Nosy Crow's Blog, page 63

Pathways into Children’s Publishing

Pop Up Projects, the not-for-profit children’s literature agency, and charity House of Illustration, the UK’s only public gallery dedicated solely to illustration and graphic art, have today announced a new venture, ‘Pathways into Children’s Publishing’ – an ambitious, industry-focused talent development programme for diverse aspiring illustrators from under-represented — particularly ethnic minority and disadvantaged — backgrounds.

And we are very proud to be a part of the new programme as one of Pathways’ affiliate publishers.

The Pathways’ project will offer a packed learning programme, designed and tutored by world-class children’s illustrators, university illustration tutors, and children’s publishing editors and art directors, and will include residentials, masterclasses, short courses, one-to-one mentoring with illustrators and editors, publisher placements and opportunities to learn education and events practice.

Nosy Crow’s managing director, Kate Wilson, said: “We are committed to principles of inclusivity and representation, and we have been struck by the scarcity of BAME and working class children’s authors and illustrators in the UK. It is clear that an initiative like Pathways could make significant progress in addressing this; by teaching a new generation the knowledge and skills necessary to develop long-term careers as authors and illustrators, and/or to enter the publishing workforce. This should be recognised as a commercial imperative as much as it is a socially responsible one: in order for children’s publishing to continue to flourish, we need to access and appeal to readers from every part of society.”

You can find out more about the project here. Applications for Pathways from talented illustrators will open on Friday 10 May. Those who want to find out more are encouraged to contact pathways@pop-up.org.uk to register their interest. House of Illustration will also host an ‘open day’ for anyone wanting to drop in and find out face-to-face what’s involved, from 10am to 4pm on Friday 14 June at 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, London N1C 4BH.

Take a sneak peek inside Meekoo and the Big Red Potty

This month we’re very pleased to have published Meekoo and the Big Red Potty, written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Nicola Slater. Meekoo and the Big Red Potty is a hilarious new sound button book designed to make potty training a positive experience for mums, dads AND their little ones!

And today you can take a sneak peek inside the book and see the sound buttons in action!

You can watch the sneak peek for Meekoo and the Big Red Potty at the top of this post.

You can buy the book here.

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our book news, you can sign up to our books newsletter at this page, or with the form below, and you’ll never miss a thing.

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There’s a week left to apply for a Rights Assistant position at Nosy Crow

A little while ago we announced that we were recruiting a Rights Assistant – and there is just under a week left to apply for the position: the deadline for applications is Monday 22 April at midnight (UK time).

This is a really exciting opportunity for a hardworking, organised individual, who can speak a language in addition to English and who is probably at the start of their career in publishing, to join Nosy Crow’s rights department as a Rights Assistant. Impressive rights and co-edition sales were a key reason we won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2018 and International Achievement Award at the 2018 IPG Awards. This is your chance to be part of and contribute to our success in this fast-moving, fascinating, international area of our business.

Purpose of the Job:

The Rights team consists of a Rights Manager, a Rights Executive and two Rights Assistants. Whilst the successful candidate will report to the Rights Manager, the role requires working closely with our Rights Executive assisting in selling to customers from specific territories including The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Eastern Europe as well as contributing to the smooth running of the department.

Key responsibilities and tasks:

Creating rights appointment schedules, travel and accommodation for book fairs and sales trips
Sending out follow-up material after the fairs both digitally and in hard-copy form
Organising selling material for the Bologna and Frankfurt fairs
Maintaining accurately the rights database containing information on submissions, rejections and licences of our books
Coordinating the mail-out of foreign copies to authors, illustrators and their agents
Providing general administrative support required by the rights department
Providing general office administrative support
Within a year, pitching books to customers during appointments at key international book fairs

Key skills, characteristics and capabilities:

Perfect written and spoken English combined with strong communication skills
The ability to speak at least one foreign language in addition to English, and we are particularly keen to find a Spanish or Portuguese speaker
Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail
The ability to multitask and prioritise tasks
The ability to work confidently under pressure
Initiative and the ability to work independently
Selling skills
Strong numeracy skills
Strong interest in publishing, particularly children’s books
Ideally some experience of, or exposure to, rights work in a publishing company or an agency

The successful candidate will have the right to live and work in the UK.

To apply, please email your CV, accompanied by a covering letter of no longer than 500 words, to Michela Pea (michela@nosycrow.com) with the subject heading Rights Assistant, telling us where you heard about the job.

The closing date for applications is Monday 22 April at midnight (UK time).

Nosy Crow has been shortlisted for four IPG 2019 Independent Publishing Awards!

The 2019 IPG Independent Publishing Award shortlists have been announced, and we are absolutely delighted to discover that Nosy Crow have been shortlisted in four categories!

We’ve been shortlisted for the Blackwell’s Children’s Publisher of the Year Award, against Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Wonderbly. In their commendation, the IPG said: “Nosy Crow, winner of this Award four times in the last seven years, had more remarkable growth in 2018. It achieved stellar international sales and had UK success with well-produced books including I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree. ‘Nosy Crow never seems to put a foot wrong… to become such a clear publishing brand in such a competitive market so quickly is amazing,’ judges said. They admired Nosy Crow’s care of its staff, too.”

We’ve been shortlisted for the Bookseller International Achievement Award, against Jolly Learning, Kogan Page, and Sweet Cherry Publishing. In their commendation, the IPG said: “Nosy Crow has won this Award three times since 2013, and it had another remarkable year of international growth in 2018. It brought export sales in house, saw sales rocket in Asia and the US in particular, and travelled thousands of miles to meet partners. ‘It’s really, really hard to do what Nosy Crow has done,’ judges said. ‘They are relentless—they never rest on their laurels and they constantly turn up new sales opportunities around the world.'”

We’ve been shortlisted for the IPG Marketing Award, against Pluto Press and Walker Books. In their commendation, the IPG said: “Nosy Crow had another superb year of marketing in 2018, when its focus was on retailers including Waterstones, Amazon and independents. It built brand recognition in schools and libraries too, organised many successful author events, and refined its digital marketing via Instagram, YouTube and other platforms. ‘It’s hugely impressive—strategically thought out and really well executed. It’s a 101 of how to run marketing campaigns,’ said the judges.”

And Ola Gotkowska, Nosy Crow’s Contracts Manager, has been shortlisted for the Inspired Selection Young Independent Publisher of the Year Award. In their commendation, the IPG said: “Ola Gotkowska of Nosy Crow has been shortlisted for this Award four times previously—testament to her enormous financial contribution to her publisher as rights manager. In 2018 she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, and, in a new role of contracts manager, has been an inspiration to colleagues and friends around the world of publishing. ‘She has been right at the heart of Nosy Crow’s incredible growth,’ said the judges.”

You can find out more about all of the award shortlists here – the winners of the awards will be announced at the gala dinner of the IPG Annual Spring Conference, on May 2nd.

Wish us luck!

Watch Catherine Bruton discuss the inspirations behind No Ballet Shoes in Syria

Next month we’re incredibly proud to be publishing No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton – a captivating story, filled with warmth and heart, with wonderfully authentic ballet writing and an important message championing the rights of refugees. And today we’re delighted to share a video of Catherine discussing the inspirations behind the story – you can watch it at the top of this post.

No Ballet Shoes in Syria tells the story of Aya – eleven years old and newly arrived in Britain with her mum and baby brother, seeking asylum from war in Syria. When Aya stumbles across a local ballet class, the formidable dance teacher spots her exceptional talent and believes that Aya has the potential to earn a prestigious ballet scholarship. But at the same time, Aya and her family must fight to be allowed to remain in the country, to make a home for themselves and to find Aya’s father – separated from the rest of the family during the journey from Syria.

Perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes, Lorna Hill’s Sadlers Wells series, and Pamela Brown’s The Swish of the Curtain, this is beautiful, classic storytelling.

You can read the opening chapters of No Ballet Shoes in Syria below:

No Ballet Shoes in Syria will be in shops in May – you can pre-order the book online now.

Murder at Twilight shortlisted for a CrimeFest Award!

The shortlists for the 2019 CrimeFest Awards have been announced, and we’re incredibly pleased that Fleur Hitchcock’s Murder at Twilight has been shortlisted in the Best Crime Novel for Children category!

This award category recognises the outstanding contribution that crime novels for children make to the genre, as well as celebrating the burgeoning interest of children in fiction as a whole.

And we’re thrilled that Murder at Twilight has been shortlisted!

When Viv has a fight with Noah, she doesn’t think it’ll be the last time she sees him. But when she gets back from school, he’s nowhere to be found and there are police cars everywhere, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Viv is sure Noah’s run away to get attention. But it’s really cold, and getting dark, and the rain just won’t stop falling. So she sets off to look for him, furious at his selfishness, as the floodwaters rise. And then she finds him, and realises that a much more dangerous story is unfolding around them…

Here’s a look inside the book:

Buy the book.

You can find the full shortlists for the CrimeFest Awards here – the winners will be announced at a gala dinner on May 11th. Good luck Fleur!

Two Nosy Crow titles shortlisted for the 2019 UKLA Book Awards!

The shortlists for the 2019 UKLA Book Awards have been announced today – and we’re absolutely thrilled that two Nosy Crow books have been recognised!

Now in their 11th year, the UKLA Book Awards are the only awards judged by active classroom teachers – it’s a great honour to be shortlisted.

Stardust, written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Briony May Smith, has been shortlisted in the 3-6 category.

A wonderfully moving tale about the importance of being true to yourself, with magical illustrations, Stardust is a perfect bedtime picture book. Here’s a look inside:

Buy the book.

And Running on Empty, by S.E. Durrant, has been longlisted in the 7-11 category! A beautifully told story of unorthodox families, grief, adolescence and running, The Sunday Times called Running on Empty “lyrical, moving and realistic”. Here’s a look inside:

Buy the book.

You can find out more about the UKLA awards, and read the full shortlists, here. The overall winners will be announced in July at the 2019 UKLA International Conference.

Congratulations Jeanne, Briony, and Sue!

Watch the trailer for Chris Naylor-Ballesteros’ The Suitcase

Next month we are proud to be publishing The Suitcase, by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros – a powerful new picture book full of heart and humanity.

When a strange-looking creature arrives one day, with only a suitcase, everyone is full of questions. What on earth could be inside? Only when the other animals break into the suitcase do they begin to understand what the weary stranger has been through…

And today we’re delighted to share the animated trailer for the book!

You can watch our trailer for The Suitcase at the top of this post – and you can pre-order a copy of the book from Amazon here, or from Waterstones here.

‘A simple, powerful way to introduce the idea of kindness to strangers to young children’– Axel Scheffler, illustrator of  The Gruffalo

“At a time when over 65 million people are forcibly displaced around the world, this beautifully illustrated and wise, gentle tale of tolerance and kindness for fellow humans resonates deeply. I hope all parents share The Suitcase with their children.” – Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

‘We slip so easily into being tribal, into being suspicious of people who seem different to us. The Suitcase gently and powerfully explores the transformation that comes when we manage to open our minds and hearts.’ – Miranda McKearney OBE, Empathy Lab

‘A sweet, gentle introduction to the idea of what home is, and that maybe home is something we bring with us.’ – Margaret Wallace-Jones, The Alligator’s Mouth

‘Sometimes a story just grabs you by the heartstrings and doesn’t let you go – this is one of those stories. Powerful, empathetic and full of heart, The Suitcase will resonate for a long, long time.’ – Louise Bolongaro, Head of  Picture Books, Nosy Crow

Pre-order your copy of The Suitcase

And if you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our book news, you can sign up to our books newsletter with the form below, and you’ll never miss a thing.

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Out Now in April!

It’s our April publication day!

We’ve got some wonderful new books out this month – from brand new lift-the-flap and board books for babies and toddler, to beautiful new picture books and illustrated non-fiction, and incredible new fiction, there’s something for everyone!

You can watch our new books video below, showcasing all of our brand new books:

Here’s a closer look at what you can find in shops now from Nosy Crow.

Hello House, illustrated by Nicola Slater:

Buy the book.

Hello Garage, illustrated by Nicola Slater:

Buy the book.

Meekoo and the Big Red Potty, written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Nicola Slater:

Buy the book.

Have You Seen My Blankie?, written by Lucy Rowland and illustrated by Paula Metcalf:

Buy the book.

British Museum: So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Egypt, written by Chae Strathie and illustrated by Marisa Morea, in paperback:

Buy the book.

Press Out and Decorate: Narwhals and Mermaids, illustrated by Kate McLelland:

Buy the book.

National Trust: Look and Say What You See at the Seaside, illustrated Sebastien Braun:

Buy the book.

National Trust: Beetles, Butterflies and other British Minibeasts, illustrated by Nikki Dyson:

Buy the book.

Zoe’s Rescue Zoo: The Messy Meerkat, written by Amelia Cobb and illustrated by Sophy Williams:

Buy the book.

The Middler, written by Kirsty Applebaum

Buy the book.

Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure, written by Fleur Hitchcock:

Buy the book.

Princess of Pets: The Naughty Kitten, written by Paula Harrison and illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller:

Buy the book.

Unicorn Academy: Ariana and Whisper, written by Julie Sykes and illustrated by Lucy Truman:

Buy the book.

Congratulations to all of today’s author and illustrators!

Q&A with The Middler author Kirsty Applebaum and editor Kirsty Stansfield

Debut author Kirsty Applebaum sat down with Kirsty Stansfield (her editor and Nosy Crow’s Head of Fiction), to discuss The Middler – an atmospheric story for 9-12 year-olds of forbidden friendship, loyalty and betrayal set in a near-future world.

—

Nosy by name, nosy by nature, I thoroughly enjoyed asking Kirsty Applebaum some searching questions about her brilliant novel, The Middler. Here are her full and frank replies!

 

And the award for Most Popular Question Asked in Schools goes to: What was the inspiration behind The Middler? 

Lots of things inspired The Middler, all brewing up together in the back of my mind. For example: the songs I learned in the Brownies; a trip to Berlin; terrible reports of child soldiers on the news; memories of my 1970s childhood, and the white feathers handed out during the First World War to shame young men into enlisting. Also, around the time I started writing, I’d heard a programme on the radio about letters written home to family by Japanese kamikaze pilots. This all merged in with an incident in which a woman blacked out in front of me and hit her head on cobblestones. It made a crunck sound that stayed with me for days – I couldn’t get it out of my head – and I wrote the scene from chapter two, with Maggie, Trig, Jed and Lindi in the cemetery.

Fennis Wick is brilliantly realised. Is it based on anywhere in particular?

Thank you! Much of the setting was inspired by the semi-rural part of Hampshire where I grew up, but some has been influenced by fictional places too. For example, I am a great lover of the way setting is used symbolically within fairy tales – especially woods and forest. In The Middler the forest is almost inseparable from Una – sometimes they even merge into each other in Maggie’s eyes. The forest (and Una) can be seen to represent freedom and independence of thought, in sharp contrast to Maggie’s controlled, boundary-enclosed town.

One of the many things I love about The Middler is its quietly menacing undertone. Are you a fan of books with quiet menace? And what books and or authors have influenced your work?

So many books have influenced The Middler in so many ways! But focussing on the quiet menace in particular (which I am a HUGE fan of,) I would have to pick out Catherine Storr’s Marianne Dreams from the books I read as a child. Its silent, blinking stones haunted me throughout my entire childhood! From the books I have read as an adult, I would choose Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go or A Pale View of Hills – both masterclasses in the creation of quiet, growing unease.

So nosy: are you the eldest, youngest, or a middler?

I am a youngest – I have a sister two and half years older than me.

The first thing we all did in the office after reading the manuscript was discuss who was a youngest, a middler or an eldest, and how birth order had affected our lives, and those of our children. Did your own sibling-dynamics influence the relationship between Maggie, Trig and Jed?

Yes, definitely. My sister was 13/14 when I was Maggie’s age. She, of course, was growing up and didn’t always want an eleven-year-old sister hanging around, especially when her friends were there. I often felt left out and left behind, just like Maggie does when Jed and Lindi are climbing the tree at the beginning of the book. (Note – things are different now! She is lovely and would never leave me out!)

This is a story of boundaries between people and places, of belonging or being an outsider. Can you think of any boundaries in your own life that influenced this book?

The Fennis Wick boundary is central to The Middler – as a physical barrier that adds conflict and intensifies the plot, but also as metaphor for internal boundaries such as Maggie’s self-limiting beliefs about lacking bravery and not being special.

The boundaries in my own life have been mostly of the latter variety. Maggie is very much based on me, even down to the shorts she wears on hot summer days. The only dresses I wore as a child were school uniform. And, just like Maggie, I lacked confidence in my abilities and considered myself unimportant compared with other people. I have been working for a long time to overcome these limiting beliefs – and I still suffer from them today. I doubt they will ever completely go away but I am much better at dealing with them now. I hope The Middler can sow small seeds of possibility in the minds of any readers who might also experience similar internal boundaries.

The Middler is a book of many themes but friendship is an important one. Was this deliberate?

I had a sudden moment of insight when I thought about this question. In the relationship between Maggie and Una I think I have subconsciously re-created the very close friendship I had with my best friend at primary school. She was much freer and wilder than me. She had long brown hair and always wore summer dresses when it was warm, while I wore my shorts. She was wonderful. We did everything together.

One of the most moving scenes in the book is Maggie coming across her mother, curled up beneath the portrait of Jed after he has left for the Quiet War. What gave you the idea for the portraits of the eldests?

Mr Wetheral’s role as a portrait artist painting fighters before they leave for war is based on reality. In the First World War, for example, photography had become affordable enough for many soldiers to have photographic studio portraits taken of themselves in uniform before they left for the front. In Maggie’s world, with its scarce resources, photography has become unaffordable and impractical once more, so the portraits are painted by hand.

Writers’ routines are endlessly fascinating. Are you a morning person? Do you pull all-nighters? Do tell…

I would love to be able to say that every day I go out for a brisk walk first thing, then return home for a chia seed smoothie and half an hour’s yoga before retiring to my dedicated writing room with a view across the butterfly fields for my regular morning writing session… but it wouldn’t be true. In truth I have a cheese and tomato omelette for breakfast and I squeeze in writing wherever and whenever I can. My desk is in the corner of the sitting room with a blank wall behind it and I take frantic breaks to panic-tidy in case someone comes round. I do have a VERY nice electric standing desk though, which goes up and down at the press of a button.

Thank you, Kirsty! Excellent to get these insights. And congratulations on the very brilliant Middler. I loved working on it with you!

Here’s a look inside the book:

Buy the book.

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our book news, you can sign up to our books newsletter at this page, or with the form below, and you’ll never miss a thing:

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