Nosy Crow's Blog, page 84
March 22, 2018
Our new April books are almost here!
There are some fantastic new books from Nosy Crow coming out next month – from interactive novelty, activity, and non-fiction, to picture books, chapter books and middle grade fiction, there’s something for everyone. Here’s a look at what you can find in shops in April:
We’re excited to publish two new books in our brand new Hello… series, illustrated by the wonderful Nicola Slater. Both Hello Farm and Hello Zoo are bursting with interactive elements for little hands to explore – from die-cut holes, to big lift-the-flaps, to a surprise touch-and-feel ending! All toddlers will love saying hello to the different animal friends! These are narrative driven novelty adventures, packed with detail and humour, and perfect for new talkers who just love to say ‘Hello’!
Out soon, we have two new noisy books from the Listen to the… series, illustrated by Marion Billet. Get ready to go global and introduce your little ones to Listen to the Birds From Around the World. What noise does a toucan make? How about a flamingo? Press the button and find out! In Listen to the Music From Around the World, there’s plenty of fun music to boogie along with from all across the world, from Hawaiian guitar, to a Chinese violin, and even some Scottish bagpipes! Get ready to get your Highland Fling on!
Get ready for a brand new Bizzy Bear book, illustrated by the marvellous and award-winning Benji Davies! In Bizzy Bear: Racing Driver, Bizzy Bear is taking part in a very big race – ready, steady, go! Rich in visual detail and with five chunky sliders to push and pull, little ones can get involved in the storytelling and help Bizzy Bear race towards the finish line!
Our final novelty book publishing this April is a new ABC board book from the wonderful Jannie Ho. Animal ABC is a bold, stylish and sturdy ABC book featuring smiling animals faces, with lots of bright colours and shapes to hold babies’ attention. You can practice saying the first letters out loud, or spot and talk about all the bright and familiar animals. It’s hours of first-word fun!
This April, you can get your hands on the paperback edition of What’s Next Door? by the award-winning Nicola O’Byrne. In this interactive picture book, with brilliant die cut pages, children are encouraged to take part in the story, to trace and create doors in the pages, and use their imagination to guide Carter the Crocodile into new environments – from stormy seas to hot deserts and icy tundras! But will that cranky croc and his little friends find their way home? You’ll have to read along to find out!
Look inside:
Also publishing next month is The Knight Who Said ‘No!’ a brand new picture book from Kate Greenaway-nominated illustrator Kate Hindley and wonderfully written by Lucy Rowland. This is a brilliantly observed rhyming picture book, packed with charming illustrations, humour, and lots of heart. Ned the knight ALWAYS does exactly what he’s told until one morning, instead of saying ‘yes’, Ned says ‘NO!’. When the dragon swoops down (as she does every night) he refuses to go inside, and in confronting the beast… he makes a very unlikely new best friend!
In April, we will be publishing the first book in a brand new series, published in collaboration with The British Museum – get ready for So You Think You’ve Got it Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Egypt. Developed in collaboration with one of the world’s leading Egyptologists, written by the award-winning author Chae Strathie, and brought to life with rich, humorous illustrations by Maris Morea, this fascinating and hilarious book explores just how difficult life really was for children in Ancient Egypt, from dodging Deathstalker scorpions to cleaning up cow dung!
Look inside:
Next month we’re also publishing Mixed-Up Masterpieces: Amusing Animals, part of the Mixed-Up Masterpieces series in partnership with The British Museum and featuring fascinating artefacts from the museum. This is a hilarious mix-up book that is sure to provide hours of fun! Children can solve the puzzle by matching up the correct animals on the split pages – and then mix them all up again to create 2,000 different and hilarious combinations. And if you want to learn even more about the featured objects, simply scan the QR inside the book.
Make and Play: Farm is out next month – illustrated by Joey Chou, and featuring 20 unique and colourful designs, the press-out pieces can be simply slotted together to create fun farmyard characters. The book also includes farmyard songs to sing and creative craft ideas like making animals masks and growing radishes.
If you loved the first two books in the Unicorn Academy series and are ready and waiting for more, you’re in luck! The third instalment of the magical, action-packed adventure series, written by Julie Sykes and illustrated by Lucy Truman, is coming soon! These exciting stories, all about friendship, bravery, adventure, and finding your place, are perfect for young readers. Picking up from where the first two books left off, meet Ava and Star – they love the beautiful gardens at Unicorn Academy, where they can grow their very own magical plants. But when the Unicorns’ special sky berries disappear, Ava and Star have to work together to find out what happened. Will they find more of the special berries before every unicorn’s magic starts to fade? And who could possibly be behind it?
Read the first few chapters, here:
Out soon is the second hilarious book from Em Lynas‘ spell-binding Witch School series, Get Me Out of Witch School! Wonderfully illustrated by Jamie Littler, get ready for MASSIVE MAGICAL MAYHEM as Twinkle accidentally unleashes a magical feline DISASTER on Toadspit Towers. Even with all this chaos and mayhem, the show MUST go on!
Here’s a sneak peek!
Next month we’re also publishing a new Rescue Princesses adventure, The Enchanted Ruby, as well as re-issuing the first four stories from the series with wonderful new covers: The Secret Promise, The Wishing Pearl, The Moonlit Mystery, and The Stolen Crystals. Written by Paula Harrison, this is sparkling series for young readers is a winning combination of plucky princesses, animals in danger, and magic jewels!
Read the first few chapters of The Enchanted Ruby now:
Last and by no means least, we’re excited to share with you The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day, a mind-bending mystery for confident readers combining cutting-edge science, gripping adventure, and real heart, written by the award-winning Christopher Edge and out next month. It’s Maisie’s birthday and she can’t wait to open her presents. She’s hoping for the things she need to build her own nuclear reactor. But she wakes to an empty house and outside the front door is nothing but a dense terrifying blackness. Trapped in an ever-shifting reality, Maisie will have to rely on the laws of the universe, and the love of her family to save her. And even that might not be enough…
Don’t forget – you can stay up to date with all of our book news by signing up to our books newsletter at this page, or with the form below – you’ll never miss a thing!
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March 19, 2018
Nosy Crow snap up Carlie Sorosiak middle grade novels and pre-empt to Walker Books US
Nosy Crow is thrilled to announce the acquisition of world rights in two middle grade standalone novels by acclaimed YA author Carlie Sorosiak. The deal was agreed by Tom Bonnick, senior commissioning editor at Nosy Crow, with Claire Wilson of RCW.
The first novel, I, Cosmo, is the hilarious and heart-warming story of one dog and his humans – how he tries to keep his family together while everything around them falls apart. UK publication is scheduled for summer 2019.
US English rights have been pre-empted by Susan Van Metre at Walker Books US, an imprint of Candlewick Press.
Tom Bonnick, Nosy Crow editor comments: ‘I knew that I wanted to publish I, Cosmo from the very first page: it is one of those vanishingly rare books that you can’t help falling in love with immediately. In Cosmo, Carlie has created a truly wonderful hero – overflowing with warmth and heart in the way that only a Golden Retriever can be – and I’m so thrilled to be able to work with her on this book.’
Carlie Sorosiak comments: ‘I, Cosmo is absolutely the book of my heart. As an only child, I grew up with dogs: they became my siblings, my confidants, my best friends. When I started reading Cosmo’s voice, it just seemed like the most natural thing in the world. I couldn’t be more delighted to be working with the brilliant team at Nosy Crow, whose love for dogs – and for Cosmo – matches mine.’
Carlie Sorosiak grew up in North Carolina and holds two master’s degrees: one in English from Oxford University and another in creative writing and publishing from City University London.
She is the author of two novels for young adults, If Birds Fly Back and Wild Blue Wonder (both published by Macmillan Children’s Books in the UK and HarperTeen in the US).
There’s a week left to apply for a Production Assistant position at Nosy Crow
Last week we announced that we are looking for two people to join Nosy Crow – a Production Assistant and a Sales Assistant. And there’s just under a week left to apply for the Production Assistant position: the closing date for applications is this Sunday, March 25th.
This is an incredible opportunity for a hardworking and super-organised individual with the right to live and work in the UK to join our team at Nosy Crow as a Production Assistant on a full-time basis, working in our London office near London Bridge.
The role of the Production Assistant is to assist the Production team in the production of our full-colour and black and white books and help in the processing, circulation and approval of materials and in communicating with our suppliers and in-house departments.
In addition to this, over time we’ll expect the Production Assistant to take on responsibility for handling day-to-day production of the mono list, ebook conversions and reprints of some full-colour titles. We’ll provide all of the support and training that is needed to do this, and our hope is that the job holder be handling the production of their own small list not long after joining us.
The Production Assistant reports directly to the Head of Operations.
We are a very small team and we value the experience and creative input that we can all provide to help shape our products to be the best they can be.
Key responsibilities and tasks:
Process and manage mono fiction reprints and provide support for mono first printings with a view to taking responsibility for the mono front list production over time
Handle the book conversion of all mono titles through Faber Factory, ensuring that files are converted accurately and that full metadata is supplied
Process all incoming material – ensuring it is approved or distributed in a timely manner
Collate proof and advance quantity requirements – gathering information from internal departments and communicating them with external suppliers, and assist the Production team in the ordering of material in preparation for Book Fairs
Providing administrative support to the Operations department
Providing some general office administrative support
Key skills, characteristics and capabilities:
Outstanding organisational skills
Accuracy and a keen eye for detail
Strong numeracy skills
A collaborative and co-operative approach
Can-do attitude and a willingness to ‘muck-in’ when required
A strong interest in children’s publishing and the book production process
Some experience of working in a book production department or publishing environment is advantageous but not essential
To apply please send your CV and an email outlining why you want to work in production and for Nosy Crow (no more than 500 words please) to Alex Dickinson (alex@nosycrow.com). Please also tell us where you heard about this position.
Nosy Crow is an equal opportunities employer. We believe that employing a diverse workforce is an important factor in success and make recruiting decisions based on applicants’ experience and skills. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief.
March 16, 2018
Nosy Crow is shortlisted for three 2018 British Book Awards!
The shortlists for the 2018 British Book Awards (otherwise known as the Nibbies) were announced today, and we were delighted to discover that Nosy Crow has been shortlisted in three categories.
We are shortlisted for the Children’s Publisher of the Year Award (an award which we are incredibly proud to have ), sponsored by Tesco, against an incredibly strong list of fellow publishers: DK, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Usborne Publishing, Walker Books, Hachette Children’s Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and Scholastic are also recognised in this category.
We are shortlisted for the Independent Publisher of the Year Award, sponsored by First Group, against another incredibly strong and diverse list of publishers: Hardie Grant Publishing, Quiller Publishing, Canongate, Faber & Faber, Scribe UK, SPCK, and Short Books are also nominated.
And Ola Gotkowska, Nosy Crow’s Rights Manager, is shortlisted for the Rights Professional of the Year Award, sponsored by Frankfurt Book Fair, against fellow rights professionals Stephanie Purcell (Simon & Schuster), Karine Marko (The Quarto Group), Amy Joyner (Kogan Page), Andrea Joyce (Canongate), Andrew Sharp (Hachette Children’s Group), Elinor Bagenal (Chicken House), and Jason Bartholomew (Hodder & Stoughton).
You can read the full list of shortlists in every category at the Nibbies website, here.
The winners will be announced at The British Book Awards on Monday 14th May – wish us luck!
March 15, 2018
Magic Light Pictures option rights on Nosy Crow’s Pip and Posy by Axel Scheffler
Magic Light Pictures and Nosy Crow today announce that Magic Light have optioned the rights to the publisher’s popular Pip and Posy picture book series, by the award-winning and internationally acclaimed illustrator Axel Scheffler.
Currently in development, the animated series will be Magic Light’s first for preschoolers and follows the remarkable success enjoyed by their adaptations of other books illustrated by Scheffler – these written by Julia Donaldson – which have all enjoyed huge ratings as festive specials on BBC One since Christmas 2009. They include the Oscar-nominated The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, Stick Man and The Highway Rat, which attracted almost eight million viewers on its Christmas Day premier in 2017.
Sweet stories of friendship and understanding, the Pip and Posy series captures the emotional highs and lows of preschool life and shows that we all can be there to help one another through.
The idea for Pip and Posy was conceived by Nosy Crow’s Editorial Director, Camilla Reid, who worked collaboratively with Scheffler on the project, writing the stories while Scheffler created the rich visual world.
Axel Scheffler is best known for his partnership with Julia Donaldson on books including Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo, which have made them the UK’s number one picture book author/illustrator team. In 2011 Axel illustrated Pip and Posy with Nosy Crow and to date there are seven titles with sales of over one million copies worldwide.
Kate Wilson, Managing Director, Nosy Crow, said: “Pip and Posy have proved a smash hit worldwide with their enchanting adventures that preschoolers can really relate to. We’re thrilled that Magic Light, with their wonderful track record of adapting children’s books, is set to bring these delightful characters to screen and can’t wait to see them on television.”
Michael Rose, co-founder Magic Light Pictures, said: “Axel Scheffler has created a charming, colourful world full of funny and lovable characters that perfectly capture the emotional ups and downs that young children experience. We’re really excited to be bringing them to life on screen for our first-ever preschool animated series.”
Axel Scheffler said: “I am very happy to be working on Pip and Posy with Magic Light, as I have already had such a positive experience of the way they combine respect for the original books on which they base their animation with a deep understanding of their audience.”
Take a first look inside Ella on the Outside – and win an exclusive signed proof copy!
This May we’re utterly delighted to be publishing Ella on the Outside by Cath Howe – a beautifully written middle grade novel with an incredibly authentic voice, hugely relatable characters and relationships (with real psychological depth), and a gripping story with heart and warmth. Part Jacqueline Wilson, part Anne Fine, this is a truly exciting debut.
And today we’re thrilled to share a very first look inside the book – AND offer you the chance to win one of three signed proof copies of the book.
These striking proofs have begun to appear on Twitter – and the response to the book so far has been fantastic:
Just finished reading ELLA ON THE OUTSIDE: a perfectly-pitched, thoughtful story with a big heart @NosyCrowBooks https://t.co/gNABuj85Vb
— Katherine Woodfine (@followtheyellow) March 10, 2018
“Charming, subtle & incredibly – suddenly – moving, Ella On The Outside is one of those delightfully unclassifiable ‘thank god it’s in the world books that @nosycrowbooks does so well. It’s due out on May 3rd & … it’s something to get on your radar now” https://t.co/DZwHiUv28Q
— LH ‘Daisy’ Johnson (@chaletfan) March 8, 2018
First holiday read done. A really thoughtful book; loved how art was depicted as an escape, and therapeutic. Also that cover is just
March 14, 2018
Win a copy of HerStory with BookTrust
This month we’re incredibly proud to have published HerStory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World – a gloriously illustrated, empowering book about 50 remarkable women who changed the world. And you can currently win a copy with BookTrust – they have three copies to give away!
To be in with a chance of winning, head over to the BookTrust website – there are details on how to enter their HerStory competition here.
Compelling, motivating and visually arresting in equal measure, HerStory is the perfect introduction to just some of the amazing women who have shaped our world. From Anne Frank to Frida Kahlo, and Marie Curie to Malala, these writers, leaders, artists, scientists and heroines shook the world with their vision, bravery and hope. This beautiful book features inspiring words from all of these women, the stories of their childhood, the challenges they faced and the changes they made in the world, with photographs and portraits by the highly talented Sarah Walsh.
Separated into different themes – ‘Believe and Lead’, Imagine and Create’, ‘Help and Heal’, ‘Think and Solve’, and ‘Hope and Overcome’ – this is perfect for dipping in and out of: there’s inspiration on every page.
Here’s a look inside the book:
March 13, 2018
Read All Things Bright And Beautiful, Patrice Lawrence’s short story from Make More Noise
Last month we published Make More Noise: an incredible collection of brand new short stories, from ten of the UK’s very best storytellers, celebrating inspirational girls and women, published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the UK. It’s a book we’re especially proud of for many reasons – the subject matter, the incredible list of contributing authors, and the fact that £1 from the sale of every copy of Make More Noise will go directly to Camfed, an international charity tackling poverty and inequality by supporting marginalised girls to go to school and succeed.
The book has had a wonderful reception so far: The Guardian called Make More Noise “Crammed with assured writing … a thought-provoking collection of short stories”, and The Times wrote that “there’s plenty to wave a banner for and the anthology is a fine introduction to some terrific writers”.
And this week we’re delighted to share one of the short stories contained in the book!
Booktrust have an exclusive preview of All Things Bright And Beautiful, the short story by award-winning author Patrice Lawrence, on their website – you can read it here.
Patrice’s beautiful and moving story takes place in London at the turn of the twentieth century, and shares the life of Olive Christian Malvery – an extraordinary figure in history. Malvery came to London from India in 1900 and, shocked by the working and living conditions of women and children in the city, she investigated, reported, and campaigned on the lives of some of the city’s most downtrodden people.
And if you’d like to read more from Make More Noise, you can also read the first story in the book, Out for the Count by Sally Nicholls, below:
March 12, 2018
Come and work for Nosy Crow: we’re hiring a Sales Assistant and a Production Assistant
Nosy Crow is growing! We’re currently looking for two new people to join our team – a Sales Assistant and Production Assistant. Here’s more on each role:
Sales Assistant
This is an exciting opportunity for a talented, publishing sales person towards the start of their career to join Nosy Crow working on our fast-growing, award-winning children’s list. The successful candidate will join our team as Sales Assistant on a full-time basis, working in our London office near London Bridge.
We are a small, close team here at the Crow’s Nest working in a friendly, highly creative and professional environment. We need a team player who is willing to muck in, particularly during busy times.
Purpose of the Job:
The role of the Sales Assistant will be to join the Nosy Crow sales team working on Key Accounts, particularly online. The role will report to the Senior Sales Manager and will be joining the Sales and Marketing Department. This role would suit someone interested in/with some previous experience of working in digital sales in particular.
We are a busy and dynamic team and we value the experience and creative input that we can each provide. You’ll need to be flexible, determined, personable, with a keen eye for detail, and good at working as part of a team.
Key responsibilities and tasks:
Assisting on a number of online accounts, including Amazon, The Book Depository, Wordery; with key responsibility for improving and maintaining our metadata and online presence within those accounts.
Working closely with Production, Operations and Editorial to ensure data feeds are supplying the most relevant information to online distributors
Supporting trade key account presentations – creating and updating PowerPoint presentations and AI sheets, managing the sales materials (proofs etc.) updating grids and spreadsheets and generally ensuring all material is prepared for sales meetings.
Attending key account meetings with other members of the sales team
Liaising with Nosy Crow’s distributors, GBS
Analysing and reporting on sales data
To provide general administrative support and assisting in the smooth running of the office.
Key skills, characteristics and capabilities:
Previous experience working in publishing sales is desirable, but not essential, previous experience of working with metadata and Amazon would be advantageous
A very close eye for detail and accuracy
Excellent verbal and written communication skills plus the ability to write persuasive copy
Experience in working with sales data and Excel for sales analysis
Confidence in building and maintaining relationships with customers and sales contacts
A keen interest in children’s books
To apply, please email your CV, accompanied by not more than 500 words on what you think you could contribute to Nosy Crow, both personally and as a sales professional. Please send to Frances Sleigh (frances@nosycrow.com), with details of your current salary. Please also tell us where you heard about this position. We look forward to reading your application.
The closing date for applications is 2 April 2018 at midnight (UK time).
Production Assistant
This is an incredible opportunity for a hardworking and super-organised individual with the right to live and work in the UK to join our team at Nosy Crow as a Production Assistant on a full-time basis, working in our London office near London Bridge.
Purpose of the Job:
The role of the Production Assistant is to assist the Production team in the production of our full-colour and black and white books and help in the processing, circulation and approval of materials and in communicating with our suppliers and in-house departments.
In addition to this, over time we’ll expect the Production Assistant to take on responsibility for handling day-to-day production of the mono list, ebook conversions and reprints of some full-colour titles. We’ll provide all of the support and training that is needed to do this, and our hope is that the job holder be handling the production of their own small list not long after joining us.
The Production Assistant reports directly to the Head of Operations.
We are a very small team and we value the experience and creative input that we can all provide to help shape our products to be the best they can be.
Key responsibilities and tasks:
Process and manage mono fiction reprints and provide support for mono first printings with a view to taking responsibility for the mono front list production over time
Handle the book conversion of all mono titles through Faber Factory, ensuring that files are converted accurately and that full metadata is supplied
Process all incoming material – ensuring it is approved or distributed in a timely manner
Collate proof and advance quantity requirements – gathering information from internal departments and communicating them with external suppliers, and assist the Production team in the ordering of material in preparation for Book Fairs
Providing administrative support to the Operations department
Providing some general office administrative support
Key skills, characteristics and capabilities:
Outstanding organisational skills
Accuracy and a keen eye for detail
Strong numeracy skills
A collaborative and co-operative approach
Can-do attitude and a willingness to ‘muck-in’ when required
A strong interest in children’s publishing and the book production process
Some experience of working in a book production department or publishing environment is advantageous but not essential
To apply please send your CV and an email outlining why you want to work in production and for Nosy Crow (no more than 500 words please) to Alex Dickinson (alex@nosycrow.com). Please also tell us where you heard about this position.
The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 25th March 2018.
Nosy Crow is an equal opportunities employer. We believe that employing a diverse workforce is an important factor in success and make recruiting decisions based on applicants’ experience and skills. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief.
March 9, 2018
Nosy Crow wins the International Achievement Award at the 2018 IPG Independent Publishing Awards
Yesterday evening, at the IPG Independent Publishing Awards, Nosy Crow won our 13th Independent Publishing Award in seven years: we won The Bookseller International Achievement Award.
Sadly, I left it at the hotel this morning, having lovingly propped it up to take a photograph of it, but Catherine, who lives nearby, will pick it up. That, I suspect, is what comes of going to bed at 2.00am.
Anyway, this is, brilliantly, the third time we won it: we previously won it in 2013 and 2014.
From its inception, Nosy Crow has focused on world, rather than local, markets. We have, with very few exceptions insisted on buying world rights; tailored our products to fit as wide a range of markets as possible, including commissioning work from illustrators outside the UK; invested in rights selling (in both staff and travel); sourced colour printing outside the UK; and patiently built relationships with key partners around the world while constantly expanding our range of customers and the countries with whom we do business.
Last year, over half our sales came from outside the UK. We sold our own edition of our books to Australia through Allen and Unwin; we’ve sold books, in partnership with Candlewick Press, in North America under a Nosy Crow imprint; and we’ve sold rights in many languages, adding for the first time, in the year, Farsi, Ukranian, Luxembourgish and Albanian, and bringing the total number of languages in which we’ve sold rights to 39.
We worked with a wider range of printers around the world and particularly in China than in any previous year: the money we spend on printing our books is much the biggest part of our spending budget, so getting the best possible deals and the best possible quality from reliable suppliers with good ethical and sourcing practices is hugely important to us.
Here’s what just a few of our customers said about Nosy Crow:
“Nosy Crow combines… excellent content for the target audience, precious illustrations and high quality materials. These three elements are necessary to publish good, smart and successful preschool books.
Nosy Crow team works flexibly, listening our needs. A good co-edition needs serious organization, often it’s a complex processes that needs also an intensive follow-up. Nosy Crow responds perfectly and transmits us confidence and security.”
Cristina Feliu, Editorial Director, Planeta, Spain
“The team puts a lot of effort into making the books ”travel” – make sense all over the world – at the same time as they are extremely successful in Britain. That, I know, is a very thin line to walk and you will have to be very clever to succeed. Which Nosy Crow is.”
Lotta Lyssarides, Editorial Director, Alfabeta, Sweden
“I really love working with Nosy Crow. Not only the whole team is sweet, easy-going and totally creative and has a sure nose for trends and topics that are interesting for children, but also you see and feel at first sight that their books are made with a lot of love, energy and effort.”
Anika Ziegler, Editorial Director, Loewe, Germany
“It is always a pleasure meeting with Nosy Crow at Book Fairs, not only because of the enthusiastic and dedicated people that work there, but because of the exceptional picture books they present. … You can see how much effort goes into finding exciting topics and illustrations and especially how much attention to detail is put into choosing the materials and producing the books.”
Christiane Lawall – Editor in Chief for Picture Books, Ueberreuter, Germany
There are two other things to say.
The first is that, while I picked up this prize, there are many, many people in the company who contributed to Nosy Crow’s success in the year. The editors and designers made the excellent books that we could sell and print abroad. Imogen Blundell and her team were behind the expansion of our range of printers and behind the management of our key relationships with Allen and Unwin and Candlewick Press. Ola Gotkowska and her team concluded over 600 rights and co-editions for books in translation. Ola was, again, shortlisted for Young Independent Publisher of the Year last night. Though she didn’t win that prize, she played a huge part in winning the International Achievement award.
The second is that, for me, this was one of the most important prizes of the evening. I’ve expressed my horror and disappointment at the prospect of Brexit before, and before the referendum, we gave illustrator Axel Scheffler a platform to air his views, too. At a point when the UK seems to be blundering down a path that makes no economic sense, driven, it seems, by a desire to pull away from a huge part of the world with which we share so much, I am proud both that Nosy Crow has won a prize that celebrates looking outwards not inwards, and, that rewards looking towards Europe, where we grew our sales by over 50% from a strong base in the course of last year.
Books, like other cultural and artistic expressions of ideas and creativity can’t, and shouldn’t be, constrained by the edges of nations. As a European publisher wrote to me in reply to my horrified email to her on the morning of June 24 2016, “No Brexit between us! The world of children’s books is imagination, no borders.”
We’d like to thank The Bookseller for sponsoring the award, and the judges for awarding it to us.
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