Are you writing and/or illustrating for children? Join us for our Children’s Writers & Illustrators Festival 2025: an online, craft-based festival for children’s writers & illustrators of fiction and non-fiction at all stages of their careers.
We're proud to present this full-weekend line-up of authors, illustrators, agents and industry professionals, who will each talk tips, offer advice, share experiences and pass on knowledge.
While a number of real-time craft-based masterclasses (with Laura Mucha, Sara Grant and Alex Wheatle) and discussions with industry experts take place across the course of the weekend, a Festival Player ticket means access to six exclusive videos from authors and illustrators as well as the chance to attend our live panel discussion with two literary agents. That's 4.5 hours of content, plus a single entry into our festival raffle.
Full Festival Line-Up:
Speaker bios and further information about our raffle and live agent panel can also be found by scrolling down this page.
Saturday:
09.30-09.45: Welcome!
09.45-10.15: Video 1: Writing Picture Books with Chitra Soundar. With over twenty picture books published worldwide, and a CBeebies series, Chitra really is the one to learn from. In this video, Chitra will show how she works and will pass on ways to help you put your own stories into a successful picture book form.
10.15-10.30: Comfort break
10.30-12.00: Live 1: Writing poetry for children with Laura Mucha (click here for more details)
Maybe you’ve been secretly writing poems for years or perhaps you’d like to but don’t know how? Join Laura Mucha as she talks about her career transition from lawyer to poet and author, how she uses poetry to be playful, but also to broach mental health issues, and how poetic technique influences everything she writes – from picture books for children to narrative non-fiction for adults. She'll guide you through some simple exercises, share helpful take away tips, and answer any questions you might have in this live masterclass.
12.00-12.30: Video 2: Writing non-fiction for children with Hiba Noor Khan
In this exclusive video Hiba will be sharing her tips and knowledge about how to create non-fiction for children that they want to engage with. Learn from the creator of titles such as, How to Spaghettify Your Dog and The Extraordinary Life of Malala Yousafzai, ways to create your own non-fiction masterpiece that will catch the eye of editor or agent.
12.30-13.30: Lunch break
13.30-14.00: Industry discussion 1: The children’s publishing landscape with Alysoun Owen
What is happening in children’s publishing right now? Is it a totally different market to adult books? What do we need to know as writers and artists for children?
14.00-15.30: Live 2: Using Personal Experiences to Bring Stories to Life with Alex Wheatle (click here for more details)
Learn from a king of storytelling by joining us for this live masterclass with critically acclaimed author Alex Wheatle. This practical session will include writing exercises and discussion on how to effectively use your own voice and personal experiences to shape your writing for children and/or young adults.
15.30-15.45: Comfort break
15.45-16.15: Video 3: Graphic novels with Chanté Timothy
Chanté is a successful author/illustrator who, in this exclusive video, shares how she works, passing on tips and advice on how to create your own graphic novel.
16.15-16.30: What to expect from tomorrow
Sunday:
09.30-09.45: Welcome back!
09.45-10.15: Video 4: Illustration Tricks and Tips with Harry Woodgate
How to use different techniques to bring characters and their thoughts and emotions to life.
10.15-10.30: Comfort break
10.30-12.00: Live 3: Innovative Editing with Sara Grant (click here for more details)
Join us for this jam-packed, practical session on how to edit your work-in-progress. Sara’s unique step-by-step process helps writers transform their rough draft into a publishable novel.
12.00-12.30: Video 5: Writing Authentic Characters with Laura Noakes
Best known for her creation of Cosima Unfortunate, Laura is passionate about positive disabled representation in children’s fiction. In this video Laura shares how she writes with sensitivity without slowing pace or neglecting story.
12.30-13.30: Lunch break
13.30-14.00: Industry discussion 2: Alternative Ways to Publication with Jasmine Richards
Festival host Camilla Chester will be in discussion with Storymix founder Jasmine Richards to reveal all the advice she has on how to get and maintain a career in creating books for children.
14.00-14.30: Video 6: Using fantasy to tackle big themes with Clara Kumagi
Watch and listen to Clara explain how she used a fantasy setting to explore themes of grief, racism and sexism in her novel, Catfish Rolling. Take away tips and advice on how you might use similar techniques in your own writing.
14.30-14.45: Comfort break
14.45-16.15: Agent panel
Join two specialised literary agents to learn how to pitch your work. The agents will critique your pitches live as well as offer general guidance and advice on the submission process for both authors and/or illustrators. This session ends with a live Q&A.
16.15-16.30: Raffle and closing remarks
Camilla Chester describes herself as a dog walker who writes. After receiving a distinction in a Diploma for Creative Writing and Literacy, Camilla went on to self-publish three children’s novels. She was a finalist in the National Literacy Trust New Author Award 2016 and Mslexia Children’s Novel Award 2019.
Camilla’s children’s novel, entitled Call Me Lion, published by Firefly Press in June 2022 centres around a boy with Selective Mutism (SM). Call Me Lion was shortlisted for the Oxfordshire and Portsmouth Awards in 2023, won the SCBWI 2023 Crystal Kite Award, was shortlisted in the 2024 UKLA Award, is part of the Books for Topics selection, was selected in the 2023 Read For Empathy List and 2024 Summer Reading Challenge. It is published in Germany, France and Japan and sold in Sweden. Call Me Lion is widely used in UK schools, increasing understanding, compassion and awareness around SM.
Camilla also writes for the popular online school resources, Serial Mash and Fiction Express and works freelance for Writers & Artists. Camilla has a long history of supporting other writers both voluntary and through her freelance work. She has a very practical eye and likes nothing more than helping writers find the heart of their story
Hiba Noor Khan is a writer and activist based in the north of England. Her academic background is in physics and engineering and she completed postgraduate study in 2015 at the University of Oxford. Since then she has worked as a Refugee Advocacy Worker for The Children’s Society, a Physics teacher and TV presenter.
Clara Kumagai is from Canada, Japan and Ireland. Her fiction and non-fiction for children and adults has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Irish Times, Banshee and The Kyoto Journal. Her debut YA novel, Catfish Rolling (Zephyr, 2023), blends magical realism with Japanese myth in an original story about grief and memory. Catfish Rolling was nominated for the 2023 Carnegie Medal for Writing, a finalist for the 2023 Great Reads Award and won the 2023 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year Award.
Laura has always had an insatiable love of stories, so it was almost fated that one day she would write some of her own. As a disabled author, she strives to tell stories where disabled kids are the heroes. Her debut book, Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star, was published by HarperCollins Children's Books in 2023, with the sequel following in 2024. She lives in beautiful Bedfordshire with her husband, Connor, and two cats, Scout and Sunny.
Alysoun Owen is the Editor of the annual bestselling Writers' & Artists' Yearbook and the Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook, which provide advice and contacts for authors across all forms and genres on how to write and get published. She runs a publishing consultancy, is the author of the Writers' & Artists' Guide to Getting Published and is a regular speaker at literary and publishing-related events.
Chitra Soundar is an internationally published, award-winning author of children’s books, screenwriter and an oral storyteller. She has published over 20 picture books worldwide and also writes chapter books, poetry and theatre for kids. Her latest picture books are It’s Time to Hush and Say Goodnight (Walker Books, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat) and Garland of Lights (Bloomsbury, illustrated by Amberin Huq). She is the creator of Nikhil & Jay, a BBC preschool sitcom. She is the founder of The Colourful Bookshelf, a curated list of children’s books by British writers and illustrators of colour and the co-founder of SAILFest UK, a festival that celebrates British South Asian illustration and literature.
Chanté Timothy is an award-winning Author-Illustrator known for her vibrant and captivating artwork in children’s books. She has illustrated notable works such as Daddy Do My Hair: Beth’s Twists by Tolá Okogwu and Hey You! by Dapo Adeola, which was featured in The British Book Awards Children's Illustrated Book of the Year 2022. Chanté is also the author-illustrator of the upcoming book series Supa Nova, launching in 2025. Her work celebrates diversity and creativity, aiming to inspire young readers and foster a love for storytelling.
Harry Woodgate is an award-winning and bestselling author and illustrator of children's books including Grandad's Camper, Grandad's Pride, Timid and many more. Harry is passionate about creating uplifting, inclusive stories that inspire children to be creative, curious, compassionate and proud of what makes them unique.
In 2022, their debut picture book, Grandad's Camper, won Best Illustrated Book at the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, followed in 2023 by Children's Illustrated Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Harry's books have been published in numerous countries and have been recognised by The Week Junior Book Awards, Indie Book Awards, Little Rebels Award, Diverse Book Awards, Polari Prize, Lambda Literary Awards and ALA Stonewall Book Awards, amongst others.
In addition to writing and illustrating their own books, Harry has illustrated picture books by other authors including the My Small World series by Caryl Hart, non-fiction books like How to Spaghettify Your Dog by Hiba Noor Khan and My First Baking Book by Great British Bake Off winner David Atherton, short story anthologies including The Very Merry Murder Club, co-edited by Robin Stevens and Serena Patel, and classic fairy tales like The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. In 2025, Harry's debut middle-grade series as author and illustrator, Cinnamon Crumb: Baking Detective will be published by Usborne.
Testimonials from 2023 and 2024 Festivalgoers
"Treated me like a professional, motivated artist"
"Inspiring, informative, inclusive & confidence building."
"Excellent speakers, a well thought out and balanced programme, very inspiring and enjoyable."
"Made a few little idea's into a realistic possibility of being published one day; something between a big hug & a kick up the proverbial bum."
"Practical tips, inspiring and well organised."
"Something for everyone currently writing for children."
"Inspirational. I felt like I had been immersed in a world of children’s literature and heard the perspectives of many from the industry."
"Such a great sense of community and lots of really interesting workshops and talks"
"Inspiring, uplifting and made me want get back to my desk and write :-)"
"Really feels like it has been totally designed with writers in mind."
"Absolutely FANTASTIC! [...] I'm new to the world of writing - and I wasn't expecting much as a result - but I have to say that it completely knocked my socks off in every way."
"Every live session left me with loads of notes in my notebook and really inspired."
"A lovely way to enter this world and get some helpful, encouraging advice."
Pitch Your Book to Literary Agents: Live Panel Discussion
Your Festival Player ticket includes a free place at our live panel discussion with two literary agents which takes place at 14.45 on Sunday 23rd March, 2025.
Two specialist children’s agents will join us to critique your pitches live, offer general guidance and advice on the submission process for both authors and/or illustrators, and take questions via a live Q&A.
Ahead of this session, you will be invited to submit your own novel pitch. A select number of pitches will then be chosen by our agents, and critiqued during the session itself! Look out for an email from W&A in days leading up to the festival, which will contain all the information you need about how to submit your pitch.
Ticketing Information
Weekend Pass+ £125: Access to all 10 hours of festival content (3 live masterclasses, 6 pre-recorded videos, 2 discussions with industry professionals on routes to publication, 1 literary agent panel) plus a bespoke editorial report on the opening of a story (plus full synopsis) by Middle Grade author Clare Povey. Limited to 25 tickets. x3 raffle entries
Weekend Pass £90: 10 hours of content made up of 3 live masterclasses, 6 pre-recorded videos, 2 discussions with industry professionals on routes to publication, 1 literary agent panel. x2 raffle entries
Masterclass+ £75: 7 hours of content made up of your choice of our live masterclass sessions, access to all 6 pre-recorded videos and attend our literary agent panel. x1 raffle entry.
Festival Player £50: 4.5 hours of content. Watch all 6 pre-recorded sessions, and access our live agent panel. Single raffle entry.
Single Masterclass £40: 3 hours of content. Book one of our real-time masterclass sessions (choose from Laura Mucha, Sara Grant or Alex Wheatle) and then come along to our live literary agent panel. Single raffle entry
Festival Raffle
Every festival attendee is automatically entered into our festival raffle. Weekend Pass+ ticketholders receive three entries, Weekend Pass ticketholders receive two entries, and Masterclass+, Festival Player and Single Masterclass ticketholders receive a single entry. The raffle will be drawn at the end of the festival, with the following prizes up for grabs:
3rd prize: Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2025 and Bloomsbury Children's book bundle
2nd prize: complimentary place at any W&A evening masterclass (RRP £30) + Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2025 and Bloomsbury Children's book bundle
1st prize: gratis Opening Chapters editing service (RRP £240/£380)
Your Festival Player ticket gives you access to 4.5 hours of festival content. This is made up of all six pre-recorded videos and a live panel with literary agents. You will also receive a single entry into our raffle.
This festival will take place online in full, and will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions, links, and full guidance will be circulated for the above in the week leading up to the festival.
Any event materials associated to individual masterclasses will be made available to attendees at the author's discretion, and all recordings will be made available for a time-limited period.
The festival weekend pass is priced at £50 (inc. VAT), and payable in full online.
Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on events@writersandartists.co.uk so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
To view our event refund and cancellation policy, please click here.
Accessible to All
It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made one Weekend Pass+ available as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page for further information about how to apply. All bursary applications must have been submitted for consideration by 2nd March 2025
- At the author’s discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after their real-time masterclass.
- A link to a recording of live masterclasses will be circulated after the event. This will be made available to event attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- Each event will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email AccessWA@bloomsbury.com
