Illustrating Peter!

Seeking new illustrators for black and white children’s poetry books.

We are an independent, specialist children’s bookseller, now becoming nationally recognised for the quality of our books and our contribution to literacy. However so many important books have become unavailable in the current climate, that we are now involved in re-printing material ourselves.

We are currently working to re-launch acclaimed children’s poet Peter Dixon. Peter’s work appears in many general children’s poetry books, but currently none of his own seven anthologies, (originally published by Macmillan) remain in print.

Peter has a lot to offer kids, and is very much on their side and wavelength. (Grown-ups seem to enjoy his poems too, - several have been used as lyrics for a solo album, by Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows!)

We expect to publish three new anthologies (of about 50 poems each), definitive editions of Peter’s work in 2013. These books will be B format or slightly larger, with high quality black and white illustrations. We plan to use several different illustrators, as is often done very effectively with poetry anthologies. We will utilise some illustrations by David Thomas, from previous editions, Ross Collins, a practising illustrator will be providing additional material, and we are also looking for some new illustrators to participate.

There will be negotiable financial remuneration, depending on the size and complexity of the illustrations and the illustrator's experience. Part will be paid when finished artwork is submitted/production deadlines are met, and further sums according to the number of copies sold. Illustrators will receive complimentary copies of every book in which their illustrations appear. Artwork will remain the property of the illustrator.

Participating illustrators will be fulfilling a genuine publishing brief - illustrating a superb poet, whose verse is already achieving classic status. Their work will appear alongside an acclaimed illustrator, in books that are likely to remain in print for the foreseeable future.

Poetry books are unique in allowing the illustrator to make their treatment of any one poem an individual work of art, in ‘partnership’ with the poet.