THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE: 50th Anniversary Celebration
Joan Aiken made me what I am today! Her daughter Lizza's in NYC this weekend for a series of events, and I've gotten involved in the festivities (see below). I wrote to explain why I care so much:
"The Wolves of Willoughby Chase meant the world to me: It was there, new, on my school library shelf when I returned to Cleveland, Ohio, age 7 1/2, from our year in France, where I had devoured the Comtesse de Segur books in the French library, right after having learnt to read. Years later, when I found out that Joan was also a huge fan of (and had, indeed, translated) Mme. la Comtesse, it all clicked into place. By then, of course, I was hooked, and came to utterly identify with Dido Twite - writing many unfinished plays about plucky Cockney orphans when I should have been learning math - and even using some of her slang - incorrectly - on a later visit to Devon, to the horror of my hostess there!
"When one of the Dido books was reviewed in the NY Times, I wrote my only-ever Letter to the Editor praising the series - the letter was actually printed, and I got a lovely note from Joan, which I treasure."
I'd better dig out that letter for tomorrow night, when I join the event below!
Lizza's created a stunning website for Aiken fans - I linked to the page of kids' letters over on Twitter, and someone recognized her own childhood scrawl! Amazing.
Celebration of Joan Aiken:
50 Years of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Friday, October 26 at 7:00 PM at Bankstreet College Auditorium610 West 112th St. New York, NY, 10025
&
Saturday, October 27 at 3:00 PM at Bankstreet BookstoreBroadway/112th St., NYC 10025
Join the Bank Street community in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of author Joan Aiken's book "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase". Speakers include the the late author's daughter Lizza Aiken, her U.S. agent Charles Schlessinger, Betsy Bird, and George Nicholson, her original editor, and Ellen Kushner. The event will be moderated by Michael Patrick Hearn. The evening will include reminiscences, performance by Aiken's daughter, actress Lizza Aiken, of her mother's work, and special slides and rare film from family archives.
Friday, October 26 at 7:00 PM at Bankstreet College Auditorium, 610 West 112th St. New York, NY, 10025
On Saturday October 27th at 3 pm in Bankstreet Bookstore, Lizza Aiken will read from the 50th anniversary edition of the book and distribute sample copies of the upcoming award-winning audio CD of "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase", which she narrated.
Learn more about Joan Aiken and the 50th anniversary celebration at:
http://usa.britishcouncil.org/childrens-literature
http://www.joanaiken.com/pages/wolves_newyork.html
And here's a fine tribute from Michael Dirda in the Washington Post.
And now, I want to hear your reminiscences....
"The Wolves of Willoughby Chase meant the world to me: It was there, new, on my school library shelf when I returned to Cleveland, Ohio, age 7 1/2, from our year in France, where I had devoured the Comtesse de Segur books in the French library, right after having learnt to read. Years later, when I found out that Joan was also a huge fan of (and had, indeed, translated) Mme. la Comtesse, it all clicked into place. By then, of course, I was hooked, and came to utterly identify with Dido Twite - writing many unfinished plays about plucky Cockney orphans when I should have been learning math - and even using some of her slang - incorrectly - on a later visit to Devon, to the horror of my hostess there!
"When one of the Dido books was reviewed in the NY Times, I wrote my only-ever Letter to the Editor praising the series - the letter was actually printed, and I got a lovely note from Joan, which I treasure."
I'd better dig out that letter for tomorrow night, when I join the event below!
Lizza's created a stunning website for Aiken fans - I linked to the page of kids' letters over on Twitter, and someone recognized her own childhood scrawl! Amazing.
Celebration of Joan Aiken:
50 Years of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Friday, October 26 at 7:00 PM at Bankstreet College Auditorium610 West 112th St. New York, NY, 10025
&
Saturday, October 27 at 3:00 PM at Bankstreet BookstoreBroadway/112th St., NYC 10025
Join the Bank Street community in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of author Joan Aiken's book "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase". Speakers include the the late author's daughter Lizza Aiken, her U.S. agent Charles Schlessinger, Betsy Bird, and George Nicholson, her original editor, and Ellen Kushner. The event will be moderated by Michael Patrick Hearn. The evening will include reminiscences, performance by Aiken's daughter, actress Lizza Aiken, of her mother's work, and special slides and rare film from family archives.
Friday, October 26 at 7:00 PM at Bankstreet College Auditorium, 610 West 112th St. New York, NY, 10025
On Saturday October 27th at 3 pm in Bankstreet Bookstore, Lizza Aiken will read from the 50th anniversary edition of the book and distribute sample copies of the upcoming award-winning audio CD of "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase", which she narrated.
Learn more about Joan Aiken and the 50th anniversary celebration at:
http://usa.britishcouncil.org/childrens-literature
http://www.joanaiken.com/pages/wolves_newyork.html
And here's a fine tribute from Michael Dirda in the Washington Post.
And now, I want to hear your reminiscences....