Being happy

Swapna HaddowScrapbook

December is on the horizon and the husband is hunting for the camera, as we ready ourselves for the annual Christmas card photograph.  The son is trying to coax Gary, his hamster, from out under the couch so I’ve retreated to my writing den to take a moment to look back on this year. In June I entered the Greenhouse …

Happy Diwali

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The son was in charge of rangoli this year and has produced a wonderful rangoli ‘Olaf’. Happy Diwali to you all!

Diversity

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I remember hitting thirteen-years-old, wanting to run away from home, grow a fringe, cut my hair short and move to Paris where I would paint and write and listen to Francois Hardy.  However, I was outraged to discover that my frizzy South Indian inherited locks would not allow for a shiny straight fringe in those pre-hair straightener days. I certainly …

Dave finds a home a Faber Children’s

Swapna HaddowRoosting With Dave, Scrapbook

I’m absolutely over the moon to announce I now have a book deal.  Faber Children’s has acquired ‘Dave Pigeon’.  Thank you Faber!  Thank you also to Polly Nolan who clearly has making-dreams-come-true superpowers – powers that belong only to two others: Santa and shooting stars. This has been a double achievement.  For those of you who thought I was a …

First Days

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It seems not so long ago that I started this blog.  In those first days of being on the blogosphere, the son was eighteen months old and I was getting very lost in this world of publishing. In what I can only conclude was some sort of time-travel I wasn’t aware of, we are here today with a school-ready four-year-old …

The results are in…

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So chuffed to find out this morning that Princess Sausage Roll has been not only been shortlisted but also received the KBR highly commended stamp of honour.

Curing the post-holiday blues

Swapna HaddowScrapbook

The perfect antidote to the post-holiday blues? Well, that would be coming home to glorious sunshine and falling out of one’s chair on the news of being shortlisted for the KBR Picture Book Manuscript Award 2014 Happy Mondays!!