Northern Highlight Burhana Islam  Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words?  I live on the outskirts of Manchester in a sleepy town by the name of Ashton-under-Lyne. We’re settled nicely between the valleys of the Peak District and the hustle and bustle of the city centre. I’d sum it up as quiet, slow-paced and wet. It’s always raining here.   What is special to you about creating children’s books, and what is your favourite part of the process? There’s something really special about writing something that could mean the world to someone else. I’ve always known that words are incredibly powerful, especially to children. It’s surreal when you find a reader who truly and sincerely connects with the story you’ve told. That’s my favourite part: the moment when someone tells me that my words reminded them of home - that I’ve taken a photograph of their life and shared it with the world. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that. Tell us about your...

  Northern Highlight Loretta Schauer Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words?   I'm a bit of an interloper up here, as I grew up in East Anglia and lived in London my entire  adult life. We moved to beautiful York about a year ago and I absolutely love it. I finally get to  have a garden, and I’ve made lots of lovely new friends. I think so far my three words would  be - outdoors, neighbours and history. What is special to you about creating children’s books, and what is your favourite part  of the process?  I always used to say that creating the characters was the best bit of the illustration process,  but having just written my first book, I have to say I really enjoyed the writing process too. It  felt like a very immediate and energising way to get ideas down on the page, and then it felt  easier to keep refining and shaping and blasting new ideas as I went along. On reflection, I  think I spend...

Guest Northern Highlight Madeleine Lindley Ltd . Can you tell us more about Madeleine Lindley Ltd?   Over 30 years ago , Madeleine Lindley began selling children’s books to schools in and around Greater Manchester from her home in Chadderton, after a decade of struggling to find the best quality books in her role as a primary school teacher specialising in  literacy . The team at Madeleine Lindley Ltd have continued to develop a  love of reading  in Primary School nationwide by providing teachers with wonderful books. Our booksellers are incredibly knowledgeable and well-respected, and thousands of teachers trust our recommendations from the vast number of children’s books published each year.   What does a typical workday look like for you, and what is the most rewarding part of your job?    Every day can be different depending on our diary of events, we host authors at the Book Centre or in schools, run teacher training days in our Conference room, v...