Committee Highlight - Louise Corcoran

 

 Committee Highlight

Louise Corcoran



What’s your role on the CBN committee, and what excites you most about it?

I’m the social butterfly, looking after Twitter and Instagram. What excites me most about my role is sharing all the exciting things that are happening in publishing in the North and Scotland, and helping to connect people.

What's your day job outside of CBN?

My day job outside of CBN is Key Account Manager and Northern Sales Rep at Bounce Sales and Marketing. Bounce looks after sales and distribution for approx. 40 independent children’s publishers, encompassing everything from baby cloth books to YA fiction and graphic novels. I sell these books to retailers across NW and some of NE England. I also work with a couple of key library and educational suppliers, and work closely with UCLan Publishing, one of the publishers represented by Bounce. 

Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words?

I’m based in Manchester. It’s historic, lively and (unexpectedly) green.

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

Bamburgh in Northumberland. An iconic castle, miles of beach and a sense of calm.

What is special to you about working with children's books?

That it’s such a wide age range from early years to teens, so there’s so much scope for variety.
 

Tell us about your upcoming/ most recent book you've worked on/ come across in your job.

As a sales rep and key account manager I’m working across many books at any given time. A recent book I had the privilege of working on was Matt Goodfellow’s The Final Year, which Otter-Barry published in September. It’s a novel in verse revolving around a working-class Manchester family. It’s an incredible book and I’m so pleased to see it reach so many people.

What literary events have you attended/ run/been involved with recently (in the North/Scotland)?

I recently attended the launch of Percy the Post Penguin by Genevieve Aspinall, which UCLan Publishing released in November, and a panel discussion between Jake Hope and A.M. Dassu for her latest book with Old Barn Books, Kicked Out.

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

David Almond is the obvious example for me. His books are always set so clearly in the North East; you get such a sense of place from them.

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

I’m about to start reading The Second Hand Boy by Jennifer Lane which UCLan Publishing are publishing in February

What advice would you give to aspiring writers/ illustrators/ publishing professionals in the North/Scotland?

Join CBN! Follow other aspiring writers/ illustrators/ publishing professionals on socials and network where you can. Northern/Scottish publishing feels very collegiate with everyone looking to work together and amplify each other’s voices.

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

More books set in named places in the north. I appreciate that this is more difficult in picture books, however across fiction and graphic novels this would be incredibly welcome.


You can find Louise on:

Twitter/ X: @louisecorcor




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