Hurrah for Hay! My first visit in 2009 proved to be a wonderful introduction to authors like Andy Stanton, Anthony Horowitz and Robert Muchamore, whose author talks were wildly successful. Horowitz solved the Invisible City postcard clue in no time at all. Andy Stanton (author of the bonkers and brilliant Mr Gum books) and I hung out at Jimmy Cobb’s jazz concert.
Smooth.
This year Team Gemini Force descended on the tiny Welsh town, Jamie Anderson, Nina Douglas from Orion Children’s Books, me and my teenage daughter. Martin Chilton, Cultural Editor of the Telegraph, was on board too, interviewing Jamie and me on stage for two events.
During the first event, on the Wales Stage, I mentioned that I drew inspiration from Prince Harry for the character of Ben Carrington. I’d previously mentioned this to interviewers from Reading Zone and The Sun, so was surprised and delighted that the Telegraph were keen to talk more about this. Martin Chilton sent his colleague Anita Singh to interview me and before we knew it, Jamie and I were having our photo taken just in case the story ran the following day.
Watch the video to find out what happened next! Filmed and narrated by The Teen Harris aged 13&3/4.