We are the six finalists from the 2001 BBC Children’s Fiction Talent Award. We were shortlisted from over 4,600 internationally submitted manuscripts, and like many aspiring children's writers, we have faced severe disappointments and fought the hard way to agents and publication.
As children’s writers ourselves, we know that the difficult process of drafting, editing and re-writing can be a long and lonely one. For us, the opportunity to regularly share ideas and give robust feedback on each other’s writing has made all the difference. Between us we have a Masters in English from Oxford University, an MA in Creative Writing, an MA in Fine Art from the Royal College of Art, graphic design expertise… and more than twenty years teaching experience working with children from 5 to 16 years! Many of us still work actively with young people and have specialist knowledge of children and their reading across the spectrum. Sarah Mussi BA (Hons), MA (Royal College of Art), PGCE, DipLitAn experienced teacher of English and Creative Writing; Mussi combines Secondary School teaching with running workshops at writer's conferences and literary festivals. Her children’s novel, The Door of No Return, published by Hodder Hachette won the Glen Dimplex & Irish Writers Children's Book of the Year 2007 Award, was short listed for the Branford Boase Award, and appeared on three other prize short lists. It was published in the USA in 2008 and was awarded Junior Library Guild status almost immediately. Mussi's second novel, The Last of the Warrior Kings, Hodder 2008, has been short listed for various regional awards, including the Lewisham Book Award. In 2009 Mussi, along with such prestigious names as Michael Morpurgo, Malorie Blackman, Jamila Gavin and Roddy Doyle, contributed a children’s short story to the prestigious Amnesty International anthology FREE?, which celebrated sixty years of the United Declaration of Human Rights. Mussi loves writing YA adventure thrillers for the 9-14 age range. She has lived and worked in Africa for 15 years and draws much of her inspiration from the continent's mysterious history. Ruth Eastham BSc (Hons), PGCE (Cambridge University)
Ruth has taught in schools in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Italy. Her first children's novel has been placed with a top London Agent. She was the founder of Nottingham Children's Writers and is currently organising the 2010 Children's Writers' Conference, an innovative forum for aspiring authors due to take place in Italy. She is most interested in older children's fiction ranging from gritty realism to supernatural thrillers within a historical context. Susie Day MA (Oxon), MSt (Oxon), PGCE
A trained Primary School Teacher, Susie’s children’s novel Whump! was published by BBC Worldwide and serialized on BBC Radio 4. She has since written a number of TV tie-in picture books for younger readers. Susie's hilarious and touching novel for teens, Big Woo!, was published by Scholastic (Marion Lloyd Books) in the UK and by Scholastic Inc in the US as Serafina67 *Urgently Requires Life*. A third novel, Girl Meets Cake, was published in 2009 and in the US as My Invisible Boyfriend. Susie’s current projects include teenage crossover fiction, and fantasy/adventure fiction for the 9-12 readership. Josephine Books BA (Joint Hons), MA (Creative Writing), Cert. Ed. (FE)
Josephine has worked as a proofreader and copy-editor and recently completed her MA in Creative Writing with Manchester Metropolitan University. She has worked with children and young people in a number of social care settings. Josephine's specialist area is pre-teen and teen fiction in social realism and adventure. She has an interest in Welsh-themed books and those with an alternative family structure. Caroline Johnson BSc (Hons), MBA
Caroline writes children’s poetry and enjoys a wide range of novel genres. She has a special interest in manuscripts featuring off-beat, quirky humour for younger children, as well as those in the 9-14 age group. She is also especially interested in looking at novels with scientifically-orientated storylines. Zoe Finney BA
A professional Graphic Designer, Zoe is particularly well-placed to offer prospective children’s book illustrators advice about their ideas. Her writing focuses on humorous chapter books for the younger reader. Go to our sample appraisals page to view the quality of our work.