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You are here: Home / Archives for Books / Pigsticks and Harold

Pigsticks and Harold

Pigsticks and Harold: Harold and Granny Pickle – Free Book

10 May, 2021 by Alex

My mum died from a rare form of cancer in 2014. Her death shocked everyone who knew her. At the time, I found it particularly difficult talking about it to my young daughters and nieces.

In trying to broach the subject, and somehow explain how a person lives on in memories and the things you do every day, I wrote a story about Harold the Hamster and his granny. It talks about what happens when someone you know and love isn’t there anymore.

Writing it was as difficult as you would imagine! Although this story is deeply personal to me, I hope it will resonate with you, and maybe help children understand and come to terms with losing a loved one.

You can download the free PDF here.

Filed Under: Books, Free Books, Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: alex milway, Freebies

Art Classes with Alex Milway

21 October, 2020 by Alex

Half term is upon us already! Who can believe it?! If you’re stuck in lockdown, I thought you might enjoy this series of videos I made, which are up on my YouTube channel.

As well as silly songs, word games and a reading from one of my books, each video has a ‘How to Draw’ section, where I take you through the simple techniques I use to draw some of my most-loved characters (including Harold from Pigsticks and Harold and T. Bear and Madame Le Pig from Hotel Flamingo.)

How to Draw T. Bear

How to Draw Harold The Hamster

How to Draw Madame Le Pig

x

Alex


Win a Pin Badge!

If you draw one the characters, please do send me a photo! I can’t promise to reply to every message, but I promise I will look at them all.

If you send to me by 1 November at 5pm I’ll pick one and send out an enamel pin badge from my new Alex Milway Shop! [COMPETITION NOW CLOSED]

Filed Under: Books, Competitions, Hotel Flamingo, Pigsticks and Harold

Endings and beginnings. And Pigsticks

13 June, 2016 by Alex

robin background 2

Has it really been a year?!

Too much has happened and I have no excuses for not blogging. Well, apart from dealing with everything life throws at a person, of course. (And the fact I forgot my password log-in.) So, time for a catch-up methinks!

Young Robin Hood Series

I hadn’t talked much about it, but I’d been working steadily on a series of books about a young Robin Hood. They concerned BIG details about the character, such as him learning to fire a bow, light a fire, and survive as an outlaw – things that I don’t think we’ve ever seen before.

The trilogy began with Robin’s father dying, which proved problematic as during the writing I found out my mother had incurable cancer. I suppose the story and real life became intertwined in some way, and I found writing about a boy’s feelings concerning losing a parent was a bit too close to the bone. So when I used the word ‘steadily’ to describe my work rate, it was more stop and go. But the publisher and editor were really understanding.

Mum died, I grieved, things moved on, and eventually we were happy with book one. Book two, in contrast, was easy to write. It contained a huge battle at the end – one which I thought was probably the most exciting thing I’d ever written.

And earlier in 2016, I was close to finishing the final part in the series when I heard that the publisher no longer wanted the books. They were trimming their list.

It’s a very strange situation to find yourself in. The cathartic nature of battling through difficult work and finally succeeding in reaching the end was not to be mine. However, I do now sit with an unpublished trilogy of books about Robin Hood growing up in Sherwood. Who wants them?

So, that’s Robin out of the way.

What else happened? I set up This Book is Funny, which was successful, and is back on the road again for 2016.

I travelled the world. I visited the US and China, making school visits and talking about my books. I’ve been back to China once more in this time, and made some terrific friends. I also now know that Pigsticks and Harold will be published in China, which is a wonderful thing. I cannot wait to see how they treat it.

Of course, Pigsticks and Harold have a new book out – Pigsticks and Harold and the Pirate Treasure! We’ve started getting some lovely reviews, and I think this is my favourite of the series so far.

9781406346053

Now then, there is much more to say, but that can wait for a bit. Events are coming up, as well as new stories, and I am dead keen to write some ‘How-to’ posts about my model-making. I’ll be doing those soon.

So, for now, thanks for reading.

Filed Under: News, Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: harold, pigsticks, Pigsticks and Harold and the Pirate Treasure, Robin Hood

Pigsticks and Harold and the Cybils nomination

5 January, 2015 by Alex

It’s been a while since I last posted, much has changed – especially the length of my hair – but much remains the same. I’m writing and reading lots, jotting down ideas and planning ahead. I can already sense that there won’t be enough months in 2015.

However, in some exciting news, Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey is up for a Cybil! It’s a finalist in the Easy Readers category. This has come as a complete surprise and is utterly wonderful.

Hooray for Pigsticks and hooray for the Cybils!

Filed Under: Books, News, Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: Cybils 2014, pigsticks and harold

A new hat, a new me!

11 October, 2014 by Alex

In the latest instalment, I show off my new hat and discuss the lovely Mumsnet Book of Animal stories.
Also, I get to show off some new LEGO Minifigures, which are currently making me very happy.

Filed Under: Pigsticks and Harold, Videos Tagged With: mumsnet book of animal stories, pigsticks and harold, video diary

A new video diary! And a Pigsticks model…

11 September, 2014 by Alex

Well, another week and another diary. This time I show off a few of the Pigsticks roughs that I’ve been working on. I also reveal a finished diorama of Pigsticks and Harold (and a grumpy Bobbins) in detective mode!

Filed Under: Pigsticks and Harold, Videos Tagged With: pigsticks and harold, video diary

My very first video diary!

1 September, 2014 by Alex

It seemed like a good thing to do! Long may these diary entries run.

Filed Under: moomin lego, News, Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: alex milway, pigsticks and harold, video diary

On dealing with grief and writing about pigs and hamsters

11 August, 2014 by Alex

P&H 2 realIt’s only been two months, but I’m starting to come to terms with the routine of life once more, after the death of my mother. Children and work are enough to think about without dealing with loss of a parent, but I’ve been surprised how it really has made things go a little topsy turvy.

Normally, because of the thorough process I go through to plan a book, I first proofread essay online and then I find it relatively easy to type and write at a minute’s notice – a necessity when being a parent. The plot and structure’s all in place, and I just need to pick up my fingers and type. But grief put pay to that. Maybe it was because the book I was writing dealt with a child seeking vengeance and closure after the murder of a parent? Maybe it was too dark a storyline? I wanted to work and make good use of my time, but grief just stopped me in my tracks.

So I stopped writing and simply let myself draw and draw and draw. Drawing was a tonic, even if I gravitated time and again towards sad-looking hamsters. Harold seemed to know what I was going through, and was the best person to show those emotions.

It’s funny how people always say you should write about what you know. Well, I was now in the position to know about cancer, so I could have attempted a book about that and stood a chance of getting longlisted for awards. Cancer books won prizes, didn’t they? But actually, I couldn’t write about that.

The thing that got me writing was something joyful and happy. It was a story about my dear friends Pigsticks and Harold, and it was their friendship, and sense of fun that got the wheels turning. Pigsticks is so positive, and just wants to live his life to the full – what could be a better spark than that. And Harold is so gentle and tender, and full of worry and care for everything. They’ve been at the heart of me getting back to work. They’ve even made me realise what it is I truly love about my job.

So anyway, I dedicated their second story – The Tuptown Thief – to my mum and dad, knowing at the time that mum was dying. She never got a chance to read it. I think she would have liked the fact that it was basically a Miss Marple story, set in Pigsticks’ world.

I’ve just received an advance copy, and I’m really happy to have it here in my hands. A lot’s happened in the few short months since it went to print.

Filed Under: News, Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: cancer, grief, pigsticks and harold, the tuptown thief

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Latest book out now!

Big Sky Mountain

By Alex Milway

Welcome to Big Sky Mountain: a home for everyone!

Rosa has come from the city to live with Grandma Nan in the wilds of Big Sky Mountain. And what surprises are in store for her! Grandma Nan is not exactly an ordinary grandma, and Big Sky Mountain is like nowhere Rosa has dreamed about before. Grandma Nan lives in an old wooden cabin with Albert the moose and Little Pig the pygmy owl, and spends every day out on adventures. From canoeing down rapids to making friends with the local animals, life never stays still for long on Big Sky Mountain!

An exhilarating new series set in the great outdoors, from HOTEL FLAMINGO author Alex Milway.

An excellent early reader book for children aged 4-8

Funny and charming; Alex Milway has made me want to fly right into Big Sky Mountain myself. – Andy Shepherd, author of The Boy Who Grew Dragons

I want to go to Big Sky Mountain! It’s the rugged wilderness, but much softened by a comfy bear who’s a travelling salesman, a moody architect hare and some busy builder beavers who still have to learn about how to get along with the rest of the community. – Sarah McIntyre, illustrator of Pugs of the Frozen North

This is a perfect, big-hearted adventure story, with pictures and laughs on every page and an environmental message delivered with the lightest touch. Once you have met the wonderful cast of talking animals, warmed to Nan’s peculiar ways and found your feet in the wilderness, like Rosa you’ll never want to leave Big Sky Mountain. – Clara Vulliamy

As a HUGE fan of feisty grandmothers I LOVED Grandma Nan in Big Sky Mountain! Wise, capable and fearless, she is the perfect role model for her granddaughter Rosa. A wild adventure with an important message, bravo! – Sophy Henn, author and illustrator of Bad Nana

The perfect adventure to rewild young readers – Benji Davies, author and illustrator of Grandad’s Island

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