The Island of Brilliant!

"The Old Order Changeth And Maketh Way For New" - but not without a fight. As Frank gives in to the inevitable, with the encouragement of some restraining techniques, he welcomes the magnificent Patrice Lawrence to his old job as Children's Laureate. In a coup for Nadia and Frank (and boy did they need one), Patrice has swum straight from her inauguration ceremony to the island. There, she tells them about her plans for her tenure - with vulnerable children as her top priority. It's an emotional day for certain - all a bit much for all concerned, particularly Nadia, who is heard inadvertently saying something nice about Frank. You heard it here first, dear listener.

He's behind some of the most celebrated and beloved books of recent times - Goth Girl, The Edge Chronicles, Ottoline and a gazillion more - and he's also, it turns out, the captain of the Mellow Submarine! Which is excellent news for Frank and Nadia, as it means that Chris Riddell (for it is he) is able to swing on by for a piercing, no-holds-barred interview about wine gums among other things. Always keen to get his bearings, he whips out his trust pen and pad to sketch the first official cartographic sketch of the island, revealing coves to our two resident coves that they never knew existed. The big shock comes in the form of an orchard, the result of a certain someone palming them off with a bushel of apples some time ago.  It's a joy to have Chris run aground for awhile, why not pull up some driftwood and have a listen?

Frank's been tipping out talcum powder on the sand, Nadia's spent hours ironing patches onto her bell-bottom jeans. It can only mean one thing - Patience Agbabi is on her way to the island to talk about her amazing new book, Wonderland. It's all about sixteen-year-old Tamilola who, like Patience before her, enjoys nothing more than dancing up a storm to Northern Soul records on Colwyn Bay pier. Patience wows Nadia and Frank with her tales of joyful all-nighters (not to mention her snacks) and has them pondering just how hard it would be to build a sprung dancefloor on the beach.

When you're one of the most important writers of the 21st Century you think you'd have people looking out to make sure you didn't end up in a whale.. but that's exactly where the phenomenon that is Angie Thomas has found herself. Fortunately, being a whale this one knows a thing or too about pods, and has delivered Angie safe to the shores of the Island of Brilliant. Frank and Nadia can't believe their luck, and welcome Angie to shore to talk all things 'The Hate U Give' as well as her fabulous new Nic Blake book, 'TheBook of Anansi'. An absolute treat all round.

Stepping out of his helicopter onto the golden sands of the island, it's only flipping Ramzee, cartoonist, storyteller and owner of some truly cracking jumpers. He tells Nadia and Frank about the genesis of his fabulously popular Cheat Book series, and reveals all about his formative training in a video rental store as a teenager. He also has news from the mainland of new Jaffa Cake flavours which has them in a panic that they'll never make it through the big pile of books they need to read before they're finally allowed back home. Fortunately Emily Drabble of Booktrust is on hand via the convenient shell to keep them company and also up to date with the latest news from the children's book world.