Welcome to the new Lily Quench website, based on the internationally popular children's books by Australian author
Natalie Jane Prior. This website is designed to keep readers up to date with news about Lily's adventures. Keep watching this space!
News
Sep 1, 2008
Meet the Minivers!
Meet Emily and Rosamund Miniver...
They’re rich.
They’re famous.
They’re glamorous.
Now they’re on the run…
And they’re only two feet tall.
The first book in Natalie's new series of junior novels, The Minivers, has been published by Penguin Australia. It is available from all good bookshops.
You can read more about the book here. Penguin also have a website for the book which includes a competition, game and even a piece of Minivers music to download! You can find it at http://www.theminivers.com.au
More news about the Miniver sisters and their adventures will follow soon!
Aug 27, 2008
The Minivers are Coming!
Penguin Australia will publish the first novel in Natalie's new series, The Minivers at the beginning of September. A modern adventure fantasy series for readers in the upper primary age bracket, The Minivers should appeal strongly to the many Lily Quench fans out there. A new website for the series with information about the characters and story, an extract, game and downloads, and a great competition is about to go live. Stay tuned for more news, coming very soon!
May 6, 2008
Bologna Book Fair
Natalie has just returned from the annual Bologna Book Fair. Here is her report on it.
The name Bologna, if it means anything to most people, usually conjures up a vague image of continental sausage. To me, as a children’s writer, it was always more of a mystery, a place to which people I knew tended to disappear every year around April, and which was always in the back of my thoughts as something likely to produce unexpected deadlines.
Over the years I became very curious about Bologna and the children’s book fair held there annually around Easter, and, having heard many stories about it I always wanted to go. Something—usually lack of finances—always stopped me, until this year, when the moment and opportunity finally came. Even then I managed to miss an international flight and almost didn’t make it (it’s hard to say who was more worked up, myself or the travel agent).
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is not really meant for authors, but it’s still instructive to see how the agents and publishers work, and how those mysterious overseas deals actually get done. For someone like me, with a lot of foreign publishers, it was useful to be able to meet everybody under the same roof and to talk about forthcoming projects. Interesting and sometimes bizarre things happened in those meetings, some good and some bad. I put faces to names, and names to projects, and came away with some of my preconceptions about the publishing industry substantially changed. Working at the quality end of the market, I was particularly taken aback by the sheer quantity of dross on display, almost like the submerged two-thirds of the iceberg. And the differences in publishing styles between countries is even more marked when the books are seen en masse.
All in all, a very interesting and useful experience to have had--even if I never go again.
Feb 15, 2008
New Japanese Lily from Gakken
The long awaited Japanese versions of the seven Lily Quench novels will begin publication in February, 2008. The books have been translated by Yoshie Okada and feature brand new illustrations by Shizuka Arai. Books 1 and 2 will appear in February with the remaining books to be published by Gakken at three monthly intervals. Yoshie has included a Lily page on her website, where you can see how Lily looks in Japan: http://www.okadayoshie.com/lily/index.html
Feb 15, 2008
My New Writing Assistant
I have a new writing assistant! Jasmine, the long-haired red dachshund has just joined the team and is sitting at my feet as I write this with her new husband Rupert. Jasmine (Jussy for short) is 6 years old and used to be a show dog. She has a very friendly and gentle temperament. We hope to add her picture to the site soon.
Nov 13, 2007
New Junior Novel Series Starts 2008
Natalie is pleased to advise that she has signed a contract with Penguin Australia for a major new series called The Minivers. This four book series will appeal to readers of the Lily Quench series or slightly older, and combines modern fantasy and high-octane adventure, with a real emotional punch. The first book will appear in 2008—watch this space for further details!
Aug 28, 2007
Lily Quench Poster Winners
The six winning entries in the Lily Quench mailing list poster competition have been received. The winners are Rebecca, Peta, Cate and Kira from Australia, and Maggie and Alayna from the United States. Signed posters will be sent out to the winners shortly.
If you didn't win a signed poster, a small unsigned version has been added to the FUN STUFF section of the Lily Quench Website for you to print out.
Thanks to all who entered!
Aug 22, 2007
New Lily Quench Website
The Lily Quench website (www.lilyquench.com) has been relaunched!
The new version of the site has been completely redesigned to match the covers of the new Australian edition, and includes new information and several new activity sheets (under Fun Stuff). More material will be added to Lily's internet hideout in the weeks to come.
Aug 1, 2007
Lily Quench in a New ABC Books Edition
The classic Lily Quench fantasy series for readers in middle to upper primary is being re-released in a beautiful new edition by ABC Books. The ABC edition features stunning new covers by Stephen Michael King (the nicest ones they have had anywhere, in the author’s biased opinion!), and will be available in ABC Shops and good bookstores from mid-August. Click on the 'Purchase Books' link to the left if you would prefer to order a copy online.
Aug 1, 2007
New Lily Quench Book
Also published in August to accompany the re-release of the seven Lily Quench novels is a new Lily Quench book, Lily Quench’s Companion to Dragons and the Art of Quenching. A compendium of articles about everything a budding dragon-slayer needs to know, the Companion will teach readers how to distinguish good dragons from bad (even when they are wrapped in human skin). As well as articles by Queen Dragon, Matilda Drakescourge, Queen Dragon and Lily herself, the book includes two brand new short stories, “Queen Dragon’s Christmas” and “The Incompetent Quench” and an article by the author about how the Lily Quench novels were written. The book features the best ever Lily Quench cover by Stephen Michael King, and has been illustrated (as always) by the incomparable Janine Dawson, who has managed to sneak both herself and Natalie into the very last illustration. To order online, click on the 'Purchase Books' link to the left.
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