I put everything I know and everything I love into Phoenix, because I believe the books we read when we're young are the most important ones of all. They shape the way we see the world, and they stay with us forever. Maybe that's why it takes me so long to write each book! As I say, Phoenix took seven years, and possibly a lifetime. It was worth it though, because in the end, it's a book I really want to read myself. And if want to know more about why it took me 7 years to write - here's something I wrote for kids about the writing process - it contains a comparison of an early draft of Phoenix with the final draft. I hope your students (and you!) will find it interesting. I am the BFG and I don’t like bullies who hurt other cats. There was a little girl called Sophie, now she was saying you’re naughty two cats! Let’s take you home.” If you want to know more about where the idea for Phoenix came from, here's something I wrote about it: I've found that when you talk to children about reading and writing in those terms - as something that connects to their love of stories, whether those stories are in books, films, TV or other forms altogether - they will often amaze you with their enthusiasm and creativity.

Phoenix by S F Said (9780385618144/Hardback) - LoveReading4Kids Phoenix by S F Said (9780385618144/Hardback) - LoveReading4Kids

Not only does it break new territory – epic space adventures are, after all, not in abundance on the children’s shelf – but it is layered with depth and meaning right from the get go. A touching, meaningful story for children and adults alike" – Interzone So my message to your students is to think about what story they would most like to have, if they could have any story at all - and then to write those stories themselves! Here's a blog I made to help young people with the process - it covers everything from having ideas, to writing first drafts, to editing them. I hope they find it useful! He is heading on a journey filled with both excitement and hazard, where humans and strange aliens are both deadly enemies. He is searching for solutions to end this long-lasting conflict, helped by an unusual alien warrior girl. By working together, these two people must, even though they are from different species, find a way to help save the galaxy. Together, they can save the whole universe from danger! Will they succeed in this, or will the whole galaxy face a catastrophic war… forever? SF Said is an award-winning author. He was born in Lebanon in 1967, but has lived in London since he was 2 years old. He wrote his first novel, Varjak Paw (2003), while working as a speechwriter for the Crown Prince of Jordan, and then as an arts journalist and film programmer.To Barry - thank you so much for that amazing comment, and please thank Mili for me too! Phoenix took 7 years to write, but things like that make all the hard work worthwhile! If you could talk to the King Theobroma or President Thorntree about their war and the attitudes of their peoples to each other what would you say?

Phoenix by SF Said – review | Children and teenagers | The

Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - However, when I get the chance, I love to read to my little sister. The first books I read to her was your incredible Varjak Paw duology. I should point out that she's not much of a fiction reader herself, and yet she loved both books and was sad (as I was) to see them come to an end. It was incredible to read the stories again, and understand them on a deeper level now that I'm older. I got actual chills reading through the endings of books 1 and 2 for what might possibly be the hundredth time. https://www.booktrust.org.uk/whats-happening/blogs/2017/august/bookbuzz-author-blog-s.f.-said---the-epic-story-of-phoenix/ Questions like that have stayed with me, my whole life long. And the more we've learned about the science of the universe, the more amazing it seems. I wanted to get all that into a book, so Phoenix is a book full of stars; it really does contain a whole galaxy. If you have any advice for those who would like to become an author, what advice would you give them?

Varjak Paw

First things first, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this one; a true science-fiction epic that takes us on a journey across the stars.