Northern Highlights: Tom Ashton-Booth

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT

Tom Ashton-Booth

 Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words?

I’m a Midland’s man that has yo-yoed the country and now settled in Doncaster. I have

an affinity with the North and find it incredibly welcoming, honest and proud.

What is special to you about creating children’s books, and what is your favourite part of the process?

I remember the joy I got from books as a child and I would love to spark that same

sort of joy. I want to create books that inspire, entertain and educate. I work on a

wide range of books in my role as a children’s book designer and I especially love the

start and end of a project. I love the initial roughing out stage when the ideas are the

freshest, and I find it so satisfying to get my hands on the final printed book and leaf

through it’s crisp pages (excitedly but with bated breath, hoping that there are no mistakes).

Tell us about the most recent book you’ve worked on.

I’m usually working on a few books at a time and the ones that I’m working on now

are under wraps. There’s one due out soon called ‘24 Hours in the Jungle’ written by

Lan Cook, designed by myself and illustrated by the wonderful Stacey Thomas. This

is the book I’m most proud of to date; it’s a graphic-novel that follows a brother and

sister in Borneo as they help their mother and other scientists with their work in the

jungle. The book is full of weird and wonderful wildlife, fun facts and fantastic illustrations.

If you could be transported to anywhere in the North right now, where would it be?

I daydream about exploring the coast of Scotland and I’d love to revisit the Shetland and Orkney islands.

What literary/kid lit events have you attended or run/been involved with recently in the North?

I’m a big fan of Orange Beak Studio. I’ve attended a few of their online talks (Jarvis,

Katie Harnett, Nadia Shireen and Sarah Oglivie) and found them incredibly inspiring.

The talks have given me a great insight into each artist’s process and it’s been

revealing to see behind the scenes of their picture book creation.

Name your favourite children’s book/art organisations in the North.

I’d say Orange Beak for this too. Their picture book tutorials and portfolio reviews

sound great and it’s fantastic to have access to such a wealth of talent and

knowledge. I also love the way they champion illustration. CBN is a brilliant resource

too and I look forward to connecting with like-minded people through it.

What advice would you give to aspiring publishers living in the North?

I would encourage them to look local as the North is full of creatives, has a strong voice and tons of stories to tell.

What would you like to see from children's publishing in the North?

I would love to see more publishers popping up in the North generally, ones focusing

on children’s publishing would be particularly brilliant. I also hope that publishers

outside of the North embrace hybrid working roles which would negate the need for

creatives to relocate. I would also welcome more of a push on Northern collaboration

and on local writing and crit groups. School visits by local authors and illustrators

would be particularly inspiring to children. More specifically, books reimagining,

reinterpreting or inventing Northern folktales would be good.

Who for you are the great Northern children’s writers/illustrators?

I’m a big fan of Jarvis and Carly Gledhill.

What’s next on your TBR pile by a Northern creative?

I’m being tickled by Bob Mortimer’s book ‘And Away’ at the moment and I’m looking

forward to the release of ‘The Boy with Flowers in His Hair’ by Jarvis in March.

Instagram: @tomashtonbooth
Twitter: @tomashtonbooth