M. G. Leonard

@mglnrd

🖋️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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M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· 27d

LOOKING FOR A SUMMER AUDIOBOOK FOR THE KIDS? I GOT YOU! @AppleBooks has chosen Hunt for the Golden Scarab for their FREE kids’ audiobooks collection celebrating the #NationalYearOfReading2026! Available in UK & Ireland for a limited time on Apple devices. books.apple.com/gb/audiobook...

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· 28d

It is with utter joy that I can say THE ADVENTURES OF PORTLY THE OTTER has been longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for children’s fiction. 🦦 I’m proud of this book that Polly Dunbar & I have created with the team at FarshoreBooks 🦦 Today I will be dancing like a wild-wooder!

Illustration by Polly Dunbar of dancing wild woofers

Illustration by Polly Dunbar of an otter and a kingfisher

The book, the adventures of Portly the Otter

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jul 6

Looking for something for your kids to read over the summer holidays? Hunt for the Golden Scarab is less than £3 on Amazon RIGHT NOW. That’s cheaper than 2 chocolate bars!

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· May 27

It’s WORLD OTTER DAY! 🦦 If you love otters then why not read this story about plucky little Portly, the adventurous young mustelid from The Wind in the Willows. The book is written by me & beautifully illustrated by @pollydunbar It’s available at your local bookshop.

Illustration of an otter by Polly Dunbar

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· May 25

Hay Festival was a blast!

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· May 8

Happy 100th Birthday to the ultimate beetle boy 🪲. It will not be a surprise to learn that David Attenborough is an inspiration to me & someone I deeply respect & admire. I’ll be surprised if he isn’t the same for you. We are lucky to have him as a part of our species. 💚

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· May 7

I'm excited that Hunt for the Golden Scarab is included in #Bookbuzz Primary this year! Bookbuzz Primary is a fantastic initiative from @BookTrust to get Year 3-6s reading for pleasure & I'm pleased to be part of it. Find out more & sign up here: bit.ly/4tqHvqw

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Apr 29

May is nearly here! I will be doing three festivals. Come along and share your favourite Roman facts, general love of books and we’ll adventure into the past together. All event details and links to purchase tickets are available through the event calendar on my website. 🤗🕰️🔑🎶

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Apr 14

PORTRAIT OF AN AUTHOR who has written 1 book, edited 1 book, published & promoted 2 books, in 14 weeks. Clothes model’s own. Maya wears ugg boots, tracksuit bottoms, nightgown & fluffy teddy bear hoodie. Hair = nest holding brain in. 🤣 Photographer = amused long-suffering husband

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Apr 4

Happy Easter! It’s always nice to read a book whilst devouring chocolate. If you’re looking for an egg themed read, may I suggest CLUTCH? It’s an Easter holiday adventure. The Twitchers - bird-spotting detectives - try & stop an egg snatcher from pillaging a Spoonbill’s nest🪺

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Mar 26

Hooray! It’s publication day! Portly swims into bookshops for Easter storytelling, adventure having, & the joy of nibbling on a potted shrimp sandwich beside a river. It has been a joy to create this book with the wonderful Polly Dunbar & the smashing team @farshorebooks.bsky.social

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Mar 25

The Adventures of Portly the Otter: Untold Tales from The Wind in the Willows is published tomorrow and The Telegraph is reviewing it… I got tearful at the headline. I love Kenneth Grahame’s story with my whole being and do so want to do it justice. 🦦

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Mar 21

Big thanks to Anna Bonet and the iPaper for this review of The Adventures of Portly the Otter. Pre-Order NOW. Publishes this week.

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Mar 20

Skip into the sunshine, for today is the first day of spring 😃 and next Thursday, Portly the Otter will swim into bookshops. Pre-order now for a heart-warming Easter family read 🦦

Extract from the book Portly the Otter by M. G. Leonard. Illustration by Polly Dunbar

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Mar 9

I’m super excited to be at @hayfestival May 24th & 25th. Monday 25 May 11:30am - come with me to Ancient Rome & the Colosseum for THE IMPOSSIBLE GLADIATOR. Sunday 24 May 2:30pm I’ll be talking with Susie Dent about words that bring us together. Booking: www.hayfestival.com

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Mar 1

Got up. Threw on clothes. Walked to garage in the rain ‘cause @thetimes has brought back the Funday Times for #nationalyearofreading2026 Inside readers meet Portly the Otter for the 1st time! 🦦Beautifully illustrated by the wonderful @pollydunbar OUT 26 March. Pre-order NOW!

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Feb 28

10 yrs ago Beetle Boy crawled into bookshops. If you’ve ever supported me, recommending, reviewing, borrowing or buying my books, THANKYOU. I love what I do. To celebrate the decade, I had my portrait taken by Rankin at one of his Lives. I ❤️ these pics of me & my fountain pen

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Feb 28

Questions and answers about The Adventures of Portly the Otter 🦦

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Feb 17

COVER REVEAL for ATTACK OF THE SEA DOGS, a Tudor time travel adventure! Coming 17 Sept 2026. Art by @manuelsumberac From 7am today til 23.59 Friday 20th February @Waterstones are running a special online offer. 25% off RRP if you enter FEB26 at checkout. www.waterstones.com/book/attack-...

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Feb 8

The TIME KEYS tour starts today. I’m visiting schools to promote reading & the wonder of history. I’ve a few public events. My Jorvik Viking Festival event is sold out, but there are still tickets available for my @FavershamLit festival event on 20 Feb. www.mgleonard.com/events

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Feb 4

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.

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 28

Had a lovely time talking at the Brighton & Hove Reading conference today with the incredible illustrator and my friend Mr Chris Riddell.

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 23

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 ❤️

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 20

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

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 19

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...

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 19

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.

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 15

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!!!

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 15

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.

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 14

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 💚

M. G. Leonard@mglnrd· Jan 12

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-...