In the Reading Corner

Tim Hopgood is a graduate of Kingston University and worked for 20 years as a graphic design and freelance illustration.
 
His first book, Our Big Blue Sofa, was published in 2006. Other titles include…

Sam Thompson was shortlisted for the 2012  Man Booker Prize for his debut novel Communion Town. He has published short stories and has contributed articles to the Times Literary Supplement and The Lo…

Ben Garrod is an evolutionary biologist, primatologist, broadcaster and writer.  He is currently Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia, Norwich.

He …

Jason Cockcroft is an acclaimed illustrator, winner of the inaugural Blue Peter Children's Book Award for his interpretation of Pilgrim's Progress.

In this interview, Jason talks about his debut novel…

Chatting with David Litchfield about the illustration for Pip and Egg by Alex Latimer.

David talks about his approach to composition, light and the way in which his illustrations work with the text. …

Swapna Haddow is the author of the prize-winning Dave Pigeon series illustrated by Sheena Dempsey and writing as Swapna Reddy, The Ballet Bunnies series for fledgeling readers.

Dapo Adeola is an illus…

Patience Agbabi's second novel in the Leap Cycle is published this month.

The Time Thief picks up the story from the previous novel The Infinite and it's another highly inventive, page-turning story …

In this episode, Jo Bowers and Simon Fisher talk about children's literature with a Welsh context, the Tir na -n-Og Award and the English language shortlist for 2021.

About the Awards
The Tir na n-Og A…

Dr Jess Wade is a British research physicist who works at Imperial College., where she specialises in Raman spectroscopy.

Melissa Castrillon graduated from the Cambridge School of Art, MA in Children'…

Scottish writer Damien Love has worked as a journalist for many years, writing about movies, music, TV, and other things for a variety of publications.

 Monstrous Devices was his first novel, followe…

Graham Carter is an artist and illustrator who works with a range of media including printmaking, animation and 3D word sculpture. 

In this episode, he talks to Nikki about his three picturebooks for …

Jon Klassen is a Canadian animator and creator of picturebooks now living in the US. He has illustrated books for other writers and has a long-standing creative partnership with Mac Barnett.

 Jon’s s…

Chris Haughton is an Irish illustrator, author and designer now living in London.

He was a long-standing interest in fair trade and was listed in Time magazine's 'DESIGN 100' for the work he has been…

 Ben Mantle began his illustration career early, picking up his first award in a local library colouring-in competition aged seven. He went on to study Animation at the Surrey Institute of Art & Desi…

Nicola Skinner is a writer of originality and wit. Her latest book is inspired by Brunel's great ship the SS Great Britain,  the biggest tourist attraction in Bristol, the city where Nicola now lives…

David Almond is a British writer born in Newcastle on the north side of the Tyne and raised in Gateshead on the south of the river. His writing is infused with the culture and language of the northea…

When Elle McNicoll researched the representation of neurodivergent characters in books for children and young adults, she drew a blank. She decided that the only way to redress the problem was to fin…

Jonathan Stroud's latest book The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne is a post-catastrophe story set in a future England. In this England, you either live in the Cities or you are an outlaw - or perhaps wor…

Raymond Antrobus was born in Hackney was diagnosed as deaf during childhood,  He is a writer and educator and has achieved many accolades for his poetry, including the Ted Hughes  Award,  and Poetry …

From the silliness of Sing a Song of Bottoms to the sharp wit of Tadpole's Promise and the gently reflective Bog Baby, Jeanne Willis is a prolific and much-loved writer of many moods and tones. In th…