At present I am temporarily based in Auckland, New Zealand. The picture below is a view from Devonport, looking across the harbour towards that city with its spectacular ‘Skytower’. I’m here to write and also do some promotional work.
My first events were further south and they were organized by John McIntyre of ‘The Children’s Bookshop’ (based in Wellington) and both school events (Evans Bay Intermediate and St Anthony’s) were well-worthwhile. I got to meet keen readers of the series and also to introduce the books to a new audience. It’s a small world because at St Anthony’s the teacher responsible for the groups was Steve Douglas, a Kiwi. I had met him previously at another school event when he had been travelling and teaching in London, England. He had already introduced his classes to the series; they were well-prepared and most of my work had been done for me.
Also being planned is a short tour of Australia. This will begin about February 8th. No details of the schedule are yet available. But I’ll be back home in England early March, 2010.
On Monday I will be sending the latest draft of Book Seven, ‘The Spook’s Nightmare’ to my editor. Once that is done, I’ll be free to begin work on my next two books which will be published in 2011. They are Spook’s Eight (I have no title yet) and the novel about Alice (provisionally titled ‘The Alice Deane Diaries’).
My own website is still being developed which will be a sister to www.spooksbooks.com
Hopefully the site should be up and running before Christmas but, if not, it will be ready by early January at the latest. You will be able to email me direct and ask questions. In the meantime if you have any questions about the new site please email:
linda@spooksworld.co.uk
I am just about to sign a contract extending the film option for another eighteen months. Warner Brothers are still keen to get the film made. I am expecting some news about its production very shortly and will keep you informed here.
Best wishes,
Joseph Delaney
December 16th, 2009 at 2:08 am
I’m so excited! the seventh book! it should be a very special book
i’ll be sure to order it as soon as it goes out as of some dumb reason the
Wardstone chronicles apparently dont arrive to book shops in Israel other then that
i’m really looking forward for the movie! hope you keep on writing and get that new site up!
December 16th, 2009 at 9:11 am
WOOT! Cant wait till the spooks nightmare!
Not to forget the spooks bestiary aswell!
CANT WAIT! WOOHOOO!
December 18th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Hi Mr. Genius~
Where do I begin: I can’t wait until the next book, (also, we still we don’t have The Wardstone Witches over here in America - do you know when it will come out here? (can’t wait to read about Alice!))…hoping here real soon, and of course I am so excited for the movie news! I couldn’t imagine a more spectacular movie than this!
Wow, what a beaut view from where you are staying in New Zealand! Hope you enjoy your time there and your vacation in Australia. My mom’s family is from Australia and we will visit there soon and also New Zealand.
So excited to be able to chat with you directly on email= CAN’T WAIT! I would just love that!
Keep on Writing!!-
lauren
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I’m 15 and I’ve been reading your books since the first came out in hardback. You helped to get me in to reading and now I just can’t stop! Thank-you so much for providing a series full of magnificent books that all my family have enjoyed.
I really can’t wait for ‘The Spook’s Nightmare’ and ‘The Bestiary’ will be a great addition to the collection (as I am a super-geek and have already been composing my own from all the information in the books!)
I wish you all the best to your future projects and I know that your next books will be as much of a success as the previous.
Keep writing.
December 26th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
wow i can’t wait until the spooks nightmare comes out and i’m definitly gonig to pre-order it! and so far i own ALL of the books published
December 29th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
AWESOME! I can’t wait to see the site! =D
I’m glad to see some news on the movie! Ive been so excited about it xD
You’re going to have to come the U.S. at some point! *wink wink* ;P
You are my absolute favorite author and i can’t wait for upcoming books!
December 29th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Adding onto that comment:
I can’t wait to read the novel about Alice!!!!
Argh, I’m so excited!
December 31st, 2009 at 11:19 am
thanks for the info, just wondering what will the website be called.
bye for now.
ps. wondering when we will see the cover of the new book and the rough work of the films trailer.
January 1st, 2010 at 2:26 am
Cant wait for the 7th book my mum got me book 1 when i was ten and the moment i saw it i knew it was the book for me and i was right these are the best books ever i cnt belive no one had wanted to turn it into a movie untill now! Make sure you do a tour to australia you will love it and i cant wait to see you in person make sure you go to rouse hill town center so i cant get my books singed and see you in person it will be a dream come true
Zac a massive fan
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:25 am
When apaire vol 7 the spook’s nightmare?
January 4th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Can’t wait for seventh book, and it’s good to hear there’ll be an eigth I feared you’d end it on a seven. This book has to be made into a film! It is by far the best chronicles I’ve read, and what I’ve read include some of the best like narnia and harry potter and lord of the rings etc.. It seems stupid to not make it into a film, but saying that It couldn’t be just an average film, it would have to be amazing to do the book justice. I will also like to ask you alot about the book so when the other site is up and running il do just that
probably the spooks number one fan in manchester, meg 
January 6th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
I really can’t wait for the next book, I’m sure it’s going to be excellent as usual!
I’m also desperate for film news, who so silent?
I am dying to audition for the part of Tom if such an opportunity will arise, and I really hope it will! I’d love to be a part of the film because I adore the books so much!
Keep up the good work, I eagerly await the Spook’s Bestiary!
Robert.
January 9th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
OMG !!!!!!!!!!! this is driving me insane i want to watch the film now i am almost crying in my chair because it hasnt been made yet and you say i might have to wait another 18 month can we please have a tralier
January 11th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Great! Seriously the Wardstone Chronicles are off the chain! I aint much of a fan reading books but reading the spook book’s made me just…..IT’S GREAT! Your doing good Joseph! I really wanna SEE the movie. I really do. I just wanna know something…… when’s the last book?? Because I’m buying all the books of the Spook and they are EXPENSIVE!
January 13th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Hello,My name is Carole-anne,i’m 13 and I’m french.Le problème c’est que j’aimerais joué le rôle D’Alice et ne sais pas ou se dérouleront les castings.J’ai entendu qu’il y en aura en Angleterre mais je ne sais pas où et quand ils auront lieux exactement.Merci de me répondre se serait trop bien.J’adorais avoir des infos. biosus à tous et à toutes CARO.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
ps:Les bouquons dans ma familles et mes ami(e)s ont les a tous lu et ils sont trop bien.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:57 am
Your books are amazing! I can’t wait for the release of book seven. I am a big fan!
John D
California
January 23rd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Booooo, no news of our favorite author =’(…
Thank you for all that you make for us Joseph =D !
It is hard to wait… When we shall have some news on the next volume, the summary, the cover ?
Still thank you and good luck to the author!
January 25th, 2010 at 8:55 am
are you still in auckland? if so, will you be making any appearences in bookshops here or libraries?
January 26th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Thank you, just thank you
this is my second time writing to you and you must have listened to my last message because i asked you to come to Australia and you are coming.
Please come to Tasmania that is where I’m from i would travel to any where in Tasmania to see you.
Your greatest fan Jordan
Just thanks (please e-mail back if you are coming to Tasmania
January 28th, 2010 at 9:08 am
I can’t wait until the next book comes out. I am a huge fan of yours and have read up to the Spook’s Mistake. Even my mum likes your books but she’s not allowed to read them until I have read them.
Thank you
Owen
February 1st, 2010 at 12:35 am
cannot wait till book seven. I remember i was 11 when the first book came out now i’m 16.
I’ll be 17 when the films are out…
Alexander Morton for the part of the spook
&
Eddie Marsan for Bill arkwrights part.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:58 am
Hi, your books are awesome I live in New Zealand a place called Waiau Pa. What is the website going to be called? I’ve read all of your books including The spook’s stories:witches, they are one of the best series i’ve read. I’m so excited. When is the spooks nightmare meant to come out into bookstores?
February 4th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
One scary thing I’d like to share; I started reading this when I was 13 (same as tom’s age) and at the end of book 6he turned 15, and so did I a month and a bit ago!
Anyway, judging from the post we’ll be expecting a book eight right? So book seven isn’t the final one then, yay!!
If possible could you tell us approximately when will the book be published? I’ll have to order it then, since book six just arrived here in thailand recently and I finished it in a day, so my lesson is to use amazon next time as I am now burning with curiosity to know what’s going to happen next!!
February 6th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
yes I am real fan when it comes the this series. I cant wait for book seven its going to be good and I am woundering if there will be a book tour in the US? tanks megan
February 7th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Oh My God i cant wait for the seventh book, i recently bought the 6th and thought it was going to be the last, and then it ended without anything happening to the fiend and i was like :O OMG cant wait
the spooks bestiary is going to be my favourite because i love fantasy creatures and such. im from tasmania australia aswell as Jordan who is further up in the comments, if u visit Tasmania make a post about it so i can visit and get my books signed ! 
cant wait for the movie, i used to hate reading till i got the first 2 books for my birthday and 3rd and 4th for christmas last year and i decided to read them and they were FANTASTIC! and got me started in reading, i now read atleast once a day.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I’m just a huge fan, Mr. Delaney. Thank you for your work. I just wanted to leave this info for others, although I thought I read it on this site somewhere before. The Spooks Books ARE available in America, under the series title, The Last Apprentice. I imagine it was changed because ’spook’ in America has an old racist background. I also wanted to say, that after finally getting a hardback of the British issue of The Spooks Apprentice, that I didn’t think I would actually prefer the American version better. Not the name, or the size, I love the handbook size of the British issue, but the American hardcovers have wicked metal-toned covers, and the inside illustrations are very nice and add a great chilling visual to the stories. I am have them all, and am hoping they stay with the style, and not change like the British versions just got changed from the worn-looking style (which I love) to the vivid, more graphically animated covers.I am very excited for the book that focuses on Alice, I love Grimalkin, and just want to say I am VERY upset at how Arkwrights story line went, and wish that the bogart could deal with Arkwrights dog’s living at Chippenden.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Ik vind u boeken echt fantastisch!
Ik begon met de boek van Het spook’s Apprentice in België ‘de laatste leerling’ en normaal lees ik nie echt boeken maar dees boek! is echt super! het is echt meggggggga!
en ook spannend , ik durfde het nie in de avond niet te lezen hoe dom is dat.
Dus… ik heb your boek gepakt voor de boekbespreking!!!!!!!
ik ben echt een fan …
mijn broer is ook een fan , en ik ook. ik begin nu aan de tweede boek , wens me succes!
this you rilly watch it!
I think you are graet!
February 15th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Can i get autographed copies of all your american “The Last Apprentice”books that would be amazing.
February 15th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Hello. Just saw that there will be a book about Alice. That’s great. I am extremely excited because my boyfriend is doing a semester overseas in Lancaster and got me the book which isn’t available in the US. I’ve almost completed it. However, you know what would be a great book? One on John Gregory. (I’m certain a lot of other fans feel the same about their own beloved characters) but we get to know so much and yet so little about him. Other than that, the Bestiary sounds fantastic. I think it would be a nice edition. Though I’m certain you get a lot of this and cannot help but think “Oh good lord! Too much to write as is. Well, can’t please everyone!”
February 16th, 2010 at 6:41 am
Hello
what is the next book called, after the spooks stories witches I forgot heehee
thanks so much
-Xochitl
February 17th, 2010 at 6:27 am
Hello!!!!!!!!!
My name is Cameron and I just finished the spooks sacrifice and I heard you were in New Zealand I live in Wellington and go to Wadestown school. I absoulotley love your books. BEST SERIES EVER.
From your big fan Cameron.
February 20th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Hey I live in Heysham and cant wait for the movie
Keep up the good work
June 24th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
hi love your books my friend told me of them he loves them my brother loves them and so does my dad so im just asking when does the Spooks Nightmare come out in Australia and the other one the Spooks Bestiary is that a story that is continuing with the Spooks Nightmare or is it in the other series of books.
hope you write more books like these because they are the only type of books that I’m into reading over and over again.
July 14th, 2010 at 4:20 am
Hi boys! Im an new model and I want to make it on my own in the industry! I love messing around with cute guys and just having a sweet time you know?! I love my kittens, and just can’t get enough of them… and I like it when people show my kitten the same attention haha hahaha!