NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT  Matt Goodfellow Why did you become a writer? I’m a failed rock star, basically. I studied English up to degree level, but all the while was the singer and one of the songwriters in an Indie band. When I was about 23 or 24, I realised the musical dream was never going to happen (mainly because I was a bit rubbish!) and put the guitar down. I needed a ‘proper’ job and so became a primary school teacher. Quite quickly into my teaching career, I began writing poems and songs with my classes and also took note of the visiting authors/poets we had in school. I gradually realised I wasn’t supposed to teach, I was supposed to write. As I started to get more and more poems published in anthologies, I went part time as a teacher and then a few years back left the profession behind for good. Illustrated by Krina Patel-Sage, published by Otter-Barry Books Tell us about where you live. I was born in Withington, Manchester but have spent most of my life living in and a...

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT  Naomi Gibson Why did you become a writer? I don't remember "becoming" a writer as I've always kind of written, but I did grow up without a TV and so was always surrounded by books. I read A LOT when I was a kid. Writing my own book was probably inevitable now that I think about it. I started to take writing seriously about five years ago when I enrolled in writing classes at a local college. It taught me all the rules, many of which I've joyously broken in my debut, EVERY LINE OF YOU. Published by Chicken House  Tell us about where you live. I've just moved from Warrington in Cheshire to Glasgow in Scotland. It's so different here, but I'm loving it. I haven't been able to explore the city as much as I would have liked, but there are lots of gorgeous walks and everyone is so friendly. Where do you write?  I write at home. I've always wanted to be one of those people who writes in cafes, but I can't concentrate. I need ...

 Northern Highlight (c) Bentham Imaging Clare Weze Why did you become a children’s writer?  I caught the bug early and attempted my first book at the age of eight. Children’s books have always inspired me and I continued in that genre as an adult. Writing, especially for children, is the one thing I never tire of, because there are always more worlds to explore. I find the middle-grade age range especially rewarding because at this age, they handle complicated concepts easily, and they get exciting glimpses into more challenging levels. Even some of their misunderstandings have the potential to create whole new ideas.   Tell us about where you live.  I live on the very edge of the Yorkshire dales, where three counties meet – Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. There’s a nice fusion of accents, and you pass through all three counties just by driving to the next village. There are fields on all sides of our house, which is one of the reasons I love living here, although...

 CHILDREN'S BOOKS NORTH: FESTIVAL OF ILLUSTRATION  The Children's Books North 'Festival of Illustration' will be held on Wednesday 11th August from 7.30 - 8.30pm on Instagram.   Join us as we celebrate northern and Scottish illustrators with an online Instagram exhibition of our members' work.  We are inviting all Children's Books North illustrators to join in by posting their work in a bespoke CBN frame on Instagram to create an online gallery for us to promote the fantastic talent in the North and Scotland. And we would love CBN authors and publishing professionals to join in on the night too to help spread the word. How to join in:  Post up to 3 images of your work using the bespoke CBN picture frame and up to a 125 words caption Tag your post with the hashtag #CBNFestivalOfIllustration and tag @childrens_books_north Tag your location: #NW #NE #Yorkshire #Scotland Tag your genre: #PictureBook #Fiction #NonFiction If you are author or pub...

 Northern Highlight - Ness Wood Ness Wood Why did you want to work in the children's book industry? I always wanted to be a designer from spending most of my childhood colouring in! I didn’t really know what one was and so my Art ‘O’ Level was filled with record cover designs. I ended up working in Children’s Books after studying graphic design at Salford University. I applied for over 100 positions, and the then Art director at Collins (now HarperCollins) Publishers Ian Butterworth took a chance on me and gave me a junior designer job. I was ecstatic! I came to London with my mate Mandy ( sherliker_design ). Both of us from up North, she sold her little car and my mum gave me £100 and we slept on someone's floor for 6 weeks! My family heirloom The Illustrated Treasury of Children’s Literature is a children's book published by Collins and given to me on my 1st birthday - so I was destined to get my first job there! Tell us about where you live. I now live in Didsbury, in So...

SPECIAL GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT   Chorlton Book Festival Tell us a bit about Chorlton Book Festival. Chorlton Book Festival is a joyous, annual celebration of books, reading and writing. Now in its seventeenth year, it’s become a regular fixture in Manchester’s cultural calendar. We pride ourselves on championing local writers, authors and publishers. “Something for everyone” is a cliché, we know, but we offer a programme with events, from under-fives’ story sessions to intergenerational work with community elders. We have literary quizzes, history walks and talks, poetry slams, author visits, creative activities, workshops, a children’s book award and plenty of family fun.   In its early days, the festival was organised by Manchester Libraries, but has since grown to become very much rooted in its local community. Our library service is still the driving force, but supported by an active steering group with representation from schools, businesses, writers and local re...

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT     ANNA GAMBLE   Tell us about Liverpool Literary Agency   Founded in 2020, we are the first Liverpool-based literary agency and we’re committed to helping northern writers break into the publishing industry. We started as an editing company with a diverse list of clients comprising accountants, taxi drivers, sport scientists, NHS workers and hospitality sector workers, alongside more experienced writers with qualifications in Creative Writing or other literature-based subjects. They all had one thing in common – the publishing industry seemed inaccessible, London-centric and intimidating. So, we knew that it was time to go beyond editing and decided to set up the agency, joining many other publishing organisations who seek to diversify the geographic base of the industry. We’ve had a fantastic response from publishers so far, and our initial list is an exciting mix of virtually every genre.       Why did you recently decid...