that shaped her include:The work of Enid BlytonSwallows and Amazons, by Arthur RansomeThe Punchbowl series, by Monica EdwardsThe Romney Marsh series, by Monica EdwardsCarbonel: The King of the Cats, by Barbara SleighDiary of an Accidental Witch, by Honor and Perdita CargillThe Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan GarnerThe Hobbit, by JRR TolkienGoodnight Mister Tom, by Michelle MagorianThe Great Elephant Chase, by Gillian CrossThe work of Dominique ValenteGreenwild: The World Behind the Door, by Pari ThompsonThe Hedgewitch series, by Skye McKennaThe Wycherleys, by Annaliese AveryThe work of Harriet Muncasteresp. Diary of Whisker Wildflower, by Harriet MuncasterThe work of Hilary McKayesp. Rosa by Starlight, Saffy's Angel, and Indigo Star (all by Hilary McKay)Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

We had a totally magical walk through picturebook author Mariesa Dulak's Storyshaped life on the podcast today, which took us all the way from Barbados to Harrogate, and plenty of other places besides! From nursery rhymes to Stephen King, and William Blake to Barbara Throws a Wobbler, join us as we follow Mariesa through the fantastic collection of tales (both written and spoken) that have shaped her work and made her the person she is today. Let's go!Find Mariesa online at her website: www.mariesadulak.comBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Mariesa's own:There's a Tiger on the Train (ill. Rebecca Cobb)The Silver Shadow (ill. Alea Marley)And the stories which shaped her include:Nursery rhymes and songs told and sung to her by her parentsThe fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers GrimmOne Thousand and One Nights/Arabian Nights, folktales from the Islamic Golden AgeThe Flower Fairies, by Cicely Mary BarkerThe work of Alison UttleyWinnie the Pooh: Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace, by AA Milne and EH ShepardThe work of Dr SeussThe Chronicles of Narnia, by CS LewisThe Worst Witch, by Jill MurphyThe work of Enid BlytonFungus the Bogeyman, by Raymond BriggsThe Tinderbox (fairytale)The work of Roald DahlThe work of Stephen KingBlubber, by Judy BlumeForever, by Judy BlumeThe work of John AgardThe work of Benjamin ZephaniahThe work of Malorie BlackmanLittle Soldier, by Bernard AshleyFlower Block, by Lanisha Butterfield (illustrated by Hoang Giang)Out of the Blue, by Robert Tregoning (illustrated by Stef Murphy)Songs of Innocence and Experience, by William BlakeTyger, by SF SaidSkellig, by David AlmondNot Now, Bernard, by David McKeeWhere the Wild Things Are, by Maurice SendakBarbara Throws a Wobbler, by Nadia ShireenThe work of Julia DonaldsonThe work of Janet and Allan AhlbergThe Cafe at the End of the Woods, by Mikey PleaseThe Full Stop that Got Away, by Laura Baker (illustrated by Nathan Reed)Butter, by Asako YuzukiThe Island of Brilliant podcast, hosted by Nadia Shireen and Frank Cottrell-BoyceOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

This week, we had the JOY of chatting to the very funny, very talented, very lovely Catherine Wilkins (or you might know her as Catie, if you're a fan of her stand-up comedy). She brought us on a wondrous meander through her Storyshaped life, from the country of Disney to the tales of Mossycoat - and everything in between! Come with us as we wander through the stories that have shaped her life and work, and get ready for a dose of major 80s cartoon nostalgia. 'For the honour of Greyskull... I am She-Ra!'Find Catherine online at her website: www.catherinewilkins.co.ukBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Catherine's own:My Best Friend and Other EnemiesMy Brilliant Life and Other DisastersMy School Musical and Other PunishmentsMy Great Success and Other FailuresWhen Good Geeks Go BadThe Weird Friends Fan ClubYou're Not the Boss of Me!Café ChaosAnd the stories which have shaped her include:She-Ra (80s cartoon and the modern remake)The movies of DisneyThe Mysterious Cities of Gold (cartoon)Ulysses 31 (cartoon)The Twits, by Roald DahlFantastic Mr Fox, by Roald DahlThe Magic Finger, by Roald DahlThe Demon Headmaster, by Gillian CrossThe Worst Witch (series), by Jill MurphyPride and Prejudice, by Jane AustenThe Harry Potter books, by JK RowlingCatwitch, by Lisa Tuttle and Una WoodruffNorse Mythology, particularly a book owned by Catherine's dadCollected Fairy Tales, particularly an edition owned by Catherine's dad, which included the tale MossycoatAnd... The Rabbit That Jumped Too High, by Catherine Wilkins, aged 6! *heart-eye emojis*Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

We've only gone and snagged the fantastic, prolific, and very wonderful Helen Peters for the podcast - and it's her turn in the hotseat today! We were charmed to take a stroll through the Storyshaped life of an author described as 'one of our finest modern children's storytellers' by Waterstones (who, to be fair, know their stuff), and we learned all about how Helen's childhood was shaped as much by the farm she grew up on as it was by the stories she surrounded herself with. These stories not only shaped her, but they shaped her brilliant creative output, too. Come on - pull yer wellies on and let's get going.Books mentioned on this week's episode include Helen's own:Friends and TraitorsAnna at WarEvie's GhostThe Jasmine Green seriesThe Secret Henhouse Theatre trilogyFind Helen at: helenpetersbooks.comAnd the stories that shaped her include:Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne, illustrations by E.H. ShepardThe Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth GrahameTarka the Otter, by Henry WilliamsonThe picturebooks of Molly BrettBrambly Hedge, by Jill BarklemLittle Women, by Louisa May AlcottWhat Katy Did, by Susan CoolidgeHeidi, by Johanna SpyriBallet Shoes, by Noel StreatfeildCurtains Up, by Noel StreatfeildThe Growing Summer, by Noel StreafeildThe Famous Five series, by Enid BlytonThe Secret Seven series, by Enid BlytonThe St Clare's series, by Enid BlytonSix Cousins at Mistletoe Farm, by Enid BlytonThe Railway Children, by E. NesbitThe Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson BurnettThe Casson Family series, by Hilary McKayThe Exiles, by Hilary McKayMillions, by Frank Cottrell-BoyceFramed, by Frank Cottrell-BoyceHoles, by Louis SacharLiar & Spy, by Rebecca SteadThe Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne FrankCue for Treason, by Geoffrey TreaseKing of Shadows, by Susan CooperOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

This week, we welcome Alastair Chisholm - yes, only the brilliant, prolific, award-winning, award-nominated picturebook and middle grade author - to the podcast, and we hope you'll join us for the journey! Alastair has written about starships lost in space, about characters who can see back through time, about huge mecha-animals powered by human will, and - best of all - about ninja frogs, and that's just to name some of the books in his incredible back catalogue. Come with us as he takes us through the stories that have shaped him, and which continue to shape his world and his work.Books mentioned in this week's episode include some of Alastair's own:The Dragon Storm series, illustrated by Eric DeschampsThe Consequence GirlOrion LostAdam-2I Am WolfI Am RavenAnd the stories which have shaped him include:The Silmarillion, by JRR TolkienThe Grey King, by Susan CooperThe Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan GarnerCharmed Life, by Diana Wynne JonesHomeward Bounders, by Diana Wynne JonesHowl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne JonesArcher's Goon, by Diana Wynne JonesAsterix, by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (et al)The Eagle comic, founded by Marcus Morris2000 AD, created by Kelvin Gosnell, Pat Mills, John WagnerThe Chronicles of Narnia, by CS LewisThe work of Nicholas FiskThe work of Jan MarkThe work of Isaac AsimovThe work of Robert HeinleinThe Stainless Steel Rat, by Harry HarrisonThe Best of Harry Harrison - short story anthologyThe Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, by Stephen DonaldsonZenith, by Grant Morrison and Steve YeowellThe Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway (Alastair's edition has illustrations by CF Tunnicliffe and Raymond Sheppard)The Chrysalids, by John WyndhamThe Day of the Triffids, by John WyndhamThe work of Sir Terry PratchettLegend, by David GemmellMaster and Commander (series), by Patrick O'BrianSword of the Sun, by Sinéad O'HartThe World Between the Rain, by Susan CahillWren, by Lucy HopeA Kind of Spark, by Elle McNicollSticky Pines: The Bigwoof Conspiracy, by Dashe RobertsBird Boy, by Catherine BrutonDungeon Runners, by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd Stanton The work of Christopher EdgeOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

We were beside ourselves with glee this week as we sat for a chat with the brilliant Celine Kiernan, an artist who has been influencing - and Storyshaping - our lives since way before she began writing her brilliant children's books. Celine's career began in the animation industry, where she was part of the team who brought the world such incredible tales as The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go To Heaven, An American Tail, and more - and we got the pleasure of chatting to her about that time in her life, as well as her own work, and the stories which have shaped her incredible literary and artistic output. This one was super-special. Come and join us, won't you? Somewhere out there...Books mentioned in this week's episode include Celine's own:The Moorehawke Trilogy (The Poison Throne, The Crowded Shadows, The Rebel Prince)Into the GreyThe Wild Magic Trilogy (Begone the Raggedy Witches, The Little Grey Girl, The Promise Witch)ResonanceAnd the stories that shaped her include:Twinkle, a periodical comic and annualLittle Grey Men, by BBDown the Bright Stream, by BBThe Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan RawlingsThe Borrowers, by Mary NortonJudy magazineThe Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan GarnerThe Moon of Gomrath, by Alan GarnerThe Mouse and his Child, by Russell HobanRiddley Walker, by Russell HobanWater Babies, by Charles KingsleySomething Wicked this Way Comes, by Ray BradburyThe Doll House (later, Tottie) by Rumer GoddenNed Kelly and the City of the Bees, by Thomas KenneallyThe work of Raymond ChandlerThe work of John SteinbeckThe work of Charles DickensThe work of Ernest HemingwayThe short stories of Moira McHughBrides of Rollrock Island, by Margo LanaganTender Morsels, by Margo LanaganSavage Her Reply, by Deirdre SullivanTangleweed and Brine, by Deirdre SullivanPiranesi, by Susannah ClarkeJonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susannah ClarkeThe Small Hand: A Ghost Story, by Susan HillOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.

This episode is one we've been hoping for since the beginning of the podcast! Today, we have the chance to sit down with the inexpressibly brilliant AF (Ashley) Harrold, prolific poet and author, Big Red Button pusher (if you haven't seen his excellent videos about his walks along the Thames, meeting herons and suchlike, you're in for a treat), hilarious performer and public speaker, and overall general Good Egg. We had so much fun chatting stories, books, and creativity with one of the best in the business. Won't you join us? Come along, then!Books mentioned in this week's episode include AF's own:The ImaginaryImagining the ImaginaryThe AfterwardsThe Song From Somewhere ElseThe Worlds We Leave Behind... and countless books of poetry!And the stories which shaped him include:Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice SendakFox Eyes, by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth WilliamsGoodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd (link to the Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen essay)The Hobbit, JRR TolkienDunmousie Monsters, by Robin and Jocelyn WildTin Tin, by HergeThe World of Myth and Legend, by Brenda Ralph Lewis, illustrated by Rob McCaigThe Adventures of Humbert, Simp and Harquin, by John BurninghamPhenomena: A Book of Wonders, by John Mitchell and Robert J RickardGentleman Jim, by Raymond BriggsFungus the Bogeyman, by Raymond BriggsFather Christmas, by Raymond BriggsWhen the Wind Blows, by Raymond BriggsCan't You Sleep, Little Bear? by Barbara Firth and Martin WaddellThe work of Bernard O'Donoghue, including his translations of The Wanderer and The SeafarerRiddley Walker, by Russell HobanThe Mouse and His Child, by Russell Hoban and David SmallA Bargain for Frances, by Russell Hoban and Lillian HobanMonsters, by Russell Hoban and Quentin BlakeM.O.L.E. by Russell Hoban and Jan PienkowskiThe Twenty-Elephant Restaurant, by Russell Hoban and Quentin BlakeTom Tit Moves House, by Molly BrettThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, by Laurence SterneAwful End, by Philip Ardagh and David RobertsI Like This Poem, by Kaye Webb and Antony MaitlandThis Craft of Verse, by Jorge Luis BorgesAbout the House, by WH AudenThe Tale of Beren and Luthien - translated by AF Harrold! The Silmarillion, by JRR TolkienThe Collected Poems of Stevie SmithOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In 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.