FCBG Conference 2025

The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Conference is one of the highlights of the book-ish year. Combining lovely people, amazing books, fabulous authors, illustrators and poets and lots of cake, it is a wonderful weekend- and this year’s was no exception!

Monmouth is a lovely town and was a fantastic setting for the weekend. As everyone arrived on Friday, the sun was shining, enhancing everyone’s good mood and making setting everything up so much easier.

One of the highlights of Conference is the publishers’ exhibition and the sports’ hall where it was held was massive, allowing plenty of room to wander round, browse and chat about all the amazing books on display. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and say hello as they were preparing for the weekend ahead. Being able to look at and discuss what is available and what is coming out soon is a wonderful opportunity and is a real highlight of the weekend for many people.

Registration opened at 3pm. Although many attendees are familiar faces, new comers are always warmly welcomed and well looked after. The FCBG conference is known as ‘the friendly one’ for good reason!

The weekend started with afternoon tea, celebrating the 45th anniversary of ‘Peace at Last’, the Jill Murphy classic. Everyone enjoyed cake and a cuppa whilst catching up with friends old and new.

Tea was followed by the publishers’ presentations, an opportunity for them to draw attention to some of the books which they are most excited about, sometimes highlighting books which they have proofs of to share. Following this, there was time to explore the exhibition and have a look at anything (and everything!) you particularly liked the look of.

After dinner, there was a wonderful poetry session with Alex Wharton (you can read my review of ‘Doughnuts, Thieves and Chimpanzees’ here) and Kate Williams (you can read my review of ‘Squeak! Squawk! Roar! here). Offering very different poetic styles, their passion for poetry shone through, inspiring everyone there. The evening’s entertainment closed with a story telling session from Mama G before the bar opened!

The following morning dawned sunny once more with the prospect of another fun-filled day ahead. Day delegates started to arrive, ready for the FCBG AGM. Amongst other business, new committee members were voted in whilst others were re-nominated to continue.

Jackie Morris opened the morning with a magical session, followed by Leslie Parr (you can read my review of ‘Fallout’ here). The conference programme captured the spirit of Wales and Welsh writers brilliantly! Whilst I was on the reception desk, I had the great pleasure of meeting Karin Celestine and having a close look at some of the needlefelt characters which star in their books.

Another tea break- and more cake! This time the focus was on the Nevermoor books by Jessica Townsend, accompanied by a goody bag for everyone. Then it was back to the main hall for a session celebrating some of the winners of the 2024 Children’s Book Awards (see photo above), Thomas Flintham (Press Start! reviews here) and Matt Goodfellow (review of ‘Let’s Chase Stars Together’ here, ‘The Final Year’ here and ‘The First Year’ here).

It is always really hard to choose which seminar to attend- and this year, it was practically impossible! Louisa Reid led a session called ‘Finding the Magic in YA’, Struan Murray led a writing workshop, Ben Hoare and Lily Dyu were discussing how to make non-fiction irresistible and Karin Celestine led a wonderful session on craft and storytelling where everyone enjoyed stick weaving whilst finding out more about creating stories. No one wanted to leave…

After lunch, the day continued with a fascinating session from Manon Stefan Ros, author of ‘The Blue Book of Nebo’. Her love of language - and Wales- shone through. This was followed by a panel event about ‘Neurodiversity in children’s publishing’ with Greg Stobbs (you can read my review of ‘Cloud Boy’ here), Scott Evans (you can read my review of ‘All Brains are Wonderful’ here) and Zoe Antoniades, another very interesting and thought-provoking session. This was followed by more coffee and cake, celebrating Jessie Burton’s ‘Hidden Treasures’.

Next came time for meetings for group or individual members- an excellent opportunity for sharing ideas and forward planning for two of the FCBG’s initiatives: National Share a Story Month in May and Nation Non-Fiction November.

Before the Gala Dinner, everyone gathered to share Famous Five cocktails with Chris Smith, author of The New Famous Five series. An Enid Blyton quiz and food were followed by the after dinner speaker, Barry Cunningham, celebrating 25 years of Chicken House.

Suddenly, Sunday and the final day of conference had arrived! Once again, day delegates starting arriving after breakfast and another exciting day of events began. Hannah Gold (you can read my review of ‘The Lost Whale’ here) and Gill Lewis (you can read my review of ‘Moon Flight’ here) opened with a marvellous talk about ‘empathetic eco-warriors’ which was followed by ‘The Magic of Graphic Novels’ with Neill Cameron, Sophy Henn (you can read my review of ‘I Hate Everything!’ here) and Billy Partridge. The very lovely Sophy had drawn me a picture of the little ghosts from her latest picture book!

More cake to celebrate ‘Pia’s Pet Club’, a new series from Serena Patel and Emma McCann, the team behind ‘Anisha, Accidental Detective’. Claire Fayers (you can read my review of ‘Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins’ here) then chaired an excellent session with Piers Torday (you can read my review of ‘Midnight Treasure’ here), Ash Bond (you can read my review of ‘Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm’ here) and Sandra Saleh-Reyhani about weaving folk tales and legends into stories.

In the final session of the day the amazing Nicola Davies gave a very inspiring and impassioned speech about how everything is connected and the importance of children’s books in raising awareness about the state of the planet and its wildlife and encouraging everyone to take action. It was an incredible way to finish an incredible weekend!

The FCBG conference is a wonderful way of connecting with other book lovers dedicated to getting books into the hands of young readers, encouraging reading for pleasure and finding ways of engaging everyone with the joy books bring. There are other conferences throughout the year, but there is something very special about this one! If you are thinking about joining us next year, make sure you do- you won’t regret it!

Blog Tour: Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins

I am delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for the very wonderful ‘Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins’ by the equally wonderful Claire Fayers! As a great lover of myths, legends, fables and folklore, I collect these stories wherever I go and am always thrilled when a new collection appears.

Before you have even opened it to discover the delights within, it has to be said that ‘Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins’ is a beautifully produced book. The green hardback perfectly complements the gold lettering and design of the cover by Becka Moor, making this a book to be gifted, treasured, loved and passed on. And (as one of those weird booklovers who can always be found sniffing books!) it smells great too!

In this collection, Claire has taken seventeen traditional Welsh tales and has used her own special magic to re-imagine them for a new generation. In doing so, she has created a treasure trove of tales, offering something new whilst acknowledging the old, allowing readers to investigate the stories which inspired her should they wish to do so.

Each story starts with an author’s note which sets the scene and sometimes offers guidance on pronunciation- essential support for anyone sharing these at a story time. I particularly enjoyed ‘The Green Lady of Caerphilly Castle’ which, inspired by the story, I am planning to visit very soon! But then, I am planning to spend quite a lot of time exploring Wales due to this book!

In some stories, such as the Green Lady, Claire has stayed fairly true to the original; others, she has cleverly altered to offer a new or different take on the tale. In ‘Sir John and the Dragon’, the addition of Mags, a lively, intelligent orphan, which allows a far more satisfactory conclusion to the story of Denbigh’s dragon.

I could easily write about each of the stories and how much I enjoyed them, but that would make this piece far too long. Suffice it to say that for those who love folklore, this is an essential collection. For those who don’t, this is the collection you need to change that!

Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins

Claire Fayers, illustrated by Becka Moor

Firefly Press ISBN: 1915444707

You can find out more about Claire and her books on her website: https://clairefayers.com/

Many thanks to the lovely people at Firefly Press for inviting me to take part on this Blog Tour!

…And I Hear Dragons

I make no secret of the fact that I love poetry and am always excited to explore a new collection! Conceived and edited by the National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa (who is also partially responsible for ‘We Are Lady Parts’, one of my all-time favourite programmes!), ‘…And I Hear Dragons’ is a wonderful collection featuring the work of Welsh poets and illustrated by Eric Heyman.

In her introduction, Hanan shares the fact that she used to have a book of dragon poems as a child which inspired her to gather together all the magic and wonder of those ‘unruly, mythical creatures’ in this new anthology- and what a fabulous ‘dragon-focused’ selection it contains!

‘Dragon Dreams’ is one of two poems in the collection contributed by Alex Wharton (Daydreams and Jellybeans and Doughnuts, Thieves and Chimpanzees) and would make a lovely poem to share and discuss with a class. Similarly, Emma Barton-Smith’s ‘The Dragon in my Pocket’ would spark plenty of ideas, perhaps inspiring children to write their own poems on this theme.

The collection is rich in its celebration of Wales- the country, its language, its culture, and its people. Some of the poems use/introduce (depending on your position!) Welsh words. E. L Norry (Fablehouse) entitles her poem ‘Hiraeth’ (a Welsh word that has no direct English translation, but is likened to homesickness tinged with grief and sadness) , a term which I had to look up, making her words even more poignant. Other poems feature short glossaries or quick notes to support the reader’s understanding- like ‘Marged Fwyn ferch Ifan’ by Grug Muse which led me on another voyage of discovery!

A veritable cornucopia of dragon-y delights, this collection offers a wealth of wonderful words!

…And I Hear Dragons

edited by Hanan Issa, illustrated by Eric Heyman

Firefly Press ISBN: 978-1915444578

The Sleeping Stones

The Sleepers are hungry and the sea is waiting…

Gruff loves his life on the farm which has been in his family for generations, but times are hard and the family is struggling to stay on the small Welsh island. When the ‘New Neighbours’ move in to what used to be the blacksmith’s cottage, Gruff tries not to resent them and be friendly towards Mat- or Matylda- who has moved there with her family. Mat finds herself inexplicably drawn to the Sleepers, six dark stones leading out from the beach into the sea, ‘like the stepping sones of giants’. But as more and more islanders find themselves being drawn by the lure of the stones, Mat and Gruff must work together to solve the mystery of the Sleeping Stones and save the island community.

Full of rich descriptions of life on the Welsh island, ‘The Sleeping Stones’ is full of the magic and mysticism of Welsh folklore and tradition, old songs and mythological creatures. The sense of place is further enhanced by the use of dialogue and phrases in Welsh (translated into English for non-Welsh speakers).

The story cleverly mingles the love of home and the farming tradition, the sense of belonging to a place and the devastation losing this would bring, with the mystery of the legend of the stones. Gruff is so in love with his life, his farm, his community that the reader becomes really invested in the threat of loss he is facing as they watch him struggle with the situation, doing whatever he can which he thinks will help. His anger at being kept in the dark by his father and Nain (his grandmother) make him a very relatable character as does the jealousy and resentment he feels towards Mat who is starting a new life on the island just as his might be ending.

The sense of belonging Gruff feels on the island is in stark contrast to the lack of belonging felt by Mat who was born in Poland, but who has lived in seven different places in four years. For reasons which I won’t reveal so as not to spoil the story for anyone who has not yet read it, Mat feels the pull of the sea intensely, causing Gruff to remind her that home is ‘where you choose it to be…where you choose to make it’.

Sure to inspire readers to learn more about Welsh mythology and folklore, ‘The Sleeping Stones’ is a great read!

The Sleeping Stones Beatrice Wallbank

Firefly Press ISBN: 978-1915444059