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




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mentor Scheme 2024 - Applications Open

Image
Children's Books North 2024 Mentor Scheme Applications Open! Applications are now open for the Children’s Books North Mentor Scheme! The scheme offers twelve aspiring publishers living in the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Scotland four hours of mentoring with a publishing professional over four months, with the goal of demystifying the industry for new talent. Mentoring will work on a 1:1 basis and mentees will be matched with a mentor that suits their interests and experience, whether that’s editorial, production, design, marketing, sales or agenting. For more info on publishing roles, see document here for a list of different departments within publishing. Applications are open to anyone interested in beginning a career in publishing. No previous experience is needed and we also welcome applications from those looking to change career path. The only essential is a love for children’s books and to be based in the North of England or Scotland. Scroll to the ‘How to Apply&#
Read more

Looking North: The Children's Books North Directory

Image
Looking North:  An indispensable di rectory of Children's Books North members We are delighted to be launching our Directory of Members, which lists published children’s authors, illustrators and publishing professionals based in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Scotland.   Tilda Johnson said: ‘ The Directory is a key resource in our aim to connect the children’s book professionals living in our regions, to promote our members' work, and to champion the importance of regional diversity in children’s books and the publishing industry.’ Members are listed along with their details, short bios and recent covers, enabling booksellers, librarians, schools, festivals, literacy organisations, agents and publishers to easily get in touch. The Directory is also a valuable resource for authors and illustrators looking to connect with other creatives working in their region and to forge new networks. Our plan is to update the Directory annually, as the network grows. It wil
Read more

Northern Highlights - Jenny Bloomfield

Image
NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS Jenny Bloomfield    Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words?   Leeds - Urban, Dales, Evolving   What is special to you about creating children's books, and what is your favourite part of the process?  Children's books are mini-works of art and a favourite book will be looked at hundreds and hundreds of times - not many books get this much attention from their audience! I am always drawing (I've drawn every day since 1st September 2014 - you can see every single day on my instagram @Jennybloomfield ) so I love being able to transfer my sketchbook observations and ideas to a living breathing story. For instance,  The Worry Jar , has some scenes at a swimming pool and I was able to go back to all the drawing I did sitting on the side of the pool while my kids were having lessons.   Jenny's sketches by the pool The Worry Jar, Oxford University Press, 2022.       Tell us about your upcoming/most recent book. The Worry Jar  is
Read more