As promised, some of the interesting (and, to modern eyes, occasionally odd/bewildering) ads from the 1930 (my best guess) Child’s Own Annual. What strikes me most is that, though the annual was clearly intended to be read by children, the ads are very clearly intended only for grown-ups: there’s very little here that’s going to …
Fireboy and The Worldshapers are Aurora Award finalists
I’m thrilled to announce that I’m up for two Aurora Awards this year! Fireboy is on the ballot for Best Young Adult Novel, and The Worldshapers is once again on the ballot for Best Fan …
He Came, He Fell, He Conquered: A Seven-Sentence Short Story
I spent a good chunk of today at Wordbridge, the annual writers’ conference in Lethbridge, Alberta. My main reason for coming was to launch a Shadowpaw Press title (Broken Realm by Jenna Greene, a Lethbridge …
For Easter: listen to me sing “Forever”
This is Easter weekend; last weekend, I sang in the Easter concert of First Baptist Church here in Regina as a guest soloist and chorister. The whole concert is worth listening to, but if you’d …
Read my Aurora-eligible story “Quid est Veritas?”
I put a link to this in the previous post on my Aurora-eligible work for 2025, but wanted to highlight it. This was my contribution to the Shapers of Worlds Volume V anthology, and it …
My Aurora-eligible work for 2025: read my eligible short story online!
The Aurora Awards are Canada’s best-known science fiction and fantasy awards, voted on by fans every year. I’ve been fortunate enough to win twice, for Marseguro (DAW Books) (soon coming out in a new edition from Tuscany …
Available again: my modern-day Civil War-themed middle-grade ghost story The Haunted Horn
Put this under the category of “things I’ve meant to do for a long time”: I finally published (under my Endless Sky Books imprint) a new edition of The Haunted Horn, a modern-day middle-grade ghost …
Tag: retro
Retro Sunday: Ads from the 1930 Child’s Own Annual
- By Edward Willett in Blog
-
December 31, 2012
- 5 mins to read
- Leave comment
Retro Sunday: Ads from a 1930 children’s annual
- By Edward Willett in Blog
-
December 23, 2012
- 2 mins to read
- Leave comment
A project I’ve had in the back of my mind for years is a book called Things I Found in My Mother-in-Law’s House, built around the many interesting mid-century knick-knacks, oddments, thingamobs and whatchamallits in this house where my wife’s family has lived since 1939 and which is now my home. I did do a …
Subscribe to my newsletter!
My latest live walk and vlog
YouTube
132 views April 29, 2026 12:30 am
273 views April 14, 2026 12:41 pm
Ghostwriting, editing, mentoring, publishing assistance
I offer ghostwriting (both fiction and nonfiction) services; developmental, line, and copyediting services; mentoring; and assistance with all aspects of publishing for those seeking to self-publish. Looking for help?
Email me!
Listen to My Podcast
Conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process
Support me through Patreon!
My Publicist



