Steve Voake facts for kids

Steve Voake is a popular English author who writes exciting books for children. He comes from a town called Midsomer Norton in Somerset, England. His books are enjoyed by kids all around the world!

Steve started his career as a teacher in the late 1980s. In 2003, he was a head teacher at a primary school in Kilmersdon, Somerset. That's when the BBC reported that he was being called "the next J. K. Rowling" – the famous author of the Harry Potter books! Publishers and film companies were very keen to get the rights to his first novel, The Dreamwalker's Child.

He signed a deal with Faber and Faber, which meant he could stop teaching and become a full-time writer. Even though The Dreamwalker's Child hasn't been made into a film, Steve has written many more books since then. Famous writer and critic Amanda Craig often says good things about his work. Also, The Times newspaper often puts his books on their lists of top children's books. The School Library Association even put one of his novels on a special list of recommended books for boys.

Steve also helped with the Higher Ground Project. This was a book written by many top children's authors to help people learn about the terrible Boxing Day Tsunami that happened in 2004.

In 2017, Steve Voake was in London and saw a serious event happen on Westminster Bridge.

Steve's Early Life

Steve Voake grew up in Midsomer Norton. After finishing school, he spent some time selling ice creams in the south of France. He then went to the University of Liverpool to study Philosophy. Later, he trained to be a teacher at the University of Exeter.

Becoming a Writer

Steve worked for eight years as the head teacher of Kilmersdon Primary School, which is near Midsomer Norton. In his free time, he was busy writing his first children's book, The Dreamwalker's Child.

In October 2003, while he was still a head teacher, the BBC announced that he was being called "the next JK Rowling". This was because his book had caught the eye of Hollywood! There was a big competition between three UK publishers who all wanted to publish his book. Publishers in Italy, Japan, Germany, and the US were also interested.

Big film companies like DreamWorks, Warner Brothers, Fox Broadcasting Company and Miramax also asked to read his book.

In 2003, the BBC, The Times, and The Independent newspapers reported that Steve had agreed to a deal worth a lot of money with Faber and Faber for the UK rights to his book. In 2005, The Dreamwalker's Child was published in the UK. It was also released in Italy, Germany, Greece, Holland, Russia, Portugal, and Japan. Later, a US publisher bought the rights for an even bigger amount of money.

In 2007, Steve worked with his cousin, Charlotte Voake, who is also a famous children's author. She wrote books like Pizza Kittens and Ginger. Together, they wrote a book called Insect Detective.

Today, Steve is also a Senior Lecturer at Bath Spa University. He teaches young people how to write. He is also a Royal Literary Fellow at the University of Exeter, which means he helps students with their writing skills.

Steve Voake's Books

Steve Voake has written many exciting books, including:

• The Dreamwalker's Child (2005)
• The Web of Fire (2006)
• The Starlight Conspiracy (2007)
• Daisy Dawson (2007)
• Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond (2008)
• Daisy Dawson and the Big Freeze (2009)
• Insect Detective (2009)
• Blood Hunters (2009)
• Fightback (2010)
• Hooey Higgins and the Shark (2010)
• Hooey Higgins and the Tremendous Trousers (2010)
• Hooey Higgins and the Big Boat Race (2011)
• "Dark Woods" (2011)
• "Daisy Dawson at the Seaside" (2011)
• "Daisy Dawson on the Farm" (2012)
• "Hooey Higgins Goes for Gold" (2012)
• "Hooey Higgins and the Big Day Out" (2012)
• "Hooey Higgins and the Awards of Awesomeness" (2013)
• "Hooey Higgins and the Storm" (2014)
• "Hooey Higgins and the Christmas Crash" (2014)
• "Maxwell Mutt and the Downtown Dogs" (2016)
• "Maxwell Mutt and the Squirrel without a Story" (2017)
• "Maxwell Mutt and the Biscuit & Bone Club" (2019)

Awards and Recognition

Many of Steve's books have been nominated for awards:

• The Dreamwalker's Child was a finalist for the Stockton Children's Book of the Year Award and the Concorde Book Award.
• The Starlight Conspiracy was also a finalist for the Concorde Book Award.
• Blood Hunters was chosen for the National 'Booked Up' Scheme in 2009. It was also a finalist for the Manchester Book Award, Leeds Book Award, and Cheshire Schools Book Award.
• The School Library Association put The Web of Fire on its list of "Top books for boys".
• Fightback won the Bolton Book Award.
• "Hooey Higgins and the Shark" was named an Outstanding International Book by the United States Board of Books for Young People in 2013.
• "Insect Detective" won the Best Illustrated Children's Non-Fiction Book award from the English Association in 2009.
• His poem 'My Brother Saves Things' was on the longlist for the University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor's International Poetry Prize in 2016.
• His poem "Pencil" was part of the Poems on the Buses Exhibition at the Guernsey Literary Festival in 2017.
• His poem "TT" was on the longlist for the Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition in 2020.

Steve's Personal Life

Steve Voake lives with his family in Westbury-sub-Mendip, a village in Somerset.

Media and Festivals

Steve Voake's work has been featured in many newspapers and on TV and radio.

Newspaper Features

The Times newspaper has written many positive articles about Steve Voake and his books. They often include his books in their recommended lists for holidays like Christmas or summer. Their critic, the novelist Amanda Craig, has especially recommended his books.

The Guardian newspaper reported when Steve Voake's book was included on the School Library Association List. The Observer gave a good review to The Dreamwalker's Child. The Daily Telegraph and The Independent have also reviewed his books. The Times Educational Supplement covered Steve Voake's part in the Higher Ground Project, which was a book published to help people understand the Boxing Day Tsunami.

Local and International News

Many local newspapers have written about his work, including the Somerset Guardian Standard, the Bath Chronicle, and the Worcester News.

His books have also been covered by newspapers in other countries, like The Herald Journal in Utah, United States, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He was even featured in Fantasy Magazine in Italy.

TV and Radio

The CBBC channel showed an interview with Steve Voake on its Newsround programme.

BBC Somerset Sound has interviewed him on the radio. The BBC website has also regularly reported on Steve Voake in its news sections.

Literary Festivals

Steve Voake often attends book festivals now. He has been invited to speak at many literary festivals, including those in Cheltenham, Frome, Bath, Somerset, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Guildford.