M. G. Leonard
🖋️Author - Time Keys🎶 - Portly 🦦- The Ice Children ❄️- The Twitchers 🦅- Adventures on Trains 🚂- Beetle Boy🪲
She/Her
🪲Posting about author-y book-y nature-y stuff.
🐞Agent: Kirsty McLachlan
❓Use my website for ALL enquiries: www.mgleonard.com
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- The Impossible Gladiator is published in 1 week! Illustrated by @manuelsumberac HURRAH! If you order your books online then #ReadItForward! Order The Impossible Gladiator during February & @bookshop_org_uk will donate 10% to @BookTrust & @scottishbktrust uk.bookshop.org/a/276/978103...
- Polly Dunbar & I visited the E. H. Shepard archive - the illustrator of The Wind in the Willows. We set Polly’s illustration of Portly beside E. H. Shepard’s. It was emotional. Polly gave me the picture as a gift. I love brave little Portly so much. I cannot wait for you all to read this book.
- Last night I went to the gym, did a work out. Once home I got into pyjamas at 6pm & ordered pizza 🍕 with a full fat coke. I had dinner in bed while watching Poirot on Netflix. It was sublime. No guilt for the takeout because of the workout & Suchet’s Poirot is perfection.
- Had a lovely time talking at the Brighton & Hove Reading conference today with the incredible illustrator and my friend Mr Chris Riddell.
- Dear teachers, it is the #NationalYearofReading2026. I've had requests to make a video to encourage reading for classrooms. Here it is. Please share and feel free to use it however you choose: youtu.be/xrAeYD1ZQ1A
- When you write for children, you need to impress parents, carers, teachers & librarians too. Teachers have been particularly kind about The Impossible Gladiator which charges into bookshops in 2weeks. Thanks to everyone who has read & reviewed any of my books. It matters ❤️
- Look at this beautiful bug edged book! It’s the special limited edition independent bookshop edition of The Adventures of Portly the Otter. Available to preorder now and if you want one signed & dedicated by me get it from @booknookhove
- From battling a large trout to saving a human girl, Portly the Otter from The Wind in the Willows takes the lead in this charming collection of stories from Me & illustrated by Polly Dunbar! Preorder @waterstoneskids.bsky.social exclusive edition here: www.waterstones.com/book/the-adv...
- You can read about anything during #NationalYearofReading, so how about some mysteries that explore history? TIME KEYS adventures will take you to Ancient Egypt, Viking Times and The Impossible Gladiator is published in 3 weeks! 😃 It’s my Roman Empire adventure.
- The Impossible Gladiator will be charging into bookshops in 4 weeks, but you can read The Legend of Viking Thunder on ebook right now (and throughout January) for 99p!!!
- A video from the vault! This was shot 10 years ago when my debut Beetle Boy was about to be published. A 10th anniversary edition will be available from June 2026 with new cover, introduction and a prologue that reveals how the beetles came to Nelson Parade.
- Last night Polly Dunbar & I introduced The Adventures of Portly the Otter 🦦 to lots of wonderful independent bookshop people. It was so exciting to see The Wind in the Willows love 💚
- It’s a joyous moment when you meet your book. The Impossible Gladiator is a wild time-travelling adventure to Ancient Rome featuring a vanishing magician, an opera singer, a troupe of clowns & a rhinoceros! You’re going to LOVE it. Preorder signed copy booknookuk.com/product/pre-...
- One of the best festivals!
- Newsflash!
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- To celebrate Beetle Boy’s 10th anniversary, @chickenhsebooks are publishing a special edition with refreshed cover & exclusive new material. Available from June 2026 to coincide with National Insect Week. Cover art & internals: Julia Sarda Learn more: www.mgleonard.com/news/2026/1/...
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- Happy New Year! In 2026 Sim, Jeopardy & Nelson are going to take you on an exciting adventure to Ancient Rome, where they experience the terrifying spectacles in the Colosseum 1st hand. Pre-order a signed & dedicated copy from @booknookhove or standard edition @WaterstonesKids
- 2025 has been the year of Time Keys. I published books 1 & 2, wrote 3 & 4 loving the historical research. Thanks to booksellers, parents, librarians, teachers, readers & @waterstones_kids for the support. I’ve loved the 2025 rollercoaster ride & feel blessed to be on it with you.
- If you’re looking for an audiobook for Christmas, try The Ice Children. It’s magical and good to listen to while making cards or wrapping gifts 🎁 ❄️🎄
- I have an advance copy of The Adventures of Portly the Otter. It’s heart-huggingly lovely thanks to Polly Dunbar. I dedicated it to my 8yr old self who never dreamed she’d get to tell the story of what happened to little Portly in The Wind in the Willows. Coming in March 2026
- When I opened the Bookseller today, I discovered that The Adventures of Portly the Otter was being recommended as one of 10 titles not to miss in March 2026 by journalist Charlotte Eyre. The review is lovely and I’m very grateful as I cannot wait for readers to meet Portly. 🦦
- Dear teachers and book bloggers, do you fancy a hair-raising reading journey to Ancient Rome? The Impossible Gladiator is available to read on Netgalley over Christmas. Each story can be read as a stand alone adventure, to support a unit topic. www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/book...
- 20yrs ago I 1st visited the Colosseum. Rome captured my imagination & held it. It’s strange it’s taken me so long to write an adventure set when this incredible city was the centre of the world, but I’ve done it now! The Impossible Gladiator rides into bookshops Feb 2026.
- What’s your favourite Roald Dahl book? I was invited onto Tony Livesey's BBC Radio 5Live show, along with Jenny Worton (Artistic Director of the Roald Dahl Story Company) to discuss this very serious question. You can listen on BBC Sounds or here: www.mgleonard.com/news/2025/11...
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- A friendly reminder that if you want a signed & dedicated copy of The Impossible Gladiator, you'll need to pre order through @booknookhove You can order here: booknookuk.com/product/pre-...
- The Adventures of Portly the Otter, is a new collection of adventures set in the world of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows. 🦦 written by me & illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Out on 26th March 2026 in hardback Pre-order now! 📚
- Christmas is coming. If you’re looking for a stocking filler for a young reader, may I suggest THE ICE CHILDREN. Available wherever you get your books.
- Got some awesome book post today. I loved Asterix as a kid. It began my fascination with Romans. You never know where a child’s reading habits will lead…
- Getting morning pages written. Yes, even on a Sunday. Apologies for the extreme glamour of my ‘Author’s Fit’. My art calls for pyjamas, a fleece & Uggs. The fine beverage for such an occasion? Why it’s Yorkshire Gold. No I haven’t brushed my hair, nor washed my face. This is a wild & decadent life.
- What is your Roman Empire? Mine is… the Roman Empire! Bloggers & teachers The Impossible Gladiator is now on Netgalley. I loved writing this book. I hope you enjoy reading it. @manuelsumberac illustrations are extraordinary. www.netgalley.com/catalog/prev...
- Amazing 🪲🪲🪲
- To celebrate National Non-fiction November, & it’s theme of Timeless Treasures… here’s my only book of factual nature writing THE BEETLE COLLECTOR’S HANDBOOK. The incredible internal illustrations are by @CNahaboo Available to buy through your local bookshop or online.
- Today’s wisdom: 1, that Traitors final was epic! We watched live, as a family & that was lovely. 2. People employing AI to send spam emails to authors trying to sell them marketing services don’t know how little money authors make or how publishing works. STOP IT!
- There’s no greater gift that you can give to a child than a love of reading. The benefits are multitudinous & there are NO downsides. That is why I am supporting @thetimesbooks & @thetimes Get Britain Reading Campaign. Pledge your support & SHARE: link.thetimes.co.uk/join/74t/sig...
- Let’s rename A.I. Artificial is another word for fake. Fake Intelligence is not appealing. F.I. F*** It.
- Good morning on this gorgeous autumnal Saturday from me and my dog.
- Support @bbccin by bidding on a lot in the Children in Read auction. My lot can be found here: www.jumblebee.co.uk/auction/deta...
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- Today is the last day of this Waterstones offer. Preorder now for 25% off The Impossible Gladiator, book 3 in the TIME KEYS series 😃📚 www.waterstones.com/book/the-imp...
- 10 years ago I met Barry Cunningham of @chickenhousebooks.bsky.social He published my first 3 books & launched me into a career I love. Barry has always believed in beetles 🪲for which I am grateful. Last night I attended his retirement party. It was lovely to get to say thank-you & see old friends.
- From TODAY - Tues 14th Oct - until Midnight on Friday 17th Oct, if you preorder THE IMPOSSIBLE GLADIATOR from Waterstones ONLINE & enter the code: OCTOBER25 at checkout, you’ll get 25% off RRP waterstones.com//campaign/oc... Rome… if you want to.
- Happy Bookshop Day! To celebrate I'll be in Book Nook Hove at 2pm talking, reading, signing and generally hanging out and celebrating my favourite type of shop. Come and join me. It’s free.
- Travel to Ancient Rome with the Time Keys on their next adventure to the Roman Colosseum. I’m thrilled to reveal the 3rd in the Time Keys series, The Impossible Gladiator, illustrated by @manuelsumberac coming 12 February 2026 Pre-order now @waterstones www.waterstones.com/book/the-imp...
- Good Morning, from Sheffield. I’ll be revealing the gorgeous cover of Time Keys 3 at 9am, by @manuelsumberac so stay tuned! 👀
- It’s Bookshop Day on Saturday. To celebrate I’ll be popping in to my local, Booknookhove at 2pm to talk timetravel and trains. Come along and say Hi. It’s free. I’ll sign stuff and read stuff, it’ll be fun! 😃
