I just had the most amazing bookish weekend ever, meeting fellow bloggers, authors and readers at the Brisbane Writers Festival! I’m still coming down from a high, it felt so surreal.
Love YA Festival Highlights
- I got a one on one interview with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black for the Brisbane Libraries! Was an amazing opportunity to chat to them in person!
- Chatted with Holly Black at the end of the festival, where she took the time to chat to us about her trip, the White Cat folklore and gave some inspirational writing advice!
- Met John Marsden, an iconic Aussie writer (Author of the Tomorrow of the War Began series)
- Hanging out and meeting other bloggers and readers!
John Marsden – An Australian icon
I got Tomorrow When the War Began signed by John Marsden! He is such a humble, inspirational and motivating writer that I’ve grown up studying and admiring. Such an iconic Australian writer and it was glad to finally meet him!
Cassie Clare and Holly Black – The Interview
For this event, I cosplayed as a Shadowhunter which I thought was appropriate:
Before Cassandra Clare and Holly Black were due to come on to their panel, I was ushered into their room to do a quick 5 minute interview with them. I did manage to ask them about their trip to Australia and the inspiration for Holly Black’s creepy novels, and who Cassie Clare’s favourite character is. The full interview will be posted on ibrary next week.
Thank you so much to Brisbane Writer’s Festival and Brisbane Libraries for this opportunity!
The Panel and Signing
It was obvious that Holly and Cassandra are really good friends and they had a great chemistry with each other. It was great hearing how they got started and how they came to be today. Here’s the highlights:
- The inspiration for Magisterium was a Rick Riordan book, and they decided that they could write one themselves! David Levithan is the editor of the Magisterium series.
- The inspiration for the Infernal Devices was the blackfriars bridge in London, where Cassie just imagined it shrouded in fog and these creepy, metal creatures.
- Cassie also says the movie wasn’t how she would have made it herself – but she virtually wasn’t involved in it. She liked some aspects of it, like the cast, but other things she would have done differently.
- She also says the Shadowhunters TV series is actually less faithful to the book than the movies (they are made by the same directors as the movie).
- Holly makes detailed schedules in the co-writing process – they both write in the same room using a laptop.
- On co-writing, they both get along well and if they disagree on a scene, they will compromise on a third way of telling it instead of getting into a conflict and pushing their own way.
And then there was a quick lightning round where the audience submitted questions. They read out my question, if Cassie preferred vampires, faeries or mages and she said it was Vampires after some hesitation, lol. The line for the signing was HUGE! After 1.5 hours of waiting, I finally got to the front of the line, and it was totally worth it.
Chatting with Holly Black
Holly Black was such an amazing, inspirational and bubbly person. She was totally amazing at speaking and inspiring all of us with her creativity and talent. I haven’t read any of her books yet, but I do own a lot of them, and I just can’t wait to read them now!
On Sunday, I went in for one of the panels with Graeme Simsion (Author of the Rosie Project). Unfortunately Cassie didn’t show up (it was at the end of the day, and she’d already been at the festival doing 2 other panels and signings) but we did get to chat with Holly Black for about 20 minutes. She told us about how her son accidentally ate coral and encountered a jellyfish at Port Douglas, how she loves wombats and fruit bats, and then retold the White Cat folklore which is what her Curse Workers series is based on. She then gave some inspirational writing tips, which is basically to keep on writing, because nothing promotes your backlist like your frontlist. This applies to blogging as well!
Meeting Fellow Bloggers
I met up with a lot of fellow bloggers, bookstagrammers and people I’ve talked to via the Aussie YA Bloggers and Readers Group (if you haven’t already, you should join by the way) and got to hang out! Had the best time ever meeting Brett, Meleika, Maddie and hanging out with Sarah, Philippa and Anika. Also briefly caught up with Bec, Chiara and had a great chat with Brittany.
Last but not Least, the Signed Books
So happy to add these to my collection! There was a limit on how many books we could get signed by Cassandra Clare, but I’m still glad I got to meet her. She is so talented, such an inspirational person and a huge support to her fans!
Thank you to Brisbane Writer’s Festival for organising another great Love YA event!
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[…] Jeann @ Happy Indulgence met with Cassandra Clare and interviewed Holly Black! […]
Oh my gosh, this looks like it was AMAZING! That is so awesome that you got a chance to interview HOLLY BLACK AND CASSANDRA CLARE HOLY SHIT. Excuse me for a moment, my fangirl is showing terribly. Haha. I've only read one of Holly's books (Coldest Girl in Coldtown), but I loved it, as well as the TID series. I can't wait to read the interview and I enjoyed reading your recap on the event. I'm glad you had such a great time, and your outfit is so ON POINT GIRL!
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Ohh this look super fun, I'm too shy to go to bookish events alone lol I would drag someone with me. Cassandra Clare though xD I love your outfit here though, it matches Shadowhunters 🙂
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Hehehe I\’m lucky enough to have a few other bloggers around so we always tee up at bookish events 🙂 Thanks Benish!
Right now, I'm dying of jealousy!! Meeting Holly Black and Cassandra Clare all in the same day! And getting to talk to them! I wish I were you just for this very day, lool.
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It was so amazing Sarah! I was so lucky <3
Oh my God, this looks so, so amazing! I cannot even find the words to commute how awesome it is that you got to meet not only the Queen that is Cassie Clare – and look at all those pretty books! *cries* – but John Marsden as well! I loved his Tomorrow, When the War Began series. We actually studied them in class this year and just wow, what an opportunity! I'm glad you had such a wonderful time and got to meet some bloggy friends too.
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It was so amazing Rachel, I can\’t believe I got to meet her and Holly as well! I studied that same series at school, so it was really wonderful to finally meet him.
This looks like it would have been a really fun event to go to, even though I haven’t read the authors (Holly Black co-wrote The Spiderwick Chronicles, though, which I grew up with, and I’ve listened to The Rosie Project on audio- so I actually kinda have!). It seems like an amazing opportunity, especially getting to do that private interview, Jeann! GO YOU! That’s epically fantastic, and you’re so fortunate to have been able to do that. AND meeting up with other bloggers! How fabulous. Glad you had such a fun time, and awesome cosplay. xx
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It was a really fantastic opportunity, I was a basket of nerves but man, they were just so amazing to talk to and so lovely. Thank you so much! It was a really amazing time.
LOVE reading about the events I can't make it to myself! How exciting that you got to do an interview with them!
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Yeah I was sooo nervous but they were really lovely!
Whoa this seems like such an AWESOME event! I want to meet Cassie Clare so bad. She wrote the books that first got me addicted to reading. I'm sure it was so much fun getting to interview those two, and I can only imagine how funny those two must be together 😉 Lovely recap <3 Hey that's Bec!!
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I know, it was so much fun Rachel I can't believe Cassie and Holly came down to Brisbane! It was so much fun 🙂
Looks like you had a fantastic time!!! Very cool on the one on one interviews and meeting up with bloggy friends. Plus signed books are always fun too!
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Thanks Grace, it was a really fun time!
This was a great recap Jeann! It was amazing meeting you and the other bloggers, and hearing such inspirational stories about getting published – plus Cassie Clare and Holly Black were so incredible, generous with their time and really friendly.
It was a great weekend, thanks for the shoutout too!
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Thanks Brett, I liked your recap as well! It was definitely an amazing weekend meeting you and other bloggers as well, and hearing such inspirational words from the authors!
I love your outfit, Jeann!
Glad you had an awesome time! It seriously looks like lots of fun!
Yay, signed books!
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Thanks Cyn, it was a lot of fun definitely!
AHHH! How amazing that you had the opportunity to meet these two authors! It sounds like you had a great time and learned a lot of fun facts from the panel, so I'm so glad to hear you had a great time. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recap with us Jeann! <3
I had the best time Zoe! I want to go back already <3
How fun! I haven't read either one of these authors yet, but it nice to see them being so cool. lol – And what the heck, how did her son accidentally eat corral?
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They were so awesome Christy! LOL I know right, I don't know either? Maybe it was like a small piece in the mouth or whatever?
I AM SO JEALOUSING OVER HERE JEANN. Grr. I wish I had money so I could attend one of these awesome events! They both seem like amazing people and I can't wait to meet some of my favorite authors. I know you guys has a blast just from the pictures you took! Maybe that will be me next time. Teehee *crosses fingers*
I wish you could have come as well Keionda! Hopefully one day! It was so much fun xx
Fantastic!
I love Holly B.'s hair! And there is a Shadowhunters TV series? Oi!
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Yup, they're not making any movies but a TV series now. Her hair is flawless! Loved her so much.
Sounds as though you super awesome time this weekend Jeann, you must be so pleased! It'd be great to meet Holly Black as I LOVED the Curse Workers and thought it was really interested, so I'm really jealous! 🙂
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It was an awesome weekend Amanda, I'm still on a high from it hehe! It was the best time ever.
Wow! I can live vicariously through you. 🙂 I've only read one Holly Black book, The Darkest Part of the Forest and loved it. I love your Shadowhunter-inspired outfit. On point!
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It was really amazing Dre! Had the best time ever. Thank you so much! It was fun dressing up hehehe
AHHH THIS IS SO SO AWESOME I WISH I COULD'VE GONE. XDXD Holly Black and Cassandra Clare are just SO EPIC and omg I couldn't love their books more. And they sound super nice IRL too. :')
*whispers* Although I'm super worried about the Shadowhunters show now. >_<
One day we will meet and it will be like, we're ruling the world Cait! IT was just so awesome <3
Yay it was such a fun day/evening 😀 So glad I got to chat with you more this time!
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Me too Brittany, it was so much fun and glad we had a great chat! Hopefully see you soon <3
AHHH THIS IS SO EXCITING. Can't believe you got to do an interview as well. And John Marsden!! EEK. So glad you had a great time 😀
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I know, I was dying lol it was just fandom heaven!
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This looks like so much fun! 😀
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It was tonnes of fun 😀