The end of the year is fast approaching and our annual Christmas wrapping paper is making it's way to publishers.

Each year we ask four of our artists to create a new design for us with either a festive theme or that showcases a celebration and that plays to their strengths. This year we have four beautiful designs from Lisa Pinca, Hanako Clulow, Laurie Stansfield and Laura Ellen Anderson!

Illustrator Briony May Smith and author Sara O’Leary were joined by their Publisher Tara Walker from Tundra Books and one of Briony's agents, Amy Kitcherside, to celebrate and talk about their biopic picture book ‘The Little Book of the Little Brontës’. ​​

After sorting out a post-wedding covid period, I went up to Lincoln with my brother to set up the show, ready and excited to read Shine to whoever would show up. We got there at 10am on a Friday and I was showing children how to print illustrations with stamps and linocuts by 11am. ​To our surprise, a stream of visitors popped in and out until 4pm, excited to print, hear about Shine and the little moth, make some collages, as well as ask questions about how it had been made (a blog post behind the process can be read here). There, among a never ending stream of the loveliest human beings, I met Miss Leigh and her children, the most loving family I remember meeting.

The effervescence of the day assigned tasks in the most organic way. By 5pm, Helen and Yvan had finished setting up, sorting snacks and drinks for the evening while I had been getting ink all over my hands – and children's! – and that is what Shine is about. I was surrounded by luminous fireflies, except this time, the leading moth was Yvan and the community-gathering role was Helen's, and her fabulous, welcoming lighthouse that Shelf Editions is. By 9pm, I was surrounded by Helen's community. Not as a protagonist, but as a member. I was home. 

​I always try to make stories and technical bits of my work rather short, afraid of talking people's ears off. Not this time. I explained in detail how I had experimented with different printmaking techniques while knowing in the back of my head I would end up screenprinting the book, still learning from all those experiments on the way. 

I've only just become an author, and writing is quite a vulnerable position to be in. It also seems to ease the building of bridges with other people's experiences, and so I went on to tell this new gang of mine about the events, feelings and fears that sparked the first draft of Shine, and how a little boy who was afraid to be lifted into the night sky turned into a moth.

Bruno Valasse's exhibition 'Stars Only Come Out When it’s Dark' is up at Shelf Editions until the end of September, where he also has prints for sale. 'Shine' is available to buy now, published by Tundra Books.

As a fan of the original story, Rachael Dean was thrilled to have the opportunity to illustrate the cover of Anthea Simmon's modern re-imagining of the beloved classic 'The Secret Garden'. The Secret Garden Rewilded is published by Andersen Press. ​

Voyage to Mermaid Mountain is the fourth book Alice McKinley has illustrated for author Jack Ryder and a sequel to last year's 'Wish'. Once again Alice brings to life Jack's fantastical world of magical mystery, with returning characters, mermaids and a pirate ship. Out now from Hachette Children's Books. ​

Congratulations to our author Jo Simmons whose teen comedy The Reluctant Vampire Queen (Hot Key Books) has been shortlisted for the teen category of the Lollies awards for funny fiction. ​