The more I think about this, the more I wish it was more inclusive. I know where it comes from, but there are young YA books and chapter books and picture books of astounding brilliance. If Shaun Tan or Helen Oxenbury can’t win it, can you really call it Best Children’s book? A good step, but…

I've started a Substack. It's called Publishing Peptalk and it's a space to share complaints, industry knowledge, gossip - and to buoy ourselves up. It looks like this.. and it's here abielongstaff.substack.com

Hey, Zoey has had a facelift. New title, new jacket, same words. ARE YOU AWAKE? out July 3rd in all good bookshops 😘 #areyouawake

We are delighted that Bloomsbury #author @sarahcrossan.bsky.social is on the 10 strong shortlist for the #YA Book Prize for her novel 'Where The Heart Should Be'. Congratulations Sarah! You can find more info on the full shortlist here: www.thebookseller.com/awards/the-y...

My letter to the @theguardian.com on the META theft of our work. Will be in the physical paper tomorrow. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

I've just finished the beautiful "Where the heart should be" by @sarahcrossan.bsky.social. Thank you @lyndajgraham.bsky.social for the recommendation. I'm going to share this one with my mum. 🇮🇪

SCAREDY CAT, the fourth title in the Bigg School series is out TODAY! This time the year 7s of Henry Bigg Academy are off on a residential trip. Can secret ‘scaredy cat’ Ajay get through the three days unscathed? As always, my words are brilliantly brought to life by Jess’s hilarious illustrations.

NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT! My first adult novel since the Obama administration. A love story of two men over different genres and time periods, as one refuses to accept the ending the author has written. It’s called MERIDIAN. Out early 2027. Terrible pic of me. www.thebookseller.com/rights/canon...

⭐️MORNING WONDERS⭐️ Well, it’s book birthday EVE and I am super excited to be out and about with the marv @papercatbookshop.bsky.social to celebrate! I am super excited about this book and I really, REALLY hope you like it too…

Just read WHERE THE HEART SHOULD BE by @sarahcrossan.bsky.social, a YA historical fiction novel in verse set during the Great Famine in Ireland. Heartbreaking time period, lovely writing, important ideas, beautiful story. 📚👍

youtube.com/watch?v=-owK... Sadly, another year when @jessphillipsmp.bsky.social reads the list of women killed by men. Tragic BUT Jess now taking real tangible actions to reduce this number. No one has more passion for this challenge.

Here it is ... coming soon!!! What is it? It's 'big, gorgeous, heartwarming' says The Bookseller. It's the first thing I've written about the thing I do ... making movies. It's .... very much available to pre-order It's ...

Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s dismantling of USAID will lead to millions of preventable deaths. The decision of the richest person in the world to destroy an agency that delivers life-saving aid to the poorest people on the planet is unconscionable.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has acquired Finn’s Epic Fails, a new middle-grade comedy series from bestselling, multi-award-winning author Phil Earle 👇

So next time someone tells you these things learn like humans, either they're lying or, like generative 'AI', they don't understand human beings. 20/20

So when someone says feeding this tech the work of all the artists on the web is just like an artist learning from other artists, either they’re trying to deceive you or they don’t understand the technology they’re such huge fans of. No artist ever just scans in content and spews out a remix. 17/

There's been a lot of love for the delicious cover of my new novel #WorldOfWanda, and that's ALL thanks to illustrator #StephanieJadeHowe. Stephanie really captured the chaotic interior world of Wanda... 😍 #ADHD #backpacking #homesickness #secretfamilies @uclanpublishing.bsky.social

All of which to say is thank you for the support. I felt sad about leaving my perch in a global news org but now I'm energised by the challenge ahead & the chance to respond to this extraordinary crisis with something new. Join me! THANK YOU 🙏 open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

Over at the YouTube channel, Kids' Poems and Stories with Michael Rosen, we've just reached 149 million views. Here are the latest stats: 812K subscribers 564 videos 149,020,414 views Kids’ Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen www.youtube.com/@MichaelRose...

The Government is considering allowing AI companies to freely use your works, unless you opt-out. This is unfair and unworkable. Now is your chance to tell them what you think! Submit a response to their AI consultation using the guidance below. www.alcs.co.uk/news/your-ri...

⭐️WOOOO HOOOO!⭐️ I am SO excited to be heading back to @guernseylitfest.bsky.social for not one but TWO EVENTS! Come and take a trip to HAPPY HILLS or meet the Ghosties from my brand new picture book I HATE EVERYTHING! Or both?!

Today is your last chance to have your say on proposed changes to our 300 year old copyright law which will allow US tech companies to legally steal your creative work for profit: ipoconsultations.citizenspace.com/ipo/consulta...

Lovely, insightful review of #WorldOfWanda in Saturday's #Guardian. Thanks, @imogenrw.bsky.social! #backpacking #homesickness #secretfamilies #adhd

New podcast series from the people at @empirepoduk.bsky.social Colonising Ireland I’m looking forward to listening to this 👍 #Speirgorm #SpeirGhorm #IrishHistory #IrishNews open.spotify.com/episode/2vWM...

Poet in Residence wanted for the National Memorial Arboretum for two years to use the Arboretum's landscape and memorials for a series of original poems to share stories with brand new audiences. Details in link. Please share :) www.thenma.org.uk/about-us/wor...

I just read WHERE THE HEART SHOULD BE, a Kirkus-starred #VerseNovel by @sarahcrossan.bsky.social It's a compelling work of #HistoricalFiction with a clever title that works both literally and figuratively. #AdLit #YALit #Kirkus

Out on May 6

On 3rd March I’ll be kicking off WBD Week 2025 with a celebration of wildlife and Puloma and the Bear with the amazing MR DILLY - it’s LIVE and it’s FREE!!! Link to join is here! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-wild...

WHERE THE HEART SHOULD BE is out today in paperback! Get it in all good bookshops x Thank you so much for all the support already. It means mountains ❤️

Delighted to share the news that @chloedalton.bsky.social's RAISING HARE has been longlisted for the 2025 @womensprize.bsky.social for Non-Fiction! Congratulations Chloe! @findmypast.bsky.social View the full longlist here: womensprize.com/prizes/women...

*IT’S BOOK BIRTHDAY O’CLOCK!!* #WorldOfWanda is a story of backpacking, homesickness, #ADHD and secret families, and it’s out today! Me and my PA Bonnie popped into our local Pickled Pepper Bookshop to sign copies and celebrate… 🎉📕 @uclanpublishing.bsky.social @theagencybooks.bsky.social

To be clear… this isn’t nepotism… I don’t know Niamh nor her editor/publicist. I genuinely think the book is boss! 😊

WOW! Pre-order this novel. It’s absolutely magnificent. Stayed up late to finish it. Congratulations @niamhsquared.bsky.social

📢 New book talk just listed! This month we're delighted to welcome @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social in conversation with illustrator Benjamin Phillips as they discuss their new book, One Day: A True Story of Courage and Survival in the Holocaust Sign up now: wienerholocaustlibrary.org/event/book-t...

FYI I'm on Instagram as @sarahcrossanwriter www.instagram.com/invites/cont...

Thank you @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social for your Read It Forward initiative. 10% of every children’s book sale made via the platform in Feb 2025 including pre-orders 😉 will be donated to charities @booktrust.org.uk & @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social uk.bookshop.org/p/books/wher... #ReadItForward

I’m very pleased to announce I’ll be one of the judges for The British Book Awards 2025 (The Nibbies) in the children's fiction category. You can find the otherwise starry line-up of all the category judges on www.thebookseller.com/nibbies. #BritishBookAwards @the-bookseller.bsky.social

"This isn't something that's just nice or lovely. It's something fundamental to becoming a human being." Waterstones #ChildrensLaureate @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social shares why reading is a right for every child. #ReadingRights

Can I get some recommendations for teen novels — not YA, nothing hard hitting or too sexy. But not MG either. Clean teen essentially! 😘

A very fun afternoon recording #BunOnTheRun with Welsh Booktrust ahead of World Book Day 2025!! 🥰 #worldbookday

⭐️COVER REVEAL⭐️ Here it is! The cover of my brand new picture book out 13th March called I Hate Everything. I am so SUPER excited about this book & I really hope you love it too! Pre order from all your favs…some can be found here bit.ly/40FQeIQ #kidsbooks #childrensbooks #picturebooks #ghosts

Earnest post, but: a thing I like here is it’s okay to have moments of happiness in public without being broadly scolded, and I believe that sustaining this kind of humanity will be very important as we resist fascism. We have to sustain each other. Making joy isn’t denial, it’s how we will survive

I'm so delighted to share the amazing cover for I AM RAVEN, coming 10th April! With brilliant illustration from #KaritasGunnirsdottir and design by #RayTierney, I can't wait to see it out in the world! 🐦‍⬛ @nosycrow.bsky.social #KidLitUK #IAmRaven #FlightOrFight alastairc.com/blog/2025012...

Loving Biden and Harris right now. No clapping. No emotion. But are there.

Perfect weekend reading! 🌟

Embrace who you are, but don't be a grimdark asshole. Lynch's work embraces the sublime& the savage equally. 1 tone/emotion does not prevail always. And if you think you must be an enigmatic jerk or bleak, cold meanie in order to make something profound or scary or weird, i beg you, grow the fuck up

Well hello, Adonis! Looking gorgeous, @philearle.bsky.social 💫 🦍

Popping my head up to say I have a new book coming out in June! Our Song is my first novel for adults and it’s about love and friendship and being in a band and figuring out what you really want from life before it’s too late. You can read the full blurb and pre-order here! linktr.ee/oursongbook