I just want to wish all my readers Happy Midwinter! My new book Tyger is set at Midwinter, around about now, but in a strange alternate world where there is no Christmas, but there is Midwinter... and this year, Midwinter Night falls on the night of December 21st.
So here's a short video all about it:
Happy Midwinter – and Happy Reading!
I'd like to say a very big THANK YOU to Paul Gibson-Barton and all the amazing students and staff at Welton St Mary's Academy for the wonderful welcome they gave me when I visited them last week!
It was a total pleasure to talk to Years 4, 5 and 6 about reading and books. This is a school where they've been reading my books for a long time now, so it was wonderful to see that a lot of them had already read Varjak Paw, or Phoenix, or even Tyger!
There were lots of fantastic questions, although we didn't quite have enough time to answer all of them! So if anyone from WSM would like to ask me another question, or to say anything about the visit or my books, just leave me a comment below!
It was also wonderful to do a workshop with Year 4, who'd just been reading Varjak Paw, and to see some of the work they'd been doing with it. They had created these amazing story maps, and were able to tell the story themselves by using them!
And finally, it was a total pleasure to sign books for everyone who'd ordered a book. HAPPY READING to everyone at WSM – and thank you again for a fantastic visit!
Amazing news – Tyger is the Foyles Children's Book of the Year!!!
This is an absolutely incredible thing for me. When I was a child, my grandfather would sometimes take me to Foyles on Charing Cross Road as a treat. It was his favourite bookshop, and it became mine, too. It's still where I go when I want to remember why I love books and bookshops, so this award means the world to me!
Dave McKean and I spent an amazing evening in Foyles Charing Cross Road. We talked to lots of customers and staff, and signed lots of books.
I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone at Foyles for an evening I will never forget, and for making Tyger their children's book of the year! And if you would like to order one those signed copies – with a free exclusive art print – just click on this link or the pictures below!
I want to say a massive THANK YOU to legendary Headteacher Chris Dyson, inspirational librarian Aimee Allpress, and all the amazing children and staff I met when I visited Parklands Primary School!
I had seen pictures of Mr Dyson's incredible assemblies on Twitter, but I was absolutely blown by the joyful atmosphere in the assembly, where I handed out certificates to some brilliant young readers, writers & mathematicians!
It was then a total pleasure to talk to Years 6, 5, 4 and 3 about reading, writing and books. Mr Dyson had with incredible generosity bought a copy of my new book TYGER for every single child, and at the end of these sessions, it was an extraordinary and wonderful thing to hand them out as gifts to everyone.
At the end of the day, the brilliant school librarian Aimee Allpress showed me the display they'd made about my books in the library, and inducted me as an honorary member into the school's Parklands Perusers reading club, and gave me a badge that I will wear with pride!
Thank you so much again for a truly memorable school visit! Happy Christmas – and Happy Reading Every Day – to everyone at Parklands!
I'd like to say a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to Kathryn Pennington, Ruth DeChastelain, and all the amazing students and staff I met when I had the pleasure of visiting East Hunsbury Primary School last week!
I had a sense that this might be a brilliant visit when the school posted a picture of their librarian dressed as a tiger, with a copy of my new book TYGER!
This is definitely a school that works tirelessly to inspire the love of reading, and it was wonderful to talk to Years 6, 5, 4 and 3 about reading and writing and books, and to hear all about their favourites.
What I was not prepared for was the fact that they had decorated their doors with book covers – and put some of my books among them, alongside some of my own favourites!
It was a total pleasure to sign books at the end of the day for everyone who wanted a book. But if anyone missed out and would like a signed book, you can order one from Pea Green Boat Books, who did the bookselling on the day. And if anyone from East Hunsbury would like to ask me another question, or to say anything about the visit, just leave me a comment below!
If you'd like to know more about my new book TYGER – I've done quite a few interviews about it lately that you might enjoy.
Here's a video of an online event I did with The Blake Society, where I talked about TYGER with the brilliant bookseller and artist Tamsin Rosewell. We covered lots of topics in our conversation, especially how it was inspired by the work of William Blake, and his great poem The Tyger:
If you'd rather read something than watch a video, here's a written Q&A interview I did with the Tyger Tale blog. I think this is one of the best-named and most brilliant of all children's books blogs, and they asked me lots of great questions about TYGER, including its connections to my earlier books, like Varjak Paw. They also featured lots of Dave McKean's beautiful artwork from TYGER, such as this incredible image:
If you're looking for a longer interview, here's a really thoughtful conversation I had with the critic Imogen Russell Williams for Books For Keeps – the UK's leading children's books magazine. We talked a lot about TYGER's roots in my own life and experiences, and went into a lot of detail about the inspirations for both the story and the artwork.
And finally, if you want to read something a little different, here's an interview that takes the form of a walk through the world of TYGER, in the company of the terrific children's literature blogger Nick Campbell. This is one of the most original and interesting pieces I've seen about the book, and I hope you enjoy it too!
I've been absolutely blown away to see the responses to TYGER! Nine years is a very long time to spend writing a book, but all the hard work feels more than worthwhile when I see responses like this...
TYGER was picked as The Times Children's Book Of The Week by Alex O'Connell. The review is behind a paywall, but she described it as "spectacular" and "another roaring success".
There are so many great books being released this autumn. I absolutely loved Sometimes People Die by @TheSimonBot and my Zak (I've got him working for his keep) couldn't put Tyger by @WhatSFSaid down. Thanks to @williamjtodd and @JDWhitelaw13 for your reviews too! pic.twitter.com/pkRFDB1vMQ
— natashahardingwrites (@natashahwrites) October 14, 2022
Meanwhile, Louisa Farrow's wonderful review on Reading Zone described TYGER as "absorbing, uplifting and joyous - my book of the year so far. Buy it, read it, share it!"
It was a children's book of the month on LoveReading4Kids, where Tricia Adams described it as "much anticipated and destined to be a classic that will be taught everywhere."
One of my favourite reviews was this long one on the children's literature blog Achuka, which gives lots of detail and context, and concludes: "it is important to recognise when some books, and some authors, reach extraordinary heights of excellence. SF Said has done so with this novel."
Another review that meant a lot to me came on the Library Lady blog, where Anne Thompson wrote: "Tyger is a wonderful example of why children’s books matter and will, I think, be a book that today’s generation of young readers will remember and refer back to as adults."
I loved Laura Ovendon's review for Just Imagine, which said: "For me, this novel deserves to become a children’s classic. It belongs in every school library and will inspire many, many children, teachers and librarians."
The literacy charity BookTrust described TYGER as "a thought-provoking, profound, political and spiritual book... a book to cherish and read again", while Alison Leach picked TYGER as a book of the month for BooksForTopics, and said: "SF Said's fanbase will be thrilled to read this new adventure - laced with danger, edged with fantasy and packed to the core with thinking and discussion points that link to very real issues in society."
And here's one last TYGER review for now, from the Inkdrinker blog, who totally made my day by concluding: "Said says he thinks this is his best book yet. It’s actually one of the best you will ever read: a true classic has been born."
A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to all these writers and publications for covering TYGER and writing such amazing things about it - it means more than I can say!
My new book TYGER is finally published today! I think it's my best book yet, and I hope you love it as much as I do. I hope you love Dave McKean's incredible artwork too – I think it's some of the best he's ever done!
Find your local independent bookshop
I've just made a short video of Dave McKean's incredible art on the front, back and spine of TYGER! Please do watch, it's a thing of beauty.
And if you'd like to pre-order a copy, you can find all the information on this link to my publishers' page for the book.
There have been some amazing early reviews for my new book TYGER!
It was Editor's Choice for October children's books in The Bookseller magazine, where Charlotte Eyre gave it this wonderful review:
TYGER has also had amazing reviews on various blogs! Here's the verdict from Through The Bookshelf:
It was everything I had hoped for - and more. The word ‘masterpiece’ is often bandied around, but in this case, I feel it is truly justified. I loved 'Tyger' and, for me, it is easily SF Said’s best book so far.
Here's Kate Heap's review on Scope For Imagination:
Where do I even begin with this incredible book? An adventure woven with mythology, magic and the power of the human spirit, Tyger by SF Said is a story to be internalised and drawn upon again and again. This book is destined to last – it already has a classic feel.
And here's Dawn Finch on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure:
Varjak Paw is an absolute classic and with books like Phoenix adding to the Said shelf it is clear that there was a lot of weight and expectation on Tyger. Breathe easy, it delivers. In spades. There is no doubt that this book earns one of those rare spots on the shelf marked "Future Classics".
A huge thank you to all these writers for their amazing reviews – after the nine years it took me write Tyger, these words mean more than I can say!
I'm very excited to share a short video about new book TYGER! Watch this if you want to know more about the story and its inspirations:
Please do share this video with anyone who wants to know more about TYGER – and if you want to pre-order a copy, here are some helpful links from my publishers:
My publishers have been sending proof copies of my new book TYGER out to various readers in the past few weeks – authors, booksellers, teachers, librarians – and it is amazing to see people's reactions coming in. I worked on this book for 9 years, so it means more than I can say to read responses like these:
It took @whatSFSaid nine years to write #Tyger (artwork from @DaveMcKean ) but it will still be read in a hundred years. This sublime, shimmering Blakeian fantasy - for children and adults alike - thrills, enlarges and heals the soul in equal measure. An out and out masterpiece. pic.twitter.com/EBggCkKzBj
— Piers Torday 🇺🇦 (@PiersTorday) June 19, 2022
I was so excited to read #Tyger. Nervous too, because my hopes were so high. But it is phenomenal. This is a book which will stay with children for the rest of their lives and shape their imaginations & the way they see the world. Congratulations @whatSFSaid it is extraordinary. pic.twitter.com/3zLgoE8Z1Y
— Kate Ereira (@klereira) June 10, 2022
What a book!!!
— Simon Smith (@smithsmm) June 10, 2022
Nine years in the writing and completely and utterly worth every ounce of effort and painstaking toil. “TYGER” by @whatSFSaid is an utter masterpiece. Powerful, beautiful and totally unafraid. Outstanding achievement. Can’t wait to see the fully finished version pic.twitter.com/BVV2ZDVnDk
You wait years and years for a masterpiece and then one comes along. Blimey @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/IxaJ3bAZFd
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) June 16, 2022
#TYGER by @whatSFSaid, illustrated by @DaveMcKean
— Miss Cleveland 📖🌻 (@MissNCleveland) June 9, 2022
What on earth do I say about this?
Absolutely blown away and don't know how I'm going to wait until October to read it all over again with every one of Dave McKean's illustrations.
I have a new favourite book!@DFB_storyhouse pic.twitter.com/fU8ls9bakP
Finished this this morning. As good as expected! Like William Blake & C.S. Lewis & Diana Wynne Jones & Pullman & Aiken got rescued from a whirlwind by @whatSFSaid & made into something new & visionary & exciting & hopeful & deeply-dreamt & truly-lived. (With @DaveMcKean too.) pic.twitter.com/MDsXrv2pjL
— A.F. Harrold (@afharrold) June 12, 2022
I have finished Tyger by @whatSFSaid. I LOVED it so much. A masterpiece of a story: beautiful, brilliant, perfect! https://t.co/gQUz6XsALX
— Peter Bunzl (@peterbunzl) June 12, 2022
I was supposed to get all my other jobs done first… but I weakened and read it from cover to beautiful cover. Honed and chiselled over nine years, TYGER made my heart burst with its relevance. True food for the soul @whatSFSaid @DFB_storyhouse pic.twitter.com/lINZDWesdQ
— Dr Laura Ovenden 🇺🇦 (@OvendenLaura) June 12, 2022
Finished at three in the morning but it was worth it. #Tyger is everything I hoped it would be & a whole lot more. The @whatSFSaid @DaveMcKean & @DFB_storyhouse combination have produced something incredible. However high your expectations are for this book, it will exceed them. pic.twitter.com/nBJErAZw5T
— Jon Biddle (@jonnybid) June 12, 2022
Watch out for Tyger by @whatSFSaid What a glorious triumph of a book. pic.twitter.com/quU2e25xFD
— Berlie Doherty (@BerlieDoherty) June 18, 2022
"... you should never stop questioning the world and everything in it; wondering how it could be different." This book is magnificent. This #Tyger burns bright. @whatSFSaid @DaveMcKean @DFB_storyhouse pic.twitter.com/rsDTPCoAeN
— Gill Ward (@fortislibbie) June 19, 2022
Tyger @whatSFSaid is breathtaking, in turns heartbreaking and achingly beautiful. Imagination-stirring, wise and thought provoking, it will make a brilliant class read. Cover art and internal illustrations by @DaveMcKean. Publishing with @DFB_storyhouse Oct '22. pic.twitter.com/TLfIW9OE2I
— Sophie Anderson (@sophieinspace) June 22, 2022
I am taking this book VERY slowly. There are moments when I have to stop reading because the writing is so breathtaking, I can’t read on. Some passages are like nothing else I’ve read and so intensely vivid I have to remind myself that I’m not *there*. Uniquely inspiring. #Tyger pic.twitter.com/tZa0EAuN8V
— Ben Harris (@one_to_read) June 21, 2022
I am beyond excited to share this with you all at last – Dave McKean's stunning cover for my new book TYGER, which will be published by David Fickling Books this October 2022!
Isn't that incredible?! People have been talking about it a lot on Twitter. Here's an interesting thread where they're discussing all the little details you can see if you look closely...
What can YOU see? If you're on Twitter – why not join in the conversation?
I have some big news! It's just been officially announced that my new book TYGER will be published this October 2022 by David Fickling Books!
It's official! It took me 9 long, hard years to write it, but my new book TYGER will be published this October 2022 by @DFB_storyhouse, with stunning illustrations by @DaveMcKean, who also illustrated Varjak Paw & Phoenix. I think TYGER is even better - my best book so far! https://t.co/T8ppJ8qff8
— SF Said (@whatSFSaid) March 1, 2022
It was announced in The Bookseller magazine; you can read the full article by clicking on the link, but here are a few highlights!
"David Fickling Books has landed Tyger, the fourth novel from SF Said, marking the return of his partnership with illustrator Dave McKean.
The synopsis for Tyger reads: “In a strange alternate world, where the British Empire has never ended, a young boy called Adam has uncovered something incredible in a rubbish dump in London – a mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A Tyger.”
Commissioning editor Rosie Fickling said: “Tyger isn’t just a book, it’s a gateway into another world. A world where we all have sparks, hidden powers, inside of us. It’s the kind of book where you start to wonder: What if? Could it be? I’ve had the privilege of immersing myself in this story with SF throughout the editorial process and I can’t wait to see the same light in readers’ eyes that I feel in me now. After reading, I hope they also find themselves increasingly noticing the world around them, looking more closely at a flower, at a grain of sand – and perhaps, every time they smell honeysuckle, hopefully whispering ’Is the Tyger nearby?’”
SF Said said: “I believe Tyger is my best book so far. I wanted to write a story even more exciting than Varjak Paw, and even more ambitious than Phoenix. It’s taken me nine long, hard years to do it but I am thrilled to be publishing it at last this year – the Year of the Tiger.”
Happy World Book Day 2022! I'm in favour of anything that celebrates books and reading, so I love World Book Day! I made a video again this year, and it's been amazing to see that go out into classrooms, libraries and homes around the world. I also love seeing all the different ways that people have found to celebrate their favourite books. So here are some of the brilliant pictures I've seen this year, with thanks to everyone involved!
Celebrating World Book Day and his favourite book 🐈⬛ pic.twitter.com/8rWAnfknBo
— Francesca (@franmathew) March 3, 2022
World Book Day SWJS @whatSFSaid We LOVE Phoenix! Today is all about reading our favourite book, making comics and trailers all based around Phoenix! Watch out for more photos later but here’s Bixa to start us off! pic.twitter.com/hMJMV6rdlM
— Mrs Banks (@mbaswjs) March 3, 2022
@whatSFSaid we are celebrating #WorldBookDay and these year 6 girls have all dressed as cats from Varjak Paw - one of our favourite books! Don’t they look purrrrfect?! #lovereading #readingforpleasure 📚📚 pic.twitter.com/06HyiGsM1G
— Hilderthorpe Primary (@HilderthorpeSch) March 3, 2022
The world's biggest Varjak Paw fan has come dressed as her favourite character for #worldbookday2022 #WorldBookDay @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/qZhxL5ldqW
— Griffin Primary School (@griffinprimary) March 3, 2022
@swalneyj World Book Day has started at South Walney Juniors. Lots and lots and lots of reading today both of Phoenix by @whatSFSaid and Cosmic @frankcottrell_b pic.twitter.com/xqXvx0GN4Y
— Mrs Banks (@mbaswjs) March 3, 2022
Our decorated door for #WorldBookDay @whatSFSaid 5GA love Varjak Paw pic.twitter.com/q9Og3V39BI
— Kingsley Community (@KingsleyLpool) March 3, 2022
Reading one of my favourite books for #WorldBookDay @whatSFSaid @MissCartwright8 #GangstaGranny @CognitaSchools pic.twitter.com/iJBTQnFpNw
— Nicola Sands 💙 (@nsands4) March 3, 2022
Y6 listening to SF Said on World Book Day and exploring his books this morning. @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/EfYEc42lhr
— Charborough Road (@CharboroughRd) March 3, 2022
Children in year 3 enjoyed reading their own books to the class and creating a new front cover for our core story ‘Varjak Paw’ to celebrate World Book Day 📚 pic.twitter.com/pMhswZDvJ2
— stmatthewsce (@stmatthewsce) March 3, 2022
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Little Miss Sunshine and Varjak Paw amongst others #wbd22 #worldbookday #gpaenglish pic.twitter.com/laB3kqR64Q
— Greenacres Year 5 (@GreenacresYear5) March 3, 2022
The Gruffalo and Varjak Paw for us today! pic.twitter.com/Gzr6J9Daa7
— Sophie Conway (@sofielofie) March 3, 2022
Varjak Paw silently, but compassionately, supports 🇺🇦 #WorldBookDay #globalcitizen #compassion #StandWithUkraine️ @smiskobe @whatSFSaid pic.twitter.com/JGvtR0S7JD
— Padmaria (@AriaPadma) March 4, 2022
Storm Class loved creating shadow puppets to show our favourite scene from VarJak Paw with the help of @PhilWickins narrating. @whatSFSaid #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/pHLjHOnxDj
— CharterYr4 (@CharterYr4) March 4, 2022
@whatSFSaid Good morning sir. My little boy wanted to dress as, Varjak Paw for world book day. It's his favourite book and he's now sharing the story with me 😊 pic.twitter.com/29kTUlD0Al
— Kymbo (@kymberlysian) March 4, 2022
Bixa enjoyed WBD @whatSFSaid !
— Myddelton College Preparatory School (@Myddelton_Prep) March 5, 2022
The hand cannon (water gun) went down a treat at break time too! pic.twitter.com/M647Xrolrt
Here's a brand new video I've made for World Book Day 2022! It's all about reading and writing for pleasure. There's also a sneak peek of my new book TYGER, which will be published later this year!
It's absolutely free for anyone to watch on YouTube. I'd also be delighted for schools and libraries to show it in World Book Day assemblies and activities; you don't need to ask my permission to show it!
I hope you enjoy it – and if you do, please pass it on to anyone else who you think might enjoy it, too!
I've had the pleasure of visiting Park Hill Junior School in Kenilworth a couple of times in the past, because this is a school where they've been reading my books for a long time now! I wrote about those visits in these blogs. But this year, I made my first-ever virtual visit to Park Hill after Year 6 wrote me some wonderful letters about Phoenix, which they've been reading:
So I had the pleasure of chatting virtually with Year 6 about Phoenix, and all its inspirations. I also talked to Year 3 about Varjak Paw, which they were reading, and to Years 4 & 5 about all my books, and about reading and writing in general. In every year group, it was great to see so much enthusiasm for reading and books, and to answer all the brilliant questions they asked me. This really is a school with a lot of fantastic young readers and writers!
I also had the pleasure of working again with the wonderful Kenilworth Books, one of my favourite bookshops, who organised a virtual signing session so that everyone who wanted a signed book could get one! But if anyone missed out on the day, I did sign some extra bookplates for them, so you can still get a signed book there.
Thanks to Kenilworth Books for doing such a terrific job, and for these fabulous photos – and thanks to everyone at Park Hill Junior School for a brilliant virtual visit! And if anyone at Park Hill would like to ask me another question, or to say anything about the visit or my books, just leave me a comment below!
