GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS The Little Ripon Bookshop Can you start by telling us about The Little Ripon Bookshop - where you are and what you do?  The Little Ripon Bookshop has been open for 13 years. We started small (hence the name) but have since expanded and are now The Quite Big Ripon Bookshop. Ripon is a cathedral city north of Harrogate, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, surrounded by glorious countryside. Our shop is a general bookshop with a strong children’s section. We run bookclubs, storytimes and author events - we aim to be a local hub for all things literary. Congratulations on being a finalist in the British Book Awards this year for Independent Bookshop of the Year. Can you tell us what that means for a small indie bookshop?  For the past 3 years we have been a finalist for Children’s Bookseller of the Year which has been a tremendous boost. Recognition for what we do shouldn’t be important but it always feels good to get a pat on the back. We tr...

  NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT  Maisie Chan  Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words? I live in the West End of Glasgow. Three words to describe the area that I live in: vibrant,  creative, friendly What is special to you about creating children’s book, and what is your favourite part of the process? Creating stories for children is really a brilliant job to have. I get to use my imagination,  play with ideas, and come up with characters and scenarios that I think might be of  interest or can help some children; that is quite special!  I hope that readers find the  stories I write accessible, engaging and fun. Being a children’s author is a dream job for  me. Two days are never the same. My favourite part is the relief of having readers enjoy  and engage with a story I’ve written. I do like creating new stories and often it is  enjoyable, but sometimes it’s hard too! Some stories come fully formed, others need to...