JoJo Gnome’s 2014 Highlights
Probably everyone casting a glance back at 2014 will see it as a year of highs and lows, I am no different but for this post will pick out a few of the high points of JoJo Gnome’s year (and mine). Anyone who was in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games would be hard pushed not to have this event as a highlight. There was a tremendous atmosphere in the city, even if you didn’t love sport and amazing to have so many people from all over the world visiting Glasgow. JoJo Gnome & the Common Elf Games was the book I had out at this time .There is a version of the book being read by myself online if you want to have a listen (made for a school I was working with abroad). One particular highlight were the dancing Tunnock’s Tea cakes at the opening ceremony … a special moment for Scottish cakes!
JoJo at Wee Write Book Festival 2014
My second highlight has to be doing a series of workshops at the Wee Write Book Festival in Glasgow. How brilliant to have an event for younger reader to call their own. This was the first year Glasgow ran the Wee Write Book festival and it was a real success…here’s to many others and engaging with lots of young readers. I met Debi Glioiri in the green room at this event … a great children’s writer and illustrator who had been a tutor on an Arvon Foundation writing course I had attended many years ago.
Joining in at Wee Write 2014
My third highlight is working with such brilliant young folk throughout the year. Young people (of whatever age) never fail to blow me away with their ideas and enthusiasm. I worked with young people at Strathblane Primary School to help them bring their Obstacle Course Game and Paper Plane Race to life on video. I love the way they ‘just get it’ and there are no end to good ideas!
My last highlight has to be the generosity of spirit of people who have worked with me on the JoJo Gnome books. Al for his magic touch with music, Mary for being a ‘queen of punctuation’ and Lynne for being such a good sounding board. I have to mention my long suffering husband and son, who have heard more about what a gnome might get up to than any people should be expected to! My biggest supporter and JoJo fan (my mum) passed away this year … I miss her terribly but I still feel her spirit firmly behind me pushing me forward to ‘take a chance’. So with that spirit in mind that is going to be my New Year’s resolution this year …”Get on with it and always take a chance!”.