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Author of Chinglish

The Blossom Awards

I'm an EmpathyLab trained author!

Hello

I'm Sue Pickford Cheung, a multi-award winning author and illustrator of books for young people of all ages

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RIP Dad❤️ It’s strange but I still don’t

RIP Dad❤️

It’s strange but I still don’t know who he really was (I definitely got my creativity from him though, which I’m forever grateful for).

I’ve been helping Mum with his paperwork and it’s true, he did treasure his possessions more than us kids. But people can only do what they’re capable of with what they know at the time – I don’t blame him. And you know what? He got the life he wanted in the end, and if that made him happy then so be it.

Back in the day he was too busy surviving in a new country, toiling away in a job his heart wasn’t in, to open up about his past, or talk to us in general. Who knows what happened in his own childhood? Who knows what dreams constantly tormented him because they could never be fulfilled?

I wrote two books trying to make sense of a lost happy childhood, and this was the litmus test, sitting beside my dad at the nursing home - not reconnecting, but connecting for the very first time - with no trace of fear, anger or resentment surfacing. The purging worked. Writing therapy really works! It’s never too late to make amends.

I’m glad I managed to spend some time with Dad during his last weeks, talking like I wished we could have when I was growing up. We even laughed together - properly, not awkwardly or forced in any way. He especially loved the photos I showed him of his great granddaughter who he sadly never met (happy 1st birthday today Rosa!🥳) And he left this world peaceful and contented.

Someone once said, ‘Death doesn’t find us in the end. It finds the person we always wanted to be.’ If only we could all reach that place way before the end.

#wedidit #restinpeace #dad

When in doubt…DANCE! Went a bit bonkers this m

When in doubt…DANCE!

Went a bit bonkers this month with gigs: LTJ Bukem, Roni size (love his funk jazz drum n bass fusion), Prodigy and the absolute legend 3 deck wizard Carl Cox, who I’ve seen 3 times but never really appreciated his legendaryness till now - he got the joy vibe going strong 💪

Feeling much better now thank you.

#dancingistherapy #oldschoolrave #drumandbass #technoparty #happyhormones

Last batch of talks done for now. If you’ve ev

Last batch of talks done for now.

If you’ve ever wondered how an author makes money, doing talks is a good side earner. I appreciate it’s not for everyone - I know authors who would rather stab themselves in the eye with a leaky ballpoint than get in front of an unpredictable and let’s face it, we’re talking about schools here, sometimes unforgiving crowd - online as well as in-person.

But they’re missing out. Not just on extra income, but the chance to add some spark to a kid’s education, and the rewards when they tell you afterwards how much they totally get what you’re saying, with a massive smile on their face.

A real bonus for me is getting out and about (all hotel and travel expenses are paid for). I don’t think there’s any better way to create stories without putting myself out there, chatting and actually living life, so I can sponge up conversations and experiences for later. I find a lot of people are losing a kind of resilience from interacting less with each other IRL these days.

As you can see, there’s all sorts of combos these events can take, so if you’re interested, get in touch. Visits are on hold at the mo while I finish my new novel, but I’ll be happy to add you to my 2027 list👍

@andersenpress @authorsabroad @empathylabuk #authorlife #authorvisit #school #library #festival

Happy 20th wedding anniversary to my best mate and

Happy 20th wedding anniversary to my best mate and best human ❤️

What’s the story? One day just before the millennium, a dishy bloke walked into the London ad agency where I worked. He was ‘Dave the Rave’, my copywriter’s flatmate. He asked me out and soon we were out partying, holidaying and scuba-diving all over t’world. But never in a million years would you have put us together. We were like chalk and cheese.

However, his passion for spreadsheets didn’t put me off because he drove a pink convertible and he liked cats. ‘Mustn’t let this one get away’, I thought. ‘I must somehow trap him’.

So one leap year, I proposed to him via a classified ad in the free newspaper. His response was, “Make me a cuppa and I’ll think about it.” It was ever so romantic.

These days we’re still out dancing, although our knees decide when it’s time to go home now. We’re low on maintenance and high on laughs and that I think, is the magic to our marriage.

#20years #weddinganniversary #betweenthespreadsheets #catparents #foreverravers

Thanks to British Library funding, I had a whizz a

Thanks to British Library funding, I had a whizz around Leeds schools and libraries. The architecture is stunning in Leeds - I never knew.

Then met my mate in Manchester who used to babysit my son - he’s 35 now (she’s gonna kill me for giving her age away). Check her out @lostplots - Lisa’s won awards for her vintage illustration style.

As always the people were sound, a nice end to my events this month. Now back to the solitude of art.

#authorevents #childrensbook #readingforpleasure #leeds #manchester

Oh my god. I’m a husk. Just need a minute now to

Oh my god. I’m a husk. Just need a minute now to step back and wonder how the hell I did it? (Not without my agent and editors put it that way).

This sequel to ‘Chinglish’ has taken over 3 years and 64,202 words, the most raw and honest I could find. There’s also just as much pain and laughter that will bring on tears in equal amounts. Yeah. I’m proud of it.

All my books are illustrated, even this one for older Young Adults, so I’m buzzing to make a start on drawing. There’s going to be a cool 80s art school vibe about it.

Publish date is Spring 2027. More to come.

@andersenpress @thecatchpoles #chinglishbook #sequel #editsin #authorlife #nextstep

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