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Candy Gourlay

@candygourlay.bsky.social
366 followers 417 following 55 posts

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

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Reposted by Candy Gourlay
David Roberts @volts.wtf · 06/08/2025
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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H S Norup @hsnorup.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
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.The SCBWI boot camp starter pack
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Thank you, Nicole! Happy #AAPIHeritageMonth!
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Em Lynas @emlynas.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
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 · 16/04/2025
@beyondbiasbooks.bsky.social I've only just seen this sweet post! Thank you so much!
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
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...
nytimes.com
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.
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
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...
open.substack.com
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
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Sarah McIntyre @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
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 · 13/02/2025
Thanks Lou! So nice to see you here
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David Barker @dbarker22000.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
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 · 13/02/2025
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 · 13/02/2025
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.The book next to a hat.The Tutkish edition of the book.
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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
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 · 13/02/2025
Imprints are great business, but is their prestige and value getting diluted as they proliferate?, asks Sarah Moorhouse 👇 #BookSky
thebookseller.com
Have we reached peak imprint?
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Sam Subity @subity.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
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...
samsubity.com
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.
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Books for Keeps, the children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
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 buff.ly/3CJMtsU
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
So can anyone tell me how to add myself to relevant starter packs ... and any starter packs I should belong to?
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Wayne Public Library @waynepubliclibrary.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
It's Black History Month and we're celebrating with a book a day. Feel free to join us! ✨ Book 1 of 28: The Color Purple by Alice Walker #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #BookSky
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
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Wayne Public Library @waynepubliclibrary.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Celebrate Black History Month with us by posting a book a day! ⭐ Book 12 of 28: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #Booksky
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Hello! Are there any librarians on BlueSky or are you still over on the social media platform that shall not be named? If you're here, let's follow each other!
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
I've been posting my comics over on The House of Procrastination, on Substack. Here's a review of The Brutalist ... in comics 😀 open.substack.com/pub/houseofp...
open.substack.com
The Brutalist: a comics review
I loved most of it but it was hard to watch so many sex scenes next to my young niece
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The Carnegies @carnegiemedals.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
It is finally time! We are excited to reveal the longlists for the 2025 Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration. 🎉 Congratulations to the wonderful authors and illustrators longlisted for the #Carnegies2025! 🖌️📖✨ View the full list here: carnegies.co.uk/2025-longlis...
Text reading 'longlists are announced' with the Carnegies logo, website carnegies.co.uk and #Carnegies2025
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Tom Easton @tomeaston.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
two men on a bus meme, one is cheerful looking at the bright scenery, caption reads me enjoying UK bluesky in the morning. the other man is on the other side of the bus, he is gloomy and looking at a dark mountainside, caption reads me once the US wakes up and starts posting
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Lou Minns @louminns.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Know someone 11-16 living in Stoke? The aim in these free workshops is to write 100 words on The Places That Make Us. 100 stories will be chosen for publication in our anthology - published in 2026 to kick off the next 100 years of Stoke authorship #100Books#100Years @lisablowerwrite.bsky.social
Stoke on Trent celebrates its centenary. Dr Lisa Blower has launched a project 100 books in 100 years to reStoke the local narrative. This poster is of Lou Minns a local born writer, and invites 11-16 year olds to book on to a free creative writing course. Dates: Hanley library 11/2/25 Stoke Library 19/2/25 Tunstall Library 20/2/25
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Thank you so much, Sue!
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
If you're a CREATIVE, this should go to the top of your TO DO LIST. Act now. Don't hesitate.
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
@paulabooks.bsky.social 's Kitty books are my go to for when I want to impress a young reader with a bonanza of great reads.
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
I'm sure you were splendid, Eric!
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Eric🇺🇸🇹🇼🇦🇺🇬🇧🏳️‍🌈 @dinoboy89.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
And thank you @maisiechanwrites.bsky.social, @candygourlay.bsky.social, @moohara.bsky.social, and @louiestowell.bsky.social for the tips. They were all winners! 🎉
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Mini Grey @mini3grey.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
For fans of things that look like food but aren't - here are pics from the Fake Food show at the Japan House. We have levitating cheese on toast....1/6
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Aw thanks, Mio!
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
😆
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Sojung Kim-McCarthy @creativesojung.bsky.social · 30/09/2024
COVER REVEAL!! Super excited to be able to share the cover for BINNA’S DALGONA, my author-illustrator debut picture book💖 It’s an empowering story about finding a new home and learning a new language - with some help of homemade Korean sweets! Available for preorder now! #kidlit #picturebook
a cover reveal of picture book BINNA’S DALGONA, showing the main character Binna and her three friends holding dalgona & kitchen tools for dalgona-making.
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Thank you, Maureen! And happy book birthdayt to you too with Annabelle and Flower!
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
I'm going!
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Thanks, Teri. My baby brother is very useful. (He's not a baby anymore but still)
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Let us all sign this
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Jo Cummins @booksuperhero2.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Today’s my stop on the #SchoolForFireflies blog tour. A diverse magical adventure by #EricaGomez, illustrated by #SimoneSmith @ed_pr @knightsofbooks.bsky.social librarygirlandbookboy.com/2025/02/11/b...
librarygirlandbookboy.com
Blog tour: ‘School for Fireflies,’ by Erica Gomez, cover by Simone Smith.
I’m on a bit of a ‘magical adventure’ streak at the moment so ‘School of Fireflies’ was just the ticket. What’s I particularly like about this title is that it has a host of ethnically diverse char…
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BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 11/02/2025
If you're attending the #ChildrenInCare conference tomorrow, don't miss a great session with our #WriterInResidence @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social! Join her at 11.55am as she shares how the magic of books can have a lifelong impact on the lives of children in care. childrenincareconf.co.uk
A photo of Patrice Lawrence and the words: "Patrice Lawrence at the Children in Care conference / Sharing Stories, Changing Children's Lives" plus the timings - 11.55am, Wednesday 12 February 2025
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
This is a gorgeous book! Children will love it and parents will love reading it aloud to them.
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
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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Raina Telgemeier @goraina.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Hourly Comic Day 2025! Let’s go!
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Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
Got to love apple tv. Make a load of incredible shows, hide them down a deep hole and tell no one.
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
I'm here. Do I delete the profile over on whatsis?
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Candy Gourlay @candygourlay.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
So proud to announce that my new picture book will be out in the states on the first week of February. Little Rhino Lost, written by me, Candy Gourlay, and illustrated by Jamie Bauza, published by Crocodile Books. UK: Out in March published by @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social
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