AUTHOR & EDITOR, CHILDREN'S BOOKS
About
I've worked in children's publishing for over 20 years, editing and writing books for all ages, from preschool board books and activity books to highly illustrated non-fiction for 8+ readers.
TV work includes writing stories for the 'story corner' segment of Driver Dan's Story Train, airing on CBeebies.
Typical commissions include researching and writing information books, new project development (approach, comps, contents and sample spreads), writing AIs and catalogue copy, retelling traditional tales, adapting licensed character assets to fit a variety of formats, devising fun-to-learn, on-the-page activities based on EYFS guidelines, writing/editing text to fit highly illustrated layouts, and reworking backlist material to fit new formats and extents.
Publishing clients & imprints:
Campbell Books • Constable • Discovery Kids • Disney • Dorling Kindersley • DK Licensing • Egmont • Kingfisher Books • Ladybird Licensing • Macmillan Education • Marks & Spencer • Marshall Editions • Pinwheel • Quarto Children's Books • Miles Kelly Publishing • Scholastic • Timbuktu (Rebel Girls) • Warne
Before going freelance I commissioned a young activity/information list at Kingfisher Books (now part of Macmillan) working with authors such as Meredith Hooper and Mick Manning, and face-painting manufacturer Snazaroo.
Before working at Kingfisher, I edited ELT and English-language curriculum textbooks for Macmillan Education, and before that I taught EFL.
I've also had a stint subbing on a Hong Kong newspaper, edited corporate brochures and annual reports for an investor-relations company in Tokyo, temped in admin for the NHS and (way back when) worked on a deli counter in a supermarket, where I learned how to cut up huge wheels of Lancashire cheese with a wire.
Tutoring and Workshops:
I'm a registered tutor, teaching English KS1 and 2 through the government's NTP scheme. Recent CPD courses include the NPT Tutor Toolkit, Teaching Phonics, and The Thrive Approach to Children's Mental Health, Wellbeing and the Pandemic. I also recently completed an MA in Children's Literature at Roehampton's NCRCL (National Centre of Research in Children's Literature), where I specialised in child literary and development and writing for a child audience.
I'm passionate about promoting reading for pleasure in schools and love running workshops, which draw on my background in children's books, as both editor and writer, as well as my teaching experience.
More About Me
I volunteer as a writing mentor at the Ministry of Stories, a charity based in Hoxton, East London, set up to unlock young people's creativity and confidence through the power of their writing.
I'm proud to be part of Book Pen Pals – a scheme set up by Kate Scott and Sara O'Connor to pair UK authors and illustrators with schools. My first year with Book Pen Pals was interrupted by the pandemic but I got to meet one of my lovely classes just before the first lockdown in March 2020.
