Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Jordan Bell

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

I'm delighted to welcome author, Jordan Bell to Sunday Brunch

Credit Jordan Bell

☼ Good Morning, Jordan. Happy Sunday!

What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

Home-made scones with jam, cream and lemon curd.

Would you like a pot of English Breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

EBT for me! Milk, one sugar, thank you.

Which of your literary heroes are joining us today?

If it's OK to ask people who have passed on, I'd like to invite Rumer Godden to join us - her children's books were a lifeline to me as a young reader, especially Miss Happiness and Miss Flower - small stories with big emotions inside them, a great way to start understanding for myself what it means to be a person. I'd love to talk with her about writing for children - her books made complexity simple enough for children, without "dumbing it down". 

What’s the title of the book nearest to you?

Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway - an absolute gem of a book and a great place to start with his collected stories (if you can get past the slightly strange name of his protagonist!).

Vintage
2012

What’s the oldest book on your book shelf?

A first edition English copy of The Never-Ending Story by Michael Ende, printed in red and green ink. I had a copy as a child, read it on multiple occasions, then lost it growing up and was terribly sad. My husband tracked down a copy for me for a birthday one year. Very precious. I'm just waiting for my daughter to get a little older before I read it to her.

Which book do you really want to read but haven’t had time for …yet!

Would you believe Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust (Vol 1) is still sitting on my shelf after it was gifted to me last year by my sister? I loved His Dark Materials so much that I have been scared to take it down and open it.

David Fickling Books
2017

Do you have a guilty reading pleasure, and if so will you tell us about it?

Just reading too late up into the night...one more chapter, one more chapter. I remember when I discovered as a child that if I hid a torch under my pillow, I could keeping reading after "lights out" - what a relevation!

If the house was on fire which book would you rescue?

Probably my passport - boringly practical but they are such a hassle to get re-issued! If it was a very small fire, probably photo albums or some of my daughter's hand-written and illustrated stories.

Do you have a reading/writing playlist on Spotify, or a favourite CD to listen to when reading? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel happy?

I can't write when there are lyrics, so I often listen to eg Vivaldi or Bach - or I work in silence. I find silence very soothing.

Do you have a favourite place to settle down to read?

Oooh, in a cafe, by myself, in a comfy chair with a hot chocolate in front of me. And maybe a little cake.

Give us four essential items that a writer absolutely needs?

Peace and quiet to write, a notebook/notes app for jotting down ideas, someone to encourage them when they are feeling very stupid at what they do and a supply of little snacks to keep them sustained.

What can you tell us about your latest novel, or your current work in progress?

I write a series called Aunt Jodie's Guides - Aunt Jodie, a biologist, takes her niece and nephew, Sophie and Matt, on science adventures.

 

I have just published Aunt Jodie's Guide to Evolution, a STEM-focussed book for children in primary school, illustrated by Gabriel Cunnett, which unpacks the science of evolution.

©Gabriel Cunnett credit Alice Robinson

It makes a great gift for a smart, curious child, and is available online at www.gumroad.com/jordanbell . I'm currently working on Aunt Jodie's Guide to Climate Change, as I think this is something that many children are going to have to wrap their heads around in the next few years, sadly. After that I will probably start working on Aunt Jodie's Guide to the Human Body, as that's what my readers have said they'd like to see next. For behind-the-scenes peeks at the process, search "Aunt Jodie's Guide" on Facebook and join either the Page or the Group!

Website

Twitter @AuntJodiesGuide

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Twitter  @jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo