Bookshop of the Month: May Drake the Bookshop Can you tell us more about Drake the Bookshop, why you decided to open a bookshop and how it’s evolved? Unfortunately, I had fallen out of love with teaching and during a weekend away we came across a bookshop and cafe in Penrith. It seemed like a great place and led to a few conversations about the fact it might be something we could do. The Christmas break of that year our son pointed out that we had spent a long time chatting about opening a bookshop and were we going to do it? Nine months later in September 2015 we opened in a start up hub on Stockton high street in a space 125 square feet. A year later having grown to 250 square feet we moved on to Silver Street into our own shop and from there in 2021 we expanded again and opened the children's shop.  On your website, you have a definition of a bookshop as a “sanctuary, welcoming place, refuge, treasure trove, portal to other worlds, safe space, beating heart of high street, oas

   Northern Highlight Victoria Williamson Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words?  I’m based in Scotland not too far from a major city, but surrounded by fields and hills, so there’s plenty to look at when I need a bit of inspiration from nature. There’s woodlands to walk through on mellow autumn days, trails to hike in summer, and coffee shops to hide in on cold winter afternoons. I’d sum this place up as atmospheric, picturesque or dreich, depending on the time of year! If you could be transported to anywhere in the North/ Scotland right now, where would it be?  I love writing stories based on history, archaeology and Scottish myths, so I’d love to be in Orkney just now exploring the ancient sites there. I spent some time in Orkney last April while doing an Archaeology course with Aberdeen University, and I got to investigate places steeped in history and legend such as the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae. I’ve written children’s books about standing st

   Committee Highlight Louise Corcoran What’s your role on the CBN committee, and what excites you most about it? I’m the social butterfly, looking after Twitter and Instagram. What excites me most about my role is sharing all the exciting things that are happening in publishing in the North and Scotland, and helping to connect people. What's your day job outside of CBN? My day job outside of CBN is Key Account Manager and Northern Sales Rep at Bounce Sales and Marketing. Bounce looks after sales and distribution for approx. 40 independent children’s publishers, encompassing everything from baby cloth books to YA fiction and graphic novels. I sell these books to retailers across NW and some of NE England. I also work with a couple of key library and educational suppliers, and work closely with UCLan Publishing, one of the publishers represented by Bounce.  Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words? I’m based in Manchester. It’s historic, lively and (une

   Northern Highlight Nadine Aisha Jassat Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words?  I’m based in Edinburgh, Scotland. My three words would be: Chosen Home, Community. What is special to you about working with children's books, and what is your favourite thing about it? I first fell in love with books and reading as a child. Knowing that my books could be treasured by a young reader, and help them navigate the world – whether by exploring big issues, or simply being book-friends in paper form – is something I cherish. My favourite part is when I’m so deep in writing a story that the characters and the world feel real and vibrant to me – and then, much later, to hear from readers that they felt the exact same thing! Tell us about the most recent book you've worked on or come across in your job.  Published by Hachette UK, May 2024 My next novel, The Hidden Story of Estie Noor , comes out in May! Like The Stories Grandma Forgot (And How I Found Them)

   Bookshop of the Month (April) The Edinburgh Bookshop Interviewee: Fiona (children's specialist) Can you tell us more about the Edinburgh Bookshop, and what drew you to work there?  The Edinburgh Bookshop is a small-but-stuffed, award-winning, independent bookshop based in the Bruntsfield area of the city. Besides being across the road from one of the best ice cream parlours in town (!), the shop's community spirit and focus on young readers was a real draw to work there, as well as the wonderful close-knit team of passionate booksellers, led by the inimitable Marie Moser, which I am now proud to be a part of. The Edinburgh Bookshop hosts author events and book clubs for children and young people. How important is having in-person events at the bookshop? A building full of books (most of which you haven't read) can be exciting for many but intimidating as well. Knowing that authors are just regular people too and were once children like them is encouraging and often reass

Children's Books North 2024 Mentor Scheme Meet the Mentors! Children’s Books North’s annual mentor scheme for aspiring publishers is back for 2024! Aiming to demystify the publishing industry to those wishing to pursue a career in the sector, the CBN Mentor Scheme offers selected mentees four remote mentoring sessions with an established publishing professional. Applications are now open! Doubling last year’s offering, this year we welcome twelve mentors from a variety of roles across the publishing sector, including experts from editorial, marketing, sales, design, production and agenting. Our CBN mentors this year include: Emma Layfield Picture Book Development Director North (HCG) & CBN co-founder Manchester-based Emma is Picture Book Development Director, North at Hachette Children’s Group. She is focused on acquiring Northern, Scottish and Irish talent. Emma is also Hachette UK’s Manchester Office Lead and is a board member for Seven Stories in Newcastle. Laura Horsley Pub