Mentor Scheme 2024 - Meet the Mentors

Children's Books North 2024 Mentor Scheme

Meet the Mentors!

Children’s Books North’s annual mentor scheme for aspiring publishers is back for 2024!


Aiming to demystify the publishing industry to those wishing to pursue a career in the sector, the CBN Mentor Scheme offers selected mentees four remote mentoring sessions with an established publishing professional. Applications are now open!


Doubling last year’s offering, this year we welcome twelve mentors from a variety of roles across the publishing sector, including experts from editorial, marketing, sales, design, production and agenting.

Our CBN mentors this year include:

Emma Layfield
Picture Book Development Director North (HCG) & CBN co-founder


Manchester-based Emma is Picture Book Development Director, North at Hachette Children’s Group. She is focused on acquiring Northern, Scottish and Irish talent. Emma is also Hachette UK’s Manchester Office Lead and is a board member for Seven Stories in Newcastle.

Laura Horsley
Publishing Director, Wren & Rook (HGC)


Edinburgh-based Laura is Publishing Director at Wren & Rook, Hachette Children’s Group. She now commissions and publishes children’s non-fiction, but previously worked in adult publishing for Canongate and Penguin Random House.

Claire Philip
Freelance Editor


Based in Kendal, Cumbria, Claire is a freelance children’s editor, author and publishing trainer. She mostly works on children’s non-fiction. Claire has worked with the Natural History Museum, Farshore, HarperCollins, DK, Quarto, Watkins Publishing, Little Gestalten, Bonnier and more!

Alice Corrigan
Head of Sales and Marketing, Sweet Cherry Publishing


Based in Preston, Alice is Head of Sales and Marketing with Sweet Cherry Publishing. Alice has previously worked at Nosy Crow and Thames & Hudson and at UCLan as associate lecturer in publishing.

Louise Corcoran
Key Account Manager / Northern Rep, Bounce Sales and Marketing


Louise is the Key Account Manager and Northern Rep at Bounce Sales and Marketing in Manchester. Before this she spent a decade as bookseller.

Toni Budden
Sales Manager, Penguin Random House


Based in Liverpool, Toni is a Sales Manager at Penguin Random House and works across children’s books for all ages. Toni has worked across various UK trade accounts, with a particular focus on Waterstones. Before moving into Sales, she worked in the Rights team.

Maria Rifiuti
International Sales, Oxford University Press


Based just a short train away from Manchester, Maria has been working in the world of education and children’s books for around 10 years, first as a Project Editor for a company based in Italy, and then in the International Sales Team at Oxford University Press, where she helps promoting books to schools around the globe.

Sarah Andrew
Senior Designer, Hachette Children’s Group


Based in York, Sarah Andrews is a freelance designer and works at Hachette Children’s Group and works on the colour non-fiction list. Sarah has also more recently worked with Two Hoots and Quarto.

Morag Bramhall
Production Controller, Floris Books


Based in Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders, Morag is the Production Controller for Floris Books, working on the print specifications, production and logistics for a variety of children's books and adult non-fiction. Morag is also on the Sustainability team for Floris and the Client Green Group for BookSource.

Susan Penny
Managing Agent, The Bright Agency


Based on the Rosneath Peninsula in Scotland, Sus is a Managing Agent at The Bright Agency representing children's illustrators and authors of picture books, fiction and non-fiction. As well as nurturing and developing the careers of experienced author illustrators, she works to bring new voices and perspectives to light.

Debbie Williams
Course Leader (MA Publishing), Manchester Metropolitan University


Debbie is Course Leader on the MA Publishing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She started her career at Waterstones Head Office where she won Bookseller of the Year. She then set up the first publishing course in the North of England at UCLan, alongside a publishing house which won Independent Publisher of the Year Newcomer.

Jonny Leighton
Senior Editor, Wren & Rook (HCG)


Newcastle-based, Jonny is a senior editor with Wren & Rook at Hachette Children’s Group, working on text-led non-fiction for middle grade and teen readers. Jonny is also a published picture book author.


Offering their expertise in editorial, marketing, sales, design and more to this year’s mentees, the Children’s Books North Mentor Scheme 2024 is going to be bigger than ever before.

Whether you are just beginning to embark on a publishing career journey or have a bit more professional experience but wish to change career path, applications are open until Sunday 14th April 2024.


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