GLAMOUR

Some people think that being a writer is glamorous. I know that I once did. I dreamed of finally getting published and all the amazing fun that would follow. I imagined travelling to distant countries, staying in city hotels and seeing the sights.

Most of that came true and I do enjoy it but sometimes it can be hard work: having to grab a coffee and manage without breakfast to be in time to travel to some school event; attending a bookshop when hardly anybody turns up; spending a night alone in a strange town on a wet Monday; visiting a big city but seeing only the inside of your hotel room. So when you actually do live the life of a writer it’s not as glamorous as some people might believe.

The same is true of film-making. On April 30th I visited Vancouver, Canada, to watch the film of ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’/ ’The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch’ being made. The film is called ‘The Seventh Son’ and it is a good choice. After all you have to be a seventh son of a seventh son just to be eligible to become a spook’s apprentice.

They have created some amazing sets designed by Dante Ferretti. I was shown the preliminary models and artworks then, finally, the sets themselves. They are big and very convincing. I saw a walled city set in a huge muddy field. It was like a building site complete with heavy machinery and workers in hard hats. There was no glamour there.

That comes afterwards.

I met Jeff Bridges who plays the Spook. He looked convincing. He believed that he was the Spook – I could see it in his eyes. Yes, he was the Spook! Then I watched him playing the same scene over and over again until he and everyone else, (especially the director Sergey Bodrov), was satisfied. There were a lot of people involved and each one of them knew exactly what to do. It was an action scene and the ‘Spook’ kept falling backwards against a pillar in danger of his life. He was covered in dust and he probably had bruises or at least aching bones the following day. It wasn’t glamorous. It was hard work.

The glamour comes later.

They started filming in March and will continue until the end of June. Then post-production will begin. They’ll spend hours, days, weeks and months, editing the film until each section is perfect. Then like a Pendle witch casting the spell called ‘glamour’ the film will come to life and the magic will be there.

It will differ from the first book somewhat. All films are adaptations and make changes. But I am convinced that it will be a great film.

I’m looking forward to it.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney.

I have just returned from nine weeks in New Zealand to a chilly English welcome, (the weather I mean!). I was determined while away that as well as a holiday, I would write 30,000 words of Book nine, (which I almost achieved) but I did break from my writing for a three city tour in Australia and on my return spent a week visiting schools in a part of New Zealand that I hadn’t visited before. I have a bit of space for writing now before I start the Destiny tour in June. We hope to include a trip to Ireland as that is where the book is set but nothing has as yet been confirmed. As soon as possible, I will, make details of that tour available on both my websites.

Film News

Those of you who keep watch for film news will be aware of the recent discussions/rumours that have been circulating. I can’t say anything yet other than that for the first time since I signed I actually will have something really significant to report and the news is good – there will be an official announcement made shortly. I honestly think there is a 90% chance that they will start filming this year. And I can confirm that the title of the Spooks’ Apprentice/Last Apprentice film will be ‘The Seventh Son’.

Australian Tour

The tour in Australia was busy but again I got to see some fantastic scenery and as always met some lovely booksellers, librarians, teachers and of course children. We started in Sydney and I had my first visit to the Blue Mountains where, as well as school visits, Evie from ‘Megalong Books’, very kindly drove us around and ensured we got some of the best views of the mountains, (I couldn’ t resist a photo of a rock that looked like a dragon) and of course, the ‘Three Sisters’. I enjoyed the train journey from Sydney – it is very scenic and I always like catching the train in any country I am in (I don’t like to be away from trains for too long!). I had a good afternoon at Pinerolo – The Children’s Book Cottage in Blackheath. Margaret Hamilton has had many years in the publishing industry and she now hosts events from her home. It is a very interesting place for an author visit as it is deep in the bush (they have to have regular bush fire drills) and Margaret has made a feature of the art from her years of publishing picture books. I had another great train journey to the central coast, where I had a day at the Gosford library and spent the night in Terrigal - a beautiful beach resort. It was very relaxing and I would like to spend a few days there next year.

I visited the Sydney botanic gardens which as well as being a very nice walk had the added interest of flying foxes (they look like giant vampire bats) which I was surprised to see were so numerous and visible by day. That was very inspiring for an author such as me! Apparently there is a bat farm up the coast which will definitely be on the agenda next time I am in Australia.

It was another good event at The Children’s Bookshop in Beecroft. Paul Macdonald is very enthusiastic about books and reading, hosting many events at the book shop and taking authors into schools. He has a great shop, well worth a visit.

I had a very busy day in Tourquay, a one hour drive from Melbourne and gateway to the Great Ocean Road. I gave four talks in a row at Tourquay College, and I am sorry to say, scared a few of the children in one group. I think since I started including power point in my presentation my talks have become more gory – or perhaps I am channelling Grimalkin a bit too much. I need to finish editing that book so she stops being such a bad influence!

The two days in Perth weren’t long enough but I had an enjoyable visit to Bullsbrook Community Library, and the drive from Midland to Bullsbrook was very scenic - though the only evidence of wildlife was a dead kangaroo. However, earlier in the tour I did glimpse a live snake which slithered past my publicist’s foot without sinking its fangs into her!

New Zealand Tour

Back in New Zealand I drove for the first time down the North Island (usually I fly) from Auckland to Palmerston North which takes in the desert road (and a view of Mt Tongariro and Ruapehu, if you are lucky), and the beautiful lake Taupo. ‘Paper Plus’ had scheduled school visits in Palmerston North, Hawera and Feilding which again were very well organised and the audiences were well prepared and very receptive, with some very good questions. I was very pleased in Hawera to see the volcano Mt Taranaki poking out through the clouds. A return visit to that region is very much on the cards for the future.

While I was in New Zealand, one of the main cities, Christchurch, experienced a devastating earthquake with many lives lost and the heart of the city destroyed. On my first visit to New Zealand in 2008, I spent a week in Christchurch and it was very distressing to think that the places I had visited were now destroyed

My heart goes out to all who have been affected by both earthquakes.

Best Wishes,

Joseph Delaney

Blue Mountains, Australia

Dragon Rock

I did a signing and gave a talk at Garstang Library on Thursday, April 22nd, where I did my first ever reading from the next Spook’s adventure. I had to use the manuscript because I don’t have a copy of the book yet. The event was arranged by Mary Wynburg from the Corner Bookshop.

I enjoy this type of occasion because you get a good audience mixture which usually includes new readers, existing fans of the books, children and adults. This was no exception and the visit went well. I will be doing events with Mary during ‘The Spook’s Nightmare Tour’ in June. I will also be visiting her shop late in May to sign the latest book for customers.

The following day I was at the Darwen Aldridge Community College as guest of the librarian, Janet Arnott. I was interviewed by two well-informed students who had devised some excellent questions; that interview and the subsequent talk were both filmed for other students to watch.

My writing is still going well. Within two weeks I hope to get Draft One of Spook’s Eight (it still hasn’t got a title yet!) to my editor and I can then devote the whole of my attention to the Alice Book (provisionally titled ‘The Alice Deane Diaries’).

The emails to Grimalkin, via the Spooksworld website are becoming more frequent. I must apologize if she has made threats against anyone. I would like to reassure you and say she doesn’t mean it but that wouldn’t be true. She is often in a witchy mood, pondering her next kill, and takes offence very easily. I have had to intervene on at least two occasions when she was searching for the location of those readers in a mirror and getting ready to sharpen her knives. So please don’t threaten her. I have little control over her now and it’s getting worse.

Once again in response to many enquiries I have to admit that I have no further news of the film. I know that some of you have expressed an interest in playing the parts of either Alice or Tom. If open auditions are held I will immediately advertise that on both websites.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney

I have just completed ‘The Spook’s Nightmare’ and gone through the proof-reading process. The artwork is probably the best of the new-style covers and features a daemon called a ‘buggane’. I thought you might be interested to see three images which show the development of the cover. The first is the text over the artwork in grey before the addition of colour.

The second is just the image itself in colour. Some time and care was taken to select the most dramatic colour. I think this is perfect.

Finally we have the full jacket.

I’m now back doing events in England again.

On Thursday March 25th, I am with Tony, the manager of Pritchard’s Bookshop, Formby. We are scheduled to visit St Eddie’s School and probably others yet to be decided.

Other visits still being arranged are to Dublin, Ireland, April 8th (linked to the Eason’s bookshops) and also to the Wigan Festival on April 16th.

But already confirmed is an open visit to Garstang Library, Lancashire at 4pm on Thursday April 22nd. I will be with Mary from ‘The Corner Bookshop’.

At the moment a very busy June tour is being planned for the publication of ‘The Spook’s Nightmare’. As soon as I know the details I will post them on my next blog

I found out recently that ‘The Spook’s Sacrifice’ is on the shortlist for the Lancashire Children’s Book of the Year Award. This will be the fourth time that a book from the series has done so. I find that particularly pleasing on two counts: firstly Preston, where the award ceremony is held, is the town where I was born; secondly the books (from shortlist to winner) are chosen entirely by the children. I don’t expect to win but it’s great to be on that list. I always go to the award ceremony anyway to meet the readers of the series and sign their books.

There is still no further news about the film but I am crossing my fingers having just signed another option contract. So it is going ahead despite the delay.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney.

I’m back from New Zealand and about to start the ‘Spook’s Sacrifice’ promotional Tour. The open events I outlined in my last blog are still the same. Here is additional information:

Border’s, Preston: Saturday, 6th June at 1pm

Waterstone’s, (Corn Market) Lancaster: Saturday, 13th June at 2pm

Corner Books, Garstang : Thursday 11th June at 3.30pm

Silverdell, Kirkham: (Still to be arranged)

The Bookshop, Colne, Pendle District: Saturday 27th June 10.30 to 12.30

Waterstones, Southampton: Thursday 18th and Friday 19th June.

School events with both shops; will call in to sign copies at some point. Please contact staff for more details.

I’ll be reporting back every few days on what happens on each leg of the tour and giving updates on additional forthcoming events.

Here is some news for those readers who are disappointed by the change of covers for the new books. Personally, I like both the old and new covers but understand that some of you are unhappy at not being able to complete your collection of the classic jackets. With this in mind, Random House is thinking of publishing ‘The Spook’s Sacrifice’ in a limited run with the old-style covers – maybe a thousand or so and all would be signed. I’ll let you know more as soon I find out myself.

There is still no film news but I’ll be speaking to Lionel Wigram, the Warner Brother’s producer, next week. I’ll let you know what he has to say.

I hope you enjoy ‘The Spook’s Sacrifice’.

Best wishes,

Joseph Delaney

Film to be made of Joseph Delaney’s The Spook’s Apprentice

Enchanted Director Kevin Lima lined up to direct

Random House Children’s Books is delighted to announce that a film of The Spook’s Apprentice will be directed by Kevin Lima, who directed last year’s family blockbuster movie Enchanted.

Lima and his team hope to start work later this year on the adaptation of the book, which is about a 13-year-old boy who learns to be an exorcist from a forbidding old spook. Warner Brothers and Legendary are co-producing and co-financing along with Thunder Road. Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk is producing with Lionel Wigram and Lima’s producing partner, Chris Chase. The executive producer is Alysia Cotter.

Lionel Wigram and Basil Iwanyk comment: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Kevin Lima on board, as well as being a great film-maker, he loves the books as much as we do and has a profound understanding of how to translate them to the big screen.”

The deal was brokered by Charlotte Knight at the Rod Hall Agency in London on behalf of Random House Children’s Books in the UK.

Author, Joseph Delaney, comments: “I’m thrilled and delighted to hear that the creator of the excellent Enchanted is to direct the film adaptation of my book, The Spook’s Apprentice. It’s brilliant news!”

Charlie Sheppard, Editorial Director, The Bodley Head comments, “I have loved these books since I saw the first manuscript six years ago. To now know that the stories will be coming to life on the big screen for even more children to enjoy is a dream come true.”

The Spook’s Apprentice was published by The Bodley Head in 2004. The original book and further titles in the series were acquired by Charlie Sheppard from agent Carolyn Whitaker. The series has enjoyed considerable commercial success around the globe. Joseph Delaney will be embarking on a second tour of the US this year where his books are published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. He will also be visiting Australia and New Zealand to promote the books. He has recently returned from France, where the books appear on bestseller lists, and a signing in Paris at the Salon du Livre.

July 2008 sees the release of the fifth title in the Spook’s series, The Spook’s Mistake. There will be a Spook’s £1 book for World Book Day next year, and the publishing programme which includes two new titles in 2009, extends into 2010.

Praise for The Spooks series:

“. . . ideal for the reader who has outgrown Harry Potter. Be warned, these books are seriously scary . . . Beautifully produced and consistently surprising these weird and wonderful [books] are an annual treat.” The Times

“Teenage readers looking for total fantasy should hasten to Joseph Delaney’s The Spook’s Apprentice” The Independent

Great news for anyone who might have been concerned that the Spook’s Apprentice film might not live up to the scary nature of the book. It has been confirmed that the screenplay will be written by Matt Greenberg - a man who is no stranger to scary films, having written screenplays for the Stephen King film 1408 (starring John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson) and Halloween H20 (starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Josh Hartnett).

For more information about Matt Greenberg, visit his page on the IMDb.

It has been confirmed that Kevin Lima, director of 2007’s Disney family blockbuster Enchanted, will direct The Spook’s Apprentice - the first film in the Wardstone Chronicles series.

Upon hearing the news, author Joseph Delaney had this to say: “I’m thrilled and delighted to hear that the creator of the excellent Enchanted is to direct the film adaptation of my book. It’s brilliant news!”

The film is currently in pre-production and details of cast members are yet to be revealed. Watch this space for all the latest updates.

We are delighted to announce that The Spook’s Apprentice - the first in Joseph Delaney’s Wardstone Chronicles series - has been given the green light to be made into a film.

Rights to the film have been acquired by Warner Brothers and it has been provisionally scheduled for a 2009 theatrical release.

Keep checking this blog for updates and visit the film’s page at the Internet Movie Database.