Recent events and appearances

Nicolette Jones is a regular contributor to radio and television, gives talks and lectures, and appears as a speaker, panellist or chair at literary events and festivals. Recent appearances are listed here.

• June 2010
  • 10 June Radio 4 Today Programme 8.45am. Discussion of John Grisham and children's books written by bestselling authors for adults
• May 2010
  • 06 May 'Celebrating the Imagination'. Puffin offices, 80 Strand. By invitation.
• April 2010
  • 20 April London Book Fair. 11.30am. Discussion of children's books cover design, chaired by Nicolette Jones with Jon Lambert, Patrick Insole and Antonia Pelari
  • 21 April London Book Fair. 1pm Discussion of illustration for older children, with Anthony Browne, Martin Brown and Marcia Williams. Chaired by Nicolette Jones
• March 2010
  • 06 March 4-6.30pm. Authors for Africa at Stratford Circus. Run by the Newham Bookshop. With Michael Rosen, John Hegley, Nicholas Clee, Bernadine Evaristo, Nicolette Jones, Elizabeth Laird, Pete May.
  • 20 March to 28 March. Christ Church College Oxford. Directing young people's programme at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival. Programme includes Anthony Horowitz, Louise Rennison, William Nicholson, Meg Rosoff, Mal Peet, Geraldine McCaughrean, Philip Reeve, Louisa Young, Steve Cole, Cressida Cowell, Frank Cottrell Boyce (Blue Peter event), Tim Pigott-Smith and Andrew Lane with John Walsh (on Sherlock Holmes), plus how to get a children's book published; children's cookery session; storytelling workshop; cricket event; teen sailor Mike Perham; picturebook events and more. See link for full details.
  • 20 March Oxford Literary Festival. Event 103 FANTASTICAL TRUTHS: (Christ Church, Marquee) For 10+ Malorie Blackman, Frances Hardinge and Philip Pullman discuss what fantasy can tell us about reality. Chaired by Sunday Times children’s books editor Nicolette Jones.
  • 27 March St Hilda's College at the Oxford Literary Festival. Event 804. BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL MAN …(10am McKenna Room) Journalist Christine Finn, an expert on Barack Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, and on J B Priestley's wife, Jacquetta Hawkes, discusses wives and mothers in history and fiction with Gaynor Arnold, author of Girl in a Blue Dress, a novel whose heroine is loosely based on Charles Dickens's wife. Chaired by Nicolette Jones, Chair of the St Hilda’s Media Network
  • 27 March St Hilda's College at the Oxford Literary Festival. Event 862 WOMEN IN THE MEDIA (4pm) St Hilda's graduates Sarah Baxter, Bettany Hughes and Sue Lloyd-Roberts consider the opportunities and hurdles for women making careers in the press and in television. Chaired by Nicolette Jones
  • 27 March St Hilda's College at the Oxford Literary Festival. HISTORY AND FAMILY IN FICTION: (6pm Blue Boar Lecture Theatre) Victoria Hislop, Anita Mason, and Adèle Geras discuss their use of the past, both personal and historical, in their fiction. Chaired by Nicolette Jones
  • 28 March Oxford Literary Festival. Event 963 MACMILLAN PICTURE BOOK PARADE: Family event (4pm JCR). Three Macmillan illustrators Chris Riddell, Axel Scheffler and Catherine Rayner, discuss the process of making picture books and why they matter. Chaired by Sunday Times children’s books editor Nicolette Jones (70)
• February 2010
  • 25 February Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation for Highgate School. 8pm. The Mills Centre, 5 Bishopswood Road, London N6 4PH
• November 2009
  • 07 November Burnham Market festival, North Norfolk, run by the Whitehouse Bookshop. Meg Rosoff talks to Nicolette Jones about The Bride's Farewell.
  • 08 November Burnham Market festival, North Norfolk, run by the White House Bookshop. Nicolette Jones in conversation with Jeremy Mynott and Richard Mabey.
  • 18 November Nicolette Jones in conversation with Philip Reeve (No Such Thing As Dragons) and Geraldine McCaughrean (The Death-Defying Pepper Roux) Scholastic Offices. By invitation.
• October 2009
  • 09 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Event 20. Nicolette Jones hears from Ben Fogle and James Cracknell about their Race to the Pole. Town Hall
  • 10 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Everyman Theatre. Nicolette Jones discusses Dylan Thomas, and Aerowny Thomas's memoir of her father, My Father's Places with Thomas's granddaughter Hannah Ellis and biographer Andrew Lycett
  • 10 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Town Hall. Nicolette Jones discusses Blue Skies and Black Olives with John Humphrys
  • 10 October Cheltenham Literature Festival.Nicolette Jones discusses his new memoir with MP Vince Cable.
  • 17 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Nicolette Jones in conversation with Joan Bakewell about her novel All the Nice Girls.
  • 18 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Nicolette Jones talks to Hilary McKay about her sequel to A Little Princess, Wishing for Tomorrow.
  • 26 October Nicolette Jones discusses T S Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats with Axel Scheffler (illustrator of the new edition) and Simon Callow (who will read from the poems). British Library
• September 2009
  • 11 September Nicolette Jones talks to north London reading group about The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 17 September Mountbatten Maritime Prize judging panel
  • 18 September Woodstock Literary Festival, Blenheim. "The Ultimate Read." Nicolette Jones talks about a favourite book (Middlemarch). Book Club event with John Walsh (Catch 22) and Joanne Harris (Lolita) chaired by Alastair Lack.
  • 20 September Bath Festival of Children's Literature. 12 noon. Nicolette Jones in conversation with Judith Kerr.
  • 21 September Free Word Centre launch festival. Words and Pictures: what use is a picturebook? Nicolette Jones answers the question with Children's Laureate Anthony Browne and illustrators Emily Gravett and Catherine Rayner. Free Word Centre, Farringdon Road.
• August 2009
  • 28 August Nicolette Jones talks about reviewing children's books, for Write Away reviewers, OUP offices, Oxford
• July 2009
  • 13 July Nicolette Jones on The Plimsoll Sensation and Nicholas Clee on Eclipse, The Story of the Rogue, the Madam and the Horse that Changed Racing, Stoke Newington Bookshop, N16.
  • 28 July Nicolette Jones contributes to item on Samuel Plimsoll on BBC 2's Coast.
• May 2009
  • 22 May Write Away conference, Institute of Education, University of London. "Something Old, Something New: literature, culture and heritage for today's children." Chairing panel on children's classics. With Gabrielle Cliff-Hodges (Cambridge University), Jonathan Douglas (director, National Literacy Trust), David Fickling (publisher, David Fickling Books)
• April 2009
  • 05 April Oxford Literary Festival. Nicolette Jones in conversation with Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy.
  • 27 April Nicolette Jones chairs Children's Laureates event for schools at Waterstone's Piccadilly: On Being Ten. With Quentin Blake, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen.
• March 2009
  • 04 March Nicolette Jones in conversation with Axel Scheffler and Jutta Bauer, Scholastic Publishers, Euston, under the auspices of Outside In and the Goethe Institute.
  • 11 March Lecture on reviewing and picturebooks. MA course in children's illustration, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
  • 12 March Islington Mayor's Civic Awards. Nominating the Neighbours of the Blackstock Triangle.
  • 29 March Oxford Literary Festival. Nicolette Jones in conversation with David Almond and Dave McKean about The Savage and graphic novels.
• February 2009
  • 09 February On Picture Book: When We Were Very Young 7.30pm BBC4 (repeated 10 Feb 1pm)
  • 10 February On Picture Book programme 2: Now We Are Six 7.30pm BBC Four (repeated 11 Feb 1pm)
  • 11 February On Picture Book programme 3: Now we are Growing Up 7.30pm BBC Four (repeated 12 Feb 1pm)
  • 22 February Nicolette Jones in conversation with Morris Gleitzman about writing about the Holocaust. Jewish Book Week. Institute of Education, Bedford Way.
  • 25 February In conversation with Morris Gleitzman (author of Then) and Anna Perera (author of Guantanamo Boy). Puffin board room. By invitation.
• December 2008
  • 06 December BBC World Service on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series
  • 06 December Radio Five Live. Discussion with phone-in. "Is the film ever better than the book?" Midnight to 1am. Chaired by Richard Bacon.
• November 2008
  • 01 November Battle of Ideas: Battle for the Reader Do we need a National Year of Reading? Are we reading the right things? Is it wrong to be elitist? With Dr Shirley Dent, Professor Philip Hensher, Professor Swapan Chakravorty and Honor Wilson-Fletcher. Chaired by Angus Kennedy. See event details.
  • 05 November BBC Four. 9pm. Contributor to Picture Book: When We Were Very Young on children's picturebooks.
  • 05 November Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation. Cruising Association HQ, Limehouse Basin.
  • 12 November BBC Four. 9pm. Contributor to Picture Book: Part 2 on books for early readers.
  • 19 November BBC Four 9pm Contributor to Picture Book: Part 3 On books for 8+.
• October 2008
  • 17 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Chairing event on Gray's Anatomy to mark its 150th anniversary. With editor-in-chief Susan Standring, author of The Making of Mr Gray's Anatomy, Ruth Richardson and anatomy expert Harold Ellis.
  • 18 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. In conversation with Elizabeth Jane Howard. Discussing her novel Love All.
  • 18 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. In conversation with Jamila Gavin and David Almond.
  • 19 October Cheltenham Literature Festival. Chairing family event with Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy. 2.30-3.30pm
  • 26 October In conversation with Lauren Child. Victoria and Albert Museum lecture theatre.
• September 2008
  • 08 September Farewell remarks, Publishing News party. Penguin board room, The Strand. By invitation.
  • 10 September Chairing Q & A with Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman about their new book Kaspar (about a cat on the Titanic). Simpson's on the Strand, London. By invitation, HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks.
  • 22 September Bath Festival of Children's Literature. Chairing panel: Illustrators in the Spotlight. With Mini Grey, Polly Dunbar, Anthony Browne, Michael Foreman
• August 2008
  • 20 August More4 News on Enid Blyton topping poll for best-loved author.
  • 22 August Edinburgh Book Festival. Chairing The Art of Illustrating with Anthony Browne. 5.30-7.30pm.
  • 24 August Edinburgh Book Festival. Facilitating family event with Anne Fine.
  • 24 August Edinburgh Book Festival. Facilitating event with Jonathan Stroud
  • 30 August Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, Robinson College Cambridge. 11am. Session on reviewing, with Julia Eccleshare, chaired by Celia Rees.
• May 2008
  • 22 May Write Away Conference, University of London, Institute of Education. 'More than Information: Engaging hearts and minds through non-fiction.' Keynote Speech on trends and challenges in children's non-fiction
• April 2008
  • 01 April Yorkshire libraries tour part 2. Hull Central Library. 12.30pm. Illustrated talk on the Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 01 April Whitby library. 7pm. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 02 April 2pm North Bridlington Library. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 02 April 7pm Wakefield: Crofton Library, Wakefield. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 03 April Knaresborough Library. 7.30pm. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 06 April Oxford Literature Festival Event 095. 1pm Long room, Town Hall, St Aldates. Chairing teen reading event with Kevin Brooks and Melvin Burgess.
  • 06 April Oxford Literature Festival Event 140. 4pm Christ Church Marquee. When the Magic Began. Talk with readings from classic children's books by actors Teresa Gallagher and Anton Lesser. Sponsored by Naxos AudioBooks.
• March 2008
  • 12 March Doncaster Central Lending Library 2.30pm. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 12 March Leeds, Headingley Library. 7pm. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 13 March Halifax Central Library. 1pm. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 13 March Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool. 7pm. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 14 March Chigwell Local History Society. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation. 8pm.
• February 2008
  • 08 February Oxford Brookes University children's publishing course lecture 12 noon.
  • 26 February Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation for the Friends of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. 6.30 for 7pm.
  • 27 February On Simon Mayo show, Radio Five Live, 3-4pm discussing children's classics
• December 2007
  • 17 December Presentation on The Plimsoll Sensation for Plimsoll Road and friends. St Thomas's Church Hall, Monsell Road N4. 6.30-7.30pm.
• October 2007
  • 05 October BBC Radio 4 The World Tonight on Happy Endings
  • 13 October Cheltenham Literary Festival. Chairing conversation with John Walsh (Sunday at the Cross Bones) and Patrick Gale (Notes from an Exhibition)
  • 13 October Cheltenham Literary Festival Introducing Judith Kerr (When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit).
  • 14 October Cheltenham Literary Festival. Chairing conversation between Martin Amis and Zachary Leader about Kingsley Amis.
  • 14 October Cheltenham Literary Festival. Chairing Jonathan Coe (The Rain Before it Falls) and Blake Morrison (South of the River).
  • 18 October Redbridge Libraries October Bookfest. Hainault Library Presentation on The Plimsoll Sensation
  • 22 October On NBC news: 'Dumbledore is gay'
  • 28 October Judging Debating Matters libraries debate, at the Battle of Ideas, 12.45 Royal College of Art, South Kensington
• September 2007
  • 15 September St Hilda's College Gaudy, after-dinner speech about The Plimsoll Sensation
• August 2007
  • 23 August Edinburgh Book Festival. Interview with Jennifer Donnelly
  • 24 August Celebrating the Carnegie, with Medal winners Tim Bowler, Theresa Breslin, Jennifer Donnelly and Mal Peet. Edinburgh Book Festival
• July 2007
  • 01 July Judging Institute of Ideas Debating Matters semi-final, National Portrait Gallery
  • 02 July Platform interview with David Almond. Children's Book Show event for schools. The Purcell Room, South Bank, London
  • 10 July Bookshop Barnie, The Economist Bookshop. In conversation about The Plimsoll Sensation with Austin Williams.
  • 19 July 'Richard and Judy' about Harry Potter
  • 21 July Today programme, Radio 4, about Harry Potter
  • 25 July BBC Radio Wales Jamie Owen programme about The Plimsoll Sensation
• June 2007
  • 01 June Hay Festival, chairing "Myth and Magic" event with Helen Dunmore and Cat Weatherill
  • 28 June Announcing winner of the 2007 Branford Boase prize for a first children's book, Walker Books, London. Won by Siobhan Dowd for 'A Swift Pure Cry'.
  • 29 June Visit to Sevenoaks Prep School
• May 2007
  • 03 May, paperback publication of The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 12 May, Enid Blyton Society Day talk, Loddon Hall
• April 2007
  • 16 April London Book Fair panel event: "Are Picture Books At Risk?" With Chris Riddell, Helen Mackenzie Smith and Martin Salisbury.
  • 21 April Introducing Jacqueline Wilson Bloomsbury Theatre, London.
  • 25 April The Rotary Club of Scarborough Cavaliers: The Charter Night Celebrations. Royal Hotel, Scarborough. Illustrated after-dinner talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 29 April Orange Prize readers' event, Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds. With Kate Mosse, Naomi Alderman, Louise Doughty, Marina Lewycka, Jill Dawson, along with Clare Allan and Roopa Farooki (two of the three authors shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers).
• March 2007
  • 09 March Bath Literary Festival, Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. Illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation.
  • 23 March Oxford Literary Festival. Illustrated Talk on The Plimsoll Sensation. Noon. Christ Church.
  • 27 March Judging Institute of Ideas Debating Matters North East Regional Final at Kings Road Centre, Newcastle University, on the motions: 'America is dumbing down world culture' and 'Scientists should adopt the precautionary principle'
• February 2007
  • 04 February Live interview re The Plimsoll Sensation for ABC National Radio, Australia.
  • 05 February Private reading group visit, North London. (For reading group visits, contact js-kg@tiscali.co.uk.)
  • 08 February Nicolette Jones in conversation with Pauline Francis, author of Raven Queen. Globe Theatre.
• December 2006
  • 04 December, chairing panel to choose Top Ten winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Greenaway medals for children's books, to celebrate the 70th anniversary in 2007.
  • 11 December, Friends of Leeds Art Fair lunch with illustrated talk about The Plimsoll Sensation
• November 2006
  • 02 November, Literary dinner organised by the Association of Women Graduates, Dundee, with Robert Lacey, author of Great Tales from English History, and Ann Cleeves, author of Raven Black
  • 09 November Acceptance at British Charitable Maritime Foundation awards dinner of the 2006 Mountbatten Maritime Prize for The Plimsoll Sensation presented by Countess Mountbatten of Burma . Also present, as a guest of Little, Brown, was Samuel Plimsoll's grand-daughter, Mrs Sally Shaw.
• October 2006
  • 02 October, chairing Picture Book Rebels event with Jeanne Willis and Ed Vere Puffin Books. By invitation
  • 07 October, 5pm, Falmouth Literary Festival, illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation
  • 12 October, 8.45-10pm, Times Cheltenham Festival of Literature, chairing event with Ben Fogle and James Cracknell, about their book The Crossing
  • 13 October, 10am, Times Cheltenham Festival of Literature, illustrated talk on The Plimsoll Sensation
  • 17 October Queens School, Bushey, 4.30-8.30 pm. Judging Institute of Ideas debating competition
  • 20 October Small Feet Go Far festival of Swedish children's literature, Unicorn Theatre, London. Event at 14.30-15.15 with Martin Widmark
• September 2006
  • 14 September Children's reading consultation, Much Ado Books
  • 14 September, 7pm, Much Ado Books, Alfriston, Sussex; RNLI literary dinner, speaking about The Plimsoll Sensation, with Kathryn Hughes, author of The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton