Category: Uncategorised

We are so excited to announce that Steve Brown has joined CWLA as our newest Author. Television Presenter, Paralympian, RSPB Ambassador, father and Author, Steve is a man of many talents and we’re absolutely delighted to have him on board. Steve’s newest title, Steve’s Wildlife Taskforce is the first title in a series for children… Continue reading A Huge Welcome To Steve Brown!

This week, we at Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency are launching our brand new website! The new site will make it easy to browse our latest publications, roster of talented authors, and newest available picture book and chapter book ideas. Scroll through our blog posts for CWLA news and check out the variety of editorial services… Continue reading The Launch Of Our New Site!

A capybara who attained worldwide fame after escaping from her enclosure at a zoo in Shropshire, is set to be the star of a brand-new children’s book – illustrated by our very own Phil Heckels! Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World have announced the upcoming release of Cinnamon’s Big Adventure. written by local author Tracey J Morgan and… Continue reading Celebrating The Release Of Cinnamon’s Big Adventure!

We are looking for an Experienced Creative Children’s Content Editor and Project Manager for Educational Publishing to join us at CWLA. Experience in the Educational Publishing Industry is essential. As Editor and Project Manager, you will help our creative team to edit and generate content for all genres of children’s content, i.e children’s books (picture… Continue reading We Are Recruiting!

We are so delighted to share this wonderful review from the Guardian, of Sally Anne Garland’s new picture book, The Moon Seed. ‘Quietly spectacular’ sums up Sally’s work perfectly. On 31st January 1971, astronaut Stuart Roosa took a bag of seeds with him on the Apollo 14 mission to the moon. When he came home,… Continue reading Another Fantastic Guardian Review For Sally Garland!

Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency focuses on picture and early chapter books. Based in London and New York City, we have a team of literary agents specializing in children’s books and young fiction. Our goal is to create engaging stories for young readers.

We are excited to announce that Sally Garland’s latest book, The Moon Seed, is now available for pre-order and due for release by Sunbird Books on 6th August. Pre-order your copy here. On 31st January 1971, astronaut Stuart Roosa took a bag of seeds with him on the Apollo 14 mission to the moon. When… Continue reading The Moon Seed By Sally Anne Garland

Wow! Thank you so much for the incredible response to our Unpublished Author Call Out. We’ve had more submissions than we ever could have hoped for. ⁠ ⁠ Please bear with us whilst we work through our inbox. We want to make sure that we look at every submission properly so it may take us… Continue reading Unpublished Author Submissions Update

We are thrilled to announce that Poppy’s Perfect Crayons, written and illustrated by Sally Garland, is available for pre-order and due to be released by Beaming Books on 23 July 2024. For kids who struggle with perfectionism or fear making mistakes, Poppy’s Perfect Crayons offers a colorful story about how much fun “imperfect” things can… Continue reading Poppy’s Perfect Crayons

Louise Forshaw’s Bad United – Just For Kicks is published today and wow, has it had some brilliant reviews so far! Published by Little Tiger, it’s the first in a series of graphic novels about Hoof the Unicorn. Bad United is silly, fun and fast paced with an endearing message about inclusivity and loving sport… Continue reading Lots Of Buzz Around Bad United!

We are saddened to share the terrible news that in February our wonderful Illustrator and Author, Lucy Barnard, passed away after a long fight with cancer. A beautiful, talented and loyal Artist and Author, Lucy joined us in 2002 and our heartfelt sympathy, thoughts and prayers are with her family, her children and everyone she… Continue reading In Loving Memory Of Lucy Barnard

The CWLA team were present and active at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this year, meeting with key publishers, connecting with new clients, and reaffirming relationships with our existing clients. The Bologna Book Fair is the biggest children’s book fair in the world, so it was a busy and exciting week: over the three-day event,… Continue reading CWLA At Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2024

This year we made our presence known at the London Book Fair, meeting people and showcasing our latest offerings. Over the three day event, the CWLA team met with leading publishers, talented authors (both established and prospective), and exciting new clients at our dedicated booth at Olympia. We had the opportunity to discuss what’s new,… Continue reading CWLA At London Book Fair 2024

We are thrilled to share that author Louise Forshaw’s new graphic novel series, BAD UNITED, will be released in 2024. Published with Little Tiger Press, BAD UNITED is a funny football graphic novel series for 5-8-year-olds, both written and illustrated by our very own author/illustrator Louise Forshaw. When Hoof spots an advert for BAD UNITED… Continue reading Cover Reveal: BAD UNITED

We are excited to announce that our senior editor, Lil Chase, is working with ITSme Learning to create a new Writing Mentorship program! Lil has over 15 years of experience in the publishing industry as an author and editor. Before joining CWLA, she was the senior editor at Working Partners and a reader and editor… Continue reading Announcing New Writing Mentorship In Collaboration With ITSme Learning

We are thrilled to welcome Anna Shuttlewood as one of our newest authors here at CWLA! We sat down with Anna to learn a little more about her writing and inspiration. 1. How long have you been working on children’s books, as an illustrator, and as an author? I started illustrating children’s books in 2012,… Continue reading New Author- Anna Shuttlewood!

We are over the moon to see that our author, Sally Anne Garland’s recently published book, The Chalk Garden, has been featured in The Guardian’s monthly “Children’s and Teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels” review! Not only was The Chalk Garden first on the list, Sally’s beautiful illustration was also used… Continue reading The Guardian – Children’s Best New Picture Book Review!

Our author Sally Anne Garland has recently written a feature for Love Reading 4 Kids, sharing her reflections on the influence of established artists upon our contemporary children’s book illustrators, and the inspiration behind her latest book The Chalk Garden. Shirley Huges and Helen Oxenbury are two author/illustrators who Sally particularly admires. Sally mentions the… Continue reading Sally Anne Garland Writes Feature For Love Reading 4 Kids

Katie Saunders is our newest author to join Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency. A talented illustrator, Katie also loves writing for children. Her books are written with humour and from the heart – and we are very excited to have her onboard. We wanted to get some insights into her working process and inspirations behind her… Continue reading New Author – Katie Saunders!

Read our interview with our Film & TV Rights Agent: 1. What is your background in TV and Film? I have had a passion for film and television my whole life. As this passion grew I realised I could study it and eventually make a career in the industry. The film and television industry is… Continue reading Film & TV Rights

Last year was a fantastic year for us at Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency! We had some wonderful books published, we signed some new authors, and sold some fantastic new stories that we can’t wait to share with you. We are sure this year will be just as exciting! Before we jump into 2023, here is… Continue reading CWLA’s Most Memorable Projects Of 2022

Our wonderful author Sue Lancaster has a new poem published in Parakeet Magazine! “Buddy” is a beautiful poem that explores the relationship between a family and their bird, expressing love and appreciation for their feathered friend. Sue’s poem perfectly expresses how we feel about our pets.  Parakeet Magazine is an extension of Honeyguide Literary Magazine.… Continue reading “Buddy” By Sue Lancaster Published In Parakeet Magazine

The Chalk Garden written and illustrated by Sally Anne Garland received an outstanding review by Kirkus. The picture book aimed at 4 to 7 year olds follows the observant and nurturing Emma, who beautifies her cement yard. Kirkus notes that “while some readers won’t be drawn in by this gentle story or its protagonist’s humble… Continue reading A Wonderful Review For The Chalk Garden

Our authors at Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency continue to take part in many wonderful events, and this month is no exception! Between school visits and storytelling performances, it’s lovely to see people enjoying and connecting with our authors and their books.  Garry Dix had a school workshop at Westwood Primary School, where he will be… Continue reading School Fun And Interactive Storytelling!

Earlier this year Who’s a Clever Boy Then? became an instant Amazon bestseller. Now Waterstones has named it among the Best Humor Books of 2022!  Featured with other hilarious ‘Cats and Dogs’ books, Waterstones says: “The cult genius behind Rubbish Pet Portraits gives a chucklesome insight into what is really on your pooch’s mind in… Continue reading Who’s A Clever Boy, Then? Is Included In Best Books Of Humour 2022

Today we hear Cassy Smith’s insight into keeping up with the Publishing Industry. Cassy is our newest employee here at CWLA. As our editorial and marketing assistant, she focuses on helping proofread manuscripts, create sales files, and manage our social media. This role combines her previous experience in social media and graphic design, as well… Continue reading Keeping Up With The Publishing Industry: How CWLA Agents Stay Informed

Here at CWLA, we have been working with ITSme for just over a year. The ITSme team helps us acquire new talented staff members and authors, assists with managing our marketing and websites, connects us with universities and helps manage internship applications, as well as other business operations. The ITSme team has been instrumental in… Continue reading Introducing ITSme!

Congratulations to our author Phil Heckles for winning Justgiving’s Most Creative Fundraiser Award! Phil’s fundraiser was creative indeed. He made self-confessed ‘rubbish’ drawings of people’s pets, asking only for donations in return. It started with a silly drawing of his own dog shared to social media, and now he has drawn over 11,000 pet portraits… Continue reading Justgiving Creative Fundraiser 2022 Epic Win For Phil Heckles

Caroline Wakeman has been elected as the judge for the 2023 Best Children’s Illustrated Books award! The competition is running from October 3rd to March 1st 2023. Caroline is searching for exciting stories that young children will ask for over and over again! She highlights that “Picture books are a beautiful synergy of artwork and… Continue reading 2023 Best Children’s Illustrated Book Award

Today we hear Kate Johnson’s insight into keeping up with the Publishing Industry.  The Publishing Industry is always evolving and at times it can be hard to stay on top of new trends. You have so much work to get done, that you forget to take time to check up on the industry. We asked… Continue reading Keeping Up With The Publishing Industry: How CWLA Agents Stay Informed

We are so excited to announce that Stuck Inside, written and illustrated by our author Sally Garland, has been shortlisted for the Scottish Booktrust Bookbug Prize. Celebrating Scottish picture books and encouraging reading for pleasure, voting for the prize is done by children across the nation and the winner will be announced in March 2023!… Continue reading Stuck Inside Nominated For Bookbug Picture Book Prize!

Today we hear Natasha Lavall’s insight into keeping up with the Publishing Industry.  Keeping up with industry news is an important part of any job. Yet sometimes, it can pose a challenge. You have so much work to get done, that you forget to take time to check up on the industry. We asked our… Continue reading Keeping Up With The Publishing Industry: How CWLA Agents Stay Informed

Bloom, written and illustrated by CWLA author Julia Seal, has been shortlisted for the Teach Primary 2022 Book Awards in the Early Years category! The book has been shortlisted for its ability to offer something special and unique for children both at home and in the classroom, through not only its “sheer enjoyability” but also… Continue reading Teach Primary Book Awards 2022

Have you ever wondered where authors get their inspiration from? Inspiration can be hard to find and sometimes comes from the most unexpected places. We asked the CWLA children’s book authors where they find the inspiration for their beautiful stories and are thrilled to share some of their answers! Lou Treleaven: “Having fun with words,… Continue reading What Inspires You?

Who’s a Clever Boy Then? by Hercule Van Wolfwinkle Published today and is already #1 Best Seller on the Amazon’s Humour Collections and Anthologies list! This is the second book from Hercule Van Wolfwinkle, following the success of Rubbish Pet Portraits. Who’s a Clever Boy, Then? is a hilarious exploration into the bizarre behaviour of our… Continue reading #1 Best Seller On Amazon In Humour Collections And Anthologies!

1. What inspired you to become an author of children’s books?My four-year-old son is an avid story consumer – he’s constantly demanding new stories from me so I have an extensive back catalogue of ideas! Growing up as an anxious, overly think-y child, I feel a purpose to provide reassurance for children – hopefully, that… Continue reading New Author – Rachel Hurd-Wood

1. Do any of the books you write come from your own childhood? Absolutely. I grew up in the rural countryside with an active imagination. I had so much freedom to explore, camp, fish, catch bugs and adopt puppies galore…. Then came the horrors of high school. These experiences all impact the stories I write—sometimes… Continue reading New Author Interview – Barry Waldo!

Paul Kerensa is going on tour! He’s written a one man show in which he acts out all the parts. Based on his podcast – The British Broadcasting Century (podfollow.com/bbcentury) the play tells the story of the invention of radio and the 100 years since the BBC made its first broadcast. Should radio be informative… Continue reading Paul Kerensa On Tour

Our author Julia Seal has been featured in JUNO, a natural parenting magazine. It uses a range of features, columns and artwork to inspire and support families. JUNO covers all aspects of family life, for all ages, in a friendly, sympathetic community. It offers fresh perspectives on topics ranging from home education to sustainability. Check… Continue reading JUNO Magazine Features Bloom

With April being Neurodiversity month, we thought it would be appropriate to share Nook, written by Sally Anne Garland and published by Sunbird Books. Nook is small and shy. She likes to sit in the cozy, comfy space of a hollow tree watching others play. When someone comes along to take Nook’s space, she feels… Continue reading Neurodiversity Inclusion Month

Sophie Price is the newest member of the authors at CWLA and we interviewed her to get more insight into her writing and inspirations! Read on for the interview. 1. Do any of the books you write come from your own childhood? Not in a direct sense, but aspects of my childhood, upbringing and lived… Continue reading Sophie Price Joins CWLA

We are ecstatic to announce that BookTrust have chosen and announced Real Superheroes by Julia Seal as their Book Talk for this year! Over 20,000 children in Wales will be receiving a bilingual copy of Julia’s book. Check out our social media for more information. See Julia reading a copy of her book here: https://youtu.be/2NhSr0a3lUc

Do any of the books you write come from your own childhood?  Absolutely! My first picture book, Arabella and the Magic Pencil, is all about being an only child and learning how to be a sibling. I am the firstborn and had to learn how to share the spotlight with two lovely siblings. A current… Continue reading Stephanie Ward Joins CWLA

We are super excited to see Hercule van Wolfwinkle, author of Pet Portraits, collaborating with Lily’s Kitchen. This wholesome dog and cat food company which only uses natural ingredients, has collaborated with Van Wolfwinkle to support the Dogs Trust and London Inner City Cats by donating 20p from each sale of their limited edition Be… Continue reading Hercule Van Wolfwinkle & Lily’s Kitchen

Bologna Book Fair has chosen the first day of Spring, 21st March, to welcome back in-person the world of Children’s Book Publishing. So save the date 21-24 March 2022, and join us in beautiful Italy! Please email Natasha if you are a publisher and would like to see our latest book ideas.

Looking for a new, magical retelling of family favourites? Head over to our Instagram and Facebook accounts to check out the Verity Fairy video feature on WHSmith! Caroline Wakeman discusses her thought process behind the early reader book series and gives sneak peeks into her books. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Snow White’ are available to buy… Continue reading WHSmith Feature Of Verity Fairy

Amazon bestselling author Julia Seal’s latest book Bloom will be released in the UK on National Jellyfish Day, the 3rd of November, in order to bring awareness to the increasing number of this indicator species. A beautifully illustrated picture book filled with an informative storyline highlights the effects of climate change to younger generations. Keep… Continue reading Bloom Launched In Honour Of National Jellyfish Day

We are so happy to see our author Phil Heckles being featured on the Russel Howard Hour. Phil discusses how he started his career and how it blew up on the internet. Phil also explains how all the money he makes from the drawings go towards his local homeless shelter Turning Tides. Watch the full… Continue reading Pet Portraits By Hercule Featured On The Russel Howard Hour

1. Do any of the books you write come from your own childhood? I am very lucky to have had a happy childhood with lots of books and opportunities to be creative, so although I don’t draw directly from my own childhood I do love to go back in my head to that time and… Continue reading New Author Signing – Lou Treleaven

We are excited to announce that Sean Dooley has joined us at CWLA. Sean has a career in teaching English and Drama in Cambridge. He has successfully published two plays and has won and been shortlisted for several awards. Sean is a proud member of the Cambridge Branch of the National Writing Project. We’re very… Continue reading Sean Dooley, Our Newest Signed Author

Sally Garland discusses her latest book Nook, which was released last week. In an interview with Paper Ren, Sally opens up about her career as an author and illustrator and shares helpful advice for upcoming authors. Check out the interview here. You can watch Sally’s video of her reading Nook here, the perfect bedtime story!

We are delighted to announce that our author Hercule Van Wolfwinkle is officially a Sunday Times Bestselling Author! Van Wolfwinkle’s book Rubbish Pet Portraits took spot number 6 on the chart and the past-week sales are at nearly 2,500 copies! The Sunday Times is the oldest and most influential book sales chart in the UK, and… Continue reading ‘Rubbish Pet Portraits’ No.6 On The Sunday Times Bestsellers Chart!

We’re excited to announce that Sue Lancaster has joined us at CWLA. Sue has a background in TV production but since starting her own family in London, she has been writing full-time around childcare. Alongside her numerous honourable mentions, Sue won first place in the 2020 Writers’ Weekend Picture Book competition, came fourth overall in… Continue reading Sue Lancaster, The Newest Addition to CWLA

We’re thrilled to announce that Jana Novotny Hunter has joined us at CWLA. Jana has a huge amount of author experience, with over 50 published books, and the winner of the NASEN Award for her book Read My Lips, a story exploring the communication choices of a Deaf girl. As well as awards from SCBWI,… Continue reading Meet Our Newly Signed Author

One of our authors, Sally Anne Garland, speaks about Neurodiversity, an issue which is very close to her heart. Sally wrote Nook for young readers as a gentle introduction to the notion of Neurodiversity and accepting difference by using kindness and respect.  My son’s old school playground is now abandoned and the children have moved… Continue reading Neurodiversity Week 2021

Phil Heckles, aka Hercule Van Wolfwinkle, has reached a record number of pre-sales for his upcoming book release in May! He received 1,000 pre-order sales 3 months before the publication date of his book, one of the highest pre-order sales for an un-known author ever!  Alongside the book announcement, his Facebook page had over 2,000… Continue reading Pet Portraits By Hercule Has Record Number Of Pre-Sales

Excited to see that Bologna Book Fair have announced a new general publishing conference, exhibit and training programme! This will take place next to the wonderful Bologna Children’s Book Fair on June 14th – 17th of 2021.

Julia Seal’s ‘Real Superheroes’ has reached number 1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list with its beautiful illustrations and rhyming text. This heartfelt message to all the essential workers is relevant now more than ever, with the UK facing the new lockdown. Be sure to check it out on Amazon. Top Review from LittleReaderLoves: We picked… Continue reading Amazon Number 1 Best Seller

The Ariana Grande – R.E.M. Fragrance Commercial. Our sister agency Collaborate took on board the lyrics “This is one small step for woman , one giant leap for womankind” to create the packaging and animation for Ariana Grande’s latest fragrance R.E.M. Be sure to check out the video on our Instagram as well as Ariana… Continue reading Ariana Grande R.E.M. Fragrance Commercial

Check out this CBS interview with our newly signed author ‘Hercule Van Wolfwinkle’. By drawing portraits of peoples pets, he’s gone viral and been able to raise thousands for a local homeless shelter! https://www.cbsnews.com/video/uk-doodling-dad-launches-joke-pet-portraits-business-raises-thousands-of-dollars-for-charity/#x

Watch this wonderful interview with Lucy at this year’s Chiswick Book Festival. Lucy talks about how her career as an author and illustrator started, her most recent book ‘Ruby & Graham’ and also an insightful tutorial on how to draw these beautiful characters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rt6wQOO-3Y&feature=youtu.be  

When Sally first sent us her draft manuscript for ‘Bear Was There’ we all knew, through tears in our eyes, this was going to be a huge success – and we were right! This beautifully illustrated book gently covers lots of different issues on many levels, in a child-friendly way. Click on the reviews below… Continue reading Great Reviews For Sally Garland

Our very talented author and artist, Lucy Barnard, was recently interviewed by Moor Magazine. Lucy has created a vast amount of Children’s Books for a number of years now. Here she talks to Moor Magazine about how she started her career, some of the books she’s written and illustrated and some valuable tips. Available to… Continue reading Moor Magazine Interview With Lucy Barnard

Click on the link to watch Fran Healy read Julia’s book, Alone Together, which reached number 1 on Amazon’s Bestsellers list in just two weeks! https://www.facebook.com/dkbooks.uk/videos/2965830533531651/ Julia with her two Amazon Bestsellers books Alone Together (No.1) and Real Superheroes (No.3)

“Some superheroes have shiny capes and masks over their eyes. They fly around, awaiting the sound of “HELP ME! HELP ME!” cries.
But how many of these superheroes have ever rescued you?”

Bear Was There by Sally Garland, published by New Frontier. Book Synopsis “The first thing Mouse felt was love, as he lay in the warmth of his mother’s fur.”   “Suddenly, Bear was there!”  A gentle, sensitive book that tackles the difficult, big things in life.  Told with feeling, about feelings this is a simple,… Continue reading Bear Was There

Each year we busy ourselves with exciting new children’s book ideas in preparation for the annual book fair rush. This year has been no different despite the sudden cancellations and postponements, and we’re ready and prepared to share our new books with you. Our agents are available for online appointments to suit your needs, and… Continue reading New Book Ideas!

Written by Hollywood actress, Sherilyn Fenn. A hugely successful picture book with great reviews. We worked closely with Sherilyn on the editorial side and chose Monica Armino’s beautiful artwork to complement the storyline. Our publishing client, Sherilyn and Monica were all very happy with the outcome, and it looks as though the readers are too!… Continue reading No Man’s Land By Sherilyn Fenn

Over the years, our Senior Book Designer, Lauren Woods has designed a vast amount of Children’s books. Her design skills and expertise proves that the power of a great cover really does sell a book! See her top 10 tips for illustrating a picture book below: Choose a sensible and suitable page size – there… Continue reading Top Tips For Illustrating A Picture Book

Caroline has been helping artists write their own children’s books for many years now & loves nothing more than seeing one of these books comes to life. Here Caroline shares her top 10 Writing Tips for budding children’s book authors…  Keep your text short and simple – most picture books are between 24 and 28… Continue reading Top Tips For Writing A Picture Book

We worked closely with the artist/author Ayesha López from Spain, to create a wonderful adaptation of this classic tale of Peter and the Wolf. A composition with words by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Her illustrations for this were exquisite, and the book received many great reviews from around the World. Now, the UMO Jazz Orchestra in Finland has used… Continue reading Peter And The Wolf Jazz Orchestra

Children love fun and interesting picture books. Lucy has written and illustrated numerous picture books, from Be Careful Barney to Ruby and Graham, all of which have been very successful.  Take a look at these fantastic reviews! Be Careful, Barney! My 2 year old and I really enjoyed this book. Little Barney gets in and… Continue reading Lucy Barnard’s Good Reads!

Whilst exploring the Children’s Book Publishing stands at Book Expo America this year, and checking out the new children’s book design trends, our Senior Book Designer Lauren, spotted a few of our published book ideas on the shelves and managed to take a few snaps! Click on books to see our latest ideas.  

Over the last couple of months we have been very busy preparing our new children’s books for the Book Fair rush. With Bologna Book Fair, London Book Fair and BEA now out of the way, we felt this was the perfect time to share our new books with you. This round of books include colouring and activity books, comical rhyming tales,… Continue reading New Book Ideas!

CWLA are keen supporters of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. This year SCWBI is presenting a series of workshops run by Caroline. With Caroline’s experience in the publishing industry and a real passion for great books, she has already helped many great books come to life. During the workshops, Caroline will be… Continue reading SCWBI Book Dummy Workshop

Whilst at Bologna Book Fair this year, we were keeping a keen eye on the trends coming through in the world of Children’s Publishing. One of the main trends that we spotted (and one of our favourites) was a move towards simple picture books. These books feature bright, fresh, limited colour palettes, lots of white space and… Continue reading Simple Picture Books

The Great Seaside Race is beautifully illustrated by Anna Shuttlewood. This great review by Nicole Nelson from ReadPlus expresses Anna’s fun approach summer at the beach with friends! The Five Mile Press, 2015, (Ages: 3-7). The watercolour illustrations of this book are stunning and the accompanying story of the zoo animals and their day at the… Continue reading Race To The Beach!

Bologna Book Fair was exciting for the team. All over the place we were spotting our children’s storybook ideas in their final published state! One of our children’s book designs, for Peter and the Wolf, even made it onto a large light box display! Some of the books we spotted include: Peter and the Wolf by Ayesha Lopez, Tig… Continue reading Spotted At Bologna