SPECIAL GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT VIVIAN FRENCH & LUCY JUCKES, PICTURE HOOKS Can you tell us about Picture Hooks and how it was founded? In 2011, we were chatting over coffee about illustrators who had graduated, but were finding it impossible to find anyone to look at their work - and we realised that although there were lots of different creative writing courses and mentoring schemes for authors, there was nothing for illustrators. And that year, Picture Hooks was born. We set out to demystify the process of both children’s illustration and publishing by setting up a mentoring scheme working with the very best illustrators as mentors, organising conferences, masterclasses, exhibitions, speed dating, visits to publishers and lots of advice and encouragement. What makes Edinburgh a good city to be based? We both live here! It’s a capital city on so many levels - the home of Edinburgh Art College, Scottish Book Trust, Edinburgh International Book Festival, the National Gallery o...

 Oh the Places You'll Read:  Northern Stories for the World This month saw our first Children's Books North panel event for CBN members, bringing together authors Melvin Burgess and Danielle Jawando with children's book consultant, Jake Hope. It was a fascinating discussion about northern storytelling chaired by our very own  Tilda Johnson.  Members were treated to a fun and lively discussion which covered a wide range of subjects, ranging from northern aesthetic and how this informs your writing, to the impact of readers seeing their own experiences reflected in the books they read, to whether creatives in the north need to work harder for industry recognition. It was fascinating to hear from Jake about the relationship he'd seen readers develop with Melvin's novel BURNING ISSY because of their connection to it through setting and their local area.  The highlight for many was the opportunity to hear a moving reading by Danielle from her debut novel  And th...

  NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT Melvin Burgess 1. Why did you become a writer/illustrator?   I always wanted to write books because I love stories. I started lying at a very early age and I've never looked back. These days, I do it professionally.   2. Tell us about where you live.   I live in the beautiful Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. We have great views along the valley and a big garden where I like to grow fruit, veg and flowers, and that I try to make into a good home for as many creatures as I possibly can.   3. Where do you work?   We moved only recently, so I work in the kitchen at the moment. But soon I'm getting an office outside in the garden, which is my favourite place to work. 4. What for you is the 'spirit of the North'?   I think of the spirit of the north as a kind cross between a rock troll and an elf. Her and him are tough and kind, they like a drink, don’t mind the rain, they’re very committed to their strange hobbies and are considering in...

Northern Highlight Copyright Tom Pilston Katherine Woodfine 1.     Why did you become a writer? I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t writing. I’ve always loved books, and as a child whenever I wasn’t reading, I was busy keeping diaries, making up plays for my friends to perform, or writing endless stories. I always thought I would write literary fiction, and it took me a while to work out that what I really wanted to write was children’s books. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20s, when I started writing the book which would eventually become my debut,  The Clockwork Sparrow,  that I really hit my stride - and then I knew I’d found what I wanted to do.  Published by Egmont Cover illustration by Julia Sarda 2. Tell us about where you live. I grew up in Lancashire, but left to go to university. I moved around for a while, living in Bristol and Manchester, before spending nearly 10 years in London. A couple of years ago I ma...

Special Guest Northern Highlight Photo credit: Topher McGrillis Claire Malcolm  How has NWN changed over the last 20+ years? Although NWN’s scale of ambition and what it’s possible for us to achieve has grown a great deal since 1996 the mission of the organisation which is about finding and developing talented writers and involving people in the North with great writing holds true. We’re just able to do this on a different scale now with the support of bigger partners, networks and ambassadors. One of the things that is part of our history but that provides such rich support for us is the writers that we have helped along the way. It’s so gratifying and motivating to see the impact of our work with writers manifest in careers, books, prizes and in people finding new ways to live the lives that they want to through their writing. We have such a big group of NWN ‘alumni’ now and I always love catching up with writers and finding out what they are working on and how things are going f...

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT Helen Shoesmith Helen Shoesmith Why did you become an illustrator? When I was a child my mum would treat me to a book at the weekend. I used to love going to the bookshop or the library, I was a real bookworm! I loved getting home with a new book and spending hours poring over the illustrations and details. I would then draw my own little characters and make stories with them. It's an absolute dream to be able to call this my job. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do. Tell us about where you live. I live in a village called Blacko in Lancashire and our house is at the top of a very windy hill! I feel very blessed to be surrounded by beautiful countryside & can see right across to Pendle Hill which is famous for its witches! To be published by Oxford University Press February 2021 Where do you write/illustrate? During school hours I usually illustrate from my little desk in the spare room. Out of school hours, the perk of w...

Northern Highlight Jenny Pearson 1. Why did you become a writer? I became a writer because I love sharing stories with kids. I’m very lucky that as a teacher I get to see the affect a great book can have. I don’t remember exactly when I decided to sit down and try and write one myself but now I’ve started writing, I don’t want to stop! 2. Tell us about where you live. I live in Durham, in a stable. That sounds quite biblical. It has been converted so it is fit to live in! I am very lucky because my lovely neighbour is an animal rescuer and we live directly opposite a field of four alpaca, two pigs, one horse and a large duck pond. She also has two dogs, two cats, four peacocks, two cockerels and many chickens that all come wondering into our garden. It is a wonderful place to be. 3. Where do you write? At home, in coffee shops – there are some great ones in Durham, the library, on trains - I write wherever I can. 4. What for you is ‘the spirit of the N...