The Diary of a Tame Otter

Daphne Neville, who is protrayed in 'Funnily Enough', is still working as a conservationist. You can hear her speak about otters and meet her hand-reared Asian short-clawed otter Rudi this summer. They will be appearing at various country shows, talking to farmers and land owners about how it is possible to encourage otters to return to rural watercourses and chatting to families about the thirteen different species of otters to be found worldwide.

Come to meet Rudi-the-Otter at:

Thursday 3rd August at the Honiton Agricultural Show in East Devon

Thursday 24th August at the Melplash Show near Bridport in South Devon

Saturday 26th-28th August at the Aylsham Show in Norfolk

Sunday 10th September at Frampton Country Fair in south Gloucestershire

Sat 16th and Sun 17th September at the Royal County of Berkshire Show near Newbury

26th Spetember to 1st October at Countryside Learning at Lee Valley in north London.

You can read about the adventures of Daphne's tame otters in her memoir 'Bee a particular Otter' available on Amazon

Taking friends to the Curious Arts Festival

~Author Sophie Neville with her curious creature~

I am excited about taking a gang of friends to the Curious Arts Festival in the New Forest on the south coast of England - a fabulous event for anyone who loves books, music and the great outdoors, along with a few exotic cocktails and eccentricities thrown in. 

We are hoping to be able to listen to authors Joanna Trollope and Rick Stroud talk about their new books before spending the afternoon foraging in the grounds of Pylwell Park where the event is taking place. I'm please so say I can take the dog.

They also have the playwright Christopher Hampson, Historian Peter Frankopan who has bought out an aclaimed book on 'The Silk Roads', Dave Eggars from San Francisco, bestselling author Matt Haig, Murray Lachlan Young, journalist Lynn Barber, Vendala Vida, Eimear McBride, andrew O'Hagan, poet Max Wallis, Daniel Cole, Richard Beard, Jess Kidd, Hari Kunzru, Bella Pollen, Robert McCrum, Tom Hocknell, the Emergency Poet and many others will be speaking about their books. 

Some people make a long weekend and camp for two nights. We are taking gumboots and a selection of hats so that we can enjoy a day that promises to end with comic entertainment and the legendary John Illsley of Dire Straits fame playing in a circus tent.  

You can find more information on the Curious Arts Festival's website here

Author Sophie Neville profiled in Country Life magazine

Country Life has become one of the icons of the United Kingdom. A weekly magazine and showcase for the most sort after houses in the realm, it takes pride in our rich literary heritage. This year, VisitEngland are celebrating the life of Arthur Ransome who died 50 years ago, leaving us a legacy of inspirational books about fishing, sailing and exploring the great outdoors.

Feature writer Octavia Pollock returned from San Francisco longing to sail in British waters. She was intrigued to hear that I was a member of the Nancy Blackett Trust and that it was possible to grab a chance to enjoy a weekend aboard Arthur Ransome's favourite little yacht, a 28 foot cutter that he bought with 'Spainish gold' - which is what he called publisher's royalties from his Swallows and Amazons series of books.  

'Funnily Enough' chronicles the time that I spent making the classic movie of 'Swallows and Amazons' back in 1973. Octavia enjoyed the book on 'The Making of Swallows and Amazons' and relished the fact that you can sail Swallow, the dinghy that starred in the film.

Although first released in cinemas in 1974, the British movie was broadcast in Australia on 9th July this year and can be purchased on DVD or Blu-ray to take you sailing back into memories of you youth.

 

Announcing the publication of the second edition of 'The Making of Swallows and Amazons'

~ Author Sophie Neville: photo Westmorland Gazette ~

The paperback of 'The Making of Swallows and Amazons' sold so well that The Lutterworth Press have recently published a second edition in paperback. This beautifully designed and much improved version includes a few more stories that floated to the surface. It also has a new cover evocative of the 1974 film of  'Swallows and Amazons' that is still broadcast on television today.

This second edition of the book, available on Amazon, at Waterstones and other bookshops, can be ordered for libraries worldwide. Although amusing holiday reading it makes a good introduction to Media Studies, Drama or acting courses as it is based on the diary of a little girl who suddenly find herself starring in a major British movie.

~ Sophie Neville as Titty Walker in 1974 ~ 

This edition of the filmography includes a few photographs that have not been seen before including a portrait of Virginia McKenna, the star of the film, taken by Philip Hatfield when she was at the unit hotel in the Lake District where the movie was made in the summer of 1973. She can be seen here in a still taken from a review of the film on Blu-ray.

~ Virginia McKenna as Mrs Walker in Swallows & Amazons (1974) ~

~ Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville in Swallows & Amazons (1974) ~

~ The Swallows in their tent ~

The second edition of the illustrated ebook is also out - under the title 'The Secrets of Filming Swallows & Amazons' by Sophie Neville, available on Amazon, Smashwords, itunes, Kobo and other providers. This ebook has links to unique behind-the-scenes cine footage taken on location and retails at only £2.99

The 40th anniversary DVD and Bluray of this Vintage Classic, distributed by StudioCanal, can be purchased online or ordered with the paperback from your local library. Virginia McKenna, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville apear in the DVD Extras package, recollecting how the film was made and what it was like to work with the director, Claude Whatham.

To read more about 'Swallows & Amazons' news, events and activities, please see Sophie Neville's website here