Exciting projects
My first job in publishing was as an editorial assistant for a music magazine. A few years later, after a stint in Africa, I became an editor of children's books. I was thrilled when I got my first commission to write my own book - a biography of Marie Curie. Now I've notched up over one hundred books for children and adults. A good story fires me up and I want my books to do the same for my readers.
The Sun Over the Mountains: A Story of Hope, Healing and Restoration by Suzie Fletcher (Octopus, 2023)
Suzie Fletcher is the leather expert from the BBC television programme The Repair Shop. We had an instant rapport so it was easy to be Suzie's ghostwriter. Often it just felt like two old friends talking. Suzie's stories and anecdotes flowed onto the page, even as we went over some painful memories.
A beautifully illustrated children's book about everyday heroes such as firemen and doctors, or less obvious people like librarians and care assistants. The timing of this book was perfect because it celebrated all the people who became the real heroes of the Covid 19 Pandemic. In 2020 I scooped a SLA Award for this book.
A book inspired by the embarrassing questions posed by my kids. If realised that if we could translate some of those awkward subjects into fascinating figures and funky graphics then sex education could be more fun. This has to be one of the most well-thumbed books I've ever written!
