#jess vallance

[stoppit-keepout]

[image is a tweet from Jess Vallance (@jessvallance1) reading "Woman on the train just tapped me on the arm & said 'sorry - is that yours?' Looked on the floor where she was pointing & it was a massive stag beetle // Like does she think I littered it or that it's my pet or what"]

[lgbtqreads]

New Release Spotlight: Proud ed. by Juno Dawson

New Release Spotlight: Proud ed. by Juno Dawson

I’m so excited about this month’s featured new release, the Proud anthology edited by Juno Dawson! Yes, this is UK YA, but thanks to Book Depository, you can buy it in the US as well! Not only are the stories in this collection wonderful and adorable and full of glorious representation all over the LGBTQ spectrum, but it’s also got stunning illustrations created especially for each story.

The…

[booksandwords]

Proud (Anthology)

Read time: 5 Days Rating: 4/5

Edited by Juno Dawson Contains contributions by: Dean Atta, Fox Benwell, Caroline Bird, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Simon James Green, David Levithan, Jess Vallance, Karen Lawler and Michael Lee Richardson.

Overall I'm not sure how I feel this book overall. I was kind of disappointed with stories in a way. I know the authors were chosen and then they interpreted the theme Pride as they wanted but there are no ace characters as far as I can tell but I've come to the conclusion aces are only included in sets like this when the author (or a direct connection) is ace or by direct request. But there was an enby, something else I've often seen overlooked. The art was mostly beautiful and so befitting the stories they were attached to. Again I kind of wish there has been an illustration focused piece, a comic. I will say what I didn't know going in was that these are stories are nearly exclusively set in the UK. A pleasant change for an anthology.

Dive Bar by Caroline Bird with Art by Saffa Khan Lesbian Dive Bar felt like an odd way to start for me. It's a two-page free form poem so short to the point but it feels like a week start. It just confused me a little.

Penguins by Simon James Green with Art by Alice Oseman Gay Full disclosure Alice Oseman is the reason I hunted this book down, after my most recent foray into her world. She is an artist in Pride, the art is instantly recognisable for anyone who has read her Heartstopper comics. It is a great fit for Penguins recreating the final scene of the short story. Penguins itself is endearing playing with the ideas of anxiety, coming out and well gay penguins.

On The Run by Kay Staples with Art by Alex Bertie Trans I don't know what to make of On The Run. It is a stream of thought kind of story. There is a definite story told in reflection with the idea of be careful what you wish for. Nicky is a good protagonist living the dream but not quite. Pride here is the pride of their relationship, pride of Dean. While there is definitely questioning of gender and a lot of it that is subtext not focus of Nicky's pondering. It's not something that I would pick up and read again or likely even would have read if it wasn't in an anthology. Alex Bertie's art while unexpected and seemingly simplistic was a good match.

The Phoenix's Fault by Cynthia So with Art by Priyanka Meenakshi Lesbian I want to take a moment to appreciate an lgbtq+ character who is Asian there are far too few of them, even with the focus on characters of colour. I may not have loved the story but liked the elements, the execution just felt wonky. I really liked the idea of a Phoenix called Chilli Oil, from the name alone without Jingzhi's explanation I could visualise her. If I'm 100% honest Jingzhi is so close to Jiangzai that I kept misreading it, Jiangzai is a weapon who is personified a stunningly beautiful woman. Look I know you don't have to tell me, but it happened and it was really distracting. Also in full honestly wtf was Meenakshi's art supposed to be? I couldn't make much out of it.

As The Philadelphia Queen Youth Choir sings Katy Perry's 'Firework' by David Levithan with Art by Steve Antony Gay, Trans I'd never read any Levithan before, not sure if this is his usual style but I like it. It's well suited to this story at least. Levithan uses various levels of indent to indicate who is talking. There are 5 narrators each with their own story that comes together so well. It is like a choir. I don't know what I expected from this but this was a great use Pride as a prompt. Steve Antony's art is a perfect accompaniment.

Almost Certain by Tanya Byrne with Art by Frank Duffy Lesbian My enjoyment of Almost Certain snuck up on me. It's a simple story, almost slice of life of coming to terms and meeting. There is a line I really liked in particular "I wonder sometimes (OK, a lot) how you're supposed to know whether you're into boys or girls.". I had these exact thoughts while coming into my identity (ace, aspec romantic) but it is unusual to see it written so plainly. Orla is a relatable protagonist, her anxiety and just sense of wandering. Frank Duffy's art was a wonderful piece for this, not what I initially expected but it is perfect.

The Other Team by Michael Lee Richardson with Art by David Roberts Trans Simply put this story of support and loyalty. Mosaic is an LGBT+ football team travelling to play another team. On the way, Ethan introduces the team he plays with and their quirks. The drama happens when they arrive to play the other team. The slice of lifestyle though with some background works quite well. The author's humorous writing style feels just right for this story.

I Hate Darcy Pemberly by Karen Lawler with Art by Kameron White Lesbian I wanted to like this. I might have if it was a stand-alone full-length novel. But it isn't. For context, the only character that has been genderbent is Fitzwilliam / Darcy Pemberly. The characters are now in high school and they are in friendship groups rather than families. That said there is something truly appealing about Wickham as the red-blooded jock. Kameron White's art is a great piece for the story, making Darcy a knock out as was intended.

The Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell with Art by Kristen Van Dam Non Binary Oh, I adored this but I can see it being highly divisive. The pure idea of using D&D as much as this does in inspired to me. And it does work in character. This is beautiful, disruptive protest and action. I'm not going to say much about this one because I like the idea of someone reading it no spoilers, but do be wary of the hate speech. The divisive nature of it comes from it and lead character Scout's reliance on D&D. If you don't like D&D this will be a hard read. Kristen Van Dam art is gorgeous combining Scout, their character Borók and all kinds of D&D paraphernalia.

The Instructor by Jess Vallance with Art by Kate Alizadeh Lesbian This is one I didn't love but didn't hate. I found it made a lot more sense when I realised that protagonist Lucy is coded as neurodivergent (at least to me). Before I picked up that nothing was lining up for me it wasn't clicking. The style is a bit choppy and the characters are not the best but I wonder if that may all be a conscious choice. I definitely think this will click for some people though, that they will see themselves in here.

Love Poems to the City by Moïra Fowley-Doyle with Art by Fatti Burke Bisexuality This is one I read but it's not for me. I'm not a huge fan of the characters or the setting. This is in the immediate lead up to the Irish Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015. It is painfully difficult for most to understand what it would have been like in Ireland, specifically Dublin at the time. Irish culture is hard to transplant and explain. I understand using it as a setting but in a couple of years, this will mean very little as a setting for the target audience. On the story itself, it does make some decent points about what the marriage/ equality votes actually meant. It was more than marriage.

How to Come Out as Gay by Dean Atta with Art by Leo Greenfield Gay As it says in the title this is one author how to for coming out. While the author is gay it is just as applicable for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is smart and heartfelt, a reminder of the basics of love and concern. Its importance to the community as a whole means it might be a little wasted in this book. The message in this poem is not just applicable to young people. As a way to close though... I really like it.

[sapphicbookclub]

Pride Flag Book Recs! #2 🌈

Let’s be honest, we’ve all wanted a rainbow on our bookshelves at some point in our lives. So I’m gonna help you make one with all LGBTQ books and hopefully also help you with your pride tbr ideas as well!

Check out my newer pride flag recs here and here!

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar, Blood Countess by Lana Popović, When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey, The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey, Everything Grows by Aimee Herman

All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick, After Happily Ever After Anthology, Once Upon a Pastry by Ashley Uzzell, Pulp by Robin Talley, Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen

The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown, The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth, You Only Live Once by Jess Vallance

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski, Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow, The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee, Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi, Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone, The Afterward by E.K. Johnston, Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi, House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess, The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

Super Adjacent by Crystal Cestari, These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor, Once & Future by A. R. Capetta & Cori McCarthy

Happy Pride Month Reading!  ❤️💛🧡💚💙💜

[hayleysprout13]

Three Fantastic #UKYA | Birdy, Radio Silence & Beautiful, Broken Things

Three Fantastic #UKYA | Birdy, Radio Silence & Beautiful, Broken Things

I had a massive reading binge over the Christmas break. What with the office being closed and being on a blogging break, I certainly had the time to get down to it. Here are three fantastic young adult books that I read over the break. Birdy – Jess Vallance Birdy is a fantastic, thrilling ride of a novel. The main character, Frances, has always been one of the most quietest people at her school.…

[yabookers]

Proud by Various Authors

A stirring, bold and moving anthology of stories and poetry by top LGBTQ+ YA authors and new talent, giving their unique responses to the broad theme of pride. Each story has an illustration by an artist identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Compiled by Juno Dawson, author of THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN. A celebration of LGBTQ+ talent, PROUD is a thought-provoking, funny, emotional read. Contributors: Steve Antony, Dean Atta, Kate Alizadeh, Fox Benwell, Alex Bertie, Caroline Bird, Fatti Burke, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Frank Duffy, Simon James Green, Leo Greenfield, Saffa Khan, Karen Lawler, David Levithan, Priyanka Meenakshi, Alice Oseman, Michael Lee Richardson, David Roberts, Cynthia So, Kay Staples, Jessica Vallance, Kristen Van Dam and Kameron White.

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Two years ago I read a brilliant anthology called A Change is Gonna Come, published by Stripes Publishing and I adored it – it shone a spotlight on some much-needed voices and stories in UKYA. Proud does the same thing as it is full of stories from LGBTQIAP+ authors that fill a void in UKYA (don’t get me wrong, there is some great queer UKYA, but we need so much more!) This anthology is full of so many exquisite stories (and some great illustrations), some fun and loud, but some are tender and quiet. Stories filled with happiness, sadness, grief, romance, triumph, love, and loss. Stories filled with self-acceptance and self-love but also filled to the brim with stories of queer teens surrounded by love. It isn’t a perfect anthology, for example, there were no aro-ace stories BUT it hopefully paves the way for more queer stories in mainstream UKYA. ‘We, as LGBTQ+ authors, know how important it is to see ourselves in stories. If we live inUntitled stories, it means we live in the real world too. We are claiming our space, claiming our oxygen. Since the dawn of time, we have been told in a litany of ways that we are ‘less-than’, ‘out of the ordinary’, ‘abnormal’, ‘subnormal’, or plain ‘different’. We are none of those things. We are gloriously ourselves, and we show the world our glory during Pride. That is why Pride is both party and protest. It’s noisy, it’s colourful, it’s glittery and it’s very, very visible. It’s a statement to the whole wide world that we are here; we celebrate our varied and diverse culture; our history; our struggles.’ - Juno Dawson Proud has 12 different stories from 12 different authors. Stories featuring transgender characters, gay characters, bi characters, lesbian characters, non-binary characters, and it is just so very queer. The problem I have with anthologies sometimes is that some stories are great, and some are just meh. But Proud consistently wowed me with each story (apart from maybe one or two), and it has so many great new voices that I will definitely be keeping an eye on. I’m now going to write a little bit about each story: Dive Bar by Caroline Bird – I’m not going to rate this one because I just didn’t get it. Sometimes I love poetry, and sometimes, I really struggle with it. A definite, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ type of thing. Penguins by Simon James Green – 4/5 – I really enjoyed Penguins. It was such a cute, funny, and heartwarming story about the struggles of coming out – of finding the right time. At times, this story was downright hilarious and at other times, it was super cute and heartwarming. Also features an m/m romance. On the Run by Kay Staples – 5/5 – I really enjoyed this one. A quiet, warm, and tender story about two teens who have won the lottery and have run away from home, one escaping an abusive family and one following the guy they love. It has working-class characters, a non-binary teen, and a lovely nb/m romance. The Phoenix Fault by Cynthia So – 4/5 – a lovely little fantasy story about two girls realising they love each other. As the Philadelphia Queer Youth Choir Sings Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’… by David Levithan – Also, not my cup of tea, I just wasn’t really a fan of the narrative style! Almost Certain by Tanya Bryne – 5/5- I really resonated with this one, it is a sad and tender story about anxiety and grief and art. A lovely little f/f romance and I really loved how anxiety was described in this. The Other Team by Michael Lee Richardson – 4/5 – a really good story about a trans boy and the discrimination and misgendering he faces, but also about the support and love he receives from his football team. I Hate Darcy Pemberley by Karen Lawler – 5/5 – literally, give me all the enemies-to-lovers f/f romances. It’s an f/f Pride and Prejudice retelling, it was funny, entertaining, and heartwarming. I also really loved the little illustration at the end by Kameron White. The Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell – 5/5 – I loved this geeky story about a non-binary teen and their friends (also their d&d group!) going on a quest to make their school gender neutral. The Instructor by Jess Vallance – 5/5 – This was a lovely, vibrant, funny, and heartwarming story about a girl who learns to drive in order to impress her crush. Love Poems to the City by Moïra Fowley-Doyle – 5/5 – I adored this one. A beautiful story about a bisexual girl in Ireland fighting for marriage equality. Also has an f/f romance! How to Come Out as Gay by Dean Atta – 5/5 – just a simply supportive and beautiful poem about coming out. Overall, Proud is an emotional, empowering, powerful, and important anthology full of vibrant voices that need to be on everyone’s bookshelves.

Rating: ★★★★★ | book depository

[four-leeks]

[Image ID: a tweet by an account with username Jess Vallance and handle jessvallance1. It reads, “Woman on the train just tapped me on the arm & said ‘sorry - is that yours?’ Looked on the floor where she was pointing & it was a massive stag beetle. Like does she think I littered it or that it’s my pet or what”. End ID]

[halfwit-halfblood]

seven months into this year and i've already;

met adam kay

met my favourite author ve schwab (who i'll be seeing again this month!!!)

gone to london to see hamilton, betrayal and p!atd

went to belgium to meet my best friend for the first time

while in belgium, went to a comic con and asked questions to jason isaacs and gaten matarazzo in front of hundreds of people and didn't freak out??? at all??? somehow??? also jason said my question was like a dickens paragraph i love he

met the legend himself tan france

met kendare blake, the author of my favourite fantasy series (other than harry potter)

got a job i'd been trying to get for TWO YEARS

and now, at the end of this month, i'll be meeting ben barnes and (hopefully) alice oseman, dean atta and jess vallance too!

this year is MY. FUCKING. YEAR. i'm proud. i'm fighting my anxiety more than i ever have and more than i ever thought i could, ive been standing up for shit i believe in no matter what, i'm happier, i finally feel like i have an idea of who i am, and i'm doing it all without the toxic cunt who destroyed my 2018.

[literaryleisha]

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas + The preorder pin

This book and the pin are gorgeous! The pin is way bigger than I expected it to be. It’s quite large. Very pretty though! Wish I had someone nice to put it…

*The Silver Queen by Josie Jaffrey

Thank you, Josie, for sending me your book + some cool swag! The pin is so nice! I seriously need a good way of storing pins. Hmm…

*The Girl King ARC by Mimi Yu

Thank you to Alex @ Gollancz books for the ARC + Swag! (The m&ms were really good!)

Throne of Glass Collectors Edition by Sarah J Maas

I am in awe at this edition. It’s literally the most beautiful thing ever.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Beautiful Broken Things  by Sara Barnard

*Fierce Fragile Hearts ARC by Sara BarnardThank you to MyKindaBook for the ARC of Fierce Fragile Hearts! (Out Feb 2019)

*You Only Live Once by Jess Vallance

Thank you HotKey Books for the review copy!

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor US Hardback

I won this in a twitter giveaway! I’m so happy to have US copy, I love this cover!

And finally… Christmas presents from my Mum + Brother: Chaos Walking: The Complete Trilogy Boxset  Nevernight by Jay Kristoff 

I asked my mum for the box set, the covers of this edition are so nice! I really want to read these before the film comes out in 2019. (I think that’s when it comes out?)

My brother got me Nevernight, I told him to get me something off my wishlist on Amazon and he picked a good one! I’ve been dying to read this for forever! Cannot wait to get to this soon!

Instagram//Twitter//Goodreads

My Last Book Haul of 2018! Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas + The preorder pin This book and the pin are gorgeous!

[lgbt-ya]

Art reveal for LGBTQ+ anthology PROUD!

In March 2019, Stripes is publishing PROUD, an anthology of short stories and poetry for young adults written by LGBTQ+ authors. Author and activist Juno Dawson has curated the anthology and written a rousing foreword about the state of UK Queer YA after Section 28. Contributors include established writers: Dean Atta, Fox Benwell, Caroline Bird, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Simon James Green, David Levithan, and Jess Vallance, alongside four new voices published for the first time; Michael Lee Richardson, Karen Lawler, Cynthia So and Kay Staples. 

Adding an extra bit of magic to the anthology, Stripes have teamed up each story with an artist, to create an illustration especially for that piece. Illustrators in PROUD include Alex Bertie, Kate Alizadeh, Alice Oseman/@chronicintrovert​, Saffa Khan, Fatti Burke, Priyanka Meenakshi, Kameron White, David Roberts, Steve Antony, Leo Greenfield, Frank Duffy and Kristen Van Dam.

Now for the first time, we’re revealing four of the illustrations that the artists have created to accompany the stories by the debut authors.  

PROUD is available to pre-order now. #ProudBook Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository | Waterstones | Goodreads

There is a true wealth of creative talent in the LGBTQ+ community, which made putting together a longlist of artists for Stripes’ PROUD YA anthology a real joy. The range of art styles in the anthology is intended as a small reflection of the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, but beyond that our artists were encouraged to respond to the stories in a way that illustrates their personal readings. All of their responses to the stories have made the experience a richer one for us, and, I hope, for you, the reader. 

- Paul Coomey, Art Director, Stripes Publishing

 THE OTHER TEAM by Michael Lee Richardson has been illustrated by David Roberts. A ragtag football team support their trans star player.

MICHAEL LEE RICHARDSON is a writer and youth worker from Glasgow. As a screenwriter he has written comedy for CBBC and BBC Alba. His original work has been shortlisted for BBC Scotland’s Frank Deasy Award and the BAFTA Rocliffe Comedy Award, and his young adult comedy ‘Real Life Experience’ was ‘highly commended’ for BBC Writersroom’s Trans Comedy Award. In 2015 he won the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in the Children and Young Adult category. As a youth worker, he set up and ran Trans Youth Glasgow, part of LGBT Youth Scotland. He currently works for LEAP Sports Scotland on Trans Team, a project aimed at encouraging transgender young people to engage with sport and outdoor activities. www.hrfmichael.co.uk  @HRFMichael 

DAVID ROBERTS is one of the UK’s foremost children’s illustrators and has been shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for Little Red, The Dunderheads and Tinder. David won a Gold Award in the Nestlé Children’s Book Prize for Mouse Noses On Toast in 2006. He has worked with acclaimed writers including Julia Donaldson, Sally Gardner and Julian Clary. David lives in Kennington, South London.  dr.illustration on Instagram

I HATE DARCY PEMBERLEY by Karen Lawler has been illustrated by Kameron White. Can Lizzie and Darcy put pride to one side and admit their prejudices are stopping them from finding happiness? 

KAREN LAWLER is an American living in London with her awesome wife and extremely cute dog Buffy. She loves reading, especially sci-fi, fantasy, YA, and historical non-fiction, and she funds her book habit by working in children’s publishing. She loves a good teen movie (10 Things I Hate About You is the best and she will fight you on that). This is the first time her writing has appeared in print.  @KarenLawler 

KAMERON WHITE was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He is a lover of comics, superheroes, fashion and cats. Kam graduated with a BFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in spring of 2018. He now resides in Minneapolis as a comic artist and illustrator.  @spacejam_kam

THE PHOENIX’S FAULT by Cynthia So has been illustrated by Priyanka Meenakshi. Jingzhi the lantern maker is forced to question why she doesn’t want to marry the Emperor.

CYNTHIA SO was born in Hong Kong and lives in London. She graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Classics in 2016 and has been working in higher education since then. She writes YA, speculative fiction and poetry. Her work can be found in magazines such as Uncanny, Anathema and Arsenika.  @cynaesthete 

PRIYANKA MEENAKSHI is a self-taught writer and artist living in Bristol. She writes and illustrates for a variety of different publications, on themes of trauma and recovery. You can see more of her work at priyankameenakshi.com  

ON THE RUN by Kay Staples has been illustrated by Alex Bertie. Two teens have the chance to escape their lives and families, and be together. 

KAY STAPLES is a writer from the Midlands. After studying creative writing at the University of Birmingham, Kay now works in marketing as a content writer in London, and listens to an awful lot of alternative music.  @okstaples 

 ALEX BERTIE is a young transgender YouTuber. At just fourteen he started making videos on sexuality and gender identity, and continues to do so with weekly uploads. To this day, he has reached 250,000 subscribers. His work has been picked up by organizations such as Childline and Stonewall, and has been recognized by the Independent, YouTube magazine TenEighty and trans publication FTM Magazine. @Alex_Bertie

Preorder PROUD: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository | Waterstones | Goodreads

[publictheater]

The Public Theater’s production of The Comedy of Errors, produced through the Free Shakespeare in the Park 2013 summer season, directed by Daniel Sullivan.  Performers include De’Adra Aziza, Emily Bergl, Hamish Linklater, Heidi Schreck, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Robert Creighton, and Tyler Caffall. PC: Joan Marcus.

Creative Team: Set, John Lee Beatty; Light, Jeff Croiter; Costume, Toni-Leslie James; Sound, Acme Sound Partners; Original Music, Greg Pliska; Hair & Wigs, Robert-Charles Vallance; Fight Choreographer, Rick Sordelet; Choreographer, Mimi Lieber; Dramaturg, Robert Blacker; Production Stage Manager, Cole P. Bonenberger.

[lgbtqreads]

Hi! Do you know any sapphic books about going to college? Preferably based off in the uk but its okay anywhere. Thank you!

Hmm, closest thing I know of in the UK is You Only Live Once by Jess Vallance, but in the US there’s We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Alison Raskin, Love and Other Carnivorous Plants by Florence Gonsalves, and Chord by Chelsea Cameron, to start with!

[isleofsam]

Pretty Woman: The Musical to Release Cast Recording

The new musical begins previews at the Nederlander July 20.

Pretty Woman: The Musical, which begins previews on Broadway July 20, will release an original Broadway cast recording. Producer Paula Wagner is teaming up with Atlantic Records to release the album, which will be produced by the musical's composers, Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.

The Pretty Woman cast recording will be available for pre-order beginning August 9.

Following a world premiere in Chicago earlier this year, Pretty Woman: The Musical arrives on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, the contemporary stage adaptation of the popular romantic comedy from the ’90s stars Samantha Barks as Vivian alongside Andy Karl as Edward.

Pretty Woman: The Musical will officially open August 16. Based on the movie about a star-crossed meeting between a prostitute and a disillusioned businessman, the stage musical features a book co-written by the film’s director, the late Garry Marshall, and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, and music by Adams and Vallance.

“It’s fantastic to be working with Atlantic Records on the original Broadway cast recording,” said Adams in a statement. “I’m a huge fan of the label and its incredible legacy, and what they’ve been doing in the Broadway arena over the past few years has been extraordinary.”

"It's no small thing putting 30 people in a studio and recording an entire cast album while performing eight shows a week!” added Vallance. “Our Atlantic Records team is incredibly experienced and knowledgeable, and they’ve been a dream to work with throughout the whole process.”

Completing the principal cast on Broadway are Orfeh as Kit, Eric Anderson as Mr. Thompson, Ezra Knight as James Morse, and Jason Danieley as Philip Stuckey.

The company also features Allison Blackwell, Tommy Bracco, Brian Calì, Robby Clater, Jessica Crouch, Anna Eilinsfeld, Matt Farcher, Lauren Lim Jackson, Renée Marino, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Jillian Mueller, Jake Odmark, Jennifer Sanchez, Matthew Stocke, Alex Michael Stoll, Alan Wiggins, Jesse Wildman, and Darius Wright.

Pretty Woman: The Musical is produced on Broadway by Wagner, Nice Productions, LPO, New Regency Productions, Caiola Productions & Co., James L. Nederlander, Roy Furman, Hunter Arnold, Graham Burke, Edward Walson, deRoy Kier stead, Michael Cassel Group, Stage Entertainment, Ambassador Theatre Group, and John Gore Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd is the executive producer and general manager.

"I am so incredibly proud to be working with Atlantic Records on the original Broadway cast album of Pretty Woman: The Musical. The quality and artistic integrity of Atlantic is a perfect match for the original score created for the stage by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance,” said Wagner.

For tickets and more information, visit PrettyWomanMusical.com.

[architectnews]

Architects Declare launch practice guide at COP26

Daily COP26 briefing: today's COP26 briefing includes the Architects Declare practice guide, a RIBA and AIA talk, and the UK's electric vehicle charging network.

Throughout COP26, we are publishing regular updates of what's happening at the climate conference and surrounding events. See all our COP26 coverage here.

Architects Declare launch practice guide

Climate action group Architects Declare has created a Practice Guide to "help signatory architectural practices convert their declaration of a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency into meaningful action".

The guide is available for download on Architects Declare's website.

"The Architects Declare Practice Guide is a compendium of advice for everyone, no matter the size or scale of business, on how to implement and realise the Architects Declare declaration points," said Jess Hrivnak, sustainable development adviser at Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Design of UK's electric vehicle charging network to be unveiled

The UK government is set to unveil its plans for a national electric vehicle charging network today at the conference.

"To support the transition to EVs, it's integral that we have the infrastructure to support it," said UK transport secretary Grant Shapps, reported the Evening Standard.

"My vision is for the UK to have one of the best EV infrastructure networks in the world, with excellent British design at its heart."

Es Devlin creates indoor forest as venue for COP26 events

British designer Es Devlin has created a tree-filled venue for The New York Times Climate Hub, which is running alongside the climate conference in Glasgow.

Named the Conference of the Trees, the venue has 197 trees – one for every nation attending COP26.

Design for Planet Festival at V&A Dundee continues today

The second day of the Design Council's Design for Planet Festival takes place today at the Kengo Kuma-designed V&A Dundee.

The event, which will be screened online, will include over 100 invited experts who will take part in workshops in "an unconference format".

AIA and RIBA to discuss decarbonising the built environment at official side event

Both the president of the American Institute of Architects Peter Exley and chief executive of RIBA Alan Vallance are set to speak at the 65% by 2030 / ZERO by 2040 event today.

Broadcast online, the official side event focused on actions being taken to decarbonise the built environment.

COP26 takes place at SEC Centre in Glasgow from 1 to 12 November 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for all the latest information you need to know to attend the event, as well as a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Architects Declare launch practice guide at COP26 appeared first on Dezeen.

[yaliteraturebookshelf]

A great opportunity for unpublished and unagented writers to have your YA LGBTQ+ short story included in a anthology curated by Juno Dawson and featuring stories by Dean Atta, Fox Benwell, Caroline Bird, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Simon James Green, David Levithan, and Jess Vallance.

[fantasticbookdragon]

Hello!

YALC authors have finally been announced, which is exciting! This means I can finally plan my YALC TBR and get excited! I know I’m the only one who found the mass announcement confusing and overwhelming. So I’ve compiled a list of all authors and panels from the original announcement to make it easier to find and decide when you want to go. Schedules are going up on the LFCC/YALC site May 3rd, you can also find ticket and accessibility info there.

Author line-up

Friday:

Akemi Dawn Bowman 

Alice Oseman

Amelia Mandeville 

Anna Mainwaring

Ben Aaronovitch 

Clare Rees 

Dan Freedman 

Derek Landy

Emma Smith-Barton 

Eoin Colfer 

Holly Bourne

Kate Mallinder

Kiran Millwood Hargrave 

KK Perez 

Laura Steven 

Mary Watson

Renée Ahdieh

Sabina Khan

Sara Barnard 

Savannah Brown 

Sharon Dogar 

Tom Pollock 

Yasmin Rahman 

Zoe Marriott 

Panels:

Be Kind to Your Mind with Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Emma Smith-Barton, Amelia Mandeville and Akemi Dawn Bowman.

It’s A #Life with Yasmin Rahman, Tom Pollock, Savannah Brown, Michelle Johnson, Laura Steven and Alice Oseman.

In Conversation with Derek Landy and Eoin Colder

10 Things I Love About YA Retellings with Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Renée Ahdieh, Sharon Dogar and Zoe Marriott.

Myths & Legends with Ben Aaronovitch, KK Perez and Mary Watson

Contemporary New Voices with Anna Mainwaring, Clare Rees, Dan Freedman, Kate Mallinder and Sabina Khan

Saturday:

Alexandra Sheppard 

Bethany Rutter 

Connie Glynn 

Dean Atta 

Dhonielle Clayton

Emily Barr 

Holly Jackson 

Holly Smale 

Polarbear

Jess Vallance

Jim Kay

Juno Dawson 

Karen M. McManus 

Laura Bates

Lucy Powrie 

M.A. Bennett 

Malorie Blackman 

Melinda Salisbury 

Moira Fowley-Doyle 

Sarah Maria Griffin 

Sif Sigmarsdottir 

Simon James Green 

Sophia Thakur

Steven Camden

V.E. Schwab

Vic James 

Yaba Badoe

Zen Cho 

Panels:

Mystical YA with Melinda Salisbury, Sarah Maria Griffin, V.E. Schwab, Vic James, Yaba Badoe and Zen Cho.

Whose Rhyme Is It Anyway? with Dean Atta, Sophia Thakur and Steven Camden

In Conversation with Malorie Blackman and Juno Dawson

Chiller Thrillers with Emily Barr, Holly Jackson, Karen M. McManus, M.A. Bennett and Sif Sigmarsdottir

Celebrate Every Body with Bethany Rutter, Dhonielle Clayton, Juno Dawson, Laura Bates and Moira Fowley-Doyle,

The World of Illustration and Concept Art with Jim Kay

Always Look on the Bright Side of Lit with Alexandra Sheppard, Connie Glynn, Holly Smale, Jess Vallance, Lucy Powrie and Simon James Green.

YALC Cosplay Masquerade & Meet-Up: I’m assuming more info on this will go up with the schedule.

Sunday:

Adrienne Young

Alastair Reynolds

Alex Wheatle

Anna James

Bex Hogan

Christine Lynn Herman

David Owen

Justina Ireland

Kesia Lupo

Kristen Ciccarelli

Laura Coryton

Lauren James

Lauren Sharkey

Lex Croucher

Lisa Heathfield

Natasha Ngan

Niellah Arboine

Nikesh Shukla

P.M. Freestone

Patrice Lawrence

Rachel Burge

Samantha Shannon

Samuel Pollen

Sara Jafari

Sarah Ann Juckes

Sasha Alsberg

Taran Matharu

Temi Oh

Panels:

Monsters and Their Makers with Justina Ireland, Kristen Ciccarelli, Natasha Ngan, Samantha Shannon and Taran Matharu.

New Masculinity with David Owen, Nikesh Shukla and Samuel Pollen

One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For YA with Alastair Reynolds, Lauren James, Sasha Alsberg and Temi Oh

Not All Books Are Fiction with Laura Coryton, Lauren Sharkey, Lex Croucher, Niellah Arboine and Sara Jafari.

Master Your Own Journey with Alex Wheatle, Lisa Heathfield, Patrice Lawrence and Sarah Ann Juckes

New Voices of YA Fantasy with Adrienne Young, Bex Hogan, Christine Lynn Herman, Kesia Lupo, P.M. Freestone and Rachel Burge.

  Dom&Ink, Gal-dem, John Tarrow and Vanessa Jones have also been announced on the website, though there’s nothing to indicate if any will be on a panel of doing a workshop.

  Who I’m excited for:

David Owen – This is my third year going and going to David’s signing is always part of my schedule, it’s a YALC tradition for me. I’m also using this as an excuse to add a couple more colours to my The Fallen Children to my ever growing collection,

Derek Landy – I have my books, t-shirt and tote ready! I can’t tell you just how excited I am, I’ve missed every London tour date since becoming a fan of his books! It’s going to be epic and already top priority for Friday!

Melinda Salisbury – Mel is another YALC tradition, you can’t go and not go say hi. I have no idea what to get signed, I’m sure I’ll find something though!

Sara Barnard – There’s a theme here, I’m a creature of habit and enjoy supporting my favourite authors. I’ll definitely find the time to.go to Sara’s signing!

Malorie Blackman – The last time I got to hear Malorie talk about her books was back when the Love Hurts anthology came out. Really looking forward to both her panel and signing.

M.A. Bennett – I’m so happy Marina has been invited, and is back again. The lovely people at Hot Key Books organised a signing last year, to be invited is so excited. I Definitely recommend going to see her!

Natasha Ngan – I missed out Natasha’s recent signing in Forbidden Planet and was gutted, I’m so happy she’s going to be there and can’t wait to meet her!

Jim Kay – Who isn’t excited about Jim Kay?! By far one of the biggest surprises, I’m definitely going to try my luck meeting him!

I hope this post helps you out a little, and makes planning easier. I  was going to include my YALC TBR here too but I think it will make this too long. I’ll have one up in the next week hopefully.

  Are you going to YALC this year, who are you excited to see there? Let me know in the comments!

YALC Author Announcements and TBR Hello! YALC authors have finally been announced, which is exciting! This means I can finally plan my YALC TBR and get excited!