The Oxford Indie Book Fair, Sunday 1st December 2024

FRABJOUS news for book lovers, browsers and Christmas shoppers…

The BIGGEST EVER Oxford Indie Book Fair takes place on Sunday, 1st December 11 am - 4.30 pm in the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, OX1 4BJ (worth coming just to see this beautiful building alone).

And guess who will be among the 150 exhibitors 😊 🥳. Yup, I’ll be there, behind a table (N48, to be precise) groaning with copies of Ante’s Inferno (just on its 6th print run), The Tragickall History of Henry Fowst and The Fall of a Sparrow.

But there’s LOTS to see and do, for children and adults alike.

For more information, visit https://www.oxfordindiebookfair.co.uk/

World Book Day, 7th March 2024

Just surfacing from the FULLEST World Book Day I’ve ever experienced (see photo above). A whole day at Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford, doing 4 different workshops on all 3 of my books, with the chance to include just about all students from Years 5 - 8. And what a lively, switched-on group of boys, all willing to focus on all kinds of new literary concepts, from the Seven Deadly Sins (always a popular one, that) to the Faustian pact to the eighteenth century rise of the Gothic Horror story. Even Sherlock Holmes took an interest (and he doesn’t miss a clue, after all).

I was very pleased recently to be invited to Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford, for a Q & A session with their new book club, who had - with admirable discernment - chosen The Tragickall History of Henry Fowst as their inaugural read. A super, sparky group of Year 6 - 8 boys who asked searching questions about character decisions and plot inspiration. One of them had also read Ante’s Inferno, and the question naturally arose about a certain devilish theme in my stories. Er, true, m’lud. Well they say the devil has all the best stories…

More exciting news - The Fall of a Sparrow was shortlisted in the Children’s and YA’s category of the Rubery Book Awards, ‘a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges.’ https://www.ruberybookaward.com/

Check out this ingenious idea - a book browsing site www.shepherd.com It seeks to replicate the bookshop browsing experience, which you really can’t do online on retail sites. Here authors are asked to list their favourite 5 books on any given topic, giving reasons why they recommend them. What with The Fall of a Sparrow being a ghost story for children, here’s my contribution. Have a look - and get hooked!

Above and below: Super visit to Alleyn’s Junior School, London, in January 2024, when I talked to Year 5 about Dante, Greek mythology and World War I (all themes in my book, Ante’s Inferno).

BREAKING NEWS! I am super proud to announce that The Fall of a Sparrow has reached the finals of the 2021 Page Turner Awards.

As a great fan of Oxford Children’s Book Group I’m delighted to be taking part in this year’s online conference on

Saturday 16th October, 10 am.

ZOOM IN, book lovers, for tips on how to Read Your Way Out of Lockdown! (Spoiler alert: you can’t beat a wonderful, stirring, fingernail biting children’s book.)

JERICHO BOOK FAIR Sunday, 27th June, 11 am - 4 pm.

On the eve of publication day, I’ll be signing copies of The Fall of a Sparrow at the Writers in Oxford stand at this fair in Mount Place, OX2 6BJ. LOTS of other authors and indie publishers exhibiting, in all genres, including children’s. IGNORE the forecast…. COME!

EXCITING NEWS!

My next book is due to come out with Matador 28 June 2021. The Fall of a Sparrow is a haunting tale set in a spooky boarding school, in which 11 year-old Eleanor uncovers a long-buried family secret. Little by little, she finds herself drawn into terrible danger. You can read more about it here. For ages 9 - 13.

The Fall of a Sparrow

OUT 28TH JUNE 2021

Passchendaele Centenary Reprint of Ante’s Inferno

The year 2017 brought the centenary of Passchendaele (1917 - 2017), arguably the most terrible of all battles of the First World War, with casualties on both sides totalling over 500,000.

Following Siegfried Sassoon's Memorial Tablet (I died in Hell - they called it Passchendaele), a reconstruction of this battle forms the lowest circle of Hell in Ante's Inferno). To mark the centenary, the book was reprinted and I am thrilled with this specially updated jacket, in which the grim photograph makes this connection all too clear.

Copies (£12.99) are available in bookshops, as usual, or you can order one direct from the publisher and have the benefit of £3 off!  And there's always Amazon...

Self-Publishing

What's the best thing about self-publishing? Find out on my first ever podcast, courtesy of Paul Teague, on this great website.

Image-in this!

While both Ante's Inferno and The Tragickall History of Henry Fowst have terrific cover images engraved by Hilary Paynter, no one has ever done illustrations for the stories inside... until now.  

I love this superb depiction of Ante, Florence and Gil in the Multivice Centre in Ante's Inferno. Banana Girl from http://mangobubblesbooks.com/2015/11/07/antes-inferno-griselda-heppel-reviewed-by-banana-girl-10/ has captured it perfectly.

Guest Author for Childtastic Books & Muddy Stilettos

In the week in which The Tragickall History of Henry Fowst is launched, I'm honoured to have been asked to contribute guest posts on  two websites I love.

First, this wonderful site which discusses and reviews childrens' books:   https://childtasticbooks.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/griselda-heppel-visits-childtastic-books/

Next, the glorious Muddy Stilettos (see below), has asked my advice on How to Write a Book. Follow this for my nuggets of, er, wisdom on the subject: https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/culture/how-to-write-a-book-by-griselda-heppel/

Muddy Stilettos

I've been following this website for some time.  It fizzes with ideas of things to do and see in Oxon/Bucks - theatre, film, restaurants, pubs, shops, kids' activities - you name it.  I love  the whole feel of it so was thrilled to be asked to contribute a write-up of my favourite places for it. Here's what I came up with - I had fun!

https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/fave-places/my-favourite-places-author-griselda-heppel/

The Guardian Self-Publishing Showcase

For some weeks now, the Guardian has been running a Self-Publishing Showcase on its website, featuring the best of self-publishing ventures and interviewing authors who've gone down that route.  I'm delighted that this week I've been invited to take part, talking about Ante's Inferno - check out and see!

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/29/self-publishing-showcase-antes-inferno

The Oxford Times Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Griselda ups the Ante with novel win!

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/10477472.Griselda_ups_the_Ante_with_novel_win/

Winner at the People’s Book Prize 2012/2013

On Wednesday, 29th May, at the awards dinner in Stationers' Hall, London, the WINNER of the Children's Category of the People's Book Prize 2012/13 was Ante's Inferno

This amazing result (I am still bubbling over and grinning idiotically) is entirely down to all the wonderful people who supported the book, voted for it and spread the word. Hurrah!