NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT Ashley Thorpe   Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words?  I live in Manchester and would sum it up as vibrant, authentic… and wet What is special to you about working with children's books, and what is your favourite thing about it?  Knowing that you’re part of putting something into the world that could really mean something to a young mind. I don’t think the sense of wonder I had as a young reader has ever left me and I’m motivated to foster that same joy in children now. I have many favourite things but working with authors and helping make their work the best it can be is extremely satisfying. Tell us about the most recent books you've worked on. At Storymix we’ve just recently released book 2 of the fantastic Future Hero series, which sees a young London-born hero become a force for good in a mystical fantasy world inspired by West African mythology. And coming out soon is the second in the Lizzie and Belle Mysterie...

 Guest Northern Highlight Through the Wardrobe Can you tell us about Through the Wardrobe, where you are and what you do? Hi everyone! My name’s Leanne, and I’m the owner, manager and all found solitary face of my  specialist children’s bookshop in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. My shop is a teeny tiny, but - in my view –  perfectly formed little corner of bookish magic for children of all ages. Why do you think it's important to have a thriving and vibrant book industry in the North of  England? I am a firm believer that everyone deserves to see themselves and stories that reflect their lives in the  books that they read. While otherworldly and escapist reads make reading magical for us all, there is  an utter joy in reading and thinking “Gah – that’s me!” or “Woah, I’ve been there…it’s just up the  road”. Our bookshelves have more gaps than I’d like, and it’s often a real struggle to truly reflect the  wonderful diversity and cultural heritage of our...

Northern Highlight  Justin Davies Where are you based, and how would you sum up the place in three words?  I’m based in North Queensferry, Fife, by the Firth of Forth, in the shadow of the famous Forth Bridge.  It’s monumental, inspirational and, more often than not, elemental.   What is special to you about writing children's books, and what is your favourite thing  about it? I love trying to lose myself inside younger readers’ minds and work out what makes them laugh. Writing middle grade also gives me the opportunity to be really creative with my worldbuilding and shape larger-than-life characters. Without question, my absolute favourite thing about writing children’s books is meeting young readers at book festivals and on school visits. Thank goodness in-person events are back on! Virtual events are all well and good, but nothing beats the energy of a live audience of excited children. Tell us about the most recent books you've worked on. I have ...

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT  Susan Penny The Bright Agency Where are you based  and how would you sum up the place in three words?   A hop, skip and a jump from the Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond. Every shade (of) green. What is special to you about working with children's books, and what is your favourite thing about it?   For me, the most exciting and magical thing about children’s books – picture books in particular – is that third reality created in the mind of the child (and parent) as they interpret what the words and pictures mean to them. There are endless opportunities to convey meaning, and owning that meaning for ourselves allows the story to live on, beyond the page, reaching into the fabric of our imaginations and staying with us for a lifetime. I never forgot my favourite picture books.   Tell us about the most recent project you worked on   As an agent I have my fingers in so many pies – at different stages of cooking – that picking a highlight from such...

  GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS Mirror Me Write Why did you set up Mirror Me Write? Mirror Me Write is my online bookshop, specialising in books that promote representation and inclusion. I set up Mirror Me Write in 2019, after working in the Education sector for a number of years. The lack of representation in the book choices that were being offered to children in the classroom and the one narrative version of the world they were being taught didn't sit well with me. Denying representation to children  from entire communities makes them feel like their existence doesn't matter.  Coming from a migrant family, I knew this feeling all too well, and when I became a mother I knew I wanted better for my own children. I wanted children not to just see themselves in books but also see as many different stories of communities from all over the world. I knew that this kind of engagement, particularly from the Early Years, could do so much in terms of developing respect, tolerance...

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS Julian Beresford  Where do you live, and how would you sum up the place in three words I live in south Yorkshire, Doncaster, Newfound city status What is special to you about creating children's books, and what is your favourite part of the process? What’s special to me about creating children's books is the ability to tell stories that I would have loved to read as a kid and reflect the world I grew up in. My favourite part of the process is character creation and world-building, designing the look and style of the characters and the setting of the worlds they dwell in. Tell us about your upcoming/most recent book Having recently illustrated the Gadgeteers for the Summer Reading Challenge, I am also currently illustrating a fantastical picture book with Hachette, Title and publishing date to be announced. Gadgeteers, The Reading Agency If you could be transported to anywhere in the North/Scotland right now, where would it be? St Kilda, part of the outer Heb...

  Guest Northern Highlights Wigtown Book Festival Can you start by telling us about the origins of the Book Festival in   Wigtown ? In the mid-1990s, it was suggested that a ‘book  town ’ on the model of Hay-on-Wye would be a good way to help regenerate a community in Scotland. Six small towns with varying economic needs submitted bids. Half were from Dumfries & Galloway – Gatehouse of Fleet, Moffat and  Wigtown . The others were Dalmellington, Dunblane and Strathaven. An international panel chose  Wigtown . At the time, t he former county   town   of Wigtownshire was at its lowest ebb. There were many empty and run-down properties, and the almost derelict County Buildings on the   town   square were threatened with demolition.  Wigtown   then had one of the highest levels of unemployment in Scotland, but the   town   boasted a beautiful setting and a rich history.  In 1999 the Scottish Government acknow...