Red Leaves Book Trailer

Here's the official trailer for Red Leaves made by amazing Grace Manning with sound by Julian Portinari for Macmillan Children's Books.

The Big Issue

Here's the link to the article I wrote about why I have young and old homeless people in ' Red Leaves' in last week's Big Issue.

http://www.bigissue.com/features/4394/sita-brahmachari-writing-for-those-with-no-home

This week marks the 23rd anniversary of The Big Issue. I had bought the magazine from this local seller before but didn't know his name, now I do.  This is Jonathan Gregg If you buy a Big Issue from a seller stop for a chat.

Jonathan had read my article and agreed with the description of 'invisibility'

He said he would like to read my book - so i gave him my copy and he's going to write a review which I will post here. 

Red Leaves Photo Diary of Publication Week.

 Photo Diary of 'Red Leaves' publication week...

'Red Leaves' published by Macmillan Children's Books is endorsed by Amnesty International UK

'A book about community, caring and the universal human need to build a safe and secure home. All set in an ancient city wood.'

  

With artist Grace Manning installing her beautiful 'Red Leaves' window at Children's Bookshop Muswell Hill. 

Very proud of our window being in such wonderful company with Jaqueline Wilson and Chris Riddell's visits coming soon...

Launch day was spent at St Paul's Way Trust School with year 7 and 8 students.

Showing an image of  refugee children 

Amnesty International UK endorsement of 'Red Leaves'

Fire drill at lunch hour but we were all happy to carry on chatting about 'Red Leaves!'

Thanking two of the students I worked with for their advice on my Somali character Aisha 

At Children's Bookshop with from right to left Venetia Gosling - Editor of Red Leaves, myself, Helen Bray - assistant editor and Kate Agnew owner of the Children's Bookshop Muswell Hill. 

Rachel Vale (Cover designer In doorway) with Venetia Gosling - Editor of 'Red Leaves'

Setting off on walk through the woods accompanied by Sanchita from Children's Bookshop, Muswell Hill. 

With students from St Paul's Way Trust School 

The idea for my character Iona's painting of the dog submitted to the Royal Academy exhibition came from a painting entitled ‘Cassie’ by Amie Douglas ( pictured). Amie was in year six of Primary School when her painting was chosen for the RA Summer Exhibition (2012).

Exploring the woods where 'Red Leaves' is set. Walking, talking, sharing stories and inspirations... roaming the imagination ( Photo by Tanya Nash)

Arriving at the lovely Queen's Wood Cafe for cake and elderflower fizz and readings in the open air. It felt like the ancient Elder might be sitting in the trees above our heads dropping breadcrumbs!

Talk about my books published by Macmillan Children's Books by Belinda Rasmussen and Venetia Gosling. I was moved by their words and the support of the whole Macmilllan Children's Books and MBA literary Agents. 

A happy gathering among the (almost!) turning leaves this Indian summer. (Front row left in pink T shirt - Sophie Gorell- Barnes my agent at MBA literary Agents, Belinda Rasmussen, Annie Birch and students from St Paul's Way Trust School)

Buying a copy of The Big Issue from Jonathan Gregg - Local Big Issue Vendor - who had read my article about homelessness and the characters of Iona and Elder in 'Red Leaves'.

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'Living on the street you wear an invisibility cloak but you don't know it at first...'
 so says 17 year old  Big Issue seller - Iona in
 'Red Leaves'

Jonathan said he would like to read 'Red Leaves'... so I gave him my copy and signed it with a gold leaf! Today, buying my Big Issue I met his partner Rose.

This week is the 23rd anniversary of The Big Issue...if you bump into Rose or Jonathan or any other vendor... stop for a chat, to buy a copy and consider how it is that homelessness is The Big Issue for more and more people every day.  

I would like to thank everyone for making this such a special publication week for 'Red Leaves.' It has reflected so much of the spirit of what I wanted to write about in this book.  I very much hope that you enjoy reading it. 

Counting conkers

I loved this time of year as a child and still do.
The leaves turning, the conkers and the conker fights (before the days where they were banned from the school playground! - though to be fair I still sport a small scar on my upper lip where one struck!)
Like my character Aisha who uses conkers to try mark the days passing as she hides out in an ancient city wood... I've been counting the days till 'Red Leaves' is published on 25th September.

'Red Leaves' is a very autumnal book. I love the feeling of the nights drawing in and looking forward to all the festivals of light. At this time of year it seems that we are all searching to celebrate light... often (though depending on the waxing and waning of the moon) Harvest festival, Durga Puja, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Eid, November 5th and Halloween fall around the same time. Up and down this country the skies are filled with spectacular displays of light... their message of hope and celebration need no translation.

Here's a peek at my characters Aisha, Zak and Iona standing together in 'Home Wood'  united under the same sky.

'Boom boom boom, came the hollow sounds above their heads. They ran outside to see the sky blasted by fountains of light splashing rainbow colours across the night and cascading back down to earth. There were the deep rumbles and then the sprinkling showers raining down on them in white, blue and pink..Zak and Aisha were transfixed as they stood in the middle of the wood, holding their breath. Iona studied their expressions.She had always loved to see people's faces transformed by fireworks, to watch all their worries ebb away. Even the oldest most cynical face relaxed into a child like glow of wonder before these displays.'

Page 293 - 'Red Leaves' Published by Macmillam Children's Books on 25th September. 

Invite... into the woods of 'Red Leaves'

Macmillan Children's Books and Children's Bookshop Muswell Hill

invite you to celebrate the publication of

'Red Leaves'

 by Sita Brahmachari

A story about home, community and belonging 

Endorsed by Amnesty International UK

Saturday 27th September

1.45 – 2.30: Signing

Children's Bookshop, Muswell Hill, 29 Fortis Green Rd, N10 3HP

2.30 - 3.30: Author Tour

(Limited places – email: admin@childrensbookshoplondon.co.uk)

Ever wondered how authors are inspired by places? Take a walk with Sita through Queen's and Highgate Woods to explore the haunts of 'Red Leaves.'

3.30 - 5pm:  Talk, Readings, Signing & Refreshments

Queen's Wood Cafe, 42, Muswell Hill Road, N10 3JP

Red Leaves has arrived!

What does it feel like to see the fruits of your labour sitting on a desk at Macmillan Children's Books for the first time?

I think my face says it all!

Here's a pic of the lovely team who have been so important in bringing this book to publication.

From left to right. Catherine Alport, Venetia Gosling, Sophie Gorell Barnes and Helen Bray

And... here's a close up of the beautiful cover designed by Rachel Vale who has designed all my covers for Macmillan Children's Books. I love autumn... with its turning leaves, fireworks, conkers and halloween.

I think of the season as a kind of character in 'Red Leaves' and as I took my characters Aisha, Zak and Iona into the ancient 'Home Wood' I knew they could not have inhabited the story in any other season. When I look at this cover I feel the same excitement as I did as a child when the candles were lit for Diwali, or standing around a fire on November 5th.

'A topical and moving novel about family, love, community, the tangled roots of history and searching for a place to call home.'

Aisha is a thirteen-year-old refugee living in London. Happy for the first time since leaving her war-torn home, she is devastated when her foster mother announces that a new family has been found for her and she will be moving on. Feeling rejected and abandoned, Aisha packs her bags and runs away, seeking shelter in the nearby woods.

Meanwhile, a few doors down, twelve-year-old Zak is trying to cope with his parents' divorce. Living in a near-building site while the new house is being refurbished, he feels unsettled and alone. Discovering a piece of rubble with the original builder's signature set into it, he starts researching the history behind his home - and in doing so finds a connection with a young soldier from the past, which leads him to an old air-raid shelter in the same woods.


Both children, previously unknown to each other, meet in the heart of the ancient city woodland as they come into the orbit of Elder, a strange homeless woman who lives amongst the trees - and, as helicopters hover overhead and newspapers fill with pictures of the two lost children, unexpected bonds are formed and lives changed forever . . .
 
'Red Leaves' edited by Venetia Gosling, will be published by Macmillan Children's Books on September 25th

Brace Mouth, False Teeth

It's so exciting receiving an advance copy of your new book through the post. I got my daughter to take this photo.

'What do you think? Can I use it?' I asked her.
'It's a bit cheesy mum!'
'Perfect!' I said.

'Brace Mouth, False Teeth'  published by Barrington Stoke in August (Edited by Ruth Williams) is an intergenerational story about a girl called Zeni who gets sent on work experience to a care home for the elderly. Zeni's just had her brace fitted so when she meets Alice ( who suffers from dementia) and is searching for the right pair of false teeth, a bond is formed.

The idea for the story came from doing a 'Plank Tale'.. well that's what I call them.  A ' plank tale' is a story told while holding your body in a plank position for one minute. Why would you? I was part of an exercise class that was led by Cathy Woodman and it was typical of her motivational style that she would come up with this fun way to  get through a minute of stomach exercise and lift the spirits! One week she told a tale about her mother in law's lost false teeth. None of us could hold the plank... we ended up crying with a mixture of  laughter, outrage and compassion and  the idea of ' Brace Mouth, False Teeth' began to emerge.

We were devastated when Cathy became ill and died very young and the dedication in this book is to her: 'Cathy is deeply missed but her spirit of kindness and compassion lives on'.

Every Friday ' Cathy's' group still meets to do exercise, continue our plank tales and remember our friend...

In 'Brace Mouth,False Teeth' Zeni begins her journey feeling like she's been given the worst deal ever working with old people.... until she realises that working at the home is not only hard work.... but ' heart work'.

Questions I have already been asked:

Did you wear a brace growing up?
Yes!  I remember it well!

Have you ever spent time in a Care Home?
Yes.... and met some amazing people like the jazz musician, retired barrister and one time Selfridge shop-girl in the book.

Do you wear False Teeth?
No!
I brush and floss and hope never to be in poor Alice's situation ( which is more common than you would think for people in hospitals and care homes) of wearing the wrong false teeth because of a mix-up.

http://www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/blog/