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Cabin Radio is hiring a reporter based in Yellowknife, NWT
Published: November 28, 2022 at 1:00pm Cabin Radio November 28, 2022
Cabin Radio is hiring a reporter. Join a trusted, widely read, and innovative multimedia newsroom where your wellbeing and professional development are prioritized.
Location: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Contract: Initial six-month term
Salary and benefits: Competitive salary and Cabin Radio employee health benefits program, 20 days' paid vacation per year (plus statutory holidays) pro-rated, pleasant office sofas, friendly colleagues who often bring coffee, variety of office dogs, easy access to canoe trips and cross-country skiing.
The role: You'll be covering breaking news of all kinds and you'll also be assigned the specialist field of northern justice. We want you to take on reporting that examines the justice system in the NWT: what's working? What isn't working? What changes are being made or could be made? How does that system intersect with health, education, housing and other areas? We'll give you a comprehensive briefing and then it'll be your field to explore.
The medium: Most of your work will be written. There will also be opportunities to tell stories through audio, video, data and social channels.
To apply: Send the following to Ollie Williams, our editor, by 11pm MT on Sunday, December 4:
Your résumé and a short cover letter outlining what marks you out as a candidate.
Three work samples (which can involve any platform, e.g. written, audio, video, social, data).
Founded in 2017, Cabin Radio is owned and operated by five Yellowknife residents. Our owners and a small staff run our independent internet radio station, online newsroom, and Facebook and Instagram channels designed to keep residents of the Northwest Territories informed and entertained.
Our reporting is trusted, precise, robust, fair, and quick. People in the NWT head to our website first for breaking news reporting on which they can rely. Our reporting receives up to a million views each month and is shortlisted for major awards alongside the likes of the CBC and Globe and Mail.
We have no parent company, it's just us. Our reporters are valued members of a small team, which means your wellbeing and professional development are important.
An ability to quickly and accurately produce written reporting on breaking news.
A desire to uncover more about northern justice and help our audience understand the system's impacts.
An understanding of media law.
Considered beneficial:
Familiarity with court reporting.
An understanding of the Northwest Territories, its peoples and its communities.
Knowledge of photography, radio broadcasting and/or video production.
An understanding of WordPress.
If you have questions about the role, Cabin Radio, or any aspect of our hiring process, contact us for more information.
If you're from the NWT (we particularly encourage applications from NWT residents), you already know – it's the best place to live.
Yellowknife, Dettah and Ndilǫ – on Chief Drygeese territory – are unlike any southern town. There is real character here, both in the communities and the 20,000 or so people who call them home. Quality journalism here thrives because Yellowknife's welcoming community gets to know its best reporters and comes to rely on them.
Yellowknife residents spend their summers in canoes, hiking, playing ball, exploring, holding festivals, and fishing. They spend their winters skiing, snowmobiling, drinking craft beers, hanging out at holiday markets, building snow castles, and playing a lot of hockey. While northern lives are often lived on the land, no matter what excites you, there'll be something new about it here.
The wider NWT is not represented by Yellowknife. If you're new to the territory, we'll work to give you opportunities to better understand the many communities and peoples that form the Northwest Territories.
An interview at Yellowknife's Folk on the Rocks music festival in 2018.
An interview in Studio One.
Yellowknife from the air.
Penny, the Cabin Radio dog, savours the moment as she receives Yellowknife's 2020 small business of the year award on behalf of her employer.
Federal election candidates in Cabin Radio's live forum on October 16, 2019.
Ron MacLean anchors Hockey Day in Canada from downtown Yellowknife in 2020.
Multiple Juno-winning musician Leela Gilday performs on Yellowknife's Frame Lake Trail in August 2020.
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When you wear your valuable jewelries somewhere, you surely will put that to a safe and lock it up. Your excess money you keep in a bank or a bank wallet, your valuable gems you lock it up in a secret locker, most of your valuables you will keep and store safely. Just like your jewelries and money, your motor vehicle is also a valuable asset. But can we actually lock it up and keep it stored in a safe?
A car is there to ride and ride all along? No! Your car needs your attention and care right on time, this is the best way to keep it safe. Your car need no locker or safety wallet to keep it safe, but a proper code of treatments right on time.
A car needs to offer you a smooth ride and if it is not offered through your car, that means your car needs your attention and there is something wrong it. Just like we care about our valuables in keeping them safe in lockers all tight up, it is also vital to keep your car is also safe just like your valuables.
A good performing vehicle is crucial for to gear up your life with the correct speed. But when your vehicle not supporting to you with its smooth performances, this means you surely need to pay your attention on your car. Your car is a considerable amount of investment you make in your life. The hardly earned money is in line with it. But if you did not maintain it properly all your financials will become a waste.
For the high performances of your car, it is vital to take it to on time repairs and maintenance. Specially, car service. Car service will help you to locate possible errors and damages that will be in your vehicle. It is just like a little investigation or rather a medical checkup.
Changing oil is another important step that you need to do on time, such as penrite oil. When the oil is not changed on time that cause the loss of energy and your fuel efficiency will go down. Though you pump fuel it won't give you the right output that you expect.
The maximum performance will be our best expectation when we purchase a vehicle. But when you did not maintain it properly right on time, you cannot expect the outcomes that you really expect for. Your vehicle needs your guidance. Keeping your vehicle safe in the yard or your car park won't help you to identify the possible problems in it. For that you need to get close to your vehicle, drive it up and pay attention on the sounds that come out from it. Most of the times, the best way to locate a damage in the vehicle will be the strange noise that comes out of your car all of a sudden. When you take the wheels, when it is not right, it will simply come out!


Some blame war in the Middle East on Israel.
Some on Great Britain, here you see a lone survivor of an Afghan conflict.
Middle East war is old, as the site of Masada shows. Or Meggido, where a resurgent Pharoah created the legend of Armageddon.
It was said Clinton's behaviour with an intern destroyed peace.
Others offer their opinions, but rarely are they informed.
In this series, I intend to show events, and allow people to learn for themselves. I don't promise to not have bias. But I will try to be balanced.
Middle East War takes lifetimes and lives. Golda Meir grew to be great, but age overtook her.
A culture of war exists, which inducts children into fighting.
My involvement is related to my Maternal Great Grandfather, who fought for NSW in the Soudan.
My paternal grandfather who fought for Australia in the Sudan.
Palestinians cowed by their own murder squads who act lawlessly, as their mothers taught them.
This is an ambitious project, and political. I won't pretend I'm not advocating a viewpoint. I hope to take segments of the conflict in the Middle East and state events, rather than propaganda.
Because there are scenes of death, this is labeled with a warning.


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Nutritional and antioxidative properties of black goat meat cuts
Asian-Australas J Anim Sci. 2019;32(9):1423-1429
Asian-Australas J Anim SciJournal ArchiveAsian-Australas J Anim Sci. 2019;32(9)
Publication date (electronic) : 2019 March 7
doi : https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.18.0951
Hye-Jin Kim1 , Hee-Jin Kim1 , Aera Jang1,
1Department of Animal Life Science, College of Animal Life Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
*Corresponding Author: Aera Jang, Tel: +82-33-250-8643, Fax: +82-33-251-7719, E-mail: ajang@kangwon.ac.kr
Received 2018 December 18; Revised 2019 February 15; Accepted 2019 March 5.
In this study, we evaluated the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of black goat loin (BGL) and black goat rump (BGR) meat.
We evaluated the proximate compositions, collagen and mineral contents, and fatty acid compositions of BGL and BGR with respect to their nutritional value. The levels of bioactive compounds such as L-carnitine, creatine, creatinine, carnosine, and anserine were also measured. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, and oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) were assessed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of BGL and BGR.
BGR showed higher collagen, Fe, Ca, P, and Na contents than did BGL (p<0.05). Notably, the Ca/P ratio was high in both BGR and BGL (1.82 and 1.54, respectively), thus satisfying the recommendation that the Ca/P ratio is between 1 and 2. BGL showed a significantly higher content of desirable fatty acids (stearic acid and total unsaturated fatty acids) than did BGR. In addition, the levels of creatine, carnosine, and anserine in BGL were higher than those in BGR (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity between BGL and BGR, as assessed by FRAP (both 15.92 μmol Trolox equivalent [TE]/g of dry matter [DM]), ABTS (12.51 and 12.90 μmol TE/g DM, respectively), and ORAC (101.25 and 99.06 μmol TE/g DM, respectively) assays.
This was a primary study conducted to evaluate the differences in nutritional value and antioxidant activity between loin and rump cuts of black goat meat. Our results provide fundamental knowledge that can help understand the properties of black goat meat.
Keywords: Black Goat Meat; Bioactive Compound; Antioxidant Activity; Nutritional Value; Mineral
Goats have been together with humans for the consumption since the beginning of human civilization [1]. The Korean native goat (Capra hircus coreanae) is a breed of goats indigenous to Korea; approximately 80% of the population is predominantly black. Archaeological evidence on the origin of the Korean black goat is not available. However, historical literature indicates that the history of goat farming on the Korean Peninsula may date back over 2,000 years [2]. Korean black goats have been raised in the mountains on agricultural byproducts and native grass. With the recent increase in consumption of black goat meat, full-time farming of black goats has also increased in Korea [3].
Goat meat tends to be dark red in color and possesses a rough texture, with a flavor and aroma perceptibly different from those of lamb and mutton [4]. Goat meat is widely consumed in Asia and developing countries. Black goats have a low carcass weight, and the meat has a strong wild flavor. Most Korean people consume black goat meat in the form of meat and bone extracts rather than the meat itself. The extract of black goat meat has been considered a folk medicine and is used to improve the health of young children, pregnant women, and the elder population. The health benefits of these extracts may be due to their low content of fat and high levels of amino acids such as arginine, leucine, and isoleucine; the extracts also contain high contents of protein and minerals such as Ca and Fe [3].
Studies on black goat meat have evaluated the quality of loin [1], physicochemical properties [4,5], and methods to extract black goat meat for medicinal use [6,7]. However, there have been limited studies evaluating the nutritional values of different cuts of black goat meat and their antioxidant properties. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of black goat loin (BGL) and black goat rump (BGR) meat cuts.
Preparation of black goat meat
Twenty-four hours post-mortem, BGL and BGR cuts each from three different black goats (14-month-old, male) were obtained from a local meat market. Surface fat and connective tissue were dissected away from each meat sample, and the remaining meat samples were minced finely using a food processor (HMF-3800SS; Hanil, Seoul, Korea). The minced meat samples were stored at −20°C until analysis.
Evaluation of proximate composition
Proximate compositions of BGL and BGR were evaluated using the Official Methods of Analysis stipulated by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) [8]. The moisture content was assessed using oven drying of samples at 105°C for 16 h, and the crude protein content was analyzed by the Kjeldahl method using a conversion factor of 6.25. Crude fat was assayed by solvent extraction, and crude ash was analyzed using a furnace at 550°C for 12 h.
Evaluation of collagen content
The collagen content was determined by measuring hydroxyproline according to the method of Kim et al [9]. Briefly, each meat sample (5 g) was hydrolyzed with 30 mL of 7 N sulfuric acid for 16 h at 105°C. One milliliter of an acid-hydrolyzed diluted sample was mixed with 0.5 mL of 1.41% chloramine T in a collagen buffer solution (pH 6.0), containing sodium hydroxide (15 g), sodium acetate trihydrate (90 g), citric acid monohydrate (30 g), and 1-propanol (290 mL) per 1 L of water. The mixture was shaken for 20 min at 23°C±1°C, then mixed with 0.5 mL of the reactive color reagent (5 g of 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, 17.5 mL of 60% sulfuric acid, and 32.5 mL of 2-propanol) and incubated in a water bath at 60°C for 15 min. After the reaction was completed, absorbance was measured at 558 nm using a spectrophotometer (SpectraMax M2e; Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). The hydroxyproline content was calculated using a standard curve, and the collagen content in the samples was calculated using a correction factor of 8.0.
Mineral content
To analyze the contents of Fe, Ca, P, K, and Na in BGL and BGR, 2 g of each meat sample was ashed at 550°C. The ashed meat samples were dissolved in 65% nitric acid, and the solutions were transferred into 100-mL volumetric flasks, making up to volume with distilled water. The mineral contents in the diluted solutions were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (Optima 7300 DV; PerkinElmer, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland).
To determine the fatty acid composition, 2 g of each meat sample was homogenized in 15 mL of Folch solution (chloroform/methyl alcohol, 2:1, v/v) containing 40 μL of tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and then filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper (Clifton, NJ, USA). Each filtered sample was mixed with 2 mL of 0.88% KCl and shaken vigorously. The separated bottom layer was dried under nitrogen gas, and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) derivatives were generated via methylation of fatty acids with boron trifluoride in methanol for 1 h at 90°C. FAMEs were analyzed using a gas chromatograph (6890N; Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) equipped with a CP-Sil 88 capillary column (100 m×0.25 mm id×0.20 μm film thickness; Agilent CP7489, Agilent Technologies, USA) and a flame ionization detector. The initial oven temperature was 150°C, which was then increased to 200°C at a rate of 7°C/min, held at 200°C for 20 min, increased to 250°C at a rate of 3°C/min, and held at 250°C for 5 min. The injector and detector temperatures were 260°C and 280°C, respectively. Helium was used as a carrier gas at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, and 1 μL of each sample was injected at a splitting ratio of 1:100. Each fatty acid was identified via matching its retention time with that of a respective standard using a commercially available mixture of fatty acids (PUFA No. 2-Animal Source; Supelco, Bellefonte, PA, USA).
L-carnitine content
The L-carnitine content was analyzed in the meat samples according to the method of Shimada et al [10], with slight modifications. Briefly, 5 g of each sample was homogenized in 25 mL of 0.3 M perchloric acid (PCA) on ice. After centrifugation at 1,140×g for 10 min, the supernatant was filtered through a glass microfiber filter (GF/C; Whatman, USA), and then the pellet was re-extracted with 20 mL of 0.3 M PCA. The volume of the pooled supernatants was adjusted to 50 mL with 0.3 M PCA. One milliliter of the extract was neutralized with 1.2 M K2CO3. After centrifugation at 8,385×g for 10 min, the supernatant was filtered through a 0.45-μm membrane filter. The standard or sample (50 μL) was loaded with 50 μL of a reaction buffer, containing 0.93 mM 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), 0.55 mM acetyl-CoA, 3.05 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and 610 mM Tris–HCl, pH 7.5, in a 96-well microplate. The blank absorbance of the samples was measured at 415 nm using a SpectraMax M2e spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices, USA) after incubation at 37°C for 10 min. For the enzymatic reaction, 25 μL (0.5 U) of carnitine acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.7; Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) was added, and the mixture was incubated at 37°C for 30 min. The final absorbance was measured at 415 nm, and the difference between the blank and final absorbance was used to calculate the content of L-carnitine. L-carnitine was purchased from Sigma Co. (USA) to generate a standard curve.
Creatine, creatinine, and dipeptide contents
Creatine, creatinine, and dipeptide (carnosine and anserine) contents were measured using the method of Mora et al [11] with slight modifications. Briefly, 2.5 g of a meat sample was homogenized with 7.5 mL of 0.01 N HCl, and the homogenate was centrifuged at 3,000×g for 30 min. The supernatant was filtered through a glass microfiber filter (GF/C; Whatman, USA), and then 250 μL of the filtrate was deproteinized by incubation with 750 μL of acetonitrile for 20 min at 4°C. The sample was centrifuged at 10,000×g for 10 min, and the supernatant was filtered through a 0.22-μm membrane filter before analysis. The contents of creatine, creatinine, and dipeptides (carnosine and anserine) were analyzed using a liquid chromatograph (1260 Infinity; Agilent Technologies, USA), equipped with an Atlantis HILIC silica column (4.6×150 mm×3 μm; Waters, Milford, MA, USA), at the column temperature of 35°C. Mobile phase A was 0.65 mM ammonium acetate (pH 5.5) in water/acetonitrile (25:75, v/v), and mobile phase B was 4.55 mM ammonium acetate (pH 5.5) in water/acetonitrile (70:30, v/v). We used a linear gradient of phase B from 0% to 100% over 13 min at a flow rate of 1.4 mL/min. Creatine, carnosine, and anserine were detected at 214 nm, and creatinine was detected at 236 nm using a diode array detector (Agilent Technologies, USA). The contents were calculated using a standard curve generated for each respective standard (Sigma, USA).
Antioxidant activities
Preparation of meat samples for determining antioxidant activities
To determine the antioxidant activities, 4 g of each meat sample was homogenized in 20 mL of distilled water. The homogenates were filtered through Whatman No. 4 filter paper (USA), followed by the addition of 4 mL of chloroform and vortexing. The bottom layer was lyophilized and stored at −20°C until use.
Ferric reducing antioxidant power activity
The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was carried out according to the method of Benzie and Strain [12], with slight modifications. The FRAP working solution contained 300 mM acetate buffer (pH 3.6), 10 mM 2,4,6-tripyridyl-S-triazine in 40 mM HCl, and a 20 mM FeCl3·6H2O solution at a ratio of 10:1:1 (v/v/v), respectively. Each meat extract (25 μL) was reacted with 175 μL of the FRAP working solution for 30 min at 37°C in the dark. The absorbance of the reaction solution was determined at 590 nm using a spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices, USA). The standard curve was obtained using Trolox (Sigma, USA). The results were expressed as micromoles of Trolox equivalent (TE) per gram of dry matter (DM).
2,2-Azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging activity
To analyze the 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical-scavenging activity, we used the method of Re et al [13] with some modifications. To generate the ABTS+ radical, a stock solution was made by mixing equal volumes of a 14 mM ABTS+ solution and a 5.9 mM potassium persulfate solution; the resulting solution was then reacted at 23°C±1°C for 12 h in the dark. The stock solution was diluted with distilled water to an absorbance of 0.700±0.02 at 735 nm, as assessed using a spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices, USA) at 30°C. Meat extracts (50 μL) were reacted with 950 μL of the ABTS+ radical solution for 30 min at 30°C in the dark. The absorbance of the reaction solution was determined at 735 nm, and the results were expressed as micromoles of TE per gram of DM.
Oxygen radical absorption capacity
The oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) assay was performed according to the method of Gillespie et al [14], with some modifications, using 75 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37°C. First, 25 μL of a meat extract was mixed with 150 μL of 80 nM fluorescein. After incubation at 37°C for 15 min, 25 μL of 150 mM 2,2′-azobis (2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride (AAPH) was added to generate peroxyl radicals. The change in the absorbance of the reaction was recorded every minute at an excitation wavelength of 480 nm and emission wavelength of 520 nm at 37°C using a SpectraMax M2e spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices, USA). Trolox was used as a standard, and the results were expressed as micromoles of TE per gram of DM.
Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS program version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Data comparison was performed using a Student's t-test. Differences among means were considered significant at p<0.05. All data are expressed as the mean±standard error of the mean.
Proximate compositions and collagen and mineral contents of black goat loin and black goat rump
The proximate compositions and collagen and mineral contents of BGL and BGR are shown in Table 1. BGL and BGR contained 75.00% and 75.49% moisture, 21.60% and 21.30% crude protein, 1.48% and 1.40% crude fat, and 1.41% and 1.25% ash, respectively, with no significant differences between the cuts. Similarly, Choi et al [15] have reported that the proximate composition of black goat meat included 74.40% to 76.04% moisture, 19.83% to 20.47% crude protein, 1.64% to 3.56% crude fat, and 1.04% to 1.11% crude ash. Hwang et al [16] have reported that the crude fat content of black goat meat was between 1.12% and 1.59%, which agrees with our results. On the other hand, Kim et al [5] have reported that the crude fat content of the BGL meat was 7.81% to 9.43% at the different age of castration, which was higher than our values. Another study has reported that the proximate composition of goat meat included 67.0% to 75.2% moisture, 18.9% to 24.8% crude protein, 3.25% to 12.6% crude fat, and 0.95% to 1.19% crude ash, depending on the breed [17].
Proximate compositions and collagen and mineral contents of different meat cuts from black goats
The collagen content of BGR was higher than that of BGL (p<0.05), which may be due to higher exercise status of the rump muscle compared with that of the loin muscle in black goats. Our data are similar to the results of Cho et al [18] showing that the beef rump showed a higher collagen content than the loin did because of the difference in exercise strength between them. Generally, the goat meat has a higher content and lower solubility of collagen compared with those in the sheep meat, which is linked to lower tenderness of goat meat compared with that of sheep meat and may explain the lower consumer preference for goat meat [1].
Minerals are essential for maintaining the normal growth and a good health. Lean meat is an excellent source of minerals. The feed type and breed of the animal can affect the mineral content of meat. The Fe, Ca, P, K, and Na contents in BGL and BGR are shown in Table 1. Red meat can contain a high level of bioavailable Fe, which is abundant in red meats such as lean beef (2.72 mg/100 g), lamb (1.74 mg/100 g), veal (1.11 mg/100 g), and goat (4.37 mg/100 g) [19]. In this study, the Fe content in BGR (1.48 mg/100 g) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in BGL (1.35 mg/100 g). Jeong et al [3] have reported that the Fe content in black goat meat was 0.6 mg/100 g, which is lower than that observed in our study. Ca and P are major minerals required for bone development, and the ideal Ca/P ratio, based on the recommended daily allowance of nutrients, is between 1 and 2 [19]. In this study, the Ca/P ratio in both BGL and BGR (1.54 and 1.82, respectively) satisfied the recommended criteria, while being higher in BGR than in BGL (p<0.05). Fresh meat is also a rich source of K, and its contents in beefsteak, mutton, and goat meat were shown to be 334, 240, and 350 mg/100 g, respectively [19]. In this study, the K content in BGL (325.22 mg/100 g) was higher than that in BGR (281.40 mg/100 g; p<0.05). BGR showed a higher content of Na than BGL did (p<0.05).
Fatty acid compositions of black goat loin and black goat rump
The fatty acid composition of meat can influence its organoleptic properties and quality. The fatty acid compositions of BGL and BGR are shown in Table 2. The predominant fatty acids in BGL and BGR were palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid. The contents of oleic acid and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in the meat are positively associated with its organoleptic properties [4]. In this study, the oleic acid contents in BGL and BGR were 30.00% and 28.76%, respectively. These levels were slightly lower than the range of 37.23% to 39.80% previously reported for black goat meat [16], regular goat meat [1], and beef [20]. BGR showed higher contents of myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid than did BGL (p<0.05), while BGL showed a higher stearic acid content than did BGR (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the levels of total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) between BGR and BGL. The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)/SFA ratio is used to evaluate the nutritional quality of fat in meat, and the recommended value is more than 0.4 or 0.5 [21]. In addition, the American Heart Association recommends a fatty acid balance of SFAs, MUFAs, and PUFAs of approximately 1:1.5:1. In this study, BGL and BGR contained 39.07% and 40.13% SFAs and 22.37% and 22.89% PUFAs, respectively, showing the same PUFA/SFA ratio of 0.57, as compared with the previously reported ranges of 0.31 to 0.37 for goat loin meat and 0.31 to 0.49 for goat rump meat [22]. BGL and BGR also showed a higher PUFA/SFA ratio than beef did at 0.13 [20]. High dietary intake of long-chain SFAs, except stearic acid, has been associated with an increase in plasma cholesterol levels in humans [23]. Oleic acid is known to reduce cholesterol by suppressing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, and stearic acid is partially converted to oleic acid in vivo [23]. Therefore, desirable fatty acids (DFAs), which represent a total of stearic acid and all UFAs, are considered another factor of nutritional quality of fat for humans because of their ability to reduce plasma cholesterol levels [22]. Generally, the DFA content ranges in goat meat from 61% to 80% [22]. In this study, BGL showed a higher DFA content than did BGR (77.27% and 74.81%, respectively; p<0.05), and both values were higher than those reported for beef and lamb (63.80% and 61.58%, respectively) [20]. Therefore, black goat meat can provide a balanced content of fatty acids for human consumption.
Fatty acid compositions of different meat cuts from black goats
Bioactive compounds in black goat loin and black goat rump
The bioactive compounds (L-carnitine, creatine, creatinine, carnosine, and anserine) found in BGL and BGR are shown in Table 3. As a ubiquitous constituent of mammalian plasma, supplied by dietary meat and dairy products [10], L-carnitine supports the transport of long-chain fatty acids from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane, allowing β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids [24]. The level of L-carnitine can be considered a major factor in cellular energy production using long-chain fatty acids. Generally, red meat is known as an abundant source of L-carnitine. In this study, the BGL and BGR meats contained L-carnitine at 1.37 and 1.25 μmol/g wet tissue, respectively. According to Shimada et al [10], the content of L-carnitine in fresh semitendinosus muscles of cattle varies from 1.67 to 3.57 μmol/g wet tissue.
Bioactive compounds in different meat cuts from black goats
Creatine and its phosphorylated form creatinine are impor tant for energy production in muscles, and supplementation with creatine can help enhance the muscle performance [25]. In our study, BGL contained creatine at 187.87 mg/100 g, which was significantly higher than its content in BGR (178.26 mg/100 g). Meanwhile, the creatinine content was 3.13 and 2.97 mg/100 g in BGL and BGR, respectively, showing no significant difference. The creatine and creatinine contents have been reported to vary in animals, as follows: pork loin (427.32 and 5.71 mg/100 g, respectively) [11], chicken breast (336.24 and 1.78 mg/100 g, respectively) [11], and beef (526 and 21 mg/100 g, respectively) [25].
Carnosine and anserine are dipeptides, which provide a buffering capacity in skeletal muscles. Carnosine shows antiglycation activity and antioxidant properties, such as scavenging of reactive oxygen species and chelating metal ions [25]. Anserine functions as an antioxidant in humans by chelating Cu [25]. In this study, the carnosine and anserine contents of BGL (62.25 and 81.93 mg/100 g, respectively) were higher than those of BGR (49.54 and 66.32 mg/100 g, respectively; p<0.05). Mora et al [11] have reported that the contents of carnosine, creatine, and creatinine in different muscles of swine were primarily affected by the muscle type. Glycolytic muscles such as type 2A and type 2B show high contents of carnosine, creatine, and creatinine. Similarly, in this study, BGL (glycolytic muscle) showed a higher content of carnosine, creatine, and creatinine than did BGR (p<0.05). The carnosine and anserine contents were 462 and 10.76 mg/100 g [11] and 372 and 67 mg/100 g [25] in pork loin and beef, respectively. Thus, the carnosine and anserine contents vary in different species. Generally, red meats such as pork and beef have a high carnosine-to-anserine ratio, 42.9 [11] and 5.5 [25], respectively. Interestingly, in this study, the carnosine-to-anserine ratios in BGL and BGR, another type of red meat, were 0.80 and 0.75, respectively, i.e., BGL and BGR contained more anserine than carnosine. This pattern is similar to that found in rabbit and red deer meat (ratios of 0.44 and 0.73, respectively) [26]. These results suggested that BGL could provide more bioactive compounds than BGR could, and both BGL and BGR showed similar carnosine/anserine ratios to those found in rabbits and red deer.
Antioxidant activities of black goat loin and black goat rump
The antioxidant activities of BGL and BGR are shown in Table 4. The FRAP, ABTS, and ORAC methods are often used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of foods. The FRAP method is based on the reduction of a ferroin analog and can measure the total reducing capacity [27]. The ABTS method is used to measure the ability of hydrogen-donating antioxidants to scavenge the ABTS+ radical cation generated in the aqueous phase [27]. The ORAC method is used to measure the antioxidant activity against peroxyl radicals generated by AAPH and is the most biologically relevant method for analyzing antioxidant activity [28]. Intake of antioxidants helps maintain an adequate antioxidant status and prevent cellular damage from oxidative stress generated in the body [28]. In our study, the FRAP, ABTS, and ORAC values for BGL and BGR were 15.92 and 15.92, 12.51 and 12.90, and 101.25 and 99.06 μmol TE/g DM, respectively, showing that there was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity between BGL and BGR. Mirzaei et al [29] have reported that goat meat had 42% diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity. In our previous study, boiled pork meat showed a FRAP activity of 3.66 to 5.31 μmol TE/g DM, ABTS activity of 26.60 to 39.43 μmol TE/g DM, and an ORAC activity of 143.74 to 198.35 μmol TE/g DM [30]. Hanwoo beef showed an ORAC activity of 145.54 μmol TE/g DM [31]. These results indicate that black goat meat possesses a high reducing power and can help maintain an adequate antioxidant status in humans.
Antioxidant activities of different meat cuts from black goats
In this study, we evaluated nutritional values and antioxi dant activities of BGL and BGR. In particular, BGL showed higher contents of DFAs, creatine, creatinine, anserine, and carnosine than did BGR. However, BGR had higher collagen and mineral contents, especially with respect to the Ca/P ratio, than did BGL. Although there was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity between BGL and BGR, both goat meat cuts showed a higher reducing power activity than did boiled pork meat [30] assessed in previous studies. This work was a novel study comparing nutritional values and antioxidant activities of black goat meat with respect to the cut. Therefore, our results help elucidate the antioxidant properties of fresh black goat meat, which is used as a nutritional food source in human consumption.
We certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript.
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (NRF-2018R1A2B6008077). Also, it was supported by the MSIT (Ministry of Science and ICT), Korea, under the ITRC (Information Technology Research Center) support program (IITP-2019-2018-0-01433) supervised by the IITP (Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion).
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13. Re R, Pellegrini N, Proteggente A, et al. Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radic Biol Med 1999;26:1231–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0891-5849(98)00315-3 .
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16. Hwang YH, Joo SH, Bakhsh A, Ismail I, Joo ST. Muscle fiber characteristics and fatty acid compositions of the four major muscles in Korean native black goat. Korean J Food Sci Anim Resour 2007;37:948–54. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2017.37.6.948 .
17. Sebsibe A. Sheep and goat meat characteristics and quality. Sheep and goat production handbook for Ethiopia. Ethiopiand dheep and goats productivity improvement program (ESGPIP) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 2008. p. 323–8.
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19. Casey NH. Goat meat in human nutrition. In : Proceedings of the V International Conference on Goats 1992; 1992 Mar; New Delhi, India.
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21. Kang G, Cho S, Seong P, et al. Effects of high pressure processing on fatty acid composition and volatile compounds in Korean native black goat meat. Meat Sci 2013;94:495–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.03.034 .
22. Banskalieva V, Sahlu T, Goetsch AL. Fatty acid composition of goat muscles and fat depots: a review. Small Rumin Res 2000;37:255–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-4488(00)00128-0 .
23. Mushi DE, Eik LO, Thomassen MS, Sørheim O, Ådnøy T. Suitability of Norwegian short-tail lambs, Norwegian dairy goats and Cashmere goats for meat production – carcass, meat, chemical and sensory characteristics. Meat Sci 2008;80:842–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.03.032 .
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25. Mateescu RG, Garmyn AJ, O'neil MA, et al. Genetic parameters for carnitine, creatine, creatinine, carnosine, and anserine concentration in longissimus muscle and their association with palatability traits in Angus cattle. J Anim Sci 2012;90:4248–55. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-5077 .
26. Plowman JE, Close EA. An evaluation of a method to differentiate the species of origin of meats on the basis of the contents of anserine, balenine and carnosine in skeletal muscle. J Sci Food Agric 1988;45:69–78. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740450109 .
27. Antolovich M, Prenzler PD, Patsalides E, McDonald S, Robards K. Methods for testing antioxidant activity. Analyst 2002;127:183–98. https://doi.org/10.1039/B009171P .
28. Ou B, Huang D, Hampsch-Woodill M, Flanagan JA, Deemer EK. Analysis of antioxidant activities of common vegetables employing oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays: a comparative study. J Agric Food Chem 2002;50:3122–8. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0116606 .
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Copyright © 2019 by Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Proximate composition (%)
Moisture 75.00a 75.49a 0.281
Crude protein 21.60a 21.30a 0.743
Crude fat 1.48a 1.40a 0.071
Crude ash 1.41a 1.25a 0.076
Collagen (g/100 g) 0.59b 1.12a 0.010
Minerals (mg/100 g)
Fe 1.35b 1.48a 0.003
Ca 5.22b 6.09a 0.029
P 3.39a 3.34a 0.015
K 325.22a 281.40b 0.700
Na 76.03b 94.97a 0.215
Ca:P 1.54b 1.82a 0.008
BGL, black goat loin; BGR, black goat rump; SEM, standard error of the mean.
Means with different superscript letters within a row are significantly different at p<0.05.
Fatty acid (%)
C14:0 (myristic acid) 1.37b 2.14a 0.079
C16:0 (palmitic acid) 21.36b 23.05a 0.302
C16:1n7 (palmitoleic acid) 0.88b 1.22a 0.031
C18:0 (stearic acid) 16.35a 14.94b 0.222
C18:1n9 (oleic acid) 30.00a 28.76a 0.328
C18:1n7 (vaccenic acid) 5.84a 5.18a 0.312
C18:2n6 (linoleic acid) 10.48a 11.64a 0.359
C18:3n6 (γ-linolenic acid) 0.07b 0.08a 0.003
C18:3n3 (α-linolenic acid) 0.15a 0.18a 0.008
C20:1n9 (eicosenoic acid) 1.84a 1.83a 0.206
C20:4n6 (arachidonic acid) 9.88a 9.04a 0.431
C20:5n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) 0.35a 0.30a 0.019
C22:4n6 (adrenic acid) 1.43a 1.59a 0.055
C22:6n3 (docosahexaenoic acid) 0.00b 0.05a 0.000
SFA 39.07a 40.13a 0.350
UFA 60.93a 59.87a 0.350
MUFA 38.56a 36.99a 0.541
PUFA 22.37a 22.89a 0.860
MUFA/SFA 0.99a 0.92b 0.008
PUFA/SFA 0.57a 0.57a 0.026
DFA 77.27a 74.81b 0.358
Data are the means (n = 3).
BGL, black goat loin; BGR, black goat rump; SEM, standard error of the mean; SFA, saturated fatty acid; UFA, unsaturated fatty acid; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acid; DFAs, desirable fatty acids (stearic acid+UFAs).
L-carnitine1) 1.37a 1.25a 0.041
Creatine2) 187.87a 178.26b 1.342
Creatinine 3.13a 2.97b 0.023
Carnosine 65.25a 49.54b 1.481
Anserine 81.93a 66.32b 1.825
Carnosine:anserine 0.80a 0.75b 0.002
The L-carnitine content is expressed in μmol/g wet tissue.
Creatine, creatinine, carnosine, and anserine contents are expressed in mg/100 g wet tissue.
Antioxidant activities (μmol TE/g DM)
FRAP 15.92 15.92 0.210
ABTS 12.51 12.90 0.216
ORAC 101.25 99.06 1.231
TE, Trolox equivalent; DM, dry matter; BGL, black goat loin; BGR, black goat rump; SEM, standard error of the mean; FRAP, ferric reducing antioxidant power; ABTS, 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid); ORAC, oxygen radical absorption capacity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Old man winter is starting to make his presence known throughout the country, and with the shift in temperatures comes a shift in many people's diet. People look forward to this time of year for many reasons, and one of the main reasons has to do with the flavors that we tend to associate with the season. Just as "pumpkin spice" is pretty much synonymous with fall nowadays, winter also comes with its own much-loved flavors, and you would do well to consider adding some of those flavors to your lineup this winter. If you haven't considered adding seasonal dishes to your menu, keep reading to see if we can change your mind.
If you're not sure how adding a seasonal menu can benefit you, just take a minute to look at some of the numbers: in a recent study, almost 60% of consumers said that they were more likely to choose a "seasonal" item off of a menu than a regular item, with almost half saying they felt those dishes were more appetizing. Some of the reasons listed had to do with flavor and novelty, but it also has to do with perception–40% of those who responded also said they felt that seasonal items seemed healthier, as well.
But it's not just those numbers that tell the story. Adding seasonal options provides other benefits, too. Varying ingredients and dishes can add a much needed and invigorating spark to your restaurant. Your kitchen staff enjoys the challenge of trying something new. Servers are excited about the change, and pass that excitement on to the customers. All in all, a new menu every couple of month can add a little bit of life to a business that can too easily grow a little stale.
Seasonal ingredients can also help your bottom line. Because the food you'll choose is fresh and locally grown, it makes a relatively cheap addition. In addition, every new season brings new opportunities to market your restaurant and bring in customers, which can only drive your sales higher. That freshness makes your menu healthier, as well. Since your ingredients aren't preserved or shipped across long distances, they are higher in nutritional content and less likely to have lost important nutrients or undergone harsh preserving techniques, such as irradiating or waxing.
As fall winds down, autumn produce takes center stage. Root vegetables such as rutabagas, beets, and turnips, and autumn gourds such as pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash can really bring a deep, earthy tone to your menu, and are versatile enough to become the main focus on a variety of dishes. These vegetables stay in season and are easily available through the winter months, giving you plenty of opportunity to try them out.
Baby, it's cold outside–and when that mercury drops, people like to warm themselves up by chowing down on timely comfort foods. Throw in those seasonal vegetables mentioned above, and you have a dish perfect for a cold day. Hearty, thick foods like soups, stews, and chili are perfect this time of year. Steamy beef stews full of carrots, parsnips, or potatoes can thaw someone on even the chilliest of days. Butternut squash soup is an excellent choice that can go down thick and creamy. And chili? Well, it's chili. What more needs to be said?
That produce also makes great sides, as well. Cabbage and Brussels sprouts are in season, and can be incredibly flavorful with only a slight amount of seasoning. Acorn squash can be prepared in what seems to be an infinite amount of ways (that hollow center is practically begging to be stuffed with all sorts of savory ingredients), and beets–baked or grilled–bring a unique, down-to-earth flavor that really can't be replicated with any other food.
It's a safe argument that, when people think of wintry food, what springs to mind more than anything else is dessert. The holiday season is basically one long sweet-fest anyway, and there's no reason that can't continue well through the rest of winter. Seasonal produce once again is the focus here. Pumpkin, sweet potato, or squash pie are all obvious choices, and apples are plentiful as well–and a versatile a food as any that we have encountered. In addition to pies, you can add strudels, crumbles, and a host of other options to your menu.
But why not change it up a little? Carrot cake is a great and flavorful choice. Cookies, fudge, and nuts (in the form of peanut brittle, roasted almonds, or chestnuts) are hearty and wholesome, and who doesn't think of mint when they think of December? There are so many options for winter desserts that you could spend each day of the season creating something new, and still never even begin to scratch the surface.
So, as you think about winter, consider spicing things up a bit by changing your menu. The benefits far outweigh the inconvenience of having to change the routines and established procedures you've been running your restaurant with. And when winter's over? Spring is right around the corner, with a whole new list of choices to try!


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About	Administrator	2020-04-25T10:53:49+00:00
Trélan N. Holder, MS, LCSW
Founder & CEO, Psychotherapist, Educator
Education: Trélan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She is a skilled psychotherapist with extensive years of counseling experience in mental health and human services. Trélan attained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Clark University, her Master of Science Degree in Social Work from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Bioethics and Medical Humanities from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Cardozo Law School. Additionally, her clinical pursuits include a Postgraduate Certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy from New York University's Institute for Psycho-analytic Education.
Faculty Appointments: Trélan Holder is an Adjunct Lecturer at Columbia University School of Social Work and the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Courses taught: Early Development, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Psychopathology, Health Care Systems—Mental Health, and Disability Policy, Practice, and Programs.
Professional/Leadership Positions: In 2014, Trélan founded Renew Perspectives, a certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) professional corporation that is recognized by the NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S BOARD FOR SOCIAL WORK and provides continuing education for Licensed Social Workers. She has served as a Clinician and Director at the City College of New York (CCNY): Wellness and Counseling Center. Prior to her leadership at CCNY, she worked at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, Adolescent AIDS Program. Ms. Holder's previous work in human services spans across her municipal employment with New York City's leading Child Welfare Agencies to her international academic pursuits at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where she was selected to study as a Visiting Social Work Scholar (a collaborative with the New York University Steinhardt Graduate School of Education). Trélan served for five years as President of the Alumni Board of Directors at Columbia University School of Social Work.
A Personal Note About My Philosophy
I have dedicated my life to understanding our collective human experience; and each individual's unique perspective. In recognizing that the individual brings to therapy a host of experiences and the dynamic influence between culture and environment: My approach is to allow individual(s) to shed their unique perspective to get to the essence of who you are.
Our therapeutic relationship is premised on learning the greatest lessons that allow for other and self-compassion, cohesion and eventual self-mastery.
The tools that I use to accomplish this are established instruments whose simple purpose is to excavate the debris to get to the heart of things via self-reflection and truth-telling. These tools include: a narrative focus or the art of self-storytelling, being goal oriented yet flexible, committed and consistent.
Oftentimes, restlessness and crisis are generally the precipitants for people seeking help. It takes courage to acknowledge that there is a problem and even greater courage to seek therapeutic intervention.
Until we meet, I want you to remember that crisis presents both vulnerability and opportunity. Please allow me to help you to cultivate this great opportunity to gain peace of mind and well-being.
Trélan Holder
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Why you can win at football betting!
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 26th, 2019 at 8:01 am and is filed under Betting . Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
Among the most profitable types of what society categorizes as wagering actually are not gambling in all. Experts do rule themselves out casino players of the chosen career; either does sports bettors or Texas hold'em players. It is an investment. You are a sporting activities follower and my experience helps, yet you do not have to be. I'm first and foremost philosophical, earning money from sports gambling. So as to turn sports gambling from a bet to a financial investment among the most significant factors is learning how the sports gambling sector works.
Line makers are excellent at setting markets lines, over's/beneath.
– The outcome of sporting games is not random.
Well the bookies, such as the expert Casino players, are in this as a firm. They do not bet either, and as a result generally their objective is not to bet on the results, but divided the general public's stakes as near fifty percent on every side as feasible. In this way they create earnings by the juice that they take on every wager. Thus the specialist sport betting and the bookies are looking for 2 very different objectives. These differences open a good deal of possibilities for the sporting activities gambler since they are not confined by the popular opinion.


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All posts in the YA Shot category
YA Shot 2016 – why you NEED to go!
Published October 16, 2016 by bibliobeth
Hi everyone, I'm here today to talk about a fantastic young adult literature festival in partnership with Hillingdon Borough Libraries and Waterstones Uxbridge that happens over just one day in Uxbridge (end of Metropolitan and Piccadilly Line just outside of London). Do you love young adult fiction? Are you free next Saturday 22nd October? Then you should definitely check out the YA Shot webpage HERE and see what delights they're offering. I was lucky enough to attend YA Shot last year with my sister and fellow blogger Chrissi Reads and we hosted a workshop called "Introduction To Blogging." We were terribly nervous, especially as I'm not big on public speaking but we both ended up having a whale of a time and are so glad we did it.
For now, here are ten reasons why you should give YA Shot a try! (author links take you direct to the YA Shot webpage):
1.) It's the brainchild of super-duper author and all round lovely person Alexia Casale whose novels The Bone Dragon and House of Windows you simply have to check out for their spellbinding content and beautiful, lyrical prose.
2.) Panel events? YA Shot has them in abundance! For example, Terms of Endearment: feminism and the portrayal of romance in YA – Harriet Reuter Hapgood, Rachel McIntyre, Holly Smale chaired by Holly Bourne sounds completely unmissable.
3.) Tough topics: To Have and Have Not: exploring poverty, privilege and class through YA – Michael Byrne, Patrice Lawrence, Steve Tasane, chaired by Polly Ho Yen, a talk which I'm sure will explore gritty issues and spark a great debate both during and afterwards.
4.) Feeling a bit emotional? The YA Shot team have got it covered with: The Hurt Locker: love, loss and coping – Sarah Alexander, Jenny Downham chaired by Clare Furniss.
5.) For the historical fiction lovers out there (like myself!) this looks incredibly tempting: Out of the Past: the age of the Tudors & Stuarts in YA with Jonathan Weil, Jane Hardstaff, Ally Sherrick, chaired by Andrew Prentice.
6.) Love the idea of "in conversation" author events? How about: It's a Wonderful Life: exploring bullying and loss through magical realism with Mike Revell and Nikki Sheehan?
7.) Fancy being a writer yourself? How about an exclusive, small workshop (first come, first served) with a best-selling author where they can teach you all the tricks of the trade?: History is horrible (but great for writing fiction!) with Rhian Ivory.
8.) Do you have a favourite blogger/vlogger? Or maybe you're just starting out? Come along to: The blogging system: all the things they don't tell you with Vivienne Dacosta (Serendipity Reviews) and Laura Heath (SisterSpooky), also Blogging/Vlogging: the technical low-down with Stevie Finegan(SableCaught) and Virginie (Chouettblog).
9.) Don't miss: Managing your reading and choosing what to review with Cora(TeaPartyPrincess) and Luna (Luna's Little Library). (Hmm…maybe I need to go to this).
10.) There will be book signing sessions. Need I say more?
There are so many more wonderful author events and blogger/vlogger workshops than I've had space for in this post and I strongly urge you to visit the website to check out everything that's going on. It's a jam packed day that I'm certain will be a roaring success but you need to buy tickets if you want to go! Maybe I'll see you there? Come and say hello if you see me, I'm sure to be lurking in some capacity!
Posted in: Bookish Events, Bookshops, Miscellaneous, YA Shot, Young Adult
Tagged: Alexia Casale, blogging workshops, bookish events, Chrissi Reads, Hillingdon Borough Libraries, Waterstones Uxbridge, YA Shot, Young adult fiction, young adult literature festival
Aw… bibliobeth turns 3!
Published January 5, 2016 by bibliobeth
It's my blogoversary today and I can't believe I've been blogging now for three years – just where has the time gone? 2015 was one of my best years to date, I met some lovely fellow bloggers at events such as YALC and YA Shot and Crime In The Court, interviewed some top authors like Alexia Casale, Alison Rattle, Karen Maitland, Sarah Hilary, Jane Elson and Piers Torday (to name a few!), carried out my first face-to-face interview with Jason Starr (post to be published soon) and ran my very first blogging workshop with my lovely sister Chrissi Reads! That's a whole lot of things to be excited about and if I can be half as successful in 2016 I will be one happy blogger indeed.
I just want to thank EVERYONE who reads my little old posts whether you're a bibliobeth virgin or a returning reader, it really means the world to me and I couldn't do it without your support.
So, to celebrate my blogoversary I will be running a giveaway where the prize is four books of your choice (excepting textbooks and ridiculously prized books) from Amazon or The Book Depository. I'll leave the giveaway open until the end of January to give people a chance to enter where I'll then pick a winner and update you all. Please make sure if you are under eighteen you have permission to email me your address so I can send your books. Enter below!:
The giveaway IS international so why not try your luck?
Once again, thank you so much to everyone in the blogosphere for making this such a great community to be part of. Here's to hopefully many more years of blogging ahead. Good luck everyone!!
Posted in: Bookish Events, Miscellaneous, YA Shot, YALC
Tagged: Alexia Casale, Alison Rattle, Amazon, blogoversary, giveaway, Jane Elson, Karen Maitland, Piers Torday, Sarah Hilary, The Book Depository, YA Shot, YALC
Author Interview – Alexia Casale on her new YA novel House Of Windows
Published November 23, 2015 by bibliobeth
ALEXIA CASALE – A BIOGRAPHY
Shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. Longlisted for The Branford Boase Award. A Book of the Year 2013 for the Financial Times and Independent.
A British-American citizen of Italian heritage, Alexia is an author, editor and writing consultant. She also teaches English Literature and Writing.
After an MA in Social & Political Sciences (Psychology major) then MPhil in Educational Psychology & Technology, both at Cambridge University, she took a break from academia and moved to New York. There she worked on a Tony-award-winning Broadway show before returning to England to complete a PhD and teaching qualification. In between, she worked as a West End script-critic, box-office manager for a music festival and executive editor of a human rights journal.
She's not sure which side of the family her dyslexia comes from, but is resigned to the fact that madness runs in both. She loves cats, collects glass animals and interesting knives, and has always wanted a dragon.
Alexia is represented by Claire Wilson of Rogers, Coleridge & White.
Her debut novel, The Bone Dragon, is published in English by Faber & Faber, and in German by Carlsen.
Click on the books to get to the link for GoodReads!
For my review of The Bone Dragon, click HERE.
For my review of House Of Windows, click HERE.
Interview with Alexia Casale
I'd like to welcome Alexia to bibliobeth today and thank her very much for her time in giving this interview.
1.) House of Windows is a very different book to your debut The Bone Dragon. Did you set out to write such a completely different story or was it an idea that developed over time?
I started working on a version of House of Windows when I was thirteen, long before I thought of the pieces of story that became The Bone Dragon. Returning to this 'old' project after The Bone Dragon allowed me to start as I mean to go on by showing that I plan to write all sorts of books, across all sorts of genres: it's the story and characters that attract me to a book, not the genre or readership. But I love that Faber took such trouble over the look of House of Windows so there was a connection between the two, at least with appearances!
bibliobeth ("Both the covers are absolutely beautiful, designed by Helen Crawford-White.")
2.) Our main character in this novel is Nick and his story reads like a "coming of age" epic. Is he based on anyone you know and was it hard to say goodbye to him at the end?
Nick, or a version of Nick, has been living in my head since my early teens so I doubt I'll ever be rid of him. The thing that's changed is that he's no longer demanding that I write his story: he's out there between the pages to meet other people, so he doesn't take up my time creatively any more. But he's not gone, just like Evie's not gone. I guess it's like former colleagues who've become friends: it's all fun now, rather than mostly hard work!
Different bits of Nick are based on different people. There's a certain amount of me in him, as there is with any protagonist, then there are bits of various people I went to University with, and bits and bobs of family members and family friends… The people we meet and know and love and hate are how we understand how people work. No matter what a writer says, that's the resource we all draw on to create characters.
3.) You paint a beautiful picture of Cambridge in the novel, a city that you know well. Did most of your research for this novel involve having to re-visit and why in particular did you choose to set your story here?
Going back to Cambridge is always wonderful and it was fantastic to have an excuse to revisit some of my favourite places in the University and the town. Mostly I went to take photos in case I needed them for publicity or promotions stuff – I'm hoping to make a book trailer once YA Shot is over! Cambridge is so close to my heart that I didn't need to re-visit. That's why the book had to be set in here: I had all the passion and joy in the place that Nick needed and it was a lovely thing to share with him. I got to fall in love with Cambridge all over again through him, sharing all the little details of one of my favourite places in the world.
King's Chapel in Cambridge from The Backs (photograph provided by author)
As for the 'character' of the University, most people imagine Cambridge is posh and snotty and that it takes itself very seriously, but that's only true of some aspects and some people. The thing I've tried to capture is how Cambridge is a world unto itself and everyone plays along because it's fun… but we all get how daft it all is. Take the language: you have to learn it because everyone stops speaking English at the gates, but that's not a hardship because it's basically a very silly game you all get to bond over. So what most people probably see as a way of excluding the rest of the world is more about building a sense of community around fun and not taking yourself or the whole Cambridge life too seriously. I really hope that comes across. But the bottom line is that Cambridge is beautiful and fascinating: the key aspects of most compelling settings.
Trinity Hall, Jerwood Library from Clare Bridge, Cambridge (photograph provided by author)
4.) You touch on some emotional subjects in this novel, in particular the relationship between Nick and his father. Do you think that if their relationship had been better Nick would have been a different person as a result?
Definitely! Nick is emotionally unintelligent and maybe he always would have been, but a loving, healthy family dynamic would doubtless have mitigated his natural cluelessness: it's hard for someone who doesn't naturally 'get' people if there's no one to help him figure those things out. If even one of his parents had helped him learn how to relate to other people, he'd have lived a very different life. He'd still be super-smart but maybe if he had been busy having a social life and doing something other than studying and more studying, he wouldn't have gone to Cambridge at 15… Which is not to say that Nick isn't responsible for his own choices, but he is still a kid. He gets a lot of stuff wrong but I appreciate how little help he's had in getting it right. Nick isn't written to be likeable, but I really hope people will grow to understand him. Even if they still think he's spiky, difficult little smart arse, I hope they'll also empathise with him by the end of the story.
5.) Are you working on anything now and can you tell us a little bit about it?
Many things! I'm writing a WWII adult historical novel. And a psychological thriller in a similar vein to The Bone Dragon. And also the first in a potential series.
But obviously the main thing is YA Shot until November!
bibliobeth: ("I actually cannot wait!!")
The Bridge Of Sighs at St John's, Cambridge (photograph provided by author)
Now for some quick fire questions!:
E book or real book?
Real book EVERY TIME. As a professional editor, ebooks are too much like work.
Series or stand alone?
Depends. Series for fantasy. Standalone for thrillers. Series for historical. Standalone for literary/contemporary. Series for crime. Sometimes. Oh, I don't know. Just give me all the books and an eternity to read them.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction for pleasure every time. As a researcher, I'm hardly anti non-fiction, but getting the most out of non-fiction is always hard work. Books are sometimes just for fun.
Online shopping or bookshop trawling?
Online at the moment because of time and energy issues! But I LOVE secondhand bookstores. Many of my happiest family holidays of a kid were spent in Hay-on-Wye (aka Bliss-on-Earth).
Bookmarking or dog-earing?
Bookmarks for reading. Dog-earring for permanently marking things I think are amazing. Dog earring for recipe books.
Once again, a HUGE thank you to the lovely Alexia Casale for her efforts in making this interview possible. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next and be assured, I will definitely be reading it.
House of Windows was published on 6th August 2015 by Faber Children's Books and is available from all good book retailers now. I also highly recommend her debut novel The Bone Dragon which was short-listed for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Posted in: Author Interviews, Book Reviews, British Books Challenge 2015, Contemporary, Fantasy, YA Shot, Young Adult
Tagged: Alexia Casale, Author interview, coming of age novel, contemporary fiction, Faber Children's Books, fantasy, House Of Windows, The Bone Dragon, Young adult fiction
YA SHOT – 28th October 2015, Uxbridge, London
What's it all about?:
YA Shot is a one day event for young adult and middle grade fiction in London where seventy-one authors will participate in talks and book signings. It has all been organised by the lovely Alexia Casale, author of The Bone Dragon and House of Windows who decided on a YA Shot five-word "ethos," that it should be generous, passionate, inclusive, challenging and fun and she has put together a fabulous programme that is sure to excite anyone who is enthusiastic about young adult fiction.
Tell us more?:
The event in partnership with Hillingdon Borough Libraries and Waterstones Uxbridge will host various "panel" and "in conversation" talks throughout the day at different sites all within easy walking distance of each other. There will also be an opportunity to attend workshop events hosted by bloggers and vloggers active in the UK at the moment.
What kind of talks?:
There are so many talks planned that look so interesting! I will be trying to attend as many as possible (that is, until I have to go host one of the workshops with my sister and fellow blogger Chrissi Reads in the afternoon!)
The ones I'd love to go to include:
11.30am – 12.30pm Playing with Time: Historical fiction and historical settings – Chaired by Natasha Farrant with Lucy Coats, Rhian Ivory and Alison Rattle
12.45pm – 1.45pm Crime and Punishment: Fictional wrongdoing and human rights – Chaired by Laura Jarratt with Cat Clarke, Keren David and Emma Haughton
2pm – 3pm Trigger Warning: Exploring sensitive issues in ethical ways – Chaired by Alexia Casale with Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne and Louisa Reid
12.45pm – 1.45pm Treasured Land: Nature as a character and concern in YA – Chaired by Piers Torday with Lisa Heathfield and Anna McKerrow
4.40pm – 5.40pm Tragedy! Tackling sadness in fiction for younger teens – Chaired by Candy Gorlay with Jane Elson and Aoife Walsh [MG event, suitable for children aged 7-11 as well as adults]
Aagh, I can already see I've got a clash and am going to have to think carefully about which talk I want to go to! This is only a small sample of what's on offer and I can honestly say I think there's something for everyone.
Don't forget the workshops as well! Chrissi Reads and I are hosting one at 3:45 pm about How To Get Started With Blogging. If you're new to the blogging world or already have your own blog but want to know a bit more about getting things going, please come along and we shall try our best to make it worth your while. We've also got Michelle from Fluttering Butterflies and a member of the Bookish Brits who will be talking about group projects and reading challenges, Benjamin of Tomes who will show you how to get started with vlogging, Debbie from Snuggling on the Sofa and Daphne of Winged Reviews who will show you how to develop your brand and increase your followers and Jim from Ya Ya Yeah and Wei Ming Kam of Rare, Medium, Well Done who will discuss diversity in literature. To name a few!
Which authors are going to be there?:
I'm just going to throw a few names out there:
Alexia Casale (obviously)
Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild series
Jane Elson, author of A Room Full of Chocolate and How To Fly With Broken Wings
C J Daughtery, author of The Night School series
Tanya Byrne, author of Heart-Shaped Bruise and Follow Me Down
Emma Carroll, author of Frost Hollow Hall and The Girl Who Walked On Air
Holly Bourne, author of Soulmates and Am I Normal Yet?
Cat Clarke, author of Undone and The Lost And The Found
James Dawson, author of This Book Is Gay and All Of The Above
And that's just a few of them.
Where can I buy tickets?:
Tickets are still available from the YA Shot website. Online orders will close at 6pm on Tuesday 27th October but there may be some available on the door on Wednesday 28th October.
Any more information?:
Please see the official YA Shot website which will tell you everything else you need to know. Maybe I'll see you there!
Posted in: Bookish Events, YA Shot, Young Adult
Tagged: Alexia Casale, Alison Rattle, Anna McKerrow, Aoife Walsh, Benjamin Of Tomes, Bookish Brits, bookish events, C.J. Daugherty, Candy Gorlay, Cat Clarke, Chrissi Reads, Emma Carroll, Emma Haughton, Fluttering Butterflies, Hillingdon Borough Libraries, Holly Bourne, James Dawson, Jane Elson, Keren David, Laura Jarratt, Lisa Heathfield, Louisa Reid, Lucy Coats, Natasha Farrant, Piers Torday, Rare Medium Well Done, Rhian Ivory, Snuggling On The Sofa, Tanya Byrne, Waterstones, Waterstones Uxbridge, Winged Reviews, YA Shot, Ya Ya Yeah, Young adult fiction
YA SHOT REVIEW – How To Fly With Broken Wings – Jane Elson
'If Finn Maison shouts jump you jump or you are dead.'
Twelve-year-old Willem has Aspergers Syndrome and two main aims in life: to fly and to make at least two friends of his own age. But all the other boys from the Beckham Estate do is make him jump off things. First his desk – and now the wall. As his toes teeter on the edge, Sasha Barton gives him a tiny little wink. Might she become his friend?
Bullied by Finn and his gang the Beckham Estate Boyz, Willem has no choice but to jump. As he flies through the air he flaps his arms, wishing he could fly and escape into the clouds. Instead he comes crashing down and breaks his ankle.
Sasha, angry with herself for not stopping Finn and his Boyz, is determined to put things right. And soon, while the gangs riot on their estate, Willem and Sasha form an unlikely friendship. Because they share a secret. Sasha longs to fly too.
And when Magic Man Archie arrives with stories of war-flying spitfires, he will change the lives of the kids on the Beckham Estate for ever. And perhaps find a way for Willem and Sasha to fly …
Touching on themes such as friendship and bullying, this is a charming tale about overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in unlikely places.
When Alexia Casale (YA author, organiser of YA Shot and all round "good egg,") asked me if I would like to interview Jane Elson as part of a blog tour for YA Shot, I jumped at the chance. Not only did I completely fall in love with Jane's debut novel A Room Full Of Chocolate last year but I have had her second novel on my Kindle for a while now wondering when I was going to get round to reading it! I'm so glad I made time for it now as it was a heart-breaking and terrific read that cemented me as a definite fan of Jane Elson.
The author focuses on a few different characters in this novel but the pivotal character is a twelve year old boy called Willem who has a form of autism known as Asperger's Syndrome. This leads to him having problems interacting and communicating with others, strange rituals and behaviours that he must complete otherwise he gets very anxious and he also tends to see the world in a very literal way which can be quite confusing for him if someone is being sarcastic for instance, or making a joke that he cannot understand.
At the beginning of the novel, poor Willem is at the mercy of school bully Finn and his horrible gang. They exploit both Willem's fear of the bullies and his passion for flying in the worst way – by making him jump off a fairly high wall. He breaks an ankle in the incident but is still determined to complete his homework set by his maths teacher, to make two new friends. Like a little guardian angel, in flies Sasha Barton. She is the girlfriend of gang leader Finn but has become increasingly fed-up with his antics and feels terribly sorry for Willem after he breaks his ankle, visiting him and vowing to be his friend.
When the pair find out that they both share a passion for flying they are overjoyed but even more so when a kindly new neighbour to the estate shows them his beautiful secret, a Spitfire plane flown in the war which is now lovingly taken care of and flown by Archie himself. The Spitfire has a wonderful history to go along with it and Sasha especially is entranced by the love story between a man and a woman in Great Britain at war, the woman Rachel being one of the very first and little known about women pilots who flew Spitfires for the war effort in the 1940's. Then when riots break out on the estate between Finn's gang and a rival gang, it pulls together all the characters in ways they never imagined and additionally creates a heart stopping and dangerous moment that reveals how terrifying peer pressure and bullying can really be. As a result, it might even be possible for Sasha and Willem to discover how to fly but not initially in the way they dreamed of.
This book tugged at every single one of my heart strings. Once again, Jane Elson has pulled off a truly mesmerising read that will have you shouting at the page (not this one hopefully…no spoilers here don't worry!) and re-evaluating how you look at/treat people you come across in your daily life. I know a couple of people with either autism or Asperger's Syndrome myself and I think Jane has done a stellar job, writing the character of Willem sensitively and accurately. I loved Willem as a character – he has that sort of pure innocence and honesty that we often lose early on in our lives when we become grumpy, cynical old adults. It was quite refreshing for me reading a point of view like this but in another way quite bitter sweet as it can often make that child an easy target for bullies, which is what Willem goes through. I also enjoyed the extra characters and what they brought to the story, in particular Willem's fiesty Gran (who gives the rioters a run for their money!) the lovely neighbour Archie and even Buster the Staffie who I definitely developed a soft spot for! As with her debut novel, Jane Elson does not hold back, hide away or attempt to side-step difficult or traumatic situations. Bad things happen, the world sometimes is not fair and telling children the truth I think is so incredibly important and is one of the very many reasons why I think Jane Elson is a brilliant author for the little people (and even the big people) in your life.
To see my review for A Room Full of Chocolate click HERE
To check out my interview with Jane Elson click HERE
Posted in: Book Reviews, British Books Challenge 2015, Children's Classics, Contemporary, middle grade fiction, World War II, YA Shot, Young Adult
Tagged: Asperger's syndrome, children's literature, Finn Maison, How To Fly With Broken Wings, Jane Elson, Magic Man Archie, middle grade fiction, Sasha Barton, Second World War, Spitfire, Willem, women pilots
Author Interview – Jane Elson on her second novel, How To Fly With Broken Wings for YA Shot
Jane Elson with staffie Shireen from The Dogs Trust at Harefield – photo provided by author
JANE ELSON – A BIOGRAPHY
After performing as an actress and comedy improviser for many years, Jane fell into writing stories and plays. A Room Full of Chocolate was her first book for children and won Peters' Book of the Year and the Leeds Book Award as well as being longlisted for the Branford Boase and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Her second book How To Fly With Broken Wings has been Longlisted for Hillingdon Secondary Book of the Year and the Hounslow School Libray Service Junior Book Award.When she is not writing Jane spends her time running creative writing and comedy improvisation workshops for children with special educational needs and volunteering at Kentish Town City Farm. Jane was also Selected as a New Voice in the Guardian's guide to The Best New Children's Books 2014, Jane is described as 'A new author to watch.'
Click on the books to get to their description on GoodReads!
For my review of A Room Full Of Chocolate please click HERE.
INTERVIEW WITH JANE ELSON
I'd like to welcome Jane to bibliobeth today and thank her for her time in giving this interview!
1.) How To Fly With Broken Wings is your second novel, following the amazing A Room Full Of Chocolate. After the huge success of your debut novel did you find it difficult to write the second or was the story always there to be told?
I actually started writing How to Fly With Broken Wings before I had finished the draft of A Room Full Of Chocolate, which I submitted to my now agent, Jodie Hodges. I was attending Lou Kuenzler's Writing for Children Workshop at City Lit and the first chapter just fell out on the page and the story started to pour from me. I really enjoyed the experience of writing in the two voices of Willem and Sasha. I think How to Fly is the most complex project I have ever tackled but I loved every moment of working on it, and for that I have my amazing editor Naomi Greenwood to thank. She makes the editing process a creative joy, so even when I was working long- long hours on my story, it was enjoyable. However tired I got it never felt like a slog as Naomi has such a talent for helping me bring out the best in my writing.
2.) How To Fly With Broken Wings follows a young boy with Aspergers Syndrome who is trying his hardest to make friends. Have you had any personal experience with bullying and how did it affect your life?
Yes, I was bullied at school. I was an undiagnosed dyslexic and dyspraxic, which made me an easy target. The kid who was clumsy and very uncoordinated – so easy to mock. I hated PE so much. So much bullying seemed to happen in those lessons. I remember the teacher doing this thing where the last child to get changed after swimming and back on the coach would lose 10 house points. Of course it was always me. Getting changed quickly and dealing with buttons and shoe laces can be a challenge for a dyspraxic!
I remember as if it were yesterday, the misery of trying to run to the coach with half my clothes on inside out and still wet from swimming as I had not had time to dry myself properly.
I would say bullying affected my confidence in a big way. I now work one morning a week with dyslexic and dyspraxic children, some of whom have Aspergers Syndrome.
The bullying I went through has given me a big insight and understanding into some of the challenges many young people face.
From Jane's Pinterest board: moods by LEGO face, source – designholic at flickr.com
3.) Willem and Sasha bond in the novel over their love of flying. What kind of research did you have to carry out in order to bring their story to life?
Oh my goodness, I have never done so much research in my life! The acknowledgement list at the back of my book is huge. There are too many people to mention all of them here so I will just name a few, starting with the nitty gritty – the technical stuff.
I read a whole manual on How To Fly a Spitfire! I was also lucky enough to coincidently bump into a man, Andrew Pearce, who knew everything about Spitfires.
My cousin Sally helped me with the science and made it fun and easy for me to understand, as it's not my strongest subject.
My publisher, Hodder Children's Books, was adamant – and rightly so – that if I was going to tell the story I wanted to tell, then the bullies had to get the appropriate punishment.
My friend Paula, put me in touch with Steven Wilkinson, a retired policeman, who was able to advise me on police procedure for the climax of the story. My friend Curtis Ashton, a social worker who has worked extensively with Young Offenders, was so valuable in making sure that we had the appropriate punishments for Finn and his gang in How To Fly With Broken Wings.
Next came the research for the historical texture of my story. The research I enjoyed the most was visiting the vintage shop Circa who helped me explore the beautiful textures and fabrics of 1940's fashion and let me peep in the 1940's handbags, smell the face powder, feel the silk and embody Rachel's world – the female Spitfire Pilot in my story – as she danced the night away in her red dress. My friend Leon, an expert in dance, talked me through 1940's dancing – the jitterbug and jive.
Diana Barnarto Walker – one of the "Spitfire Women," – Jane's inspiration for the character of Rachel (photo provided by author)
The research that moved me the most was watching documentaries about the Spitfire Ladies of the ATA. I was so touched by these women, now very old but with such twinkling eyes, that have known the freedom of flight: the feeling of dancing with the clouds in a Spitfire. Life was never the same for them when the war ended. Most of them never had the opportunity to fly again. That really tore at my heart. I have such respect and admiration for their bravery and the vital part they played in World War 2.
Maureen Dunlop, an Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) pilot featured on the front cover of The Picture Post magazine on the 16th September 1944. One in ten female pilots died flying for the ATA. Maureen died at the age of 91 in May 2012. Jane says: "She became the glamorous cover girl image of the war. People loved this image as it showed women could be brave and beautiful."
The other bit of research that moved me deeply was the plight of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier or Staffie as they are commonly known. They are the most abused breed and a huge percentage of dogs in rescue centres are Staffies. They are loyal beautiful dogs – known as the nannie dog as they actually are so good with children. Even so, they have gained an undeservedly bad reputation through the media, as so many lads like Finn and his gang in How to Fly choose this breed to strut down the street with thinking it makes them look tougher. This powerful and brilliant RSPCA You Tube video Britain Love Your Staffie, really tugged at my heart strings.
I thought back to the books I had read as a child and so often it was a Collie dog, or Retriever or a lovable but scruffy mongrel, but I couldn't think of any story with a Staffie –and so Buster was born. He was such fun to write and I thought it an interesting dynamic to make him Finn's dog but a total softie, showing the true nature of the breed. As they say there are no bad dogs, only bad owners.
Dogs Trust Harefield were so supportive with what I was trying to do with Buster. Richard Moore, the manager met with me and introduced me to the dogs. I had a lovely morning playing with and having my photograph taken with Shireen, a beautiful little white Staffie, for the inside of the back cover of How To Fly With Broken Wings. Shireen, I am thrilled to say, found her forever home the week after the photo session and is so happy with her new family.
From Jane's Pinterest board and her inspiration for the Staffie Buster in the novel (and coz it's too cute, I couldn't resist!) Source: petsandlove.net
4.) You are appearing at YA Shot in Uxbridge this year on a panel about tackling sadness in fiction for younger teenagers. Is it crucial for you as an author to get an important message across in your books?
I never write a book thinking I want to get a message across. The story is always paramount but through the characters issues naturally arise and it's important I am responsible about this. I am very aware that children in the MG age range 8-12 often are dealing with the same issues as the YA age group. It is important to me reaching out to those children. I applaud Jacqueline Wilson for the subjects she has tackled and I feel that she has paved the way for other authors to be able to do this.
5.) Do you believe that libraries still play an important role in inspiring young people to read?
Yes definitely. I think there is something very precious about choosing a book in a library, taking it home, getting lost in the story, then bringing it back and exchanging it for another story to treasure. I still remember my first trip to the library when I picked Orlando, a story about a ginger cat who had adventures. In my job as an author I have seen some amazing libraries, both public and in schools. I love it when they are lively and the hub of the school or community. They are also relatively safe places for children to go when they have nothing else to do in the long school holidays. I see time and time again in my local library, flocks of children drifting in off the streets and shifting through the books then finding something that captures their imagination and sitting there quietly for hours lost in another world. That's magical really if you think about it. Libraries are vital to the community and must be protected.
6.) Have there been any authors in particular that inspired you as a writer?
I realize the books I read as a child inspired me to be on the path I am now – but of course I did not realize it at the time, as it never occurred to me that I could be a writer. It was beyond my imagination as I spent my whole time at school being punished for my bad spelling. However the stories I wrote were passed under the desk and read by the other kids in secret during science – yet still the penny did not drop that maybe, just maybe I had a knack for storytelling.
When I was a child I loved books by Noel Stretfield particularly When The Siren Whaled – I performed a piece from that book to get into my after school drama classes. It really is a wonderful book. The other book of hers I loved was Ballet Shoes. I think this book had a major influence in my ending up in the theatre. I have a flare for improvisation, so making up stories and reading and performing them was the passion of my life – yet still it didn't occur to me that maybe I could write stories down. I also read all the Enid Blyton books, of course. If you had told me when I was a child that I would grow up and be published by Hodder Children's Books who also publish Enid Blyton and Noel Stretfield, I would never have believed you in a million years.
When I met my editor, Naomi Greenwood, for the first time she asked me about my background. Naomi said something along the lines of – you have always been on the path to this moment, only you didn't realize it. I remember looking round and seeing all the displays of Enid Blyton and Noel Stretfield books and it was a really profound moment, like my life suddenly made sense.
Horse books were also my passion as a child – I loved Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka. On my next book cover, Swimming To The Moon, Michelle, my lovely designer is going to put a horse on the front! This is the ultimate dream for me – I am so excited. I like to relax by going to Kentish Town City Farm to see the horses in particular Winston a big black cob who I have really bonded with.
Entering the world of children's books as an adult, there are many writers who have inspired me. For example, the late Siobhan Dowd – Solace of the Road is a stunning piece of literature; David Almond's Skellig is one of my favourite books of all time; I also love Hilary Mckay. Naomi, my editor gave me a copy of Permanent Rose. I loved it so much and promptly went out and bought the whole Casson Family series. Hilary's writing is just delicious. I was so honoured that one of my first author appearances was at the Hay Festival on a panel with Hilary Mckay.
7.) How do you see the future of YA/MG fiction?
I think as the world changes the stories that need to be told naturally evolve with the issues young people face. But I always hope that young people will continue to read classic books from days gone by. I think it is important to understand the stories of the past to make sense of the present.
The book I am writing on now is called Swimming To the Moon about a quirky, very clumsy girl called Bee who has a love of hats. Bee can't swim, yet accepts a double dare to enter a sponsored swim to raise money for the local old people's home where her great grand Beatrix lived before she died. Bee misses her so much she can't breathe. Then she meets Moon-Star Higgins a traveller, who feels like a trapped animal in school. The two make a pact by the Promise Tree in the woods that cannot be broken and both their lives are changed forever.
Swimming To The Moon is a book about love and grief and reaching for your dreams.
And now for some quick fire questions!……
Real books – every time, I love the smell and touch of a book and the satisfaction of holding it in your hand and finishing it.
Both – some standalones stay in your memory forever and are perfect just as they are. There is something very exciting though about reading a series. I mentioned the Casson Family series earlier by Hilary McKay. It's lovely to have a whole collection on your shelf.
Fiction – I love to escape into another world. However, doing research gives me a chance to explore non-fiction books I would never normally read.
The How to fly A Spitfire manual springs to mind!
Bookshop trawling definitely. I love exploring bookshops – all those possibilities! I love it when I am visiting new places and suddenly come upon an independent book shop to explore.
Bookmarking without a doubt. I have a whole collection including a beautiful one that my friend Chris embroidered for me. However sometimes I grab anything to hand to mark my place and forget it's there. I love it when years later I come upon notes and all sorts of treasure within the pages of my books.
My dad used to put leaves in between the pages of his nature books. They were really beautiful.
Once again, thank you so much to Jane for her efforts in making this interview possible. How To Fly With Broken Wings was published on 3rd March 2015 by Hodder Children's Books and is available from all good book retailers. Why not check out her awesome debut novel, A Room Full of Chocolate too?
Coming tomorrow on bibliobeth – my review of How To Fly With Broken Wings.
Posted in: Book Reviews, Bookish Events, British Books Challenge 2015, Children's Classics, Contemporary, middle grade fiction, YA Shot, Young Adult
Tagged: A Room Full of Chocolate, Author interview, children's literature, How To Fly With Broken Wings, Jane Elson, middle grade fiction, YA Shot, Young adult fiction
YA SHOT REVIEW – The Wild Beyond (The Last Wild #3) – Piers Torday
FROM THE WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN CHILDREN'S FICTION PRIZE.
The final heart-stopping instalment of the bestselling, award-winning The Last Wild trilogy.
This is the story of a boy named Kester. He has brought the animals of his world back from the brink of disaster, and he believes there is hope on the other side. And, he might just be right, because:
1. The last blue whale on the planet is calling to him.
2. His animal allies are ready for one last fight.
3. Out there, somewhere, a brave mouse holds the key to the future…
This is the last book in Piers Torday's wonderful series The Last Wild and I'm pretty sad that it's all come to an end as I've really enjoyed it. Ah well, that's what re-reading is for I guess. I will also try and keep this review is as spoiler-free as possible but I really recommend reading the first two books in the series if you haven't so far – you've missed a lot! When we meet Kester, our main character again in this novel, the tone is a little more melancholy than the previous two books. Kester is now surrounded by his friends, the loyal Polly and fiesty street-wise Aida, his slightly eccentric but well-meaning father and his faithful Wild, including Stag, Wolf, General and a very happy Rat.
However, the city of Premium has been left in tatters after suffering a flooding from the local river Ams and a mass extinction of animal life. It is only Kester's group and a small number of other individuals that managed to survive and Kester isn't filled with much hope for their future. In fact, the only hope for humanity is in Polly's secret which was unearthed in the last novel and unfortunately, this secret now lies in the paws of Mouse who has completely disappeared. If she is in the hands of Selwyn Stone, the evil and misguided director "in charge" of Premium, Kester realises that he may never see her again and humanity will certainly be doomed.
To Kester's surprise and delight, the Wild returns again in the form of a huge blue whale that is singing an ancient song with some wonderful news. It mentions that the key to life can be found on a remote desert island but it is unable to describe where the island might be. Enter the good old pigeons and a new friend called Eagle who doesn't seem to have much of an opinion on anything but he is able to locate the island – hooray! However, the group go through many trials before they travel and even encounter a frightening new nemesis in one of Stone's sidekicks, Auntie Fenella who is definitely not as sweet as that name suggests!
As with the previous two adventures, this is an action packed and exciting finale to the series that brings more new friends to chuckle at (the lizard is hilarious, "dude"), a bit of a twist to mess things up slightly and a beautiful but very bitter-sweet ending that I have to say brought a tear to my eye. Most reviews I've read of this book have also praised the ending and I'm so glad as it could go either way to be honest. It may not be all fairy-tale or happily ever after but it's real and honest and I have more respect for the author for doing what he did rather than choosing perhaps what would have been the easier way out. The characters really got under my skin in this series and I started to care about what would happen to them – my absolute favourites had to be General the cockroach, the Mouse, the Toad, the Rat and the Lizard but they all have a certain quality to them that children (and adults!) will love. Oh please say you'll do a spin off book featuring one of these characters, Piers?
For my review of The Last Wild, please click HERE.
For my review of The Dark Wild, please click HERE.
For my interview with Piers Torday, please click HERE.
Come back to bibliobeth tomorrow where I will be interviewing YA Shot author Jane Elson on her fantastic new book, How To Fly With Broken Wings.
Piers Torday (lost in the wild?) image from http://www.guardian.com
Posted in: Book Reviews, British Books Challenge 2015, Children's Classics, Dystopian, Fantasy, middle grade fiction, YA Shot, Young Adult
Tagged: Captain Skuldiss, fantasy, Kester James, middle grade fiction, Piers Torday, Premium, Selwyn Stone, The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, The Last Wild series, The Wild Beyond, YA Shot, Young adult fiction