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FIDRA BOOKS Newsletter
COMPETITIONS IN THIS ISSUE
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Win a copy of this fabulous new children's adventure story illustrated by the great Mike Ploog - full review on the children's books page - e-mail now for a chance to win! Just answer this question: "What is the name of the second volume in the series - you'll find the answer in this issue!" Prize copies supplied by Harper Collins Childrens' Books
Katherine Roberts' Seven Ancient Wonders series concludes with this fantastic adventure story featuring Zeuxis, who helps to keep the Pharos lighthouse burning. Full review on the children's books page. Prize copy courtesy of Harper Collins Childrens' Books. Just e-mail me and tell me the names of the other books in the series.
These two titles are up for grabs in the Crime Supplement competition.
 
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Fidra Books Newsletter
Elinor Lyon
All material in this supplement is © of and reprinted with kind permission of Fidra Books (www.fidrabooks.com)
Back at the beginning of April, whilst staying
with family in Worcester,
I made a trip over to Harlech on the Welsh coast to visit Elinor Lyon. Naturally, what looked like a fairly reasonable distance on the map when
planning this turned out to be just over three hours each way along winding
roads! Elinor’s cottage is up a terrifyingly steep driveway and requires a
ferocious handbrake turn at the top – too slow and you don’t make the bend, too
fast and you could embed yourself in the garden wall . However, when you get
there and take the few steps up to the front door, the view over the bay and
towards Snowdon is absolutely stunning, and it
is easy to see why Elinor and her husband Peter fell in love with this spot 30
years ago when he retired from teaching.
Whilst Malcolm and our little boy set off along the
footpath to explore the castle, I talked to Elinor. A bright and lively lady,
still very busy with reading group, Women’s Institute, church and many family
activities, she is delighted that her books are being republished, but slightly
bemused and surprised that there is still demand for them and that she has
received fan mail.
Elinor was particularly interested that St George’s School
in Edinburgh had acquired a copy of The House in Hiding which
was proving very popular with the pupils, and explained that she had actually
attended the school for a year or so around 1930 when she was living in Edinburgh, having
previously been educated at home by a governess. I am planning to deliver our
next book to St George’s
in person so that I can take some photos to show her how it has changed. I
shall also be trying to discreetly photograph her old home in Inverleith near
the Botanic Gardens!
Unsurprisingly, we talked a great deal about books,
both those that we were currently reading and her own. Dragon Castle is a title that many
people have contacted me about and she is happy for Fidra to publish this. W e
will do so next year, after Run Away Home – so many people are
looking forward to this that I would hate to put it off! Elinor also
tantalisingly mentioned that lurking in the attic are the unpublished
manuscripts for another two novels in the Ian, Sovra and Cathie series…
Magnus
and Malcolm joined us for tea, and the homemade chocolate cake was much
appreciated by them, given their long walk and climb up to the top of Harlech
castle. As Magnus seemed to be keen on counting steps, when he became a little
restless, Elinor sent him out into her terraced garden to see how many he could
find there: 106 apparently! He was very impressed to be meeting a real live
author.
It was a long trip to visit Elinor but I am so glad
that we made the trip as she is fascinating to talk to and one never loses the
thrill of meeting an author whose work you love. I look forward very much to
meeting her again in the future.
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