On Friday 6th October 2006, I spent the day running creative writing workshops at a school in Wallsend, Newcastle.  I’d quit my day job as operations director for a children’s touring theatre company a week earlier to become a full-time writer, and was throwing myself into school visits as a way to earn some money.  At that point, I’d had four non-fiction books published (all out of print by then), I wrote regular columns and articles for a number of teaching and parenting magazines, and I’d just been accepted as a writer on the forthcoming Too Ghoul For School series from Egmont Press.

As I was driving home from my school visit, I began to brainstorm ideas for a series of books of my own.  I knew I wanted to write something about haunted houses, and it occurred to me that whenever you saw a haunted house in a movie, cartoon or book – it always stood by itself, either at the top of an inaccessible hill, or in a large plot of land.  You never saw a haunted house with a next door neighbour.  Or, even better, a whole street of haunted houses.

A whole street of haunted houses!

The name Scream Street popped into my head, and I started making notes as soon as I got home.

Four days later, on 10th October, I had to travel to London for a couple of meetings.  One was with Helen and Bec – the publisher and editor of the Too Ghoul for School series, and the other was with a literary agent – Penny Holroyde of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.  My wife, Kirsty, and son Sam – then just 10 days old – came to London with me.

I had a great time chatting to Helen and Bec (although Sam stole a lot of the limelight!), and then went on to my meeting with Penny.  She had read a novel I had submitted to her – a science fiction comedy called Soppy Susans from Space – and I really hoped she liked it.

She didn’t.

But, she did ask me if I had any other ideas.  Yes, I said – how about a street full of haunted houses?  Luke, who finds himself transforming into a werewolf, is moved to Scream Street by the government and has to find a way to take his unhappy parents back home.

This idea she did like and, a few days later, I had an agent.

I wrote the first draft of Fang of the Vampire (then simply called Scream Street) in around 6 weeks, and sent it to Penny for her thoughts.  She gave me some wonderful editorial notes, and I set about writing a second, and eventually a third draft.  By the spring of 2007 the series was ready to submit!

Originally a six-book series (and later increased to twelve, then thirteen adventures), Scream Street was taken on by Walker Books with the first four titles – Fang of the Vampire, Blood of the Witch, Heart of the Mummy and Flesh of the Zombie – being published on 4th October 2008.  Exactly two years after I first had the idea.

Three years after that – 6th October 2011 – and the thirteenth and final book in the series, Flame of the Dragon, is published today.

It’s been an incredible ride, and I have so many people to thank…

Emma Lidbury – my amazing editor, who has stuck with me through bad characters and bizarre plots – and sometimes let me get away with writing in gratuitous body parts if I thought it was funny!

Gill Evans – my wonderful publisher, and the person at Walker Books who first saw the potential in Scream Street.

Lily Bernard – the brilliant illustrator for Scream Street, who always got what I was trying to say and managed to put even the most unusual scenes into pictures.

Patrick Insole – the faultless designer for the first 10 Scream Street books before he moved on to pastures new.  The grubby pages, crawling spiders and claw marks that accompany the text are all his work.

Jacky Paynter and Jack Noel – the amazing designers who took on Scream Street for the final four titles and remained patient when I repeatedly asked for layered cover images so I could make desktop wallpapers.

Caroline Muir and her superb foreign rights sales team for their tireless efforts to sell Scream Street into 13 territories, and counting!

Jane Harris – sales director extraordinaire who has pushed Scream Street as much as anyone possibly could.

Helen McAleer – Walker’s managing director, Scream Street advocate and constant friendly face whenever I visit the office.

Alice Burden, Eve Warlow, Rebecca Harper, Sean Moss, Jo Humphreys-Davies, Rekha Patel, Sophie Burdess, Elise Burns, Angelica Dawidowicz, Corinne Gotch, Jan Gryzinski, Connor Hackett, Anya Hollis, Fiona MacDonald, Julia Posen, Ruth Maurice, Helen Prentice, Sophie Stott, Colette Whitehouse, David Lloyd and EVERYONE I’ve missed out from Walker Books (sorry!), past and present, who have helped me develop, write, promote and sell Scream Street.

Everyone at Candlewick Press – my US publishers – for their help in getting America to love Scream Street.

Everyone at Walker Books Australia – they could not be more enthusiastic about Scream Street.

The countless booksellers, librarians and teachers who have believed in Scream Street and my quest to get kids reading over the past five years.  You have all been amazing!

My thousands of readers and their parents for accompanying my characters on their adventures.  They would be nothing without you all.

Penny Holroyde for her continual support, advice and friendship.  I couldn’t have done any of this without her.

Kirsty, Arran and Sam for their love and support, always.  I’m doing this for you guys.

Luke Watson, Resus Negative and Cleo Farr – in my thoughts every day for the past five years.

And, finally, my Mum and Dad.  I’ve always tried to make you proud of my achievements, and wish with all my heart that Mum was still here to see them.

Tommy Donbavand, 6th October 2011

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