Who Won Our Christmas Raffle?

Thank you to all who visited our 12 Days of Christmas Blog Posts in the closing days of 2012.

As promised, we have put all the folks who kindly left us a comment into our raffle with two amazing books to win:

... and that's it from the Slushpile for 2012 (apart from our prize draw of course)

12th Day of Christmas: Senior Commissioning Editor Beverley Birch

Wonderful Words of Wisdom from
Editor Beverley Birch

11th day of Christmas: Literary Agent Gemma Cooper and Nosy Crow's Kate Wilson

10th day of Christmas: Fiction Editor Kirsten Armstrong and Picture Book Editor Joe Marriot of Tamarind Books

Fiction Editor AND Picture Book Editor of the wonderful Tamarind Books! Blimey!

9th day of Christmas: Literary Agent Anne Clark

Three thoroughly thrilling thoughts
from Literary Agent Anne Clark

8th day of Christmas: Editorial Director Sara O'Connor of Hot Key Books

An Achingly Mysterious Mystery

7th Day of Christmas: Senior Editor Annalie Grainger of Walker Books

An editor who LOVES a great ghost story

6th Day of Christmas: Senior Editor Imogen Cooper of Chicken House

... an editor in search of golden eggs 

5th Day of Christmas: Commissioning Editor Ruth Williams of Picadilly Press

Five Fervent Wishes from Ruth William
of Piccadilly Press

4th day of Christmas: Literary Agent Claire Wilson

Claire Wilson of RCW...

3rd Day of Christmas: DKW Literary Agency

DKW's Deepest Desires

2nd Day of Christmas: Literary Agent Sallyanne Sweeney

Sallyanne's Seven Sweet Submission Tips 

1st Day of Christmas - Katy Wyton, Writer Wrangler extraordinaire

A complaint (in verse)

Writer Wrangler (N): someone who has voluntarily, or involuntarily, come into possession of a writer.

Please remember that a Writer is for life, not just for Christmas.

(Although if you put enough shiny baubles on the tree, it will distract them long enough for you to scoff all the mince pies.)

Happy Christmas from All of Us On the Slushpile!

... and that was our countdown to Christmas! Thank you to all the editors, agents, authors and other lovely denizens of the children's book world who agreed to contribute. We slushpilers offer you our final, happy wishes ...

Countdown to Christmas: Senior Commissioning Editor, Hachette Children's Books, Beverley Birch

Beverley Birch, friend and mentor to many slushpilers and published authors alike, gives us the last Advent gift. Beverley is a senior commissioning editor for Hachette Children's Books and three times nominated Brandford Boase editor. She is a writer of more than 40 books including novels, picture books, biographies and retellings of classic works. Her novel, 'Rift' came out in 2006 and you know you are in the hands of a true storyteller when you read the very first page.

When she was young, Beverley wanted to be a pilot...

 ...or an explorer...

 ...something which took her to new places and where she could be brave and intrepid.

 Writing takes her there now!

So, what is Beverley's Christmas wishlist?

1. Vigorous, original voice – serious or funny, quirky or strange, I’m open to any – but something that sucks me in, so I feel a very personal connection with characters and their predicament.

2. To be bewitched by curiosity from the outset. That ‘Oh! Where is this going? Where’s it taking me?’ feeling. Any genre or tradition in story-telling – no boundaries – but I want to be grabbed by the intrigue or puzzle or humour from that very first page.

3. A writer with something interesting/illuminating to say – not ‘just a story’ but a tale that is a revelation in some way, a window onto something, leaving me richer than I was before I read it, transmitted through the characters and how they knock against each other and their environment, the choices they make, in the bones and sinews of their story.

Slushie note: Check out Beverley's masterclass and make your writing soar in 2012!

Anne of Green Gables

Favourite book from childhood: Anne of Green Gables which Beverley loved for its sense of place.

Take a look tomorrow, dear readers, for Christmas wishes from the Slushpile Team!

Countdown to Christmas: Brenda Gardner, Managing Director, Piccadilly Press

Brenda Gardner, publisher and MD started Piccadilly Press 28 years ago. Brenda’s experience in publishing was through editorial and she worked for Penguins, W H Allen, and Evans before setting up Piccadilly. Piccadilly won the Independent Publisher’s Award in 2009 after being shortlisted three times and publish across a wide range from picture books to young adult.

Brenda Gardner, Piccadilly Press

Brenda's wish list:

1. We’d love an interesting and fresh novel for young adults. 

A love story that could be a crossover book perhaps.

2. A sharp witty picture book text would be

 an ideal present from Father Christmas

Illustrated by SCBWI's very own Mike Brownlow

3. Illustrations with animals and small children that touch the heart.

Written by SCBWI's very own  Juliet Clare Bell 

4. A knock them dead funny series for 7-12 would be a great present.

You don't get much funnier than Dinopants

5. Authors and illustrators who have studied our website and know the sorts of books we publish and even read some of them, before sending in material, would win our hearts.

Book I wished we published: Diary of A Wimpy Kid.
Not only because it is a bestseller but I did spot it some years ago and was just days too late as Puffin had snapped it up. I thought it was a great concept – fresh and appealing and at the same time very reassuring and funny.

Piccadilly Press submission guidelines.

Countdown to Christmas: Megan Larkin of Orchard Books

Megan Larkin is publishing director of Orchard Books, part of Hachette Children's Books. Orchard Books offers a sparkling range of very special titles that sell all over the world. Picture book characters from Daisy the Duck to Charlie & Lola, authors such as Michael Lawrence and Giles Andreae, illustrators from Jane Ray to Angela Barrett and best-selling fiction series such as Rainbow Magic and Tiara Club, make for a rich treasure-trove of talent.

Megan's Christmas Wish:

I love books that make you laugh, and books that make you cry. If a book can make me laugh AND cry then I’m in heaven. A few years ago, Orchard published a glorious book called Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli, a wonderfully moving story about a lovable, quirky character who will stay in my heart for ever. I would love to find another Stargirl in my Christmas stocking.

Stargirl!

Slushpile note: Megan and Orchard Books are also publishing one Teri Terry, part of the Slushpile team! Slated will be out in May 2012, as reported here.

Countdown to Christmas: Librarian Ferelith Hordon

Ferelith is the Children's Librarian for Balham Library in the London Borough of Wandsworth. She has been Chair of CILIP Youth Libraries Group which administers the Carnegie and Greenaway Awards. 'I have been a Children’s Librarian now for more years than I care to count – and have never regretted this choice,' she says. 'My passion is reading and I firmly believe that there is at least one magical book for everyone. The challenge is to find it. I am committed to the value of great books and storytelling, the power of words and pictures and the difference they can make.'

Ferelith Hordon

Sharing what you read is one of the greatest pleasures, and sharing within the family the icing. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to share - and what better time than when the nights are long and a bit cold. My wish is that everyone should be able to experience this sharing and should have the chance to listen to a great story read by a real person - someone they can touch. These stories are tried and tested - and can be enjoyed by all ages....granddads, dads, grannies and mums - and all the young. So curl up, cuddle up, turn lights down low....now begin..



The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith

Varjak Paw by S.F. Said

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Countdown to Christmas: The Bright Literary Agency part of Bright Group International

The Bright Literary Agency part of Bright Group International is a bold and buzzing agency, on the look out for brilliant children's writers. 

Vicki Willden-Lebrecht

Vicki Willden-Lebrecht is the brains behind the group. She wants to keep the heart and soul in a growing business by taking care of the writers and illustrators her agency represents; nurturing and growing their talent