Saturday, October 6, 2007

Signs

I forgot to mention that when I showed my society of authors card in the bookshop (for the discount) I was immediately handed a biro and told to go and sign all the copies of anything of mine that they had. And fortunately they had quite a lot, but not enough for a hurty hand.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was that as surreal an experience as it sounded? Does it still feel odd to see your own books on the shelves?

Joel Stewart said...

Actually less surreal than just walking past your own books on the shelf and acknowledging them, which is what i do more often. I was just glad they had some...

Joel Stewart said...

I meant to say 'not acknowledging' them. But actually I always do, but it's more of a nod than a hip hooray.

Anonymous said...

are you shy about your work? whats your greatest ambition for the future- children's laureate? caldecott?

Joel Stewart said...

Oh, I'd be a rubbish children's laureate. Now at least. Far too easily distracted.

I don't really have a work ambition beyond doing the books I currently have to do properly (and not getting too distracted/despondent) and not absent mindedly walking under a bus while thinking about them or something else.

I'm shy of some of my work, and less so of other things. It depends if I think I did a good job or not. I'm obviously not over shy, or this journal wouldn't be full of sketches the way it is. Although I'm often more proud of them than anything else.

Anonymous said...

Do you know many other people who do the same work as you? Whats the worst thing about what you do? Who is your favourite british illustrator of your generation?

Anonymous said...

sorry to bombard you with questions! Dexter Bexley is great and your blog is really interesting x

Joel Stewart said...

Well, yes. You must remember what I said about my being easily distracted...

I know a few people who do what I do, but I tend only to meet them at publisher's and publisher's events.

Favourite illustrator of my generation? Oh, I really don't know that! And I can't really say because I know most of them...
None of us are old enough to really know what we're doing, yet, I reckon, or at least I certainly don't. Ones who might, and who I am lucky enough to know and respect are David Roberts, Polly Dunbar, Alexis Deacon, Neal Layton...

Anonymous said...

I have just entered the publishing world and my first book is not yet on the shelves. I shall sit and dream of being part of the gang one day! happy working Joel..

Joel Stewart said...

In that case well done, and good luck. They keep saying that it is a hard time in picture books just now, but I think and hope that it may just be a cyclical thing.