Wednesday 13 June 2018

Stepping Away from the Edge


Seven years ago, eight young adult authors joined forces to create the Edge – a group of UK-based authors writing sharp fiction for young adults and teens. Together we hosted events, visited schools, shared our love for books and writing via our blog, and even created an anthology together.

When we created the Edge most of us were newly published writers with only one book with our name on the spine. Now we have more than 50 books published around the world. We have decided it’s time to bid a fond farewell to the Edge. Thanks to all of you who have supported us, invited us into your schools and libraries, and engaged us in discussion. We won’t be updating our website or actively seeking speaking engagements together, but the resources on the website will remain.

Buy the anthology
From the perils of online chat rooms, doping in sport, racism and terrorism, to gender and self-esteem issues, love, life and death – Stories from The Edge isn’t afraid to ask some big questions. Click here to order your copy.

Engage in Discussion
We’ve created discussion guides for each story in the anthology. You can download them for free here.

Browse our Blog Posts
Use the search box to the right to browse our nearly 250 blog posts, covering issues important to us and at the heart of our stories, as well as insights into writing and reading books for young adults.

Stay in Touch
Visit our individual websites for more information about us, what we’re writing, what we’re doing and how you can contact us:
Dave Cousins -- www.davecousins.net
Karen David – kerendavid.com
Sara Grant – www.sara-grant.com
Miriam Halahmy – www.miriamhalahmy.com
Savita Kalhan – www.savitakalhan.com
Bryony Pearce – www.bryonypearce.co.uk
Paula Rawsthorne – www.paularawsthorne.wordpress.com

We hope you keep supporting us and our work – and more importantly reading and writing!

Thank you,
The Edge (June 2018)

Tuesday 9 August 2016

Stories from The Edge Blog Tour Round-up

In case you missed it — here is a handy round-up of all of the stops on our recent Stories from The Edge blog tour.

Find out why a visit to a local school scared Bryony Pearce 'half to death' and inspired her to write Face2Face at YA YEAH YEAH

Paula Rawsthorne's interview with
TALES OF YESTERDAY

Dave Cousins reveals the inspiration for Magpie Soup at
SERENDIPITY REVIEWS

Sara Grant takes the power of the short story to
LUNA'S LITTLE LIBRARY

Savita Kalhan talks genies with
SISTER SPOOKY

Miriam Halahmy discusses peace with
NINJAS READ TOO

Keren David explains how a character from one of her novels demanded his own story to the BIBLIOMANIAC

Katie Dale delves into the darker side of social media with
TEEN BOOK HOOTS

Huge thanks to all the bloggers for hosting a spot on the tour. 

Click here to read more about Stories from The Edge, or here to buy a copy.

Thanks and happy reading, The Edge.

Monday 18 July 2016

Publication day: Stories from the Edge


The Edge is proud to announce that our anthology of eight short stories, Stories from the Edge, written by eight award-winning UK YA authors with the aim of entertaining, enticing and educating, is now available to buy from Amazon, Albury books, or Browns Books for Students.

We wanted our anthology to be both something that teens can dip in and out of for fun, as well as something that could be used as an educational tool in the classroom. Therefore, alongside our stories, which cover issues such as internet safety, bereavement, terrorism, racism and drug taking, we have produced teaching notes (including discussion points and facts), which are available to download for free.

Stories from The Edge isn't afraid to ask some big questions. Sometimes frightening, often funny, always brutally honest, these stories will take you to where the shadows are darkest and the ground drops away. The question is, are you prepared to look over the edge?

For more information on each story, do follow our blog tour. In our first one, on July 19th, Bryony Pearce tells YA Yeah Yeah exactly why she chose to write about Internet safety.

We hope you enjoy reading our stories as much as we enjoyed writing them.

Do contact us if you would like more information.
The Edge.

Friday 15 July 2016

A brand new collection of gripping, thought-provoking short stories from The Edge . . .


From the perils of online chat rooms, doping in sport, racism and terrorism, to gender and self-esteem issues, love, life and deathStories from The Edge isn't afraid to ask some big questions.

Sometimes frightening, often funny, always brutally honest, these stories will take you to where the shadows are darkest and the ground drops away.

The question is . . . are you prepared to look over the edge?

Out now in paperback and eBook.

“The short story is a very powerful weapon in the hands of a librarian or teacher . . . I guarantee that these stories will leave readers gasping for more. But most importantly they will get teen readers thinking and talking.” — Joy Court, Chair: CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals; Reviews Editor: The School Librarian


Discussion Guides for exploring each of the stories with students are available as a FREE PDF downloads.
Click the links below to download the guides.


If you have any problems downloading the files, please email: edgewriters(AT)yahoo.co.uk

We hope you enjoy our Stories from The Edge!

Monday 4 July 2016

STORIES FROM THE EDGE - COVER REVEAL!

Here it is!


With a special introduction from Joy Court, Chair of CILIP Carnegie Children's Book Award - "I guarantee that these stories will leave readers gasping for more..."


Stories from The Edge is available in paperback and eBook from 15th July 2016.

We're going on a blog tour too!


More details soon...

Monday 30 May 2016

Something's Coming From the Edge...

Over the last year the Edge authors have been working on a very exciting idea! 

It was an idea that grabbed us all. It made us think about writing in a different form, a form that might be interesting and exciting for us as well as teen readers, young adult readers, schools, libraries, and pretty much anyone who loves to read teen or young adult fiction.

We've almost reached the final stages of taking the original idea and developing it into something new and different.

Things we can tell you now:
There will be books!
There will be events!
There will be EIGHT stories!

But keep it under your hat for now.

Much more will be revealed later, so stay tuned...



Friday 15 April 2016

Chasing an idea

EDGE Author Sara Grant shares the evolution of her new series Chasing Danger

When I visit schools, I’m often asked, “How long does it take to write a book?” My answer: A lifetime.

And that is literally true of my new action-adventure series for teens – Chasing Danger.

I wrote my first story when I was eight years old. It wasn’t an assignment. A story popped into my brain and begged to be written. The story was titled “A Dream I Wish Was True” and was about how eight-year-old me got to meet my favourite movie star. I dedicated it to that actress – the late, great Farrah Fawett Majors.

As you might have guessed I was a super fan of the TV show Charlie’s Angels. It had smart, strong, feisty – and yeah, gorgeous – women at the heart of the action. I’ve always wanted to write a story that would give middle grade readers the same experience I had when I watched Jill, Kris, Kelly and Sabrina in the 1970s – and I think I’ve accomplished it with Chasing Danger.


This new series combines smart, strong, feisty girl heroes with exotic locations and lots of action and adventure.


About Chasing Danger
“I couldn’t shake the feeling that this vacation might actually kill me.”
 
When fourteen-year-old Chase Armstrong is sent to visit her grandmother at a remote tropical resort, she’s looking forward to sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling. The last thing she expects is danger. But she’s in for some surprises. She discovers another girl hiding out on the island and uncovers a devastating secret about the mum she’s never known. When modern-day pirates attack the island, it’s up to Chase to outrun, out-think and outfight the pirates . . . before it’s too late!
 
For me, writing a book is like piecing together a puzzle. I know how I want the final project to ‘look’, but finding the right characters, plot and setting takes patience, persistence and imagination. Over the years, I’ve experimented with many mysteries, thrillers and action plots. It never really fell into place until now.
 
When I speak to wannabe writers – whether they ten or sixty years old – I always encourage them to make their writing personal. Why are you writing this story and why are you the only person who can write it? When searching for an idea, I ask writers:
 
O     What are two or three of your favourite books, movies or TV programmes?
 
O     What genre of story do you prefer?
 
O     What are your hobbies or talents (or what do you wish they were)?
 
O     Where is your favourite place or the place you’d most like to visit?
 
O     What issues or topics are you passionate about?
 
I ask them to mine their answers to these questions for a story idea. For example, if the response to the first question is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. How can you combine what you love about these stories to spark an idea? If you are writing for children/teens, you might want to respond to these questions as if you were the age of your reader.
 
If you are testing an idea or wondering what to write next, I always recall this quote from Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman from The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters:
“The trick is to be connected to the material of your imagination, thematically and concretely, write what interests you because if you’re not fascinated and excited by the writing of the script, the reader won’t be fascinated and excited by the reading of it. Try to find something in the idea that speaks to your own life, something you think is authentic, true, compelling in your story.”
 
I’m having a blast writing Chasing Danger. I hope that my passion and enjoyment is somehow infused into each page. And if you're a writer, I wish you the same experience
 
 


 
About Sara
Sara Grant has worked on both sides of the editorial desk. She has inspired and edited nearly 100 books for children. Last week Chasing Danger – her new action-adventure series for tweens – was published by Scholastic. Her two YA novels – Dark Parties (SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner, Europe) and Half Lives – are futuristic thrillers. She also writes a funny magical series for young readers – Magic Trix. She leads writing workshops in the US, UK and Europe as part of Book Bound and lectures at Goldsmiths. Website: www.sara-grant.com Twitter: @authorsaragrant