AFCC Day 5

So the last day of AFCC was here. It's kind of sad how fast these festivals pass but then again that's a sign of a great festival.  First up my friend Emily Lim invited me for breakfast with Frané Lessac and Cristy Burne along with Emma and Sarah. 

I told them that whomever I give my books to tend to fall pregnant. Cristy definitely did not want any of my books. LOL

 

After breakfast, we headed to the library where Emma was taking part in the pitch incubator, a session where Eric Huang and Mark Checkley walked participants through the elements of a pitch. It was perfect timing as Emma, Sarah and I all had speed pitching appointments with both Eric and Mark right after that.

Emma had the honour of pitching during the session and she did a great job I think. Though, Eric and Mark did offer her some pointers to make it even better.

Let's just say that I was a bundle of nerves at the speed pitching session, but Eric couldn't have been nicer and that relaxed me for my pitching sessions with Mark and Galen.

With the sessions over and done with, Emma, Simon, and I darted off to Seah Street for lunch with our agents Andrea and Helen.

With our tummies full of chicken rice, we made it back in time for Andrew Weale and Ho Lee Ling's  amazing session about school visits. I learned a lot and I'm definitely using some of their ideas!

As Andrew was flying back to the UK early the next morning, he wanted to visit the Raffles Hotel one last time, so along with Auntie Susanna we visited the Long Bar for peanuts and ginger beer!

And then it was time to head back to the library for the last official event of the AFCC, the closing dinner: Makan & Mingle.

AFCC DAY 3: A Day of Book Launches

The third day of the AFCC got off to a fantastic start when I met up with the wonderful Sally Gardner for a quick glass of Coca-Cola along with Denise from Closetful of Books, Evelyn Sue Wong, Felicia Low and Adan Jimenez.

After lunch Evelyn, Corinne Robson, Myra Garces Bascal and Ken Spillman launched their bibliography on rice to a packed roomful of participants. This year's festival theme is rice and so it is no wonder that this year's theme had me hankering for a nice bowl of fried grain.

Shortly after that it was time to get ready for my book launch of A Day with the Duchess. I'm always a bundle of nerves before any of my book launches. What if people don't show up? What if there aren't any kids? I'm so grateful to everyone who came and showed up to help. Mum, Auntie Susanna, Andrea, Corinne, Emma, Evelyn, Faith, Marjorie, Helen, Karen, Kristina, the two Lindas,  Sarah, Mika, Tilly, Dave, Kelvin, Simon, Peter and everyone. I'm sorry if I left anyone out. But a HUGE thanks.

The best launch was yet to come and I'm saying this without the hint of any bias. Auntie Susanna had discussed her launch for Fun at the Opera  with me and she seemed uncertain about what she was going to do, but you wouldn't have guessed it if you had been there.

The launch was absolutely brill. She started off by wearing one of her Chinese Opera hats. Niece Jeanne, and granddaughters Tilly and Mika were drafted in to help by donning Chinese Opera costumes.

Auntie Susanna regaled us with stories about growing up with an opera troupe and Claire Chiang told us about the big plans that are in store for what started out as a sweet little book. Auntie Su's Opera is going be heard long and loud for years to come. At the conclusion of her launch Auntie Susanna invited everyone to join in an opera dance as a classical Chinese flautist played. It was a fantastic, fun launch! I have to say Mum had more fun at Auntie Susanna's launch than my own.

Mum was feeling tired after both launches so I accompanied her back home, but not before stopping at my great friend Sarah Mounsey's launch for her third book in her award-winning trilogy Purple Paw Prints and the Itchy Spots. Sarah is always able to charm and capture an audience in a way that I could never do.

Once I was back home, I showered, changed and headed back out the door for India Night at Bugis Plus.  Mr SR Nathan, 6th President of Rep of Singapore was launching the translated versions of his book The Crab and the Crane.

HE and I share several similarities, if I say so myself. 1) We're both Singaporean. 2.) We write children's books  3.) We have the same publisher. And that's about it! While Mr President is climbing the heights of publishing...I'm er...stuck in first grade!

Auntie Susanna was at the forefront once again when it was announced that her book with Chris Cheng Water had been translated and she was called to the stage to pose before a phalanx of photographers.

With the formalities of the evening over, we were treated to a performance by the ultra talented Kiran Shah and Rosemarie Somiah that left is in stitches.

President Nathan was besieged by some fans for an autograph as the evening concluded. It reminded me of myself every time I approach a celebrity and hound them for their John Hancock. Note to self: STOP IT!

As HE was leaving, he took time to stop and pose for a photograph with Auntie Susanna. It turns out that he knew her Dad!

And so the third glorious day of the AFCC had come to an end. Once again kudos to the AFCC and NBDCS team. You always seem to out do yourselves.

Anyway I had better stop blogging as I'm supposed to accompany Sally Gardner to the TV studios for an interview soon! After that I have a pitch session and a meeting with my Angel Agents Andrea and Helen. Busy, busy, day!

London Day One, 2014

So my journey to London was quite an eventful one. Mum and Dad offered to give me a lift to the airport at 6:30am so I could check in by 7am for my 9 am flight. As you can see by the photo below I did make my flight with Auntie Susanna, Mika, Kenneth and Celine (not pictured) several obstacles had to be overcome first.

1. We had left the house when Mum asked if had my passport. I replied that I had but just to be sure I checked only to discover I did not. Panic ensued and Dad u-turned back home. I made a frantic rush back to my room and, thankfully, it was by my printer!

2. We left for the airport once again  and the heavens opened unleashing blankets of rain. We could hardly see in front of us. Dad missed the turning to the expressway to the airport and we drove around before his car started breaking down. We made it to a petrol station near home and tried to call a cab to no avail.

3. My big brother came to the rescue and he drove to the station to pick me up. Thanks, Kor. Once we were off, I realised I left my heavy jacket in the car. He u-turned back to get it and then we floored it to the airport. Auntie Susanna, Ken, Mika and Celine were already there and we checked in and boarded the flight with time to spare. 

4. I was hoping for a smooth flight but three hours in, in the middle of breakfast service, the plane hit turbulence and an airpocket. Someone screamed and I gripped Auntie Susanna's hand till I practically cut off her circulation. thanks Auntie Susanna!

5. We landed at around 4pm and Auntie Susanna, Ken and Mika were met by Auntie Susanna's sister, Auntie Dolly and her daughter, Kim. They looked really happy to catch up again. 

6. While Miks and Auntie Susanna went off with Kim and Auntie Dolly. Ken,Celine and I headed to our hotel before going to Earl's Court Exhibition Centre to check out the Singapore Pavilion at the London Book Fair. It looks good even though it's still under construction. 

Kenneth then headed to catch up with Auntie Susanna and Mika while Celine and I opted for a fish and chips takeaway dinner before calling it a night. Sadly not much sleep was to be had by me. I hate Jetlag!  

Stay tuned for day two.

Emma and her Elephant head to the NTUC Back to School Fair

This weekend I headed down to the National Library for NTUC's annual Back to School Fair for a book reading and art and craft session. Thankfully Emma agreed to read the story and Auntie Susanna and Karen also kindly volunteered to help out with the art and craft session.

My 45 minute session was scheduled to start promptly at 11:30, so I got there at around 11:00 and met up with Emma and her husband Jim at the Hanis cafe. Emma brought along her freshly printed book Princess Petunia's Dragon and I was one of the lucky few who got my hands on one of the advance copies. Thanks, Emma, it's a brilliant book and bound to be a best-seller!

Then it was time to set things up.  I'm always anxious before any presentation so I was thankful that Auntie Susanna, Karen and Kenneth were already in the room. While Ken had to dash off for another event, Auntie Susanna and Karen started setting up the art supplies, candy canes, and bookmarks for the kids, and Emma and I braced ourselves for the story reading. Soefara, my illustrator for the Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di series, showed up just as we about to start and took a place at the back of the room. Thanks, Soefara!

I was terrified that no one would show up but then when the doors opened, a stream of kids and parents filed in. My throat began to dry up as it usually does before I address and audience, so I took a gulp of my coca-cola and then introduced Emma and myself.

I told the kids that this was Emma's story and she really did have an invisible elephant when she was younger but none of them actually bought that! One kid actually said that he used to like elephants but now he preferred dinosaurs. 

With only forty-five minutes for story telling and the art and craft session, Emma took to the podium and began reading. She has an excellent reading voice and I wish I could read like her. As she was reading, I assigned myself to the difficult task of handling the powerpoint slide show.


After  Emma was done reading, we quizzed the kids to see if they had actually been paying attention and when they answered the questions correctly, Karen handed out small prizes of bookmarks and Christmas candy canes.

Then it was time for art and craft and Auntie Susanna, Karen, Emma and I helped the kids and parents make paper-plate elephants. Thanks goes to Vivian Kirkfield for her art and craft idea!

Karen and Me

It was quite something trying to coordinate the distribution of the art and craft material to all the kids but thanks to Auntie Susanna, Emma, Karen and Stephanie of NBDCS everyone got what they needed and got down to the task at hand - creating a paper plate elephant.

Working on the craft

The kids were told that Auntie Susanna would pick the three designs that she thought were the best and they would each receive a copy of Emma's Elephant.

Very creative

Finished!

That's mine!

Auntie Susanna about to announce the winners 

After much deliberation, Auntie Susanna picked the three winners and they stepped up to receive their prizes. Everyone else received with Emma's Elephant and Princess Petunia's Dragon bookmarks.

Then Emma spoke briefly about Princess Petunia's Dragon which will be out in January at all good  book shops, so go buy a copy, people! 

On that note, it was a mad rush to tidy up before the next session. I felt completely spent, so exhausted and I can't thank Emma, Auntie Susanna and Karen enough for all their help. 

Then we high-tailed it out of there for a chicken rice lunch before we all headed back home. We would be back the following day for Auntie Susanna's session.

Emma signs Karen's copy of Princess Petunia

One Minute Pitch @ the SWF

Pitching Emma's Elephant

A few days ago, Auntie Susanna and I were honoured to be invited to a one-minute pitch session at the Singapore Writers Festival, where we pitched our respective books A Night at the Opera and Emma's Elephant to a roomful of media producers and industry types. In other words, an assortment of very, very important people.

When we arrived, Kiru checked us in and Sihui brought us to our assigned tables, where we would schmooze with the producers and authors who were seated with us.

Richard, Adan, Felica, Edmund and Jason

Auntie Susanna was placed in the company of such literary heavyweights as Christine Suchen Lim, and agent Anna Davis from Curtis Brown; I was at the same table as Adan Jiminez and Felicia Low Jiminez aka AJ Low of the Sherlock Sam series, Author Nicholas Yong,  Curtis Brown's Jake Arnott,  Producer Koh Wee Lit, Monstrou Business Development Director Kenneth Goh, and Richard Thomas, Creative Director of One Animation. 

And wouldn't you know it, Sitting in Pictures producer Tan Chih Chong was sitting at the very  next table. I met Chih Chong around 12 years ago when he produced a documentary about my autograph collecting hobby. It was a fun experience. We ended up meeting David Copperfield on that project! I dare say it's one of the better documentaries I've seen on TV in years! :)

Jason Erik  Lundberg arrived shortly thereafter to pitch his book Red Dot Irreal. Boy, the competition was going to be tough.

Adan and Felicia pitching

As pitching time inched closer, my stomach began to twist in knots. We were reminded that we were only allowed a minute to pitch, and let's just say 99% of the authors kept their within the allotted time limit.

My pitch was sandwiched between Felicia and Adan's and Jason Erik Lundberg's. If there was ever a no-win situation for anyone, this was it. There was no way I could compete was those three.

Pitching Emma's Elephant

After Felicia and Adan's presentation it was my turn. I needed a valium, a xanax, an elephant tranquilizer, anything! I carried my Ella the Elephant puppet with me for comfort. It was quite an effort to get to the front of the room, as I had to wend my way around the chairs and the tables, almost tripping to get up to the presentation screen. and I read from my notes as I pitched Emma's Elephant and I finished within the time limit. With extra time to spare I wanted to say that I felt like I was answering the final question at a kind of literary pageant and that what I wanted the most in the world was world peace! I thought about it for a second and then I decided against it.  Then I thought about thanking NAC for all my future grants for a mili-second, but thought the better of it.  I concluded lamely by asking the producers to call me.  I am soooo hooo hooo pathetic, it's not funny.

Jason Erik Lundberg  was next and he did an awesome job. Not fair! Then it was time for one of the favourite presentations, if not The favourite presentation of the night, and I say this without an ounce of bias: Auntie Susanna's pitch for her book: A Night at the Opera.

Auntie Susanna pitching

Auntie Susanna started by singing a line from a Chinese Opera, sporting her late opera-star brother's opera boots as props. She the then delved briefly into her personal history with Chinese Opera, which inspired her story before bringing her pitch home by thanking the NAC.

Then it was time to eat and mingle, which we all did. I know at these events one is supposed to sell oneself and one's product; I don't believe one needs get pushy when it comes to promoting your product at these events. Networking nights essentially provide the opportunity for people in the similar industries to meet one another and if something comes out of it professionally speaking, great! But if not, you've made a bunch of good contacts. Overall, it was a fairly relaxed, chilled and enjoyable evening.

I managed to exchange cards - actually I forgot my cards so I had to use Auntie Susanna's- with producers Kenneth Goh and Richard Thomas before scarfing my dinner down and catching up with my publisher Edmund Wee of Epigram  to briefly discuss our series of books.

Edmund, Erik and Adan

It was good to meet fellow London Book Fair travelmates,  the affable Mr Khor of the NAC and Colin Cheong again. Colin's been great and has been so encouraging and supportive of my writing. Thanks, Colin! Festival Director Paul Tan was there too, making sure that everything was running smoothly and efficiently under his direction, which it was, naturally.

Annabelle, Kenneth and Joanne

Sihui, Auntie Susanna and Firda

networking

Exhausted, Auntie Susanna and I headed to a food court so she could grab a late-night prawn noodle supper. Then she gave me a lift home, before she headed off for a good night's rest before her trip to the Shanghai Book Fair the next day. Actually, she's there right now and probably having a blast and she deserves it.