With autumn in the air and the nights starting to draw in, it's time to put aside the sun loungers and long for spooky tales around the campfire - and who better to talk with about all things spooky than the brilliant Emma Carroll. The first in her brand new series of vampire books is out this month - Dracula and Daughters describes what happenswhen three cousins discover they’re descendants of Dracula and combine their powers to form a vampire healing company. Given that this comes from Emma, whose work was described as 'dangerous' by none other than Ted Hughes, it's going down big with Nadia and Frank. They might be full of bravado talking to Emma - but it's a shoo in that they'll both be too scared to sleep when it comes time for hitting the hammocks.
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57:22
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57:22
The Brilliant Quiz!
Nadia and Frank bring the island back to the fabulous Festival of Brilliant in Staffordshire where there's quizzing to be done. Frank joins his teammate - doodle-tactic Adeola Sokunbi of Destiny Ink fame - in the green room ahead of proceedings to quiz her about her own fabulous arrival in the world of children's books. Meanwhile Nadia's on the hunt for her own teammate, Christopher 'formerly of this parish' Edge, little knowing that Frank has locked him in an escape room. Fortunately Christopher has the Edge on Frank as he's a dab hand at escape rooms obvs - and is all ready to go when the first question's asked. None of this explains why Stuart Maconie is on scoring duty, but some things are best left alone.
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41:46
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41:46
Pari Thomson
Frank and Nadia have been busy knocking down some of the pre-fab buildings they've had delivered and hiding the plans for the cross-island superhighway they were so keen on - because the fabulous Pari Thomson, creator of the magical botanical paradise Greenwild - is heading shorewards on her lily-pad for a visit. No surprise that this series of eco-thrillers has been a massive success, they're exciting enough to even distract Frank from his one-man campaign to make poets read aloud better. No surprise either that Nadia is finally ready for some time alone.
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49:51
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49:51
Ranger Hamza
Ranger Hamza is in the house! Or would be if we had one. Frank and Nadia are all aflutter as Hamza comes in to land on the Island in the clutches of Assassin, the might Golden Eagle who lives round the corner from him in his Scottish home. Never takes the bins out but nobody dares mention it. With tales of pine marten poo, the superpower that is his dyslexia, and of course serious snack chat hamza offers something for everyone, and such is the enormity of his charm, intelligence and wit that two landlubbers who go by the names of Annabel and Lydia swim all the way out to the island to ask him some questions. Nadia and Frank might learn some proper interviewing techniques from them if they weren't too busy with their peurile Pogue pranks.
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1:05:17
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1:05:17
Charlie Higson
It's the one, it's the only... Charlie Higson!! Nadia's got a bit of a face on when she realises who's come to join her and Frank on the island, given that they've just created a book together, as this means breaking one of the island's golden rules - but soon she's ripping up said rule book (it's very thin) and eating it with glee as Charlie charms one and all with tales from his glorious career as a children's writer. If that's not enough, there are reflections on music and (semi?) quavers, and a race to the best James Bond dog pun, though all involved have to hang their heads in shame for missing Octopuppy.
Nadia Shireen and Frank Cottrell Boyce have been shipwrecked on the Island of Brilliant with nothing but a pair of hammocks, a pile of children’s books and the world’s greatest ukulele band (The Ukulele Uff Trio) to keep them going.
Everyone wants the best for their children. Everyone should know that reading for pleasure not only increases educational attainment but also helps build happiness and resilience. If you’re going to read for pleasure you need choice.
Nadia and Frank will be chatting about what’s new and brilliant in children’s writing with the help of visitors to the island and reviews delivered via sea-shell from the doyen of children’s literature critics, Emily Drabble from Book Trust.
Music: The Ukulele Uff Trio
Producer: Geoff Bird
New Zealand