Usually, the lesser-spotted Tatum can be found hunkered down in her batcave scribbling wildly, with occasional pauses for prosecco, evil cackling or when the cat climbs on her lap and all work must cease because as we know cats rule the universe. But with Halloween fast approaching, I am actually venturing out of my lair to Go Places. They will be Places Involving Books and Sundry Fun and I can promise much entertainment if you come and hang out with me and my fellow scribblers. Also, no carnivorous carousel horses. Well, probably. Here's where to find me over the next few weeks:
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Saturday 3rd October: YAie
Where? Twitter
YAie is a brilliant online kidlit festival organised by lovely Irish book blogger Shelly Moloney-King and featuring such luminaries as Sarah Rees-Brennan, Cat Valente, Sarah Crossan and many more, including little old me. Writers will be discussing various bookish topics all day, with my online panel title 'Writing Practices: Getting It Down'  happening at 5.45pm GMT, which sounds like it might be about non-procrastination haha because I am so good at that.

Full schedule for the day here.
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Wednesday 28th October: YA Shot
Where? Uxbridge Waterstones
YA Shot is a gigantic one-day kidlit festival run by the amazing Alexia Casale, featuring live panels all day long with numerous authors, at both Waterstones Uxbridge and the nearby Hillingdon Library, just west of London. I'm going to be doing a panel with the fantastic Abi Elphinstone and Nigel McDowell titled Weird & Wonderful: The Familiar and the Fantastical in Middle Grade Fiction from 3-4pm and even if I'm boring I can guarantee those two will be a blast, so do come heckle us! The three of us will also be signing books from 12.45pm - 1.30pm.

​Full schedule for the day here.

Friday 30th October: Halloween Spectacular
Where: Chiltern Open Air Museum
Now we're talking - Halloweeny stuff! The COAM in Buckinghamshire (but still reachable on the Tube!) has both indoor and outdoor spaces with loads of fun stuff happening for kids, including spooky walks through woods (will I be brave enough to do that?? let's just say I'll probably need a friend for company...) and yours truly reading from The D'Evil Diaries and answering any questions your little minions can think up (wait, except for that one how dare you that's private) plus signing books. The event starts at 5pm and I'll be doing two readings/Q&As over the evening, exact timings tbc but probably around half five and half six. Please come so I am not standing there talking to a room full of ghosts...

​Full info here.
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Saturday 14th November: Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival
Where: South Hampstead High School
The festival runs from the 13th to the 16th, with tons of fabulous authors of both the kidlit and adult persuasion. I'll be doing a writing workshop for any budding writers aged 8-13, from 4pm-5pm, and whilst most of the festival requires tickets, the Young Readers' Afternoon is free, yay! Here's the details:

Make Your Own World! All stories have to take place somewhere, and the best tales have a setting which really comes to life. Learn how to create your own city as a backdrop for your stories. Man-eating libraries, poisonous gardens, ice-cream trees, flying cats - what will you imagine? Remember it's your world, so you can do anything with it!

​More info here.

How is summer reading different to winter reading? I’m not sure. The danger of dropping your book in the pool? Getting sand between the pages? Smudging the print with sweaty fingertips? Falling asleep to find a book-shaped tan mark across your middle? Using a paperback to fight off wasps? (Don’t bother. Wasps are evil and will always win. Just run.)

I think perhaps people expect you to read more FOR FUN in the summer. For pleasure. But then shouldn’t books always be read for pleasure? I think so. If you’re not enjoying a book, throw it out the window, that’s what I say. (Er, unless it’s a library book, obviously.)

All the same, you maybe don’t want to read snowy Christmas tales in the middle of August. So here are some recommendations for wonderful summery reads (all suitable for 8+) that’ll keep those blue skies sparkling above you (or knowing the English summer, let you imagine them).

My Family and Other Animals, Gerrald Durrell: the Durrell family decamp to balmy Corfu, and young Gerald spends his days poking around the island wildlife with often hilarious results. A classic.