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Dorchester Literary Festival

It was my second time as a visiting author to the Dorchester Literary Festival Schools Programme. Last year it ran 12 events across 4 days reaching nearly 3,500 students. This year I spoke to years 7 & 8 at Thomas Hardye and St Mary’s CE Middle Schools, who were a top crowd.

It’s great to see my novel ‘Chinglish’ continuing to be a hit in classrooms. I never knew it could be such an effective empathy tool. Thanks for the invite DLF!

Greetings from Croatia

Downing tools for a few weeks – see you again shortly P.s. It’s stunning here!

Superfan

A few months ago I got a message from someone telling me how his daughter, who apparently wasn’t the most motivated reader, had read my book ‘with an eagerness that I’ve never seen before and now she’s got the reading bug’.

He asked if I could send her a letter as an encouragement to keep reading, so I did. Along with a signed photo and some original drawings that got printed in the final version of ‘Chinglish’.

And look – she got them framed!

When I was that age I had pics of idols on my wall and to think that now I’m up on someone’s wall – how mad is that? Thanks Ale!

Notice for school bookings from September 2025

Please note that all my sessions will be online only until further notice due to schedule (and I’m booked out for World Book Week 2nd – 6th March 2026) – sorry!

‘Chinglish’ has been Teachers’ Pick on Amazon since it got published in 2019, so it’s always on senior school radar. And primary schools love my fast and funny ‘Maddy Yip’ draw-alongs that get the kids’ imaginations racing.

These sessions still translate well remotely, so if you’d like more info, please get in touch via my website contact form.

Finished!

I’ve handed in final draft for Chinglish sequel – yesss! I started back in Dec 2021, so it’s taken 3 and half years to complete – about the same as Chinglish.

These books were bloody hard to write. No, I didn’t have to tell the world and their dog about my problems. I didn’t even want to write Chinglish to start with. But my agent said it might help people, and ultimately it ended up helping me, cos I saved loads of dosh on therapy.

Chinglish, a creative biography set in 1980s Coventry, covers my teens from 13 to 16. But the sequel, 16 to 18, reveals a whole new set of challenges after leaving home. Cos this period was so bleak, I thought that turning it into a graphic novel might help me swerve having to feel too much. It didn’t work.

It was only when I repeatedly sat down to face my demons that truth started to seep like a freshly picked scab. There was no other option but to use the same format as before; brutally honest raw diary entries, with signature humour to dull the pain.

There’s still a way to go before publishing – need to sell the bugger first. Then more edits and illustrating. But what I want at the end of the day is for this story to be out there, showing how life’s dead ends don’t have to be that way at all.

Tyneside tour

My human doodling machine sessions went down a treat. So what happens is: I give the kids a little briefette, then stand and marvel at their avalanche of ideas. Then I choose some and draw them on a whiteboard, on the spot – so a challenge for me too. Then the kids have to guess which ones I picked as the pictures develop- loadsa fun!

Well done mini creatives and thanks to North Tyneside Council and Northumberland Schools Library Service for organising.

Empathy Festival 2025

This year’s Empathy Day has extended to a ten-day nationwide festival from 2-12 June 2025! Which culminates in Empathy Day itself on 12 June.

As a part of this, I was asked to create an Emotions Map to help children explore their own and others’ feelings – what a fantastic idea! I took this map on tour with me to China and the kids were so captivated and inspired to make their own.

If you’re a school, library, bookshop or home setting that would like to join in, you can register for your FREE activites and resources here at the Empathy Lab website.

China tour

My first overseas author trip took me to Beijing and Shanghai, thanks to organisers Authors Abroad. Even though my itinerary (plus jet lag) was bonkers, the vibe was cool and the people were the most welcoming you could ever meet.

In between sessions, I had free rein of art depts, browsed books, chatted with loads of interesting folk, and even squeezed in a geeky Maglev ride. Oh yeah, and I scoffed loads of real deal Chinese grub – bonus! Outside school time, I was also invited to delicious dumpling suppers, walked the Beijing hutongs and met with online friends for the first time in real life.

Massive thanks to everyone, especially all the brilliantly funny and creative kids I had at my events. What an adventure!

Happy World Book Day!

I spent the day at Francis Holland school chatting to years 7 and 8. I did a careers talk with the 6th formers too, about how going into writing can be approached from multiple and sometimes surprising angles. I used to think you needed a fancy degree or training but really you just need to be a storyteller (and have a lot of patience for learning all the technical bits of putting a book together!)

I’ve not done the ‘Chinglish’ talk for a while cos I’ve been busy writing the sequel, but it was interesting to see how my perspective changes on it every year. I’ve got a lot more compassion for my teen self now and focus more on the positives and what today’s young people can take from them.

Thanks as always to the schools that keep inviting me to visit.