Children's Books North - Who's Who

 Children's Books North - Who's Who

We've had some exciting updates at Children's Books North HQ in recent months, so thought it time to do a proper introduction to everyone we have here spreading the Children's Books North news and supporting our members. 

THE CO-FOUNDERS

Tilda Johnson, Editorial Director Golden Egg Academy and freelance editor

Tilda began her career at David Fickling Books, then PRH Children's, before joining the Hot Key Books and Piccadilly Press team as Senior Commissioning Editor. After relocating to the North in 2017 she became a freelance editor, mentoring writers directly, working for publishers and setting up a Manchester branch of the Golden Egg Academy. At GEA, Tilda now leads a team of fiction editors who provide editorial support for children's/YA writers as they progress their works-in-progress and prepare for submission to agents and publishers.

Emma Layfield, Picture Book Development Director, North, Hachette Children’s Group

After twenty years of working in London with Hachette Children's Group, in 2020 Emma Layfield took on a new role with the leading children's publisher, as Picture Book Development Director, North, based in Manchester. She is responsible for networking, building relationships and looking for business opportunities in the North and Scotland, and is focused on acquiring talent from the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Scotland for the HCG picture book list. Emma is also HUK's Manchester Office Lead. Emma is from Lancashire originally.

Liz Scott, freelance children’s book publicist

Liz is from West Yorkshire and has worked in the children’s book industry for 20 years, starting as an in-house publicist at Usborne Publishing before relocating to the North West as a freelance publicist. She works on PR campaigns and strategy with publishers and Literacy Organisations from across the industry including Oxford University Press, Usborne Publishing, Old Barn Books and CLPE.  

THE COMMITTEE

Tom Ashton-Booth – Design Wizard 

Tom Ashton-Booth was born in the year of the rat and raised in a small riverside town in the Midlands that smelt of fish and chips. He moved to Leeds to study Graphic Design and then gravitated to London for work. Tom has worked as an artist’s assistant, prop maker, graphic designer, illustrator and was a set dresser on Wes Anderson’s ‘Isle of Dogs’. He now works for Usborne as a children’s book designer and has left The Big Smoke and settled in Doncaster.

 Tom is responsible for designing CBN promotional material for our events throughout the year

Maria Rifiuti - Blogger Extraordinaire 

Maria Rifiuti was born in Pisa, just a few steps away from the leaning tower. She knew since she was little that she wanted to work with books, and she decided to move to England to pursue a career in Publishing. Maria worked as a Project Editor to develop a series of children’s books for a small Italian educational publisher, and now works as a Sales Enablement Specialist at Oxford University Press, helping the International Sales Team promote Primary resources to schools all over the world. She now lives in Cheshire.

Maria is responsible for editing and posting interviews, blog content and newsletters.

Shaniah Shields – Network Champion

Shaniah Shields was born in Manchester in the same year that ‘The Gruffalo’ was first published. She studied English Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University where she later went on to complete an MA in Publishing. Shaniah has worked in retail, with children in educational settings and is currently a Waterstones Bookseller.

Shaniah is responsible for signing up and reaching out for new members.

You can keep up with all the Children's Books North news, interviews and updates 

on Twitter and Instagram.