The Lucky Nib
Some news and waffle...
Hello! *awkward wave* I’ve been meaning to start a Substack for ages and have finally gotten around to it. I was put off initially by feeling a pressure to post only ‘bookish news’ and to look like a ‘proper illustrator/author type person’, whatever that means.
I’ve decided to stop being all weird about it. The great thing about Substack is that it’s a corner of the internet that you can claim as your own and do whatever you want. As someone with ADHD, I can’t help but follow the dopamine wherever it leads! I’m hoping this will be a space where I can share bookish news, but also:
Current interests and hyperfixations. (At the moment, it’s Tarot.)
Pictures of my cat.
Things I’ve made/foraged/grown/found.
Navigating life (or not) as a neurodivergent.
Books I’ve enjoyed. (I’m a part-time bookseller.)
Whatever takes my fancy.
I’ve called it ‘The Lucky Nib’ because I’m an illustrator and this Substack is kinda like a ‘Lucky Dip’…geddit? *Elbow nudge* You never know what may appear on the page! *Wink, wink* Does it make sense? I don’t know. (As you can probably tell, I’m really cool and rarely overthink things…) *Shoulder shrug* The important thing is, I’ve started.
Also, my friend assured me I would get away with using ‘Lucky’ in the title because I’m Irish…☘️ As I said, I’m totally chill and not worried about appearing to have ‘notions’ or something… *Nervous laugh*.
Some News…
A week-long visit at The International School of Luxembourg.
It’s been a busy few months, so I thought I would share some of the things I’ve been up to! I was thrilled to do a week-long author visit at ILS Luxembourg in January. The staff and students were amazing, and I had a wonderful time. As always, I was blown away by the students’ creativity and their ingenious ideas!
One student told me after a workshop that she felt so inspired, she had invented a new imaginary friend. This made me well up! It’s so special to be a part of making space for children to be creative and do their thing.
I also did an evening event in the school auditorium for students and parents. Honestly, I was a bit nervous beforehand, but it was so much fun! Afterwards, I signed some books and met some lovely young readers.
Bertha and Blink: Take the Skies
The second book in my Bertha & Blink series with Little Tiger Press was released on the 6th of February! To celebrate, I visited some lovely independent bookshops, schools and libraries. (Storysmith & The Small City Bookshop)
You can find out more about Bertha & Blink’s latest adventure and/or purchase here.
The Alligator’s Mouth Award!
Bertha & Blink has been longlisted for The Alligator's Mouth Award!
Truly, a dream come true! These independent awards are amazing, and I love that they celebrate and shine a spotlight on young illustrated fiction. Big thanks to all the team at Little Tiger Press and congratulations to all the nominees. Fingers crossed!
The American Museum and Gardens, Bath
I had lots of fun illustrating Charlie the chipmunk, the museum family mascot for the American Museum and Gardens! You can follow Charlie on an adventure around the manor house and grounds, find fascinating facts, and see history from a kid's eye view.
On the bookshelf…
There are so many brilliant books out at the moment, but two recent favourites are ‘Boss Of the Underworld’ by Tor Freeman and We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang.
Boss of The Underworld: Shirley vs the Green Menace by Tor Freeman.
I’m a big fan of Tor Freeman’s work, so I was really excited to see that she has a new books series out!
How exactly did young Shirley become 'Boss of The Underworld'? Well, it's quite a tale! Follow Shirley and a giant talking cockroach called George on an epic quest as they encounter sphinxes, magical fruit, bog monsters, witches and two-headed robbers! With fantastic illustrations, snappy dialogue and plenty of madcap antics, it's a brilliant new series for graphic novel fans.
We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang
A humorous and heartfelt story about otherworldly visitors from 'Europe' who crash-land in a field and rely on the kindness of strangers to fix their 'car'.
I loved all of the hilarious interactions as the visitors tried to fit in with their new found friends. It's brilliantly illustrated throughout with colours that fizz and pop. I read it for storytime in the bookshop recently and it went down a treat!
Cat Corner:
This is our cat Ody and he is the best! We’ve had him for seven years and I can’t imagine life without our furry family member. He’s very sweet, cuddly and a bit of a weirdo.
Ody will turn his nose up at a saucer of cream, but if I open a can of chickpeas, his pupils dilate with excitement and he MUST have some. He’s also obsessed with the dishwasher for some reason, and LOVES watching me top up the rinse aid. Often, if I want him to come back in, I shout RINSE AID! and he comes bounding through the catflap! It works much better than calling his name. Our neighbours must think we have a cat called ‘Rinse Aid.’
Thanks for reading,
Nicola
