Ask a Publisher: David Fickling, Publisher, David Fickling Books

David Fickling, @DFB_storyhouse talks to @CathJacobNews

This interview was recorded at

David Fickling Books, Oxford
on 20th June 2014.

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Catherine Jacob is an award-winning journalist who has worked for ITV, Five and Sky News. She is also an Honorary Mention for Undiscovered Voices 2014 with her MG novel The Perigree Moonlings. Her first novel was shortlisted for the Northern Writers' Crime Competition 2012 and her short story, Child's Play was shortlisted for the Asham Award 2011. She juggles working with being a mum to two little girls.

Ask a Publisher: Karen Ball, Publisher at Little, Brown Young Readers and Atom

@karenball talks to @HouseRowena 

Recorded May 10th 2014at Oxon Hoath Manor House in Kent.

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Rowena House is a journalist by trade - an ex-Reuters foreign correspondent in Europe and Africa, now a sub-editor specialising in international affairs. She turned to writing fiction for young people to meet a deep desire to tell gritty stories that are true in an emotional sense, without being constrained by ‘the facts’. She's recently been published by Andersen Press in the War Girls anthology with her short story The Marshalling of Angelique's Geese. Rowena lives in rural Devon with her remarkably tolerant family and their less tolerant dog, a grey-and-white sheep dog called Fletcher.

Ask a Publisher: Sarah Odedina, Publisher, Hot Key Books

@sarahodedina talks to @CathJacobNews

This interview was recorded at Hot Key Books
on 13th March 2014.

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Catherine Jacob is an award-winning journalist who has worked for ITV, Five and Sky News. She is also an Honorary Mention for Undiscovered Voices 2014 with her MG novel The Perigree Moonlings. Her first novel was shortlisted for the Northern Writers' Crime Competition 2012 and her short story, Child's Play was shortlisted for the Asham Award 2011. She juggles working with being a mum to two little girls.

Lots of Brilliant Stuff

Well I've had an exciting week, hobnobbing with publishers and Rowena House (celebrated for the publication of  her War Girls  story only yesterday) recording more Ask a Publisher podcasts. So indebted to Sara O' Connor who introduced us to some of the major players in children's publishing.
We have a summer ( and then some) of enlightening listening for you. The next podcast is up a week on monday. Come back next Sunday to find out who...

All 29 entries for The Chalkface Challenge have been posted to Sparsholt C of E Primary School and there's an extra bonus for this year's entrants - second school has come on board to review the opening excerpts. I'm very grateful to Ben Illis, one of our shadow judges who introduced us to Chewstoke Primary Academy eight miles south of Bristol - where his nieces attend. Schools and uncles are officially wonderful!

The Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals will be announced in London tomorrow at lunchtime and according to carnegiegreenaway.org.uk the event is being live streamed.  These prestigious awards are judged by librarians and shadow judged by young people. They were part of the inspiration for the Chalkface. I'd love to add a children's librarian to our panel of shadow judges - if any are reading and fancy joining Ben Illis, Karen Ball, Jasmine Richards and Amber Caraveo do get in touch or leave me a comment.

Do you like our new banner? I have to say I've loved every one and Paul Morton's stunning blue whale  is no different - his colours are fabulous. Check out Paul's featured illustrator post for pencil recommendations and his gallery for more brilliant colour and cute penguins.

Philippa's inspiration on Monday featured my Willy Wonka - the wonderful Gene Wilder and something I didn't know - Roald Dahl, the inventor. Of course he invented marvellous stories, characters and a whole vocabulary of delicious new words but, as well a valve for draining fluid from the brain - just brilliant. Creativity, and I imagine that most if not all W&P readers have a good supply, can't help oozing out in all kinds of directions.

Many thanks to Jodie Hodges for being our Agent Confidential this week and answering readers questions and to Nick for taking me to John's lovely post about his dad's paintings - what a lovely way to celebrate father's day. I wish I'd thought of that -  my dad was an inventor, only unofficially, but he did have a Caractacus Potts shed and an impressive collection of spanners.

Next week...
For the midsummer solstice we have a new Creature Feature from folklorist, Ken Lymer on Unicorns,
Americanisms from Catriona Tippin
and Heather Chapman is featuring the illustrator and national treasure I and probably everyone most associates with Dahl, the Brilliant Quentin Blake.

Hope it's a great week!

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is all over the place, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.

Ask a Publisher: Venetia Gosling, Fiction Publishing Director, Macmillan Children's Books

@neeshed talks to @CathJacobNews

This interview was recorded at Macmillan Children's Books, on 13th March 2014.

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Catherine Jacob is an award-winning journalist who has worked for ITV, Five and Sky News. She is also an Honorary Mention for Undiscovered Voices 2014 with her MG novel The Perigree Moonlings. Her first novel was shortlisted for the Northern Writers' Crime Competition 2012 and her short story, Child's Play was shortlisted for the Asham Award 2011. She juggles working with being a mum to two little girls.

Ask a Publisher: Liz Cross, ‎Head of Publishing, Children's, OUP

@LizJCross talks to @CathJacobNews.

This interview was recorded in Oxford, 

at Oxford University Press, on 12th March 2014.

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Catherine Jacob is an award-winning journalist who has worked for ITV, Five and Sky News. She is also an Honorary Mention for Undiscovered Voices 2014 with her MG novel The Perigree Moonlings. Her first novel was shortlisted for the Northern Writers' Crime Competition 2012 and her short story, Child's Play was shortlisted for the Asham Award 2011. She juggles working with being a mum to two little girls.

If Only W&P Could Talk...

The title nicked and bodged from James Herriot's 1973 classic is not such a vain hope, oh no. We're running with the marvellous Sara O'Connor's idea to transform the very popular Ask a Publisher post into a podcast.  We have some wonderful publishers on board and two very-lucky-to-get interviewers - thank you Catherine Jacob and Rowena House!

I'm going to leave you guessing about the incredible interviewees we have lined up so far but just to say they're BIG. Instead I'm going to introduce you to our interviewers.

Catherine is a broadcast journalist and news presenter. Among others, she's worked for ITV News, Granada and Tyne Tees and is the youngest journalist ever to be awarded the Golden Nymph for Best News Story at the Monte Carlo film and TV awards. She's also a SCBWI member and gained an honorary mention in Undiscovered Voices 2014. Look out for Catherine's UV excerpt next month when we'll be congratulating the latest crop of  honorary mentions and giving them the opportunity to link to their oh-so-very-nearly there pieces.

Rowena is an ex-Reuters foreign correspondent in Europe and Africa, now a sub-editor specialising in international affairs. She turned to writing fiction for young people to meet a deep desire to tell gritty stories that are true in an emotional sense, without being constrained by ‘the facts'. She's a SCWBI member, on the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa and has already made significant contribution to Words & Pictures, notably with her wonderful interview with David Almond last year.

In other news...

Last week's highlights:

• The lovely Sarah Lean was brought to us by Charlotte Comely including some brilliant tips from Sarah on how to find yours and your characters' 'voice'. Thank you Charlotte and Sarah.
• The Blog Break, brilliant as ever, Nick is so good at choosing. 
• Catriona's When Words Get Together is chock full of useful and entertaining tidbits on hyphens and hyphenated words
• We revived Trish Phillips' pop up post from the SCBWI Illustrators Blog 2010 as a prelude to next month's Pop Ups Part 2
• Congratulations Paula Warrington! Great to have another short story celebration!

And next week...
With the Blog Break and Celebrations, we welcome Sallyanne Sweeney to Words & Pictures with an Agent Confidential on Wednesday, we have a new featured illustrator on Friday and tomorrow it's a W&P feature surprise (schedule is the W&P motto but sometimes we have to work to the wall!) We also have some Network News from Southampton, yay!

I'm popping along to UV2012 Honorary Mention, Liz de Jager's launch this week then literary lunching this week with some lovely SCBWI friends the next day - exciting!

Hope your week is exciting too,

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is all over the place, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta. You can contact her at editor@britishscbwi.org.