Steve Voake is a successful English children's author from Midsomer Norton, Somerset, whose books have sold all over the world.
He started his teaching career at Midsomer Norton County Primary school in the late 80's. In 2003 he was head teacher of a primary school in Kilmersdon, Somerset, when the BBC reported that he was being hailed as the next J. K. Rowling. A bidding war had broken out amongst publishers and film makers for the rights to his first novel, The Dreamwalker's Child. The publication deal he accepted with Faber and Faber enabled him to give up his teaching job to be a full-time writer, although the book has not been made into a film.
Since then he has published twenty three books. The novelist and critic Amanda Craig has regularly praised his work. The Times often includes his books in its recommended lists of top children's books. The School Library Association has included one of his novels in its list of recommended books for boys.
He also contributed to the Higher Ground Project, a book featuring leading children's authors that was published to raise awareness of the Boxing Day Tsunami.
On 22 March 2017, Voake was on Westminster Bridge, London, and witnessed the Westminster terrorist attack. [1]
Steve Voake grew up in Midsomer Norton. [2] After leaving school he sold ice-creams in the south of France for a while. [3] He obtained a BA (Hons) in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool, then qualified as a teacher at the University of Exeter. [4]
He spent eight years as head teacher of Kilmersdon Primary School, near Midsomer Norton, Somerset. [2] In his spare time he was writing his first children's book, The Dreamwalker's Child. In October 2003, while still working as a primary school head teacher, the BBC reported that he was "being hailed as the next JK Rowling" after the book gained interest from Hollywood and was "the subject of a furious bidding war between three UK publishers" and had "seen interest from book firms in Italy, Japan, Germany and the US". [5]
In addition, film companies DreamWorks, Warner Brothers, Fox Broadcasting Company and Miramax all asked to see the book [5]
The BBC, The Times and The Independent then reported in 2003 that he agreed a £91,000 deal with Faber and Faber for the UK rights to his book,. [5] [6] In 2005, the book was published in the UK as well as Italy, Germany, Greece, Holland, Russia, Portugal and Japan. US rights were subsequently bought at auction for a six-figure sum. [7] [8]
In 2007 he collaborated with his cousin Charlotte Voake, the Nestle Smarties Book Prize-winning author of Pizza Kittens and Ginger, to write Insect Detective. [9]
He is currently also Senior Lecturer in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. [4] and a Royal Literary Fellow at the University of Exeter.
He lives with his family in Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset. [11]
The Times has published many favourable articles featuring Steve Voake or his books and frequently including them in their holiday specials of recommended books at Christmas or the summer holidays, [12] [13] ,. [14] [15] Their critic, the novelist Amanda Craig in particular has recommended them, [16] [17] [18]
The Guardian reported on Steve Voake's inclusion on the School Library Association List. [19] The Observer favourably reviewed The Dreamwalker's Child [20] ". The Daily Telegraph has also reviewed his work, [21] as has The Independent. [22] The Times Educational Supplement covered Steve Voake's contribution to the Higher Ground Project, a book published to raise awareness of the Boxing Day Tsunami. [23]
Many local newspapers have covered his work, including the Somerset Guardian Standard, [11] [24] [25] the Bath Chronicle [26] and the Worcester News. [27]
Abroad, there has been considerable newspaper coverage, including The Herald Journal, (Utah, United States), [28] the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, [29] and in Fantasy Magazine in Italy. [30]
CBBC featured an interview with Steve Voake in its Newsround programme. [31]
BBC Somerset Sound has interviewed him on the radio. [32] The BBC has regularly reported on Steve Voake in its news pages on its website. [5] [7] [32]
He is now a regular on the book festival circuit and has been invited to speak at literary festivals including Cheltenham, Frome, Bath, Somerset, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Guildford. [4]
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the Harry Potter series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday, when he receives a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry makes close friends and a few enemies during his first year at the school and with the help of his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents, but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, 10 miles (16 km) south-west of Bath, 10 miles (16 km) north-east of Wells, 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Frome, 12 miles (19 km) west of Trowbridge and 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton Radstock, but is now a town council in its own right. It is also part of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset.
Owen Sheers is a Welsh poet, author, playwright and television presenter. He was the first writer in residence to be appointed by any national rugby union team.
Isobelle Jane Carmody is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature. She is recipient of the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction.
George Szirtes is a British poet and translator from the Hungarian language into English. Originally from Hungary, he has lived in the United Kingdom for most of his life after coming to the country as a refugee at the age of eight. Szirtes was a judge for the 2017 Griffin Poetry Prize.
The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by The Bookseller. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the National Book Awards from 2010 to 2014.
North East Somerset was a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented for the whole of its creation since the 2010 general election by Jacob Rees-Mogg of the Conservative Party.
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles.
Alice Priscilla Lyle Oswald is a British poet from Reading, Berkshire. Her work won the T. S. Eliot Prize in 2002 and the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2017. In September 2017, she was named as BBC Radio 4's second Poet-in-Residence, succeeding Daljit Nagra. From 1 October 2019 until 30 September 2023, she was the Oxford Professor of Poetry.
Robert Macfarlane is a British writer and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Nicholas Laird is a Northern Irish novelist and poet.
Laurence Daren King is an English novelist and children's writer. His debut novel, Boxy an Star, made the shortlist for the Guardian First Book Award and the ten finalists for the Booker Prize in 1999. He won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize gold medal in the 6 to 8-year-old readers category for Mouse Noses on Toast in 2006.
The River Somer is a small river in Somerset, England.
Somervale School is situated in Midsomer Norton in Bath and North East Somerset in South West England. The school, which has academy status, is a specialist Arts College. It is one of two schools in the area, providing secondary education to local children and some pupils who live outside the catchment area. The number of pupils on the school roll is 538. A fall in the number of pupils prompted the school to propose a federation with nearby Norton Hill School in March 2009. This later became the foundation for the Multi Academy Trust, named Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, with Alun Williams as chief executive officer In October 2010, Somervale School became an academy alongside Norton Hill. Somervale was named amongst the 100 top performing schools based on sustained improvement of results by Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb in March 2012. Somervale School was awarded 'Good' by Ofsted in June 2022. The school shares its sixth form with federated school Norton Hill. The sixth form is based across both sites and is called the Midsomer Norton Sixth Form.
The Dreamwalker's Child is a children's fantasy novel by Steve Voake. It was his debut novel and was published in 2005 by Faber Children's Books. It was shortlisted for the Stockton Children's Book of the Year. It is 300 pages long.
Maurice Riordan is an Irish poet, translator, and editor.
Ted Dewan is an American-born British writer and illustrator of children's books who resides in England. He is best known as the creator of the award-winning book series, Bing, now adapted into an animated television series.
David Fisher was an award-winning English artist and designer based in Midsomer Norton, Somerset. He was a prolific designer and painter of pub signs before securing a unique commission to create vast murals to improve UK service stations. He has won many awards including the Holburne Museum of Art's portrait award. His work has been praised by Victoria Glendinning, Humphrey Ocean RA and John Leighton, Director of the National Galleries of Scotland.
Nathan Filer is a British writer best known for his debut novel, The Shock of the Fall. This won several major literary awards, including the Costa Book of the Year and the Betty Trask Prize. It was a Sunday Times Bestseller, and has been translated into thirty languages.
Charlotte Voake is a Welsh children's illustrator who has won several awards including the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in 1997.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
