Robin Stevens's Blog, page 18

Another amazing week! I loved reading your stories on the theme of friendship – as always, you had such interesting and varied responses. I really enjoyed Zoe’s story about finding friends in Ballet Shoes, Annie’s story about the friendship between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, Sasha’s utterly terrifying story about everlasting friendship, Xydel’s Hawaiian World War II story, Polly’s very sad story in text messages and Vanessa’s otter story.… Read more

My June update video is here! I talk about my weekly writing prompts, recommend you two books (A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll and Black and British by David Olusoga) and talk a bit about the current wave of Black Lives Matter protests and the Black Curriculum‘s efforts to make history teaching in the UK more comprehensive.… Read more

Well done, detectives! You dreamed so big – I loved your inspired and wonderful responses to last week’s prompt. I particularly enjoyed Ria’s story about the Queen of the Skies, Sofia’s story where singing makes you soar, Maemenah’s story about Drift and Lucy’s story about a girl with intriguing magical powers, but all your stories were fantastic, and I could have chosen any of them to highlight.… Read more

The 9th of June was Empathy Day, a day to celebrate the very important quality of empathy. Empathy means listening thoughtfully to others’ experiences and really putting yourself in their shoes in order to then step forward and give them the help they truly need.

My author friend Jo Cotterill and I made a video together to explain something we call a listening switch: a special way of tuning in to friends and family when they’re explaining their problems.… Read more

Hello Detectives – thank you so much for your responses to Prompt 12, Protest. I was so impressed with your thoughtfulness and creativity, and the way you’re learning about history and inequality. Well done! Some of the stories that caught my eye were Niamh’s story about Emily Davison, Zoe’s story about the Harbour Bridge Reconciliation Walk, Amelie May’s witch trials story, Polly’s story about a protester at this month’s Black Lives Matter protests and Inaya’s story set during the Spanish Civil War.… Read more

The Puffin Festival of Big Dreams has been INCREDIBLE!

Did you catch me this morning doing a LIVE create a mystery event with the help of the fantastic Radzi? I had so much fun, and it was great to see you all playing along.

But if you missed it, or any of the other events, never fear.… Read more

Hello Detectives – I hope you’re all doing OK. It’s been a really difficult week for a lot of us, I know. I’ve really struggled to concentrate or be productive, and for this reason (and a lot of others) I haven’t yet had time to read your entries for superheroes last week.… Read more

It has been very hard to watch the news this week, but also impossible to look away from it. I find it heartbreaking and enraging that Black people all over the world have been abused and killed by law enforcement for years – the people who we should, in a truly just system, trust to protect us all.… Read more

The full line-up for the Puffin Festival of Big Dreams has now been announced! I’ll be holding my workshop on Saturday the 13th June – and if you tune in that day, you’ll also get the chance to meet REAL LIVE PUFFINS! (Though not in my event, sadly … I wish!)… Read more

Congratulations on another great week of prompt responses! I had great expectations for this week, as I know what brilliant murder mystery authors you are – and you didn’t disappoint! I particularly loved Harmony’s atmospheric Tutankhamun murder mystery, Ria’s eerie Red Killer story, Rainbow 111’s Dying Swan story and Aviane’s department store murder mystery.… Read more