Jeremy Williams

Awards and end of year lists

December is that time of year when people review what they’ve been reading, and it’s been lovely to see Max Counts To A Million turning up in a few lists and awards.

Max was included in a Sunday Times list of stories to read your kids.
The Sparks School Book Award has Max at day 9 of their advent calendar of children’s books.
Leicester Libraries’ Our Best Book Award shortlisted Max as a favourite. The city’s children have good taste, obviously.
As do the children of Stockport, who named it one of their top three books of the year in their 2023 Children’s Book Awards.

Luton’s first literature festival is taking place on September 24th. There are workshops, readings and opportunities to meet authors – including Zanib Mian (Planet Omar), Steve Cole (Swarm Rising), and Luton’s own Sharna Jackson (High Rise Mysteries). Check out the list and see if there’s something you want to book in for.

I’ll be there too, at the authors, writers and illustrator’s fair in the Central Library, 11am – 6pm. This bit you don’t need to book in for, you just drop in for as long as you like. I’ll be there with a pop-up badge shop, so you can make a Max Counts to a Million themed badge to take away. There will be plenty of copies of Max around too if you want a signed copy, or just come and ask questions and have a chat.

See you there!

Greenbelt Festival

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Max Counts to a Million event at the Greenbelt Festival!

We had a good turnout at the Ta-Dah! family tent, where we worked out how long it would take to count to a million – with some epic maths. We heard some stories from the book, had a go at doing some weird and wonderful writing of our own, and then I did some signing over at the book tent.

Thanks for having me Greenbelt.

More Luton library events

I’m doing some more Luton library events this summer! Join me for stories, challenges, games and book-related silliness at the either or both of these:

Leagrave Library, Tuesday 16th August, 10:30-11.30

Stopsley Library, Thursday 18th August, 2-3pm

Both are free, and suitable for children 7-11ish.

If you haven’t read it yet, you could read Max Counts to a Million as part of the summer reading challenge. Bring all your questions along to the library and we’ll chat about it.

Stories in the peace garden

A special one-off event bringing together theatre, storytelling and games, for 5-9 year olds and their families. At the Peace Garden, High Town, Luton.

The theatre production includes excerpts of Max Counts to a Million, and there’s a Q+A with me afterwards.

Book a free ticket here.

Update: The event was great, and it was fun to see storytellers summarise the whole of Max… in such an engaging fashion. Thanks to the organisers and everyone who came along!

Event at Hitchin Library

During the Easter holidays I’m doing a ‘meet the author’ event at Hitchin library on Thursday 14th, in association with the lovely Next Page Books. Details on Eventbrite.

It’s free, it’ll be fun. Come along! And there’s a similar event at Luton Central Library on Monday 11th.

Event at Luton Central library

I’m doing two local library events during the Easter holidays. We’ll do some readings, some little activities, some Q+A stuff, all family friendly and suitable for all ages. Both are free and you can drop in on the day. Come along!

Event one is at Luton Central Libary on Monday 11th of April:

Event two is at Hitchin Central Library, details here.

The blog tour

Max Counts to a Million is on tour this week – a blog tour. What’s a blog tour, you may ask? It’s when a series of bloggers pass the baton from one to the next, taking it in turns to write about something. It gets you a series of perspectives on the same thing, a diversity of content from relevant enthusiasts.

In this case, it’s some of Britain’s finest teachers, librarians and children’s book champions.

I’ll round up all the links at the end of the week:

Wednesday: The Book Fairies
Thursday: Karen Wallee review
Friday: Guest post for Erin Lyn Hamilton
Monday: Competition with Tom Griffiths
Tuesday: Jo Cummins shares chapter one

Thanks to everyone who took part, and for celebrating Max and Operation Million!

Out with The Book Fairies!

It’s coming up on two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. To mark the occasion, on Wednesday 16th March, The Book Fairies hid copies of Max Counts to a Million around the country.

You know about the Book Fairies, right? They’re real and everything. Look, here is evidence of their activity:

Books were left in cafes, playgrounds, outside schools, at a swimming pool, a children’s hospital, and one in the capable hands of a statue in London.

I joined the fairies too, with copies left at the Luton bus interchange for children heading home on the bus after school.

If you love books and want to share them, you can be a book fairy too.

Win the book!

Two competitions you can enter to win a copy of Max Counts to a Million…

Over on the Nosy Crow Instagram, you can win a copy by following them and tagging your friends. You’ve got until 23rd March 2022 to do that.
UKmums.tv are offering an entire ‘Max bundle’ that includes the book, a rainbow neon light, Smarties and things. So that’s good. Closing date is 21st March.

Good luck!