Steve Barlow
Encyclopedia
Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore- collectively known as The Two Steves – are British collaborative writers who mostly work in the field of children's literature. They have written over 70 books together.
, and have produced a large body of work together. They operate on a freelance basis, and have produced work for several publishers including Scholastic (Outernet
series), and Collins
(The Dark Forest Series). Their first published work was a book of three short plays, "Paper Tigers" (1991) in the Oxford Playscripts series, while their first novel was "I fell in Love with a Leather Jacket" (1993). They have also written a large body of work for educational publishers, and have been series editors for Impact
and High Impact
(materials for struggling readers) for Heinemann
, as well as series editors for Heinemann Plays and Oxford Playscripts. They have also written parody books such as "Star Bores" (2000), to coincide with the releases of popular and anticipated films. However, the bulk of their work still remains in the field of children's and teenage literature. A number of their books have been translated into other languages, and The Mad Myths, Vernon Bright, The Dark Forest and Erik Bloodaxe books have been released as spoken word
tapes. They have recently made some of their older books available on the iPhone
and iPod
touch via Sleepydog..
, China, Qatar, Oman
. Malaysia. They have also been involved with the library services in Britain, and events such as the Northern Children's Book Festival.
, and later made available on the iPhone
and iPod
.
Titles in this series:Vernon Bright and the Magnetic Banana (2001), Vernon Bright and Frankenstein’s Hamster (2001), Vernon Bright and The Faster-Than-Light Show (2004), Vernon Bright and the End of the World (2004).
Titles in the series: Book 1: Friend or Foe? (2002), Book 2: Control (2002), Book 3: Odyssey (2003), Book 4: Time Out (2003), Book 5: The Hunt (2003), Book 6: The Weaver (2003).
Titles in this series: The Lost Diary of Erik Bloodaxe, Viking Warrior, The Lost Diary of Henry VIII’s Executioner (1997), The Lost Diary of Shakespeare’s Ghostwriter (1999), The Lost Diary of Julius Caesar's Slave (1997), The Lost Diary of Hercules' Personal Trainer (1998), The Lost Diary of Robin Hood's Money Man (1999).
Titles in this series: Goodknyght!
(2001), Whizzard!
(2002), Trollogy! (2003), Knyghtmare! (2004), "Boggartsh!" (2005).
, reissued by Barn Owl
, now available on iPhone
and iPod
touch)).
Titles in this series: Stone Me! (1999), Mind the Door! (1999), A Touch of Wind! (1999), Must Fly! (1999), Don't Look Back (2004).
Titles in this series: Dragonsdale
(2007), Riding the Storm (2008).
and Hachette.
Background
The Two Steves began collaborating in 1987 after meeting while working at Fairham Comprehensive School in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, and have produced a large body of work together. They operate on a freelance basis, and have produced work for several publishers including Scholastic (Outernet
Outernet
Outernet is a humorous series of children's science fiction books written by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore.-Book One: Friend or Foe?:On Jack Armstrong's birthday,he received a laptop computer from his parents.Residents working on a US military base in the, they have been having financial problems...
series), and Collins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
(The Dark Forest Series). Their first published work was a book of three short plays, "Paper Tigers" (1991) in the Oxford Playscripts series, while their first novel was "I fell in Love with a Leather Jacket" (1993). They have also written a large body of work for educational publishers, and have been series editors for Impact
Impact
Impact may refer to:In science :* Impact , a high force or shock over a short time period* Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event* Impact event, the collision of a meteoroid, asteroid or comet with Earth...
and High Impact
High Impact
High Impact may refer to:* Edge and Christian, a professional wrestling tag team* High Impact Football, a video game based on American football* Super High Impact, the video game sequel to High Impact Football...
(materials for struggling readers) for Heinemann
Heinemann (book publisher)
Heinemann is a UK publishing house founded by William Heinemann in Covent Garden, London in 1890. On William Heinemann's death in 1920 a majority stake was purchased by U.S. publisher Doubleday. It was later acquired by commemorate Thomas Tilling in 1961...
, as well as series editors for Heinemann Plays and Oxford Playscripts. They have also written parody books such as "Star Bores" (2000), to coincide with the releases of popular and anticipated films. However, the bulk of their work still remains in the field of children's and teenage literature. A number of their books have been translated into other languages, and The Mad Myths, Vernon Bright, The Dark Forest and Erik Bloodaxe books have been released as spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
tapes. They have recently made some of their older books available on the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
touch via Sleepydog..
School Visits
As former teachers, the Two Steves have toured schools both around Britain, and in other countries including BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, China, Qatar, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. Malaysia. They have also been involved with the library services in Britain, and events such as the Northern Children's Book Festival.
Young Adult Books
- I Fell in Love With a Leather Jacket (1993)
- In Love With an Urban Gorilla (1995)
- Dream On (1998)
The Vernon Bright Series
A series of books about a boy genius and his adventures, first published by PuffinPuffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
, and later made available on the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
.
Titles in this series:Vernon Bright and the Magnetic Banana (2001), Vernon Bright and Frankenstein’s Hamster (2001), Vernon Bright and The Faster-Than-Light Show (2004), Vernon Bright and the End of the World (2004).
The Outernet Series
A web/book crossover project about a group of friends defending the universe from the FOES.Titles in the series: Book 1: Friend or Foe? (2002), Book 2: Control (2002), Book 3: Odyssey (2003), Book 4: Time Out (2003), Book 5: The Hunt (2003), Book 6: The Weaver (2003).
The Lost Diaries Series
A series of books centring on the supposed diaries of historical or semi-historical characters.Titles in this series: The Lost Diary of Erik Bloodaxe, Viking Warrior, The Lost Diary of Henry VIII’s Executioner (1997), The Lost Diary of Shakespeare’s Ghostwriter (1999), The Lost Diary of Julius Caesar's Slave (1997), The Lost Diary of Hercules' Personal Trainer (1998), The Lost Diary of Robin Hood's Money Man (1999).
The Dark Forest Series
A fantasy series set in the eponymous Dark Forest.Titles in this series: Goodknyght!
GoodKnyght!
GoodKnyght! is a 2001 fantasy novel written by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore, as the first part of the Tales of The Dark Forest series. Its sequel, Whizzard! was released in 2002.-Plot summary:...
(2001), Whizzard!
Whizzard!
Whizzard! is a 2002 fantasy novel written by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore, as the second part of the Tales of the Dark Forest series. It was followed by Trollogy! in 2003.-Plot Summary:...
(2002), Trollogy! (2003), Knyghtmare! (2004), "Boggartsh!" (2005).
The Mad Myths Series
A series of fantasy adventure books focusing on mythological characters transplanted to the modern age. (PuffinPuffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
, reissued by Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
, now available on iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
touch)).
Titles in this series: Stone Me! (1999), Mind the Door! (1999), A Touch of Wind! (1999), Must Fly! (1999), Don't Look Back (2004).
The Dragonsdale Series
A series for girls, written under the pen name "Salamanda Drake", centring on the equestrian-style adventures of a young girl and the dragons raised in her father's stables.Titles in this series: Dragonsdale
Dragonsdale
Dragonsdale is a fantasy novel written by The Two Steves under the pen name "Salamanda Drake".- Plot :...
(2007), Riding the Storm (2008).
Future
The 2 Steves are currently working on new books for various publishers, including UsborneUsborne Publishing
Usborne Publishing, often called Usborne Books, is a United Kingdom-based publisher of children's literature.Founded by Peter Usborne in 1973, Usborne Publishing uses an in-house team of writers, editors and designers and is translated into over 55 languages...
and Hachette.