Webinar series to offer publishing insights to aspiring illustrators from underrepresented communities
The Publishers Association, Pop Up Projects and House of Illustration have partnered to host five webinars which aim to support the professional development of aspiring and emerging illustrators from underrepresented and marginalised communities. Attendees will include mentees on Pop Up Project’s and House of Illustration’s Pathways course, but the sessions are open to anyone interested in a career in children’s publishing.
The webinars will run daily throughout Work in Publishing Week (16 – 20 November). Each session will feature a speaker from children’s publishing who will talk about their area of expertise and answer questions from attendees.
Ruth Howells, Deputy Director of External Affairs at the Publishers Association, said:
“We are delighted to be able to deliver these high-quality sessions with talented people from across children’s publishing. Our hope is that these webinars will arm aspiring and emerging illustrators with practical knowledge about children’s publishing as well as inspiring enthusiasm for getting involved in this brilliantly creative and important area of the industry. Thank you to everyone who is taking part.”
Dylan Calder, Pop Up’s Executive & Creative Director, said:
“Our hugely diverse cohort of aspiring and emerging children’s illustrators are hungry to learn every aspect of the children’s publishing industry. They will emerge from Pathways equipped not just with the skills required to illustrate and tell stories, but also knowledge of how to navigate the industry and the market. Our partnership with the Publishers Association – producing facilitated learning experiences that focus on the different forms of product in the children’s illustration market, from picture books to graphic novels – delivers the kind of learning and connections to publishers you wouldn’t acquire on an illustration or creative writing degree course. It will also help them make choices about the forms they want to specialise in during Pathways and beyond”.
Details of the events:
Overview of the market, Monday 16th November, 1pm
Jackie Swope, Senior Account Manager, Nielsen Book Research
Illustrated non-fiction, Tuesday 17th November, 1pm
John Stuckey, Senior Designer, Gaming, Brands & Licenses, Egmont Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Comics and graphic novels, Wednesday 18th November, 1pm
Ned Hartley, Commissioning Editor, Ladybird Licensing, Penguin Random House Children’s
Illustrated fiction, Thursday 19th November, 1pm
Belinda Rasmussen, Publisher, Macmillan Children’s Books
Samantha Smith, Publisher, Fiction, Non-Fiction and Picture Books, Macmillan Children’s Books
Picture books, Friday 20th November, 1pm
Pauliina Malinen, Senior Commissioning Editor, Picture Books, Walker Books
Tanya Rosie, Commissioning Editor, Picture Books, Walker Books