• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
10 June, 2023
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home Arts and culture

Brighton author and illustrator shortlisted for Oscar’s prize

by Frank le Duc
Thursday May 7, 20 at 12:56PM
A A
1
Brighton author and illustrator shortlisted for Oscar’s prize

Self-portrait by Joe Todd-Stanton

An author and illustrator from Brighton has been shortlisted for a national award for one of his latest books.

Joe Todd-Stanton is one of six people on the shortlist for Oscar’s Book Prize for books aimed at pre-school children.

The judging panel includes former Brighton restaurant owner Dermot O’Leary who is famous for hosting The X Factor on ITV and who is also a children’s author.

Mr Todd-Stanton has been shortlisted for his book A Mouse Called Julian about an unlikely friendship between a mouse and a fox.

He will learn whether he has won the £5,000 prize, which was started in 2014, on Monday 25 May.

The prize is supported by the London Evening Standard newspaper and sponsored by the online retailer Amazon and the National Literacy Trust.

Mr Todd-Stanton was shortlisted in 2018 for his book The Secret of Black Rock. But, despite the local reference, his style owes more to Japanese anime and, in particular, Studio Ghibli than to the Brighton of his childhood.

He is also an admirer of classic children’s picture books such as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and the work of Sir Quentin Blake.

His recent reading has included Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs, the creator of the Snowman and Fungus the Bogeyman, who taught illustration in Brighton for 25 years.

Mr Todd-Stanton, who celebrated his 30th birthday with his flatmates under the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, grew up in Lincoln Street, Hanover.

He went to Downs infant and junior schools and Dorothy Stringer before studying for a BTEC qualification in art and design at City College – now known as the Met.

He credits his two years there with helping him to work out what he wanted to do – and he went on to graduate with a first-class honours degree in illustration from the University of the West of England in Bristol.

Joe Todd-Stanton

With five books of his own in print – he has also illustrated other writers’ work – Mr Todd-Stanton has a new book out later this year called Bear.

The story is by screenwriter Ben Queen, who wrote the script for the Pixar film Cars 2 and was the co-writer of Cars 3 and the Rob Lowe film Proximity.

Mr Todd-Stanton’s first book – Arthur and the Golden Rope – was published just five years ago. His second Oscar’s shortlisting is an indication of his growing reputation.

He is hungry to come up with “a holy grail book” – like Where the Wild Things Are – and he said: “You always shoot for the stars and never quite make it.”

But it’s the spur to keep trying – and Mr Todd-Stanton seems to have many more stories that he wants to put down on paper.

Self-portrait by Joe Todd-Stanton

The story of A Mouse Called Julian was described on the Amazon website. It said: “Julian is a mouse who is perfectly happy avoiding other animals. They seem to just get in the way and sometimes even try to eat him.

“But one day, Julian has an unexpected dinner guest … When the fox tries to sneak into Julian’s burrow for a tasty bite of mouse, it finds itself stuck headfirst in Julian’s front door.

“At first alarmed and wary, they soon find themselves having a lovely dinner together, and it’s not long before each realises that they have found in the other a lifelong friend.”

Mr Todd-Stanton said on Twitter: “Amazed to find out my book A Mouse Called Julian has been shortlisted for Oscar’s Book Prize. Such a special event to be a part of. Thank you to the judges and to everyone at @oscarsbookprize.”

A Mouse Called Julian was published in 2019 by Flying Eye Books, of London. The 40-page hardback has a recommended retail price of £11.99.

ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Comments 1

  1. Anthony Britton says:
    3 years ago

    i have not read this gentlemans book, but my wife is an author. So i applaud more authors being acknowledged for their great works. writing truly is an art.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Anthony Britton Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

Sinkhole opens up in The Lanes

Seafront café can be rebuilt with indoor seating

Montreal Arms scaffolding comes down

Brighton car park can be turned into floodlit all-weather football pitches

Councillors to visit bowls club before deciding revamp plan

Large blaze breaks out in Brighton

Brighton police seize 1kg of cocaine at campsite

With reluctance, we had to cancel Brighton Carnival, says council chief

Brighton i360 given permission for shipping containers to host virtual cricket

Modern classrooms to replace old huts at college in Brighton

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
Xiu Xiu transfix Brighton gig goers

Xiu Xiu transfix Brighton gig goers

10 June 2023
Discovering new music talent in Brighton

Discovering new music talent in Brighton

10 June 2023
‘LaLaLa It’s The Good Life’ for Audiobooks – Brighton gig report

‘LaLaLa It’s The Good Life’ for Audiobooks – Brighton gig report

9 June 2023
Glastonwick festival review

Glastonwick festival review

8 June 2023
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Southern Vipers thrash Thunder by eight wickets at Hove

Southern Vipers make Charlotte Edwards Cup final with win over Thunder

by Alex Smith
10 June 2023
0

Southern Vipers 191-6 beat Thunder 173-8 by 18 runs Danni Wyatt and Maia Bouchier smashed explosive fifties to set the...

Bruce on the Boundary – Robinson ready to take the next step

Bruce on the Boundary: Sussex face a challenging spell all round

by Bruce Talbot
10 June 2023
0

In a schedule that hasn’t made sense for years, it comes as no surprise that smack bang in the middle...

Sussex Sharks open T20 Blast with a win

Surrey demolish Sussex Sharks in T20 Blast at Hove

by Will Symons
9 June 2023
0

Sussex 134 all out Surrey 258-6 Surrey win by 124 runs In a commanding batting display, Surrey hit their highest...

Bowls club faces rematch with planners over proposed revamp

Councillors to visit bowls club before deciding revamp plan

by Sarah Booker-Lewis - local democracy reporter
8 June 2023
0

Councillors have agreed to visit a bowls club so that they can find out more about the effects on neighbours...

Load More
May 2020
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr   Jun »
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and culture
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.