101.2 TTD No.2 Run the Wrong Way...

We mentioned in the Old and Boring book about the longest escalator on the London Underground, but whatever you do, DO NOT DO THIS!

Another Award!

...But this time it's for a book I worked on, but didn't write.

Last night the Dangerous Book for Boys won 'Book of the Year 2007' at the British Book awards. I reckon it was all down to the amazing illustrations! (ha! of course not!)

Congratulations Conn and Hal

Magma and .Cent Magazine

I've always wanted to get my work into the coolest art shop around, Magma, and with a little help from .Cent Magazine I've done it.

Helen and I were asked to contribute for .Cent's Family and Community edition. Helen wrote a poem and I illustrated the double spread. We were also asked to appear on the cover in a photoshoot for past and present contributors but unfortunately we weren't around that weekend, nevermind. Here's the poem in full...

Inheritance

1.
So many objects, most of which were given,
Some I made, borrowed, bought, or found –
Such as this tiny doll; my best friend saw
Her first (but only just), lost in the grass,
Natural selection you could say,
Leading to a mischievous transition
From Anya’s pocket to my own;
Though its disappearing roused suspicion
I was never suspected of foul play.
It was a silly thing and quickly passed
But I was sorry; doll stayed in the drawer
Hiding, in case Anya came around,
Or friends enquired about her origin.

Never mind. Like all the other things
Eventually she too would find her place,
Displayed,
buried,
collected or home grown,
Subsumed forever by this smallish space.

2.
This is my birthright,
This room within a room,
Contained, and containing the memory
Of all that is home, without being homely;
The geography of the room is in its history,
The only identity it can assume
Is by invite
Only.

3.
There are no corners,
windows, doors –
Such things are immaterial here;
The walls are shadows of former selves,
Softly undulating,
orbital.

4.
I like to eavesdrop on the places beyond,
From next door to the last audible room,
To listen to the tune escaping from
The ivories, splashing flats and sharps
Beyond the puff of airing cupboard linen,
The faint click of the kettle,
The loving lick of pages turning,
The brush and furze of canvas
Beyond the rustle and chop of onions;
To think of hands and eyes,
Of semi-transparent skin,
The particular allness and zest
Of the flesh within
The flesh.

5.
Above all, it’s the silence
Between that holds me;
It can’t be listened to,
Just as darkness can’t be seen,
But something of it should
Be understood.

6.
In here, this is as close
As you can get to becoming
Someone else. The trick is
Not to think about what you
Do not know.
Helen Szirtes 2006

• • •
Richard Horne is a designer and illustrator whose illustrations have appeared in The Dangerous Book for Boys and How to Survive a Robot Uprising. He is also the author of 101 Things To Do Before You Die and two more books in the 101 Things series. For more examples of Richard’s work take a trip to his website at: www.homepage.mac.com/richard.horne

Helen Szirtes works as an editor for a leading independent London publisher. She writes poetry, and runs RAW Meet, a group for readers and writers of poetry that meets regularly in the Fitzroy Tavern. In 2005 Helen and Richard wrote the bestselling children’s book 101 Things To Do Before You’re Old and Boring, published by Bloomsbury. They live together in east London.

Wembley

Here it is, the view from Block 518, Row 5, Seat 138.

The ticket says "This seat is on the highest tier, which has a steep gradient" but it failed to mention the fantastic view.

The very first international match in the brand new Wembley Stadium, England U21s v Italy U21s. We’d waited years for the stadium to be finished but it only took 28 seconds for the first goal to be scored. The final score was 3-3.

One more thing ... it was bloody freezing!!!

101.1 TTD No. 12 Get a peice of Art into ...

...an exhibition?

No, not this time but I did discover the first 101 Things To Do book on the desk of the Tate Modern!


I was so pleased I took a photo of it along side the other work of art books, I'm in very good company indeed

The All New Wembley Stadium

After hours on the internet I've managed to get tickets to the first competitive match (England Under 21's vs Italy Under 21's) at the all new Wembley Stadium, the biggest fully-covered football stadium in the world.

With a crowd of 60,000 this will be the largest ever under-21s crowd in world football history. I don't know if it'll help me complete 101.1 TTD No. 16 - Get into the Guiness Book of Records especially when the FA Cup final is played in May then the expected crowd will be a stadium bursting 90,000!!!! ... although maybe I'll be able to make it to that match too as my team (Middlesbrough) and Helens team (Man Utd) are still in it, but only one of our teams can make it through to the semi finals as they replay each other on Monday 19th...

Come on Boro!

101.1 TTD No. 3 Win an Award, Trophy or Prize

It's finally happened! I've won something credable, I've just found out that the Old and Boring book has won a prize!

Apart from the odd monetary gain, I've never won anything worth talking about before in my life, not for the effort of trying. As far as winning a trophy or prize, I think it all began on sports day at school, I was always fastest. I was the fastest in the bean bag race in rehersal, but on the day (I blame the moist conditions) it all went wrong and I ended up last. So I feel it's time to add the Disney prize to the top of my awards:

The Winner of the Hands On category in the kid-voted Disney Adventures 2006 book awards goes to Richard Horne and Helen Szirtes for 101 Things to Do Before You're Old and Boring!

(add APPLAUSE here)

As for monetary wins, they have helped me complete/attempt some of the Things To Do in the first book: Lottery, (£10 here and there) - Grand National Horse Race (the first time I ever bet on the race I won) - Down the dogs (101.1 TTD No. 39 but I managed to lose it all) - Poker (101.1 TTD 19 - After some big wins and some even bigger loses, I've decided this is just a case of shuffling money around) - York Races (Five wins in a row) - Roulette in the Casino for Hackett's stag do (here's the secret... Red, Red, Black, Black, Black...)

Mind you, this is the sum total of 15 years since the age of 18, so it isn't that impressive, Thank God for the Disney Adventure Book Awards.