A New Direction for Once Upon a Bookcase:

Now an LGBTQ+ Children's & Fantasy Book Blog

It's the last day of Pride Month, and there's no better time to announce that there is going to be a change of direction for Once Upon a Bookcase. From now on, this blog will be a primarily LGBTQ+ book blog!

We are getting such a range of LGBTQ+ stories now, across a range of genres, and there's so much to read! I've also found that I'm generally drawn to queer fiction over cishet fiction. And with the work I'm doing at the bookshop I work at on the permanent LGBTQ+ YA section, the permanent LGBTQ+ YA & MG table, and LGBTQ+ books in the Children's Department as a whole, I'm so hugely passionate about these books, and that passion has me wanting to do more. To shout about them loudly outside of work more. To read more widely, to highlight them here, to help, in another way, queer readers find the right books for them.

Continue reading A New Direction for Once Upon a Bookcase: Now an LGBTQ+ Children's & Fantasy Book Blog

Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash.

Changes to Once Upon a Bookcase

You may not have really noticed - since I've been on top of my scheduling game for months, and it's only this week that posts haven't been posted as usual - but I've been on hiatus for a few weeks. If it had gone on much longer, I would have written a post to let you know, but I'm coming back now. There have been a number of things that have happened in my family life recently, and I just needed to take a break to focus on my family and myself, and my own well being.

Continue reading Changes to Once Upon a Bookcase

On Reworking Once Upon a Bookcase - Inspired by Lucy of Queen of Contemporary

Lucy of Queen of Contemporary has posted on her BookTube channel a video, Be the Change You Want to See, about the direction she's now going to go in with her channel. With Lucy's permission, here is her video:


I'm not a BookTuber, but you don't need to be to be inspired by this video. Lucy has really got me thinking about content and originality. She talks about how she wants to use her channel to talk more about books rather than just hauls, etc, and how she wants to talk about diversity and other important topics.

Continue reading On Reworking Once Upon a Bookcase - Inspired by Lucy of Queen of Contemporary

London Book Fair - Blogging: The New Community Write-Up

So as you would know from reading this post, I was asked to be the Media Partner for the London Book Fair 2013's Children's Innovation Theatre, and I was also asked to be a speaker. So:

On the 16th April 2013, I went to the London Book Fair.

To speak on a panel.

Called Blogging: The New Community.

AND I DID IT!


Photo taken by Hermione Lawton of Puffin.
So this isn't your normal event report. I'm not going to tell you in detail what was discussed (mostly because it's all a bit of a blur!). This is just a post with a little bit from me, gushing, and some photos.

Continue reading London Book Fair - Blogging: The New Community Write-Up

Huge Blog News and Request For Help!

So I have some news. Those of you who follow me on Twitter and are friends with me on Facebook may know this already, put please read on, because I need some help! Thanks.

Last Wednesday I was contacted and asked to take part in a panel event for the London Book Fair. And I've said yes! This is huge. For my CV. For the blog. For me. Because I am absolutely terrified! Public speaking and me are really not the best of friends. But I have decided to attempt at braveness and bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns, and dive right in. I just hope I don't sink! It really is such a big deal that I have accepted to do this, and sometimes I am just in shock at my courage (who is this girl who is saying yes to scary things? I don't recognise her!), and other times I feel extremely sick. We'll see how it goes. Though it is great to hear that Once Upon a Book case "is very highly respected in the industry". Whoop!

It's going to be massive for my blog because of all the exposure. Not just because I'll be on the panel, but because my blog will be mentioned in the London Book Fair's literature and so on, and my blog will be heard - or read - about by so many people! This is exciting!

But I need some help. Being on a panel means talking. There will be at least three other people with me, so I won't do all the talking, but I will be required to speak, obviously. I want to make sure I have something to say.

Continue reading Huge Blog News and Request For Help!