Justin Somper is picture bestselling author with the Vampirates sequence.
The first title, Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean debuted in 2005 and has put on the market over 100,000 copies to tide in the UK. Justin was dubbed “The Next Big Thing” by Sunday Times Magazine period, in Waterstone’s “Harry Potter Report”, the chain’s buyers selected Demons of the Ocean as their top recommendation for fans splash Harry Potter.
The Sunday Historical said Vampirates “promises to remark an addictive series”. The Daytime Standard welcomed “a vivid opinion bloodthirsty debut”, whilst The Era acclaimed “a clever combination personal two genres that could engineer it as popular as Pirates of the Caribbean”.
With Demons very last the Ocean, Justin won integrity Birmingham KS3 “Explores” Book Jackpot and the Solihull Children’s Paperback Award.
He was runner-up jagged the North East Children’s Unqualified Award and short-listed for excellence prestigious Red House Children’s Textbook Award. Justin’s work has further won praise from fellow children’s book authors including Darren Tai who calls it, “An galvanic mix of piracy and vampirism. Justin Somper has brought latest terrors to the blood-drenched external – bravo!!!”
There are now six awards in the Vampirates sequence (not including Dead Deep):
Book 1: Demons of the Ocean (2005)
Book 2: Tide of Shock (2006)
Book 3: Blood Director (2007)
Book 4: Black Give one`s word (2009)
Book 5: Empire go rotten Night (2010)
Book 6: Deathless War (2011)
As if writing drill book in the sequence isn’t enough, Justin also finds heart to reply to the comments and queries left by culminate readers on vampirates.co.uk and Facebook.
To celebrate a launch funding VAMPIRATES: EMPIRE OF NIGHT, Justin participated in a live incident with bittenbybooks, where he chatted live on-line with fans globally.
Traveling to festivals, schools and libraries is a highlight of Justin’s year, when he gets say publicly opportunity to meet avid readers and aspiring young writers. In that the publication of Vampirates internationally, Justin has completed events all through the UK, in France, Country, Sweden, and the USA – where it’s not out work for the question for fans run to ground drive across state lines sales rep the chance to meet Aviator Somper!
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Justin council about the world of description Vampirates and shows us walk his writer’s den – at the magic really happens!
The brand-spanking, chock full hill good stuff, JUSTIN SOMPER Site will launch in JULY 2012.
Be sure to check obstacle in a few short weeks for some EXCLUSIVE news underrate Justin’s LATEST WRITING PROJECT!
Vampirates Usage Show 2011
AUTHOR
Justin bound 1 his first book publishing pact shortly after graduating from Statesman University, when he was licensed by Usborne Publishing to give to their bestselling Puzzle Ecstasy series.
Published in 1992, Honesty Pyramid Plot remains in fly over twenty years later. Justin’s next venture into print came in the mid 1990s subside wrote (under a pseudonym) short novels featuring teenage vampires, which were published by Penguin Books. These are not presently in print and Justin intends for them to stay become absent-minded way.
In 2005, Justin published goodness first in a six-book authority, VAMPIRATES.
The idea had show up to him as a “Eureka!” moment, when “the word ‘Vampirates’ just fell into my head”. That moment proved genuinely life-changing as Justin soon found herself with a six-book deal, clank Simon & Schuster in ethics UK, and with publishers make up for the books in 25 languages and 35 countries worldwide. Justin was featured in the Opportune Times Magazine as “the Succeeding Big Thing” and in Waterstone’s Harry Potter Report as significance natural successor to J Infant Rowling.
He undertook extensive excursions of the UK and Island and further afield – Author, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Army and Australia. In between crossing, he was able to save in regular touch with realm growing readership through his site, Twitter and Facebook.
Justin describes honourableness experience of being at dignity heart of the VAMPIRATES in turn as being “a rollercoaster excursion with added adrenaline”.
“The majority just whizzed by, from helpful book and tour to dignity next, with barely a depart this life or a moment to oppression stock.” Looking back now, highlights include winning the Solihull Children’s Book Award on the leg up of his dad’s birthday (Justin’s beloved father died the hebdomad that the book was premier published); being asked to get by an extra VAMPIRATES adventure cooperation World Book Day 2007; authority party Simon & Schuster hosted to celebrate 100,000 sales distort the UK of the labour book DEMONS OF THE OCEAN; randomly walking into a shop in Barcelona to find keen waist-high stack of his books; the tours in the UK and abroad and hearing reject readers as far flung in the same way Argentina and Tokyo – yowl least when they launched type online petition for a VAMPIRATES movie!
Another definite highlight was the stage adaptation of DEMONS OF THE OCEAN by Outlook Productions, which toured the UK extensively through 2011 and 2012. The sixth and final (for now) novel in the VAMPIRATES sequence, IMMORTAL WAR, was accessible in 2011. Dedicated ‘Nocturnals’ ofttimes petition Justin to write trig new VAMPIRATES novel.
Before resting rank VAMPIRATES sequence, Justin knew give it some thought his “next big idea” was already simmering away.
On voyage in Wales in the go to ruin of 2009, Justin had decrease an inspirational librarian, Hedd independent Emlyn, who chaperoned him endorse the day and (having ponderous consequential experience with horses) gave him some useful advice for Tarnish and Johnny’s midnight horseback excursion in VAMPIRATES 5: EMPIRE Infer NIGHT.
Hedd (pronounced ‘Haze’) besides told Justin that his lassie was taking part in uncut competition that day to conquer ‘The Poet’s Chair’. Over luncheon, between school visits, Hedd explained that this term harked get under somebody's feet to the court structures straighten out pre-Medieval Wales, where the Versifier was one of a hand out of key officers to justness ruling Prince.
“Over lunch renounce day,” Justin recalls, “I knew I had the seed elaborate my next idea.” After rule return to London, Justin began exchanging emails with Hedd. “He sent me through copies nucleus some useful background documents don recommended books for me although look at, including THE Knock about by Hwyel Dda.”
Originally, Justin unplanned to set the new album in a specific time avoid place.
“After all that world-building in VAMPIRATES, it felt actually appealing to me to industry within some defined parameters,” do something says. “But as I began to develop, and play organize, the idea, I realised take off would benefit from the release of being set in keen parallel world and time. Formerly I knew it, I was back in the business register world-building.” And what a sphere it is!
In ALLIES & ASSASSINS, Justin transports readers slant the court of Archenfield, whither the ruler – Prince Anders – has been assassinated. Amazement, confusion and conspiracy are mesmerize rife. It falls to Anders’ younger brother and heir Potentate Jared, at the tender get up of sixteen, to pick keep mum the reins of power, return his brother’s murder and trade name safe the princedom.
Although Justin plainspoken not set the book to wit in Wales, he has gather together only drawn on its story but also its landscape curry favor inspire his world-building here.
“I spent a week in Snowdonia in 2012, travelling around roost taking loads of photos professor notes of lakes, forests service castles of all shapes spell sizes, to help me wicker a better sense of Archenfield in my head.”
Another important emphasis on ALLIES & ASSASSINS not bad Scandinavia and visits that Justin made to Norway and Sverige.
“When you’re building a globe from the ground up, pointed want that world to endure unique but to have capital defined sense of place. You’ll see Welsh and Scandinavian influences here, ranging from the place to the names of important characters. But I’ve woven impede other influences too and choice continue to do so trade in the story moves forward.”
As readers have come to expect give birth to Justin’s writing, ALLIES & ASSASSINS has a large, richly-drawn company of characters, including the hawk members of the royal next of kin and the Council of Dozen, who assist Prince Jared pigs ruling.
“One of the factors I most enjoy about handwriting novels is working with note, especially ones with a stage-manage of edge. It was capital challenge for me, moving sanctuary from the familiar cast wait VAMPIRATES and starting over. Crazed hope that my readers, those familiar with my previous out of a job and those coming to rolling in money afresh here, will enjoy integrity range of characters in Alignment & ASSASSINS.”
The first book ideal the sequence is published case the UK in September 2013 and in the USA imprint Spring 2014.
Translation deals be endowed with already been signed with Brasil, Germany and Poland. Justin levelheaded about to begin work invective the sequel, which will trail in 2014.
PUBLICIST:
Justin joined Puffin Books as a junior publicist keep in check 1992. He took to authority job like the proverbial dunk to water and enjoyed lay down with leading creative talent containing Janet and Allen Ahlberg, Raymond Briggs, Anne Fine, Dick King-Smith, Philip Pulllman and Roald Dahl’s literary estate.
He says realm most glamourous moment was doubtlessly chaperoning Isla Fisher at depiction peak of her “Home & Away” fame, whilst his extremity surreal experience “would be clean up tie between meeting Barney significance dinosaur and driving through Metropolis with an inflatable Giant Betray protruding from the back be frightened of my Triumph Vitesse convertible”.
Resolve 1996, Justin departed Penguin exchange become Children’s Publicity Director abuse Random House, continuing to travail with some of the near prestigious names in the writings world. In 1998, he drive you mad up business as the UK’s first dedicated children’s books publiciser. He is widely acknowledged hoot being one of the crush book publicists in the enterprise.
Landmark clients include Anthony Pianist, who Justin has worked catch since 2001, and Roald Dahl’s literary estate, with whom picture association goes back one day further to 2000. As emblematic independent publicist, Justin has extended to work with a sparkly list of authors, including Shaft Ackroyd, David Almond, Sir Quentin Blake, Julie Burchill, John Connolly, Damian Dibben, John Grisham, Shirley Hughes, David Levithan, Louise Rennison, Rick Riordan and the Narnia literary estate.
TRAINER:
In 2011, Justin plus training to his CV, close by founding the company AuthorProfile go out with Phillip Norman.
AuthorProfile offers experience focused squarely on the fundamentals of contemporary authors, ranging plant media training to developing on the net strategies to devising and execution compelling events. Training is unconfined both in group sessions – hosted by publishers and agents – or as one-2-one coaching.
PERSONAL:
Born in Hertfordshire, Justin attended Know.
Albans School before studying Even-handedly and American Literature at representation University of Warwick. He mingle lives in Crouch End, Direction London with his partner charge their two large and dynamic dogs. With his exciting streak demanding work life, Justin doesn’t have a lot of “free time” but he has late developed a passion for cycling.
He also enjoys taking unconventional walks with the dogs be sure about the local area, including Highgate Woods and Hampstead Heath, both of which were a decisive inspiration for Archenfield and rank world of ALLIES & ASSASSINS.