'The Yorkshire Shepherdess' to drop into Oswestry store as she launches first children's book
A woman who became a TV star for her exploits on her family farm is to host a book signing at an Oswestry store next month.
Amanda Owen, 'The Yorkshire Shepherdess', a is a first-generation farmer who escaped the city for the rugged landscapes of Ravenseat, a 2,000-acre hill farm in North Yorkshire. The Owen family’s TV series, Our Yorkshire Farm, captivated millions of viewers in the UK and aired in more than 20 countries around the world, from Australia to Iran and from Thailand to Turkey.
Amanda has written a collection of festive short stories for middle grade readers aged 7-11, inspired by her real-life family adventures with her nine at Ravenseat.
Featuring all of the animals that live at Ravenseat farm from sheep to goats and horses to chickens, children will love reading about the runaway reindeer who caused mischief on the moors, some very special chickens who needed a kind new home, and the clever sheepdog who found something lost in the snow.
On November 9, Amanda will be visiting a bookshop in Oswestry to promote her new book.
Fans of the TV shepherdess will be able to meet Amanda and get a signed copy at Booka Bookshop from 12pm to 2pm.
Amanda said: “Winter, and Christmas in particular, is a special time of joy and adventure at Ravenseat. Whether that’s discovering animals who have come to the farm to shelter from the weather, like the barn owls, or the festive family traditions we’ve followed for years, like our own version of the Winter Olympics or when my sheepdog Kate and I had to play a chilly game of ‘hide and sheep’ in the deep snow.
"The kids had a massive part in helping to shape my new book Christmas Tales from the Farm as most of the stories in the book are about them! From the year they asked for two spotted sheep for Christmas - who ate the Christmas tree - to the year our three pet goats decided to go ice skating with the kids, and the time we found a runaway reindeer on the farm! I loved getting the kids’ perspective on what their favourite stories from past Christmases were while I was writing.
"We’re always sharing stories on the farm, talking about what happened with the animals, remembering funny stories - and I wanted to share all that in the book. With a book like Christmas Tales from the Farm it’s a comforting read for my kids because it’s a world that they know, love and understand. They also love seeing the drawings of themselves in the book – which make them laugh.
"It’s the first time I’ve written for kids which is funny as I’ve got nine of them, and Christmas Tales from the Farm is the first of seven kids books I’ll be writing for Puffin, with the next one coming out next summer, featuring more stories of our life on the farm. I’m also doing some picture books for smaller children with illustrations of animals on the farm which I’m really looking forward to."
Christmas Tales from the Farm is the first of seven Puffin books by Amanda Owen, spanning middle-grade fiction, non-fiction and picture books.
