NICOLA MORGAN

You’ll find more details and stories in my blog ...

Newest News

• Fleshmarket has been voted as one of the Best Books of All Time by Teen Titles magazine
• Invited to do some brain events in Switzerland. Also some invitations to Singapore, Australia/NZ and Chicago  -  but I haven’t been able to say yes to them yet, as I’d need a few more events lined up before it would be possible  -  let me know if you’d like to to come to your school/festival!
• Great reviews and interviews for The Highwayman’s Curse in the Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, The Times, The Herald, Herald on Sunday and lots of other newspapers and websites.
• Have now done several Grow Your Brain Days and have had lovely feedback.
• The Highwayman’s Footsteps was nominated for the Highland Book Award and shortlisted for the Royal Mail / BRAW awards for Scottish Children’s Book of the Year.

Not So New News

(2006)

• I’ve been thrilled by the reviews for The Highwayman’s Footsteps. A few highlights are on the HF page.
• Went to stay in the house where Alfred Noyes wrote his poem, The Highwayman! It was an amazing experience. This came about because my next book, The Highwayman’s Footsteps, has been read by the poet’s daughter, and she very kindly said I should go and stay in her father’s old house. So I did. ’And while you’re there,’ she said, ’don’t forget to ask his grandson to let you listen to an old recording of my father reading the poem.’ I could hardly believe it. And, I can tell you, listening to it, at night, in his house, sent shivers down my back. And the moon did come out, and it was full, and it was pretty ghostly and galleon-like. More on my blog  -  and later, an article about the trip.
• Some amazing teenagers in Bishop Auckland near Durham took on the challenge of creating a marketing and promotion plan for my new book, The Highwayman’s Footsteps. Brogan and George, along with Emil, Samantha, Emma, Peter and Ryan (and librarian Linzi Heads) did an amazing job  -  they organised a launch with 500 people, got newspaper coverage, robbed teachers, spoke on radio and generally created a great buzz.  I’m thanking them by dedicating the sequel to them. 
• Took over as Chair of The Society of Authors in Scotland. Great honour, great responsibility, and a lot of fun, as authors are very interesting people.
• Blame My Brain was shortlisted for the Aventis Junior Prize for Science-writing. Considering my old school science reports, this is utterly remarkable.
• Chicken Friend was shortlisted for the Leicester Primary Books Award
  Also the Lancashire Fantastic Books Award
• Was at a meeting in the Scottish Parliament when That Beam fell down ... 
  

Even less new news

(2005)

• Sleepwalking was shortlisted for the South Lanarkshire and the Stockport Awards. It won the Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book of the Year Award. Thank you!!
• The Passionflower Massacre was Ottakar’s Book of the Month
• Blame My Brain was on BBC TV news  -  and so was I! 
• Chicken Friend was published, and I went on tour round UK, wearing a shocking pink jacket which my daughters were very embarrassed about. But since Chicken Friend is ABOUT a girl being embarrassed by her family, this seemed right.
• I moved house. Well, interesting for me but not for you.
• Trip to Bulgaria  - organised by the British Council. David Lee Stone, author of the wonderfully witty and highly imaginative Illmoor Chronicles, was my fellow author and we were both amazed by the high-powered nature of the Bulgarian teenagers who we met. One of the highlights was doing an interview on the more than slightly scary Bulgarian National Radio. Another (for me) was someone fainting during my reading from Fleshmarket. The trip was the experience of a life-time, and I’d like to thank David, his fiancee (Chiara), Kate Joyce and Leah Dacheva from the British Council, and all the equally lovely and wonderful Bulgarian teenagers who made it all so enjoyable and successful. However, I would like to tell David and Vasil that there is absolutely no chance of my ever becoming interested in role-playing, (role-play gaming? gaming? game-roling? what IS it??) on-line or not.
• Fleshmarket named by the American Library Association as one of the Best Books for Young Adults 2004
• Fleshmarket was a Scottish Arts Council Award winner and shortlisted for the Children’s Book of the Year Award 2004. 
• Fleshmarket was also shortlisted for the North Lanarkshire Book Award and the North East Book Award. Thank you!