February 2008 Picture Books I have just started a new picture book for Random House. Free To A Good Home which is NOT about a cat or a dog. I am still working on Fearless for ABC Books and theshophalfwaydownthestreet.com. for Hachette. Writing In 2004 Random House Australia published my novel called How To Live Forever which is based on the picture book I did with the same title. This won the Aurealis Award. I've started writing the second book (of three) to follow on from this - The Second Forever, which I hope will be ready to be published around Easter 2009. I'm also writing a novel based on my picture book The Paradise Garden and planning to write one based on Falling Angels. These two book will be a long time in the future My first serious adult novel - Laughing for Beginners was published by Hodder Headline in Australia and New Zealand, in January 2002. I'm now writing the second volume - Enthusiasm Costs Extra, and a book of short stories called - Instructions which kind of runs parallel to the two novels. I'm also working another adult novel called The Mirrorball of The Gods - not sure when either of them will be finished. (Anyone out there who remembers the Ealing Club and Eel Pie Island send me an e-mail) My picture book The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley which was illustrated by an 85 year old French artist called Amy Lissiat was published by Lothian Books in May 2005 and won the CBC Picture Book of the Year. I have just heard that Riley is going to be re-issued as a small countertop size book on the adult's list. There might even be a mini CD with it. I'm also writing a series 8 short novels for Random House Australia called - The Floods - with lots of black and white illustrations. The first book was published in Australia in October 2005, the second was out on - February 1st 2006. The sixth Floods is out this March and I am now writing Floods 7. When I've finished Floods 8, I'm going to do a series of about 4 books called Before The Floods which will be about Nerlin Flood's ancestor Merlin and King Arthur. I've also got two other completely different series of novels planned for the future - The Motes and Watch This Space - and I might even do a series called After The Floods. Collaborations I am working on several stories for other artists to illustrate. I really enjoy working with other artists, seeing them bring my ideas to life and I hope to continue these collaborations for the foreseeable future. And . . . I am also working on two more adult novels, an illustrated book of poetry, two film scripts, a TV series called Fairies which is not a kid's series even though it sounds like it. If and when all this lot gets finished I can't say, because I still want to do soem BIG oil paintings. Watch this space . . . .