I Love Books So Why Did I Hate English Literature? - Julie Sykes

It often surprises people to learn that I gave up English at 16. As someone who earns a living from writing, and a keen reader too, I'm expected to have at least an A ‘level in the subject.

The reason I don’t is simple. You couldn’t study English Language at my sixth form college. It was English Literature or nothing. I hated English Literature, so I opted for nothing.

Shakespeare left me cold. It still does. If I want to read in a foreign language then I’ll learn something useful like German.

At 16, Thomas Hardy and Steinbeck depressed me. Chaucer, Hemmingway, Gerald Manley Hopkins…no thanks!

There, I’ve said it. My guilty secret is out. Please don’t yell at me. I can’t help what I like and it’s not that.

I’m not alone either. A few months ago, Orli Vogt-Vincet (the 15 year old book blogger) wrote for the Guardian, ‘I Love books so why do I hate studying English GCSE?’ 

Orli argues that, ‘We need a bigger variety of fiction, modern and classic that have themes that can be translated and can be relevant to teenagers today...’ She also says, ‘we need books that bring up intense messages of modern themes: sexism, racism, homosexuality. It’s not even like these books don’t exist…’

I couldn’t agree more.

I’ve talked to other teenagers about the books they’ve read in school. Joe told me that his class spent a term studying Holes by Louis Sachar. He loved it the first time they read it. He’d quite enjoyed it the second time, too. But after a term spent re-reading, dissecting and analysing the text Joe confessed that he hated not just Holes but reading full stop!

Can you blame him?

Reading is an essential life skill. It’s something that can be taught.

Reading for pleasure, encouraging children to become lifelong readers can’t be. That takes encouragement, enthusiasm and above all passion.

It’s about time we listened to the young. Ask them what they want to read. What they’d like to see on the English Literature curriculum. It doesn’t matter if it's comics, magazines, fiction, non- fiction or the manual that comes with the PlayStation. If it has words then it counts as reading.


You’d never force an adult to read a book they’re not enjoying. Why then, if we want to encourage more children to read for pleasure, do we force books on them and then over analyse the content?

What my 13 year old self thought of 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway

Promoting a book with gifts: Julie Sykes

(Many thanks to Julie Sykes for this guest post. Julie will join us as a regular contributor on 26th April.)

It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Ally Carter. Her Gallagher Girls spy school series is top of my list of ‘things to take if ever stranded on a desert island’. I loved Heist Society too. So when I heard about Ally’s new series, Embassy Row, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the first book.

Note the word book!

For reasons to do with space and convenience I’ve turned to the dark side and buy most of my books on an e-reader. Real book buying is a luxury restricted to favourite authors or books with brilliant illustrations.

So, early one Saturday morning, after my weekly trolley dash around Waitrose, I ran into Waterstones with the sole aim of buying a copy of All Fall Down before my frozens melted in the boot of my car. But as I reached out to swipe a copy from the promo table I found myself drawing back.

What was that thing attached to the book with shrink wrap?

A mascara wand. Really?But I only wanted the book. I started to go through the pile to see if I could find a book without added mascara before I realised I was wasting my time. Disgruntled, I took the book (and free mascara) to the check out desk.

Driving home, I thought about the reasons why publishers feel the need to entice readers to buy a book with free gifts. Thousands of new books are published every year. Children and young adults all lead busy lives. There’s a whole other world out there in cyber space competing for their free time. It’s small wonder then that publishers, marketing gurus and authors too, have to be as creative in the promotion of their book as in the actual writing of it.

Then I remembered something! When my own Silver Dolphins series launched my publisher gave away a free silver dolphin necklace with book one, The Magic Charm. 

Hadn’t I been thrilled at the time, wearing my necklace 24/7 for the first month? Didn’t I almost go into melt down when fans of the new series emailed to tell me how much they loved their free necklace because it made them feel as it they might be a Silver Dolphin too!

Is it so very wrong to entice book readers with free gifts? What do you think? What makes you buy one particular book over another? Do you even buy real books anymore?  

What Do You Call A Group of Writers? - Lynne Garner

I used to be a lone writer, tapping away on my computer knowing there were others out there like me but was unsure how to make contact. That all changed a few years ago when I attended a course taught by Julie Sykes, who introduced my to The Scattered Authors Society. Joining has been one of the best moves I've made in my writing career. Since then I have also become a member of The Picture Book Den and Authors Electric.

A few of the members of the SAS enjoying afternoon tea on our Winter Retreat 2011

  

Recently I was talking to a non-writing friend who asked me "So what do you call a group of writers?" I was stumped, so did a little research and found some great names for groups of people including:

•  A 'drunkship' of cobblers
• A 'hastiness' of cooks
• And a 'stalk' of foresters

(Apparently these appeared in a list of 'proper terms' in the Book of St Albans attributed to Dame Juliana Barnes - 1486)

I also discovered a few (I assume) tongue in cheek modern group names including:

•  A 'doddering' of senior citizens
• A 'nattering' of elderly ladies
• And a 'trust fund' of peace marchers

Yet I was unable to find a definitive name for a group of writers. I did find suggestions including a scribble, a sentence, a pen, a composition and a story. Yet for me a group of writers is a support system, an inspiration, a springboard, a font of knowledge and a joy to be a member of - none of these as catchy as the previous I know. From each of the groups I gain more than I could have hoped for. 

For example The Picture Book Den is a group of ten picture book writers which was set up in December 2011. We often ask each other questions and put out requests for advice. We also swap manuscripts once a month and critique each others work. This not only allows us to improve our writing but also learn from one another.

Another example is the group of 28 authors who make up Authors Electric. Last month a member suggested we celebrate World Book Night and William Shakespeare's birthday by hosting our own give-away of eBooks. Between us we managed to spread the word far and wide. We more than doubled the hit rate to our blog in one day and introduced our books to a huge worldwide audience. As a group we support each other by using social media to spread the word about our books, classes we run as individuals etc. and also share our experiences. 

So for me a group of authors is more than a term. However it's driving me crazy not knowing the 'correct' term. So if anyone knows what you call a group of writers please put this writer out of her misery. 

Lynne Garner

Now a blatant plug for my latest collection of African stories retold available as an eBook - Anansi Trickier Than Ever

If you have children please feel free to download my free activity sheets that go with this book and my other: Anansi - The Trickster Spider

Download by clicking on these links: set one and set two.

My Favourite Bears - Julie Sykes (inc competition)

I’ve always loved bears. It’s hardly surprising as my first ever possession was a teddy bear. His name was Pink Ted, no prizes for guessing what colour he was! 

Pink Ted went everywhere with me until finally I loved him to pieces. Poor Pink Ted, he left me for that Great Bear Cave in the Sky many years ago now. I still miss him but luckily my daughter lets me borrow Bear Bear, her own treasured friend, when I’m in need of a bear hug.

I love reading about bears too and there are many brilliant book bears. Here are a few of my favourites - in no particular order: