Golden Treasury Champagne Party

David Schofield

On a cold, clear December night (2004), I went along to a champagne drinks party to celebrate the re-opening of the new enlarged Golden Treasury in Southfields, a suburb of London. You can see more info about this independent children's bookshop at www.thegoldentreasury.co.uk

I chatted with my author friends Cliff McNish, Marcus Sedgwick and Graham Marks and met authors Rose Wilkins and Mary Hooper. Ian Beck was there, too; he's an illustrator. You can see them all pictured below.

I also met an actor who was in the Oscar-winning film Gladiator! David Schofield (above right) played the part of Senator Falco. He told me some great stories about filming with director Ridley Scott. He and I are both huge fans of that director, so that was fab! David told me that when Oliver Reed died unexpectedly in the middle of filming, they had to change the end of the story. So they flew in a top Hollywood script-doctor. Now I can't confirm this, but David said he was there for a week and they paid him $150,000... per DAY! No wonder lots of my writer friends want to become screenwriters.

Golden Treasury Southfields 

above: kids' authors at the re-opening of the new improved Golden Treasury in Southfields. From top left clockwise: Ian Beck, Marcus Sedgwick, Graham Marks, Cliff McNish, Mary Hooper, Rose Wilkins, and Caroline Lawrence. Sadly, none of us earn $150,000 per day.

"Research" in Athens

The Fugitive from Corinth

I'm just finishing the first draft of book 10, The Fugitive from Corinth. This book will be more of a traditional mystery story in which the four friends track a desperate fugitive from Corinth to Delphi and finally to Athens. As the final draft is due in two months I don't have very much time to do my usual "research". So my husband Richard and I have decided to go to Athens for Christmas!

This is quite a gamble as the weather could be cold, even snowy. Or we could have what they used to call the 'Halcyon Days', sunny warm days right in the middle of winter. Whatever the weather, I know I'll get some good ideas and details for The Fugitive from Corinth, out October 2005.

Watch future pages of this blog for notes on Athens, Corinth and Delphi!

[The 17+ books in the Roman Mysteries series, including The Fugitive from Corinth, are perfect for children aged 9+, especially those studying Romans and/or Greeks as a topic in Key Stages 2 & 3. There are DVDs of some of the books as well as an interactive game.]