We had the immense privilege of speaking with prolific author Ian Eagleton this week on Storyshaped, and it was a heartfelt, moving, and very fun conversation about finding your own voice, fighting against prejudice, and (not) fitting in. Described as 'an inspiration' by Mariah Carey, no less, Ian is not only an author, but also Creative Director of The Reading Realm, which aims to be a resource centre for anyone who loves children's books; a former teacher; a learning resources provider, as well as a husband and a dad. Join us for a gorgeous trip down the winding road of Ian's Storyshaped life.

Books mentioned on this week's episode include Ian's own:

Nen and the Lonely Fisherman (ill. James Mayhew)

The Woodcutter and the Snow Prince (ill. Davide Ortu)

Violet's Tempest (ill. Clara Anganuzzi)

Rory's Room of Rectangles (ill. Jessica Knight)

Millie's Big Decision (ill. Max Rambaldi)

Glitter Boy

The Boy Who Cried Ghost

And the stories which shaped him include:

The Goosebumps series, by RL Stine

The Alfie and Annie Rose books, by Shirley Hughes

Roger's Red Hat, Jennifer's Yellow Hat, Billy's Blue Hat (Reading scheme school readers)

The Little Mermaid, in all its forms, from the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen to the recent Disney live-action remake of its own animated classic

Super Gran, by Forrest Wilson

The work of Simon James Green

Hideous Beauty, by William Hussey

The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman

A Fairly Honourable Defeat, by Irish Murdoch

Pirate Mums, by Jodie Lancet-Grant and Lydia Corrie

My Daddies!, by Gareth Peter and Garry Parsons

Grandad's Camper, by Harry Woodgate

The work of John Grisham

This Place Has No Atmosphere, by Paula Danziger

The work of Paula Danziger

The work of Judy Blume

Dodos Are Not Extinct!, by Paddy Donnelly

And... the Life, Work, and Art of the one and only Mariah Carey.

Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!

In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

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Have you ever wondered what would happen if time started to go a bit wibbly-wobbly? How it might affect the planet, the seasons, wildlife, populations - all the way down to the individual? Well, time getting a bit wibbly-wobbly is one of the themes in Clara Kumagai's amazing debut novel Catfish Rolling, which we discuss on today's podcast, along with LOADS of books that make Clara her Storyshaped self. From Japan to Canada to Ireland to... somewhere in space and time, come with us as we wander through Clara's Storyshaped life.

Books mentioned on this week's episode include Clara's own:

A Girl Named Indigo (published in Japan as Indigo wo sagashite), illustrated by Yokosuka Kaori

Catfish Rolling

Songs for Ghosts (forthcoming)

And the stories which have shaped her include:

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (an example of bad representation!)

The Private Life of Plants by David Attenborough

The Narnia books, particularly Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by CS Lewis

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

The Babysitters' Club, created by Ann M. Martin

American Born Chinese (graphic novel series), by Gene Luen Yang

The work of Joy Kogawa

The work of Paul Yee

The story of Madama Butterfly

Annihilation, by Jeff Vander Meer

His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman

The Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin

The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper

The Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett

Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett

Lords and Ladies, by Terry Pratchett

Snuff, by Terry Pratchett

The Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett

Fun and Games, by John Patrick McHugh

The work of Ann Sei Lin

The work of Adiba Jaigirdar

Hyo the Hellmaker, by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh

Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu

An Illustrated Guide to Time

Our podcast bookshop (for children's books) in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. If you're in Ireland, you might also like to check out kennys.ie for free shipping, island-wide.

In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

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Annnnnd here you go! Part Two of our long-awaited* Questions and Answers episode, where we tackle some of the fiendishly difficult queries sent in by listeners, including: 'Were you introduced to any new authors in doing the podcast?' (SPOILER: yes!), 'Should stories for children always end with hope?' (SPOILER: no spoilers 'ere, you've got to listen), and 'what are your predictions for the next 5 years?' (SPOILER: *spooky music*)

These episodes were so much fun to record and release, and we hope you enjoy the window into our podcast's production and planning (haphazard, at best), and that you get a sense of the magic that makes it work. Enjoy! And we're back next week with a brilliant author interview - don't miss it!

*I mean, chances are SOMEONE was waiting for it...

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We're nothing if not PROFESSIONAL and TIMELY around here... Oh, yes!

*cough*

Yeah, all right. So, on occasion, we do slip up a bit with the whole 'organisational skills' stuff. Here we have Part 1 of a 2-part episode, in which we attempt to answer the fiendishly tricky questions sent in by listeners. The fact that these questions were sent in so long ago that neither of us can remember exactly when? Psssshaw. Surely irrelevant. (But seriously: thanks to the listeners who sent in these questions, not just for the questions themselves, but for their patience in waiting for the answers!)

We tackle things like: what we've learned since becoming podcasters and what we wish we'd known before we started (spoiler: LOADS); books we'd recommend from the past three years (spoiler: ALSO LOADS); whether our definitions of 'Storyshaped' have changed since we started podcasting (spoiler: A BIT), and loads more. There'll be part 2 of this episode next week, and then after that we'll be back into the guest interviews (and spoiler: they're AMAZING).

For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy our Q and A episode: Part 1!

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Get settled into your favourite chair, a glass of whatever pleases you in hand, and come with us on a journey through Joan Aiken's tiny masterpiece, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. In it, we discuss not only Aiken's book, but also make mention of The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, and lots of other snowy, wintry children's stories.

This year, 2024, marks Joan Aiken's centenary - she would have turned 100 years old in September - so it's doubly appropriate that we salute the end of the year with a trip through one of her best loved books. Have you got your ice-skates on? Let's go - and watch out for the wooooooooooooolves....

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Today's episode is a chat with the brilliant Cariad Lloyd - podcaster extraordinaire (make sure to check out her award-winning and brilliant shows Sara and Cariad's Weirdos Book Club and Griefcast), actress and improv genius, parent, comedian, and author. We were delighted to have her join us on Storyshaped for a heartfelt and hilarious discussion about the stories which have shaped her throughout her remarkable life. Get settled... grab a cup of something delicious... and enjoy!

Books mentioned in this week's episode include Cariad's own:

You Are Not Alone

The Christmas Wish-Tastrophe

And the books which shaped her include:

The Moomins series by Tove Jansson

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques

The work of Judy Blume

The Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem

The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks

The work of Anne Fine

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

The Collected Work of the Brothers Grimm

Shogun by James Clavell

The Asterix comics by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo, Jean-Yves Ferri, Didier Conrad

The Tin-Tin comics by Hergé

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

The work of Terry Pratchett, including Carpet People, Diggers, and Truckers

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

The Grimwood series by Nadia Shireen

Billy and the Pirates by Nadia Shireen

Clarice Bean by Lauren Child

The work of John Burningham

On-screen stories include:

Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1995)

Some Like it Hot (1959)

The Ricki Lake Show (1993 - 2004)

Neighbours (1985 - present)

The Simpsons (1989 - present)

And... the Stephanie Burgis books Sinéad mentions are: A Most Improper Magick (Bk 1); A Tangle of Magicks (Bk 2); A Reckless Magick (Bk 3), available via Piccadilly Press or your fave bookseller! More information is available here: stephanieburgis.com

Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie

In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WE'RE BACK, Storyshapers!

Today's episode is a MEGA AWESOME EPIC BUMPER Christmas gift guide - and when we say 'gift', we mean 'books'. Obviously. We're sharing some of the brilliant reads we've enjoyed this year and which we think would make great Christmas presents (or just 'Midwinter' presents, or indeed 'Holiday' presents, if Christmas ain't your vibe. It's all good!) This isn't to say that there aren't a TON more fantastic books out there - we know we missed some! - so please do let us know which ones you think we could've included, what you think of our choices, and if you've enjoyed any of them already.

On with the show!

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Karl J Mountford

Little Lion Girl by Olivia Hope and Fiona Woodcock

Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace and Alan O’Rourke

Panda and Penguin Find a Thing by Zehra Hicks

Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe

Faedom by Lorna White, Agnes Monod-Gayroud, and Nadzeya Makeyeva

Bertha and Blink: Rumble in the Jungle by Nicola Colton

Jasper and Scruff (series) by Nicola Colton

A Dublin Christmas by Nicola Colton

Lola and Larch Make a Winter Wish by Sinéad O’Hart and Rachel Seago

The House at the End of the Sea by Victoria M. Adams

The Christmas Wish-tastrophe by Cariad Lloyd, illustrated by Ma Pe

The World Between the Rain by Susan Cahill

Sword of the Sun by Sinéad O'Hart

The Imaginary by AF Harrold and Emily Gravett

The Worlds We Leave Behind AF Harrold and Levi Pinfold

The Song From Somewhere Else AF Harrold and Levi Pinfold

The October Witches by Jennifer Claessen

The November Witches by Jennifer Claessen

The December Witches by Jennifer Claessen

Magicalia: Race of Wonders by Jennifer Bell

Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman by Alex Atkinson

Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton

I Am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm

Dreamhunters by Nazima Pathan

The Kingdom Over the Sea by Zohra Nabi

Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan

The Stitchwort Curse by Alexandra Dawe

One Chance Dance by Efua Traoré

Tide Magic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit by Clare Harlow

Gargoyles: Guardians of the Source by Tamsin Mori

The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze

Flame Chasers by Julie Pike

Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell

These Stolen Lives by Sharada Keats

Braids Take a Day by Zainab Boladale

Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri

Splinters by Rachel Delahaye

Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore

Thunder City by Philip Reeve

The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading by Sam Leith

Wolfish: The Stories We Tell About Fear, Ferocity and Freedom by Erica Berry

A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh, Aliaa Betawi

In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

In Ireland, check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within Ireland (yay!)

Please try to support your local bookshops with your purchases. Happy reading!

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In this S2 Finale episode, we are delighted to bring you an interview with an author who, we feel, wholly embodies the Storyshaped ethos - the brilliant SF Said. SF's writing is immersive, absorbing, mind-expanding, and thrilling, crafted with care and passion; truly, the best sort of writing, which also happens to be for children (though, as SF says, 'children's literature includes children, but excludes no-one'). We're delighted to get a chance to sit down with SF, whose thoughts on the power and value of children's literature, the importance of making stories available to all children, and the profound impact that stories have on the minds, hearts, and lives of those who consume them, are truly worth hearing - so come and spend an hour with us!

And a quick housekeeping announcement from your hosts:

We'll return in a wee while with a special bonus Q&A episode, where we'll answer some brilliant questions sent in by listeners, and after that we'll be taking a hiatus from Storyshaped while we sort out one or two pesky things (like life, family, and work!) But rest assured, Storyshapers: we, like the Terminator, will be back. Thank you all for listening, rating, reviewing, sharing, and sitting down with us over the past two seasons, while we've asked a variety of excellent people: Are you Storyshaped? We can't wait to get back to it, just as soon as we can. While you're waiting for our return: please help yourselves to our back catalogue and any bonus episodes we release, and do continue sharing, rating, and reviewing the show, as it really does help us to keep producing it for you.

But for now: have some fantastic Storyshaped chat with the brilliant SF Said.

Books mentioned in this week's episode include SF's own:

Varjak Paw

The Outlaw Varjak Paw

Phoenix

Tyger (all published by David Fickling Books)

And the stories which shaped him include:

The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss

The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill

The work of William Blake

Comics, including:

Marvel

Asterix

Tintin

Peanuts

Mad Magazine

Calvin & Hobbes

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and various artists (incl. Dave McKean)

Cages, written and illustrated by Dave McKean

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K Le Guin

His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman

Noughts and Crosses, by Malorie Blackman

Skellig, by David Almond

Journey Back to Freedom, by Catherine Johnson

The Essays of C.S. Lewis

The Letters of JRR Tolkien

The work of George MacDonald, including The Princess and the Goblin

The work of William Morris

The work of Lord Dunsany (1878-1957)

Film and TV:

Star Wars

Star Trek

Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie

In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.