Booktrust children's book seminars at the London Book Fair

 

With the children’s publishing market becoming increasingly challenging, cross-media links, merchandising opportunities, publicity campaigns and prize prospects are now at the centre of the launching or commissioning process. All too often, if a book doesn’t have potential for soft-toy sales or a television deal, it doesn’t get published. Have we moved too far away from our traditional ideal of a good book, or are we simply keeping up with technology and the times? What effect is this move of publishing towards the media and entertainment industries having on the reading experience for children and their parents? And is this proving an effective sales strategy? Join Julia Eccleshare who will be discussing these questions with  panellists Eric Huang (Penguin), Emma Cairns-Smith (Egmont) and Jackie Edwards (CBeebies).

 

‘Poetry is commonly described as a valuable part of our national life. But by common consent the existing general audience for it is much smaller than it could be’, so says Andrew Motion’s report from 2010. This circular debate has been doing the rounds for years: publishers don’t produce poetry because they say it doesn’t sell; readers can’t find any new and interesting poetry to grab their imagination; are teachers in schools trained and confident enough in presenting poetry in the classroom? An in-depth look at the issues at the heart of the matter and a call-to-action for practical measures to break the cycle. Chaired by Booktrust's Viv Bird, the panellists for this session will be Anna Selby (Writers’ Centre Norwich) and Janetta Otter-Barry (Frances Lincoln).

 

 

A fresh look at young fiction books. What are the differences between young adult, teen, new adult and crossover? With readers wanting more choice and publishers considering different or multiple markets for books, are the boundaries shifting? Whilst it makes good business sense, what are the challenges of publishing for this age group, and how far are publishers responsible for safeguarding young people? Adam Lancaster (Assistant Head, Monskwalk Secondary School and School Librarian of the Year) will discuss with Philip Stone (The Bookseller) and young adult author Tanya Byrne.

 

How can you draw children into bookshops – attracting them as a specific audience as well as through their parents? Visual merchandising can be just as important as events programming, but how successful can a nicely dressed window and in-store children’s areas be, when buying power often rests with adults? And do schools and libraries have a role in linking with local booksellers as a community hub? John McLay, literary scout and author, will be joined by booksellers Katie Clapham (Storytellers Inc) and Louise Norgate (Waterstones)

 

All events will take place in the Old Press Office, EC1