TYGER!

I've just tweeted some news about my new book, TYGER!  

I've been off Twitter for ages now, trying to finish my new book TYGER. Incredibly, we signed off on the copy edits today, so the writing is finally done - only took me 9 years this time! I'll tweet more about about it in the new year, but at last I can say: TYGER is on the way!

— SF Said (@whatSFSaid) December 16, 2021

I've blogged a little bit about TYGER here before.  It's a project that I started 9 years ago, and it's been through many twists and turns in all that time.  But last week, I finally finished writing the book, and I feel sure it's the best book I've written so far – a big step up on Varjak Paw, and on Phoenix. 

TYGER is currently scheduled for publication in October 2022, but I will blog more about it next year when I have more information.  Please do check my Twitter feed for more updates too – but in the meantime, I want to wish all my readers a very happy new year, and happy reading in 2022!

Varjak Paw chosen as one of the 100 best children's books of the past 100 years!

I have some amazing news! The reading charity BookTrust has put together a list of the 100 best children's books of the past 100 years – and Varjak Paw is on the list!

It's such an honour to see it included as part of a fantastic selection that combines established classics with newer, more contemporary books.  Have a look around the list in full – it includes some of my own favourite books of all time, like Philip Pullman's Northern Lights, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses, Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard Of Earthsea, Alan Garner's The Owl Service, Jamila Gavin's The Wheel Of Surya, Andy Stanton's Mr Gum, and many many more!

I think there's something for everyone here.  The selection is divided into four age groups: 0-5, 6-8, 9-11, and 12-14.  Varjak appears in the Best Books for 9-11 list.

Huge thanks to everyone who was involved in putting this list together!  I don't find writing easy – Varjak Paw took me 5 years to get right, and I'm currently 8 and a half years into work on my new book TYGER – but things like this make all the hard work worthwhile!

World Book Day 2021

Happy World Book Day 2021!  This has been a strange World Book Day, because of the lockdown, but I've been inspired to see all the different ways that people have still found to celebrate books and reading!  It's an amazing thing for an author to see their books and characters being celebrated – so here are some of the brilliant pictures I've seen this year, with thanks to everyone who's taken the time to make these astonishing creations! 

I know #WorldBookDay can get a bit silly but my nephew loves reading all year round *and* loved making this cake for his school’s #WorldBookDay2021 bake-off.

You can do both. 😊🍰📚

(How good is it! 🤩) @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/b5mngVWQ2l

— Claire Lotriet #ubuntu (@OhLottie) March 3, 2021

 

Hello @whatSFSaid it is Ruby here. I have been doing a #WorldBookDay competition for @DraytonJunior and I decided to do Varjak Paw! You will probably recognise the characters and I really enjoyed doing them. My favourite character is Hollie. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/uc8vwKvSHT

— Becki Jennings (@beckijennings) March 3, 2021

 

The Astraeus of Creation and Destruction from Phoenix in potato form - created by Max for #worldbookday @whatSFSaid @BPSTrafford @WorldBookDayUK pic.twitter.com/EyyIFMsQyr

— Mikaela Sitford (@mikaelasitford) March 3, 2021

 

What a fantastic World Book Day! @CharterYr4 have made their favourite Varjak Paw scenes in their shadow puppet theatres! 🎭🎭🎭 pic.twitter.com/apJpRPcjuN

— CharterYr4 (@CharterYr4) March 4, 2021

Here are 3 Peregrines modelling the masks they created, inspired by @whatSFSaid's Varjak Paw (Mrs Fitzscott's most favourite book ever). 🐱🐾🐱 pic.twitter.com/96HA2VRogF

— Shelley Primary School (@ShelleyPrimary) March 4, 2021

 

My 9yo and I painted and drew on some tiles for World Book Day tomorrow- we chose our favourite books @charliemackesy @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/rxUPxoy1oF

— Alexandra Johns (@MrsASJohns) March 3, 2021

 

@whatSFSaid it’s Cludge! pic.twitter.com/BIsR5dXN2B

— Lorna (@lornajaggard) March 4, 2021

 

Not dressing up as Varjak, but your book was the book I chose to hide behind for our online Who’s behind the book competition pic.twitter.com/ZK8zv3QNFP

— Sam Carhart-Harris (@S_CarhartHarris) March 4, 2021

 

World Book Day 2021 - Dog Man 🐾 and Varjak Paw 🐈 #worldbookday2021 #shareastory #book #reading @whatSFSaid #davemckean #davpilkey #dogman #varjackpaw @randomhouse @scholastic_uk pic.twitter.com/usVccE3Fmg

— Joanna Sawkins (@JSawkins) March 4, 2021

 

Happy World Book Day!! 📚 We had Varjak Paw and Sally Bones in school today, inspired by our class novel and virtual visit with @whatSFSaid #varjakpaw #sallybones #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/r14IUw1ebX

— Kirsty Campbell (@KirstyC63314571) March 4, 2021

 

All about Varjak Paw today @BPSTrafford @whatSFSaid #WorldBookDay #sevenskills pic.twitter.com/zXSUkVFveo

— Ally Johnson (@MrsAllyJ78) March 4, 2021

 

#WorldBookWeek Dylan - Varjak Paw. #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/zoUAFCE806

— Bells Farm Primary (@BellsFarm) March 4, 2021

 

@whatSFSaid @OWPSchool Gave everyone a giggle today dressed as sally bones from the Varjak Paw books! If you haven’t read them yet they are brilliant books! pic.twitter.com/Z6BoDZaA57

— nicola marchant (@nic_marchant) March 4, 2021

 

Home Learning

What a great way to celebrate @WorldBookDayUK - we love your 3D Varjak Paw. @whatSFSaid https://t.co/qywmDuxaFa

— Golborne Community Primary Lower Key Stage 2 (@GCPSLowerKS2) March 4, 2021

 

#WorldBookDay2021 of course we had to dress up as our class author @whatSFSaid’s most famous cat! #VarjakPaw pic.twitter.com/4zjBJPyLLU

— G Surtees (@MissGSurtees) March 4, 2021

 

Our first potato World Book Day character is Varjak Paw! @CroxtethC @whatSFSaid @RainbowEduMAT
What character will you create? We can't wait to see your creations tomorrow on Seesaw or bring them to our welcome zoom at 9am! 🥔🐈‍⬛📚 #WorldBookDay2021 pic.twitter.com/ta6orfN5rk

— Year 3/4 at Croxteth Primary (@MrsNash16) March 3, 2021

 

@whatSFSaid My son (who also made the Varjak Paw cake you saw yesterday!) has dressed up as Varjak Paw for #WorldBookDay2021 today! Our ears and face paint didn’t arrive in time, so we had to put something together last minute, but he really wanted you to see it anyway! pic.twitter.com/hRMibyft30

— Aimee Marie (@helloaimeemarie) March 4, 2021

 

My DS loves Varjak and is already reading it again.thank you for a wonderful book..it is such a delight to read📚....he has been after us to get Outlaw Varjak Paw 🙂 Happy World Book day !! pic.twitter.com/O5u4lCPPy5

— SteepleMorden (@Shikhamerchant1) March 4, 2021

 

@whatSFSaid There was only one character Daisy was dressing up as! pic.twitter.com/l7n9LFHmyu

— Holli Hunter (@MrsHJHunter) March 4, 2021

 

📚WORLD BOOK DAY 2021📚@Y5StocktonWood
Potato book characters #WorldBookDay #StocktonWoodEnglish #PotatoBookCharacter #ReadingforPleasure pic.twitter.com/aLN4ZDNXKF

— Y5 Stockton Wood (@Y5StocktonWood) March 4, 2021

 

@whatSFSaid Hope (10) celebrating #WorldBookDay as Varjak Paw pic.twitter.com/M2fRU8v5ve

— Holly Dixon (@holly_1105) March 4, 2021

A Message For World Book Day 2021

Usually on World Book Day, I'd be visiting schools, talking to classes about reading and books. This year, because of the lockdown, that won't be possible – so instead, I've made a World Book Day video, all about reading and books!  

This video is absolutely free for anyone to watch on YouTube, so if you or your school would like a message from me on World Book Day, here it is:

I hope you enjoy it – and if you do, please pass it on to anyone else who you think might enjoy it, too!