@cbnnetwork
Children’s Books North Network connects and supports published children’s writers, illustrators and publishing professionals living in the North and Scotland. Co-leads Emma Layfield, Beatrice Cross & Bethany Sparks www.linktr.ee/childrensbooksnorth
Illustrators will be contacted about their submissions by 16 June 2026, and the shortlist will be announced later in June.
As always, a big thank you to our brilliant partners for helping make the CBNN Prize possible 🙌 @newwritingnorth.bsky.social @artscouncilengland.bsky.social
Submissions for the inaugural Children’s Books North Network Prize are now closed! ✨
A huge thank you to everyone who joined our Prize Roadshow events and submitted an entry. Our judging panel can’t wait to see all the different ways you’ve brought Fabulous Frank to life.
We’re delighted to share that after a year as a dedicated member of the committee, our former Cuppas Lead Bethany Sparks has stepped into a new role as a CBNN Co-Lead alongside Emma and Bea 🎉
🎉 New members announcement 🎉
We are delighted to welcome four new members to CBNN. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to: Kate Herbert, Holly Bushnell, Tom Jordan, and Sara Semple. We are so excited to have you all on board 📚
Only a few days to go until submissions close for the CBNN Prize! The deadline is now Tuesday 10th March Noon, we are so excited to see all of your amazing work 🥳📚 @newwritingnorth.bsky.social @artscouncilengland.bsky.social
For our March CBNN Reads, CBNN’s Prize Champion Katie Siddall has chosen Coorie Doon by Jackie Kay and illustrated by Jill Calder. Published by Walker Books. Link in bio for full review 📚 @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social
Book cover showing a boy pirate with a parrot on his shoulder. Surrounding the character are black and white lineworks of a jewel, treasure chest, coin, crab and pirate ship. The main text reads 'My Pirate Colouring Book'
An image showing 6 different book covers for a colouring book series, each by a different artist. The side text reads 100 Pages of Colouring, Bold and Simple Designs
New Book Alert! 🦜My Pirate Colouring Book, out today with Igloo Books. My first time illustrating a full colouring book and hope I get to do more ⚓ #kidlitart #newbook
We’ve given you a bit more time to enter the CBNN Prize!
Due to popular demand, we’ve decided to extend our call for entries deadline to Tuesday 10th March noon! 📚✨ @newwritingnorth.bsky.social @artscouncilengland.bsky.social
The Children’s Books North Network turns 6! A huge thank you to all of our members and supporters, and to the original co-founders, Emma, Liz and Tilda. We are excited for the next 6 years and to see CBNN grow even bigger, with lots of amazing things to come 🎂🥳💝
It’s now only 1 week to go until the CBNN Prize deadline closes! We’re so excited to see all your submissions, follow the link in our bio for full information on how to enter 🥳📚
In this Northern Highlight, we interview Gaynor Andrews, an author based in Moray in the north east of Scotland. Gaynor tells us a bit about her rhyming picture book, Pandora and the Story Forge, which comes out in paperback in May! Link in bio 📚 @gaynorandrews.bsky.social
This week we interview Brooke, our newest CBNN Committee Member! Brooke is a bookseller at House of Books and Friends in Manchester, with a passion for getting children excited about reading. Link in bio for full interview 📚
Our Power of Reading Impact Report 2025 is now live! Discover how evidence-informed, book-based teaching boosts attainment, narrows gaps and helps children see themselves as readers and writers. Read more: https://clpe.org.uk/research/power-reading-impact-report-2025
It’s now only two weeks to go until the CBNN Prize deadline closes! We’re so excited to see all your submissions, follow the link in our bio for full information on how to enter 🥳📚 @newwritingnorth.bsky.social @artscouncilengland.bsky.social
@garypanton.co.uk @beatrixhatcher.bsky.social
🎉 New members announcement 🎉
We are delighted to welcome four new members to CBNN. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to: Steve Webb, Beatrix Hatcher, Angela Wilson, and Gary Panton. We are so excited to have you all on board 📚
In this Northern Highlight, Scottish writer Martin Stewart has written a special blog for CBNN discussing Robert Burns and the poem Tam o' Shanter, how it inspires his work, including new book Sandy Fin: Mystery of the Phantom Diver, and why spooky stories need not only be reserved for Halloween.
For our first CBNN Reads of 2026, CBNN’s Mentor Lead Laura Lewis has chosen Swim, Shark, Swim! by Dom Conlon & Anastasia Izlesou. Published by Graffeg Publishing. Link in bio 📚 @graffegbooks.bsky.social
In this Northern Highlight, we interview Simon Lamb, an author based in Prestwick, a seaside town on the west coast of Scotland. Simon tells us a bit about his recent work, Mat o’ Shanter, a “versioning” of a really famous poem by Robert Burns called Tam o’ Shanter. Link in bio for full interview 📚
@newwritingnorth.bsky.social @artscouncilengland.bsky.social
A few snippets from our brilliant 1-1 Portfolio Reviews with Tom Ashton-Booth last night, an exclusive opportunity to get industry advice on your CBNN Prize entry ahead of the submission deadline. We loved seeing all of your amazing ideas and designs for Fabulous Frank! 📚
In this Northern Highlight, we interview Kara McHale, a designer and illustrator based in Southport, Merseyside. Kara tells us a bit about her upcoming book, Bodie and the Ghost Showdown: An Emetophobia Story. Link in bio for full interview 📚
It’s now 1 month to go until the CBNN Prize deadline closes!We’re so excited to see all your submissions, follow the link in our bio for full information on how to enter 🥳📚
@dapsdraws.bsky.social @lydiamonks.bsky.social
Submissions for the CBNN Prize close 26th February and our judges can’t wait to meet up in Manchester and look at the entries together! If you are an unpublished illustrator living in the North, please do enter! For all the info, go to: childrensbooksnorth.co.uk/cbnn-prize 📚
As part of the CBNN Prize, we have 3 FREE events coming up for aspiring Northern picture book illustrators.
Follow the link in our bio for full information and tickets for these events 📚
🎉 New members announcement 🎉
We are delighted to welcome four new members to CBNN. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to: Emma Kate, Emma Whitehall, Salomey Doku, and Dawn Machell. We are so excited to have you all on board 📚 @salomeydraws.bsky.social
In this Northern Highlight, we interview Lisa J Allen, an author based in south Liverpool. Lisa tells us a bit about her debut middle grade novel, Undercover Angel : Crash Landing. Link in bio for full interview 📚 @lisajallen.bsky.social @tinytreebooks.bsky.social
The CBNN office will be closed from the 10th December until the 5th January. We can’t wait to see you all in 2026! Wishing you a restful break 📚
For our final CBNN Reads of 2025, CBNN’s Co-Lead & Publicist Beatrice Cross has chosen Come What May by Debi Gliori. Published by Bloomsbury. Link in bio for full review 📚 @debigliori.bsky.social @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social