Hello New Followers

I’ve had lots of new followers and visitors to my website lately, so I thought it might be useful to share the information from the About page on my website and tell you a little bit more about myself.

So here goes, The Truth About Marie Basting. Please don’t laugh at my webbed feet.

Marie Basting writes funny books for children – so funny a devoted reader in Rochdale once laughed so hard their head fell off. OK, that is a big fat lie, but Marie mostly speaks the truth except on Tuesdays when she teaches synchronised swimming to mermaids and helps out at a shelter for homeless goblins.

46479349_10157724523207195_8904076183725932544_o (1)

On Wednesdays Marie hunts boggarts with her friend Zana the brave.

Marie has written two novels, Princess BMX and My Family And Other Romans, but she plans to write lots more as soon as she has finished watching Adventure Time. Marie loves Adventure Time because, like her first book, Princess BMX, it is a kind of modern fairy tale, and Marie wants to show children that magic is everywhere even if it is sometimes hard to find. That sounds corny but trust me it is not as corny as Marie’s feet.

cropped-bmx-shot1.jpg

Marie posing with a BMX.

Marie had the idea for Princess BMX while watching BMXers at Undercroft skate park on the South Bank. When Marie was a kid, BMX was for boys and she wasn’t brave enough to try extreme sports anyway. Not being brave or confident enough was a bit of a theme for Marie, but the good news is she eventually got over this and decided she wouldn’t let fear hold her back anymore. She gave up her job and decided to write books about children who have amazing adventures and learn to be true to themselves. The bad news is Marie is absolutely rubbish at BMX.  Hopefully, her books are better. You decide.

Marie posing at Undercroft Skate Park.

Marie’s second book, My Family and Other Romans, was inspired by a dream: red-caped legionaries glowing amber as they boarded a gleaming silver bullet train. The train never made it into the story, but the Roman soldiers did, along with a baby cyclops, surfer dude centurion, various Roman gods and a double serving of stuffed dormice and flamingo tongues.

Marie posing with innocent school children she has dressed up in silly costumes.

When Marie isn’t writing or watching the telly, you’ll probably find her mooching around Manchester with her husband, son and most unusual of pets, Polly Woo. As you can see, Polly is a very rare cross between a womble and a wookie.

Pollycrazywoo

Polly the Wookie Womble Woo.

Chewbacca is Polly’s favorite film star EVER but so far he has ignored her marriage proposals which Marie thinks is rather rude. Polly, however, won’t have a word said against Chewy and figures he’s too busy saving the galaxy to reply to her letters. Whatever you do, don’t get your relationship advice from Polly.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is giphy-1.gif



Like Chewy, Marie grew up in a galaxy far far away. Well, it was far away from Chewy at least. Born in Liverpool, to a fairy prince and a time travelling minstrel called Ethel, she moved to Runcorn when she was nine-years-old. Her brother has superhuman powers, but he is a bit shy so she can’t talk about them here. Her dog Snowie was the naughtiest dog ever and once interrupted a police dog display at her school. Marie, however, was always well behaved and denies ever locking her teacher in a cupboard.  The last thing you should know about Marie is that she has zillions of cousins and every single one of them has webbed feet.  If they eat after midnight nothing happens.

Marie loves visiting readers and frequently offer discounts to schools in Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Halton and the Wirral who book her for school visits. Find out more here.

And we have lift off – come join the fun!

I did it! After four long years, I finally released my second book. I have had a brilliant few weeks touring schools and bookshops and I even got to spend launch day with the brilliant team from How Brave is the Wren bookshop at their Word Play festival. Extra bonus, I made it home in time for a cocktail that matched my book cover.

I’ve loved every minute of it, especially the interaction with children. The bum wipe sponges and elf ears have gone down a treat and I have already encouraged thousands of junior LARP warriors to find their inner brave.

I’m looking forward to doing it all again in September when as well as my Rome Play assembly I’ll be offering a range of workshops to schools and festivals. Visit my events page for more details.

You can also now download a comprehensive chapter by chapter My Family And Other Romans teacher guide. Created by Adamma Okonkwo, it is packed with cross-curricular activities and writing opportunities.

my-family-and-other-romans-teaching-resources-compressed-1Download

My Family and Other Romans is widely available in bookshops and online or you can order a signed and dedicated copy from my local independent bookstore Chorlton Bookshop. Just email or call and they’ll sort the rest.

Thanks so much to all the bookshops, bloggers, schools and friends who have supported me over the last few weeks!

My Family and Other Romans School Visits

I’m super excited to be taking bookings for my new My Family And Other Romans school and festival events – perfect for anyone teaching the Romans or looking to improve reading and writing for pleasure.

I’ve pasted a little taster of the assembly event below but you’ll find full details on my events page or download this handy PDF.

events-and-school-visits-with-marie-basting-my-family-and-other-romans-v-2Download

Rome Play! A Fun Interactive Assembly for KS2

How do you take history and myth and mix it up with live action role play (LARP) to create a hilarious timeslip adventure? Marie Basting will reveal all:
• See exclusive photos of Marie’s bad haircuts as you learn about her writing journey;
• Explore Hadrian’s wall and find out where you can visit Marie’s favourite Roman toilet,
• Test your knowledge of bizarre and disgusting Roman facts;
• Discover your inner LARP warrior as you join battle of the war cries;
• And find out just how easy creative writing can be when you defy the limits others put on you, fire your imagination and mix things up! (Includes creative writing and drawing challenge.)

My Family and Other Romans is out 8th June with Chicken House books with these events running from there on in!

Coming Soon – My Family and Other Romans

I’m so excited to finally be able to share details of my next middle-grade novel, My Family and Other Romans, released 8th June by Chicken House Books.


Just look at the gorgeous cover by Flavia Sorrentino! Flavia also did the cover for my debut novel, Princess BMX, and I was so happy when I heard she was up for working on this one too – especially given she’s a genuine Roman! You can find out more about Flavia here. As for what’s inside the glorious cover jacket, here’s the blurb:

Silvia just wants to fit in. So, being catapulted back to Ancient Rome and finding out her mum is a war goddess is not part of the plan. As for the rest of the family – her sister is a cyclops, her uncle is building an army, and her role-play obsessed dad is now a lava soldier.

And to top it all, the Romans seem to think she’s some sort of chosen one – the fate of the world resting on her shoulders. Seriously, this is worse than double maths! Can Silvia embrace her differences and sort this mess out?

· A laugh-out-loud family caper full of excitement and heart.

· A time-travel adventure – with a LARPing twist

· Perfect for ages 8 and up

I had such a great time writing this book. I loved immersing myself in the Roman world and had such fun creating the characters. And I’m one hundred percent certain none of you are going to guess the ending!

If you’d like to pre-order a copy you can do so at any good bookshop or via one of the links below:
WATERSTONES: http://bit.ly/3ki441p
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3w9sJIm
BOOK DEPOSITORY: http://bit.ly/3XgRwWP
BOOKSHOP.ORG: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/my-family-and-other-romans/9781911490951

What Captain America Taught Me About Voice

I had an amazing time at the SCBWI Conference in Manchester last weekend. As well as being part of the team that brought the conference to the North, I also delivered my new voice workshop – What Captain America Taught Me About Voice – writing with superhero pow!

Photo Colleen Cailin Jones – Black Panther Image, Marvel Studios

As the writers out there will know, voice is a tricky concept to nail down and I have to admit I was a bit nervous speaking on this subject to an audience that included published authors who have been writing professionally for far longer than me.

Thankfully the hours – well OK more like weeks – I spent researching and preparing the session paid off and I have received some brilliant feedback. I’d love to now take the workshop out to other audiences, so if you are involved in commissioning events for writing conferences, festivals or other writing orgnisations and are interested in a fun practical session that demystifies voice please do get in touch via the contact page.

The content can also be adapted for older secondary school year groups, sixth form and universities. You’ll find more details of my experience working with these age groups here. Drop me a line to discuss!

The Session Blurb

Marie Basting learnt everything she knows about voice from Captain America. OK, that’s a lie but using words to dramatic effect is kind of the point of this workshop. We’ll start by briefly exploring what constitutes voice and how our language and structural choices influence tone and style. Having established the building blocks, we’ll dive into some practical exercises and yes there will be a chance to meet the Marvel Avengers as we explore how voice works at both a narrative and character level. If superheroes aren’t really your bag, that’s OK because Marie has a range of other tricks up the sleeve of her leotard as she shares her own writing process, leaving you with some top tips to ensure your writing voice has superhero POW!

Your voice session was awesome, Marie! I really enjoyed the references and feel like you made “voice” more understandable and accessible.
Colleen Cailin Jones, Regional Advisor SCBWI Ireland

A clever session on voice which made me really think about what it is and how to apply it fully within a manuscript. The exercises were helpful and enjoyable, and Marie is a natural presenter who put everyone at their ease.
Sue Wallman, author of Young Adult thrillers

Your session on voice was engaging, funny and thought-provoking. I have useful exercises to work through for all my new characters. Thanks for contributing to an amazing weekend!
@tabbykatstudio