NEWS
Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2022 The headlines
Lviv publisher takes a stand
Ruslana Koropetska, editor- in-chief of Ukraine publisher UA Comix, says she is proud to represent the Lviv-based graphic novel specialist at this Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) and do what she can to help show Ukrainian culture to the world. Koropetska said she has been
busy with licensing enquiries and even more so with well-wishers from across the trade. She added: “It is of course a stressful, difficult, horrific time, and an odd time to be at the fair as we have been unable to trade as a proper publisher since the invasion.”
PRO-UKRAINE LEAFLETS ARE BEING HANDED OUT IN BOLOGNA
EMMA CARROLL AND RIGHT LAUREN CHILD ARE TO COLLABORATE
Child to illustrate Carroll’s S&S fairy tale Koropetska made it to BCBF
only because she happened to be travelling in the Netherlands when the Russian forces invaded Ukraine. She said: “We’re based in Lviv, which so far has not been as devastated as other cities. My colleagues for the most part are safe—or as safe and OK as they can be in the circumstances. We have a lot of stock in the US, but a lot of it is in a warehouse in Kyiv, which is safe as of today. But that can change tomorrow.” BCBF was part of an array
of international book fairs that cut ties with Russian exhibitors and invited Ukrainian authors and exhibitors to visit at no cost. Understandably, few have been able to take advantage. Anna Tiurina, co-founder of Crocus Publishing in Kharkiv, contacted The Bookseller Daily yesterday after “a long journey to evacuate my kids and family to a safe place. We were supposed to go to Bologna but I [and Crocus’ co-founders] are all in different places, trying to figure out what to do next with our lives and jobs.” Koropetska said that BCBF was
a tonic for her “as it’s been four days where I could get back to some kind of normal life, feel like a publisher again and not a refugee”.
04 22nd March 2022
Simon & Schuster Children’s has brought Lauren Child on board to illustrate The Little Match Girl Strikes Back, Emma Carroll’s “bold reinvention” of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Managing director Rachel Denwood acquired world rights in Child’s illustrations from Philippa Milnes-Smith at the Soho Agency. This follows S&S’ previously announced deal for two titles from Carroll, with world rights acquired from Jodie Hodges at United Agents, and with Lucy Pearse, editorial director, as the lead editor.
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books will be highlighting the book to international publishers at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, with a deal for North American
rights already agreed with Kate Fletcher at Candlewick in the US. The Little Match Girl Strikes Back will be published as a two-colour hardback on 15th September 2022. Aimed at readers aged seven and above, it follows Bridie Sweeney, a Victorian match girl, who—with the help of a litle magic—leads a protest of factory workers in their demands for beter pay and conditions. It is inspired by the true story of the 1888 Match Girls’ strike and activist Annie Besant. Child is an award-winning
artist and writer and is the creator of characters such as Clarice Bean, Charlie and Lola, Ruby Redfort and standalone picture books including The New Small Person (Puffin) and That Pesky Rat (Orchard Books). She was
children’s laureate from 2017–19 and holds a CBE for services to literature. “In The Little Match Girl Strikes
Back, Emma Carroll has beauti- fully merged fairy tale with fact, delivering a piece of history that has real resonance for us today,” Child said. “Bridie’s story set me researching Annie Besant and her campaign with the match girls. It’s an extraordinary thing to see that someone’s conviction and belief in what is right, when shared with one person, then another and another, can bring about a move- ment. I was drawn to Emma’s text because of her descriptive and direct stle, giving me the scope to illustrate in a way that I haven’t done so before.” Reporting Ruth Comerford
Bestselling Ladybird set for festive flight
Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks are teaming up for their 12th picture book, the fifth in the What the Ladybird Heard series, which will be the first to feature a festive theme. Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB) publishing director of picture books Hannah Ray bought world rights to What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas, with the deal for Donaldson’s text being done with Caroline Sheldon at Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency; Monks’ illustrations were acquired through Hilary Delamere at The Agency. The title sees the ladybird off to visit her friend the spider for
LADYBIRD SERIES HAS BEEN A GLOBAL HIT
JULIA DONALDSON’S
Christmas. However, bungling robbers Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len are up to no good again, plotting to steal the children’s presents and the ladybird must come up with a cunning plan to foil their plot. MCB said the previous four titles in the What the Ladybird Heard series have sold more than four million units worldwide. Donaldson said she was “delighted as always” by Monks’ illustrations and that “it was probably time for the ladybird to have a wintry adventure with some new animal friends”.
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