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Candy Gourlay

@candygourlay.bsky.social

340 followers 420 following 55 posts

KidLit author. Makes comics. Loves dogs. My website: https://www.candygourlay.co.uk/ My new blog https://houseofprocrastination.substack.com/ My instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candygourlay/

www.candygourlay.co.uk

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 11

Happy book birthday to me and illustrator Jamie Bauza! Born today: LITTLE RHINO LOST, U.S. edition! Published by Crocodile Books @interlinkbooks.bsky.social The UK edition will be out in March, published by @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social

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David Roberts @volts.wtf · Aug 6

OK, y'all, as I mentioned, I went to see Paul Simon play last night. I found it unexpectedly moving, quite profound actually, and I want to do a short thread about it.

I'll start by saying that, for a whole bunch of reasons, aging & mortality have been much on my mind lately.

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Reposted by Candy Gourlay

H S Norup @hsnorup.bsky.social · May 11

I‘m buzzing after the virtual @scbwi-bi.bsky.social Book Launch Boot Camp with the three powerhouses that are @candygourlay.bsky.social @moohara.bsky.social and @authorsaragrant.bsky.social and wonderful #scbwi peeps.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking inspiration prior to launching a new book!

A glimpse at my notes from the SCBWI book launch boot camp.

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · May 26

Thank you, Nicole! Happy #AAPIHeritageMonth!

Nicole R. Misra she/her @nicolermisra.bsky.social · May 25

May 25: Today’s novel Bone Talk is by Filipino author @candygourlay.bsky.social Candy Gourlay! This book, set during the period of American colonialism of the Philippines follows Samkad, a young Bontoc boy who is waiting to be initiated into manhood. #AAPIHeritageMonth #AAPIBooks #BookSky

This is the book cover for Bone Talk by Filipino author Candy Gourlay. The cover features Samkad, a young Bontoc boy in the Philippines gazing into the distance while standing near a forested area. There is a girl behind him, smaller in the background.

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · May 1

Thanks for coming, Nadia, so pleased that it all came together!

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · May 1

Thank you for watching! I hope it was super helpful!

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Em Lynas @emlynas.bsky.social · Apr 28

One week only! To celebrate our SECRET LIVES OF PICTURE BOOKS event tonight @candygourlay.bsky.social and I are getting the pens out and supporting our local UK indies. You can order signed & dedicated copies of Bear and Hare from bookcornershop.co.uk/product/9781...
Still time to sign up...

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Apr 16

@beyondbiasbooks.bsky.social I've only just seen this sweet post! Thank you so much!

Little Explorers Read @littlexplorersread.bsky.social · Mar 29

Happy Mermaid Day! 🧜‍♀️ Today we’re celebrating Is it a Mermaid? by @candygourlay.bsky.social & Francesca Chessa. This beautiful book celebrates kindness and seeing the magic in others. #mermaids #picturebooks #dugong #filipinobooks #kidsbookswelove #booksky

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Apr 16

Hahaha my grandmother will be turning in her grave!

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 18

Yes! My newsletter is called The House of Procrastination 😄

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 14

INSPIRING! Young writers enter 100 word memoirs in New York Times Teeny Tiny Memoirs competition. Read this for free without a subscription. @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/l...

Teen Tiny Memoirs: The Winners of Our 3rd Annual 100-Word Narrative Contest (Gift Article)

We invited teenagers to write miniature memoirs about meaningful moments in their lives. Read the 20 winning stories.

www.nytimes.com

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 14

Thanks James! So nice to see you here!

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 13

Wow, John, these are amazing

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 13

Feelings I need to get rid of and feelings I need to remember. I was having the sads, then I made a comic about things I loved in school visits #kidlituk #kidlit #comics

open.substack.com/pub/houseofp...

Feelings I need to get rid of and feelings I need to remember

I was feeling glum when we did List Comics at @janeporter's weekly comics class

open.substack.com

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 13

That's so helpful. And thanks!

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 13

Thank you kindly, John!

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 13

It really is! I'm really enjoying SUBSTACK and the relief of longer, more considered thought

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Sarah McIntyre @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social · Feb 12

A handwritten letter on my illustration work desk to my local MP, Mel Stride, asking him to help UK children's book illustrators keep our copyright during the current AI policy consultation ✍️

@mrsteveantony.bsky.social
@alcs-uk.bsky.social
@societyofauthors.bsky.social
(Typed out in the alt text)

Dear Mr Stride, can you please help me and other UK children’s book illustrators?

The governing is considering AI policy measures that would make us, as copyright holders, ‘opt out’ if we don’t want tech companies breaching our copyright to train their systems. The big companies then use our own art in competition against us.

The UK ought to be proud of its children’s book tradition. Our artwork is exported all over the world, and by giving it away free, we’re ruining the industry. Children will be poorer: there’ll get dumbed-down, mechanical books that have no real person thinking hard about each aspect of them.

My colleague Steve Antony described it:
“It’s like allowing someone to break into my house and steal my belongings so that they can research, recycle and resell them, unless I stick a label on each and every one of my belongings that says ‘DO NOT STEAL’, even though the objects are clearly not theirs and clearly within someone else’s house. That house bring my copyright. It’s absolutely ridiculous, makes no sense, completely destroys existing copyright laws and insults every single one of us.”

Please, could you stand up for us and out copyright? If you could mention our concerns to Feryal Clark, Minister for AI & Digital Governent, and to Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industry, Arts & Tourism, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Warmest wishes, Sarah McIntyre,
Illustrator & Author, Bovey Tracey

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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 13

Thanks Lou! So nice to see you here

Lou Minns @louminns.bsky.social · Feb 13

Congratulations Candy!

Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · Feb 11

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David Barker @dbarker22000.bsky.social · Feb 13

Happy 8th book birthday to my amazing wife, @fionawritesbooks.bsky.social
Do Not Eat The Egg is out today! 🥳👏😍

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Garen Ewing @garenewing.bsky.social · Feb 13

Please credit artists!
Cover reveals, using for publicity, using to illustrate a post, reposting, using for a joke - if you don't know the artist take a minute to look them up.
It's really important for the artist, it's the right thing to do - and it even helps in the battle against AI. Thank you!

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A.F. Harrold @afharrold.com · Feb 13

Now (still) in paperback! Try #TheWorldsWeLeaveBehind, by me and #LeviPinfold. A strange and shadowy kids book for our times, puzzling over revenge/justice/forgiveness in the dark woods of ethics. An other-people's-shoes machine, with the creepiest art I know. I like it, you/your kids might too...

Bearded man sat at table pondering the book in the post.

The book mentioned in the post on a table in Waterstones.

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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · Feb 13

The latest Read for Empathy collection has been launched. As always, it's full of absolutely superb books, including graphic novels, poetry, picturebooks and non-fiction. The work @empathylabuk.bsky.social are doing is incredibly important. More information here: www.empathylab.uk/rfe

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The Bookseller @thebookseller.com · Feb 13

Imprints are great business, but is their prestige and value getting diluted as they proliferate?, asks Sarah Moorhouse 👇 #BookSky

Have we reached peak imprint?

www.thebookseller.com

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Sam Subity @subity.bsky.social · Feb 7

Hey Middle Grade book fans! Check out my year-end wrap-up of the MG market, hot off the presses! All the data you didn't know you wanted to know. 🤓

www.samsubity.com/mg-landscape...

Middle Grade Book Landscape 2024 | Sam Subity

A first look at the middle grade books published so far in 2024 with stats on publisher share, genre popularity, point of view, and gender.

www.samsubity.com

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Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · Feb 12

The #Carnegies25 longlists are announced 💥 From 119 nominations the librarian judges have selected 35 to longlist, 19 titles for the Carnegie Medal for #Writing & 16 for the Carnegie Medal for #Illustration. Is your favourite on these lists? #KidLitUK https://buff.ly/3CJMtsU

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