For our May CBNN Reads, CBNN’s co-lead Emma Layfield has chosen Bethan Woolvin’s ‘These Are My Rocks’.

This week's Northern Highlight, Daniel Peak, tells us about his new book Grimstink to be published in July by Firefly Press.

Now in its fifth year, Children’s Books North Network’s annual mentor scheme is back for 2025! We’ve got an amazing line up of fifteen industry professionals from a variety of roles across the publishing sector, including experts from editorial, marketing, sales, design, production and agenting.

This week's Northern Highlight Sarah Tyson, based in Malton, North Yorkshire, talks about her favourite part of promoting children's books and her recent project developing a web-based reading tool for children.

Applications are now open for the Children’s Books North Network Mentor Scheme!

CBNN’s Bookshop of the Month for April is Paper People Books, based in Pateley Bridge, who tell us about their Book of the Month, Jason Cockroft’s Running with Horses.

This week’s Northern Highlight, Rob Keeley, talks about the imaginative possibilities of children’s books, his new book The Fighting Spirit, and gives advice to aspiring writers.

For our March CBNN Reads, CBNN’s Initiatives Champion Katie Siddall chose Karen Owen and Louise Forshaw’s ‘Major and Mynah Tarantula Terror’.

This week’s Northern Highlight is designer Robyn Makings, based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Robyn talks about her work in novelty, the importance of offering more junior in-house roles for people in the North, and encourages aspiring publishing professionals to be proactive and connect with people who work within the industry.

This week’s Northern Highlight features Francesca Grech, based in Edinburgh, who talks about her love of experimentation and creation of characters and their stories, and two books she illustrated last year - Irvin Vella: Il-Każ tal-Bottegin tax-Xorti and Il-Kuġini Kurjużi: Il-Misteru tal-Kalċi l-Misruq.

This week’s Northern Highlight is writer and comic artist Edward Ross, based in Portobello. Edward talks about the importance of bridging the gap between young and adult comic readers, and urges aspiring artists to ‘make the work they love and put it out into the world’.

This week’s Northern Highlight is Laura Darling based in Dundee, who talks about her love of creating picture books, her most recent work on the Great Highland Games Chase, and offers advice for aspiring illustrators.

For CBN’s February Bookshop of the Month highlight, Jordan of The West Kirby Bookshop talks about the varied workload of a bookseller, urges the publishing industry to embrace and cultivate community, and introduces their February Book of the Month - Marty Moose: First Class Mischief.

This week’s Northern Highlight is Sue Cunningham, based in Manchester, who talks about her new book Cloud Nine and the importance of being part of a writing community, and urges the industry to celebrate humorous books and lighter ‘comfort’ reads.

This week we interview Derek Brazell from the Association of Illustrators (AOI), who talks about the support the Association offers to illustrators, the importance of self-promotion, and advice for illustrators looking to get published.

This week’s Northern Highlight is writer Mark Illis, based in Hebden Bridge, who talks about finding surprise in the familiar when writing stories and his latest book Running Away For Beginners.

It’s National Storytelling Week 2025, and to celebrate of the power of accessible stories, CBN’s Mentor Lead Helen Blair interviews Dave Steele - AKA the The Blind Poet - about his children’s book, The Big Test, and what storytelling means to him.

CBN’s January Bookshop of the Month is the Orcadian Bookshop, located in Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. Supervisor Grace tells us about the history of the bookshop, what her typical day looks like, and her January Book of the Month - Jackie Kay’s Coorie Doon

This week’s Northern Highlight features writer Daniel Ingram-Brown from Knaresborough, who talks about his last book Bea’s Witch and the importance of more literary events that engage with local communities.

This week’s Northern Highlight features Rebecca Horswill, based in Manchester, who talks about her work designing Oliver Sykes’ Fishing for Rainbows, and the importance of Northern meetups and chatting with like-minded creatives.