Nicolette Jones: Writer and Critic
Dipping George Eliot’s pen
Photo by: Abe Kleinman
You can explore Nicolette Jones’s books here and read her monthly themed pieces about children’s books in The Sunday Times.
To book Nicolette as a speaker or a chair of literary events, please contact Philippa Perry at phil@showmetherabbit.com.
To see #NewIllustrationoftheDay posts from newly published picturebooks follow @nicolettejonesig on Instagram or nicolette.jones.bsky.social on Bluesky.
Nicolette also celebrates the work of her father, artist John Edward Jones—his paintings and biography can be found at www.johnedwardjones.co.uk.
Nicolette is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. To book RLF Bridge writing development workshops, at no cost, for state school pupils in year 12 or 13, contact bridge@rlf.org.uk or see: https://www.rlf.org.uk/school-workshops.
Comments
“This excellent biography … Nicolette Jones charts [Plimsoll’s] course with skill, insight and elegance.”
— Piers Brendon, The Sunday Telegraph on The Plimsoll Sensation
“Nicolette has always struck me as being an ideal chair—she is fair, well informed, good-humoured, and she has an easy rapport with audiences large or small.”
— Philip Pullman, Writer of His Dark Materials
Blog
The American Art Tapes
The American Art Tapes: Voices of Twentieth-Century Art tells the story of 1960s pop art through the voices of 20 of its creators. In 1965, British artist John Jones moved his family to the US, interviewing 100+ artists in and around New York and on a road trip to California. Some, such as Yoko Ono and Claes Oldenburg, became friends. This selection of fascinating and historically valuable recordings, edited by Nicolette Jones, is published for the first time, and offers a unique insight into a transformative artistic era.
The Plimsoll Sensation
In the second half of the nineteenth century, a remarkable campaign stirred a nation to save the lives of the hundreds of British sailors a year who drowned for preventable reasons. Overloaded and poorly maintained ships set sail, their doomed crews sacrificed while greedy shipowners profited from insurance. Samuel Plimsoll exposed these scandals, became a national hero, and led a dramatic social and political movement for maritime reform which still resonates today.
Writes of Passage
Subtitled Words to Read Before You Turn 13, this is an inspiring collection of over 100 pieces of writing – poems, prose, letters, speeches, song lyrics, quotations, and more – from Shakespeare to Stephen Hawking - which are in turn powerful, funny, moving, wise, and thought-provoking, and expertly selected with accessible, insightful commentary.
Upcoming events
Nicolette Jones’ upcoming events, appearances and workshops.
Podcast
Illustrious: The Picturebook Podcast, presented by Nicolette Jones, is a chance to explore the art, skill and possibilities of picturebooks — through expert conversations about the business and craft of illustration, and the experience of readers.
Coming soon.
New Illustration Of The Day
Nicolette Jones’s #NewIllustrationoftheDay on Bluesky and Instagram aims to demonstrate the range, quality and potential of children’s book illustrations. It also aims to be an oasis of skill and beauty/humour/curiosity in everyone’s day, whatever else is happening.