I recently experienced a devastating personal loss which means this website may not always be as up-to-date as I’d like. I apologise.
My next online workshop course on writing for children begins on Thursday 7 March and runs for eight weeks. See more info on the Courses page.
My latest picture book (illustrated by Marjan Vafaeian and published by Tiny Owl) is a story of giving and kindness, The Perfect Gift.
Human Town (illustrated by Anna Doherty and published by Tiny Owl) won the Derby Festival Children’s Book Award.
My first picture book with Tiny Owl, Quill Soup (illustrated by the South African artist Dale Blankenaar), was awarded a prestigious White Raven given to “books that deserve worldwide attention” and was marked out as “one to watch out for” by The Sunday Times. It was longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and shortlisted for The English Award Picture Book Prize. It was published in all 11 official written South African languages! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rwe0bat7mw
Badger Books published my football series Making the Team (six books for young adolescents about three teenage Academy footballers trying to make the first team squad of a Premier League team) .
My 100th book, the middle grade novel Clownfish, published by Walker Books, was turned into a play by students at Bath University and produced at The Edge arts centre in Bath.
Clownfish won the 2020/21 Bolton Children’s Fiction Award! It was called “a gem” by The Daily Telegraph and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. It has also been published in Iran, Spain, France, Italy and Russia – and, shortly, in Turkey too.
Want a virtual or “real” author visit? Take a look at my Book Me page or for more information about what I can offer go to https://samsart982c.myportfolio.com/
For poetry performances, picture book readings, visit my You Tube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/spidermcdrew
I’m currently running a British Arts Council funded project on the link between oral and written storytelling in South Africa. My dream is to produce an anthology of stories in all eleven official languages!
