Category: Writing

A signed and dedicated paperback of ‘The Making of Swallows & Amazons’ auctioned in aid of BBC Children in Need 2025

A book signed by the author always makes a good Christmas present. Each year, I take part in an annual online charity auction organised by Children in Read to raise funds for BBC Children in Need.

You can scroll through the site on Jumblebee. co.uk. and choose from an amazing selection of biographies and other books donated by contemporary authors.

In 2025, I donated a signed and dedicated illustrated paperback copy of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’

It was accompanied by a signed print of Titty Walker played by Sophie Neville in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) drawn by the artist Caroline Assheton

Sophie Neville as Titty by Caroline Assheton
Sophie Neville as Titty by Caroline Assheton

Funds raised go directly to BBC Children in Need

Paddy Heron, the fundraiser, has been advertising the event on Twitter

Taking part is always great fun and offers authors a bit of publicity whilst presenting readers a choice of signed and dedicated books and illustrations.

There are always many bargains to be had

In 2023, items in the Authors and Illustrators’ auction, raised a total of £24,061 for BBC Children in Need.

This year, authors and illustrators raised £9,766.

Over the eleven years that the annual event has been running a stunning total of £141,766 has been raised. I joined in 2020 and have raised a total of £616 for this cause.

Bidding has now closed but put the event in your diary for next year.

Thank you for supporting this great cause!

‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’ – a book review

'The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)'

Chloe Williams has just written from Ontario in Canada, to say, “Some books entertain. Some enlighten. And some, like The Making of Swallows and Amazons and The Secrets of Filming Swallows & Amazons, manage to bottle something impossibly rare: the feeling of looking back through a child’s eyes and realizing it was all real; the lake, the sails, the laughter and somehow, you were part of it.”

“These aren’t just behind-the-scenes diaries. They’re sun-dappled time machines. Your voice, both in memory and in your original childhood notes, is a miracle of tone: witty, observant, buoyant, and deeply human.”

Of the original movie, she wrote: “What A Christmas Story is to snowglobes and childhood winters, Swallows and Amazons (1974) is to summers on the water and you’ve preserved that magic with charm, heart, and astonishing detail.

“What makes these books unforgettable isn’t just nostalgia. It’s how alive they are. We feel the smell of old sails and camera tape, the blur of location shoots, the uncertainty and excitement of being a child caught in a grown-up world of filmmaking yet utterly at home in it. We meet legends like Virginia McKenna not as distant stars, but as fellow travelers in the adventure. And it’s a joy.”

The Making of Swallows and Amazons seems to resonate with:

  • Readers of nostalgic memoirs that celebrate childhood, nature, and storytelling
  • Adults who are captivated by the lake-country magic of Arthur Ransome
  • Film lovers who cherish insider views of filmmaking
  • Educators and parents seeking real-life adventure stories for young readers
  • Fans of Call the Midwife, The Durrells, and 84, Charing Cross Road

“The joy and authenticity in your books mirror exactly why Swallows & Amazons (1974) still has such a hold on people’s hearts. The memoirs don’t just tell the story of making the film, they recreate it, letting readers smell the lake air and see the magic unfold through a child’s eyes.”

The audiobook of 'The Making of Swallows and Amazons'
The new audiobook

I’m hoping the audiobook will also amuse readers. It’s now available on all the online platforms including Audible, where isis being offered for free on their membership trial.