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CWIG committee elections 2021 Niel Bushnell Niel Bushnell is an award-winning writer for animation, live action, books, comics and audio. He has written novels for adults, YA and written and illustrated for children, as well as scripts for television, radio and film. His first novel, Sorrowline, won the Northern Promise Award in the 2011 Northern Writers’ Awards and his latest children’s books are published by Andersen. He has worked on numerous film and TV projects including The Dumping Ground for CBBC and Doctor Who for BBC Audio. He has previously served as a member of the Author’s North committee, being Chair of the group in 2016, and served on the Scriptwriters group committee. Niel is currently working as Senior Lecturer on the Illustration degree course at the Northern School of Art. “I would like to join the Children's Writers and Illustrators Group so that I can share my experiences with other members and help towards the group’s continued success. I am already connected to many writers and illustrators in the northeast of England, as well as teaching some of the next generation of illustrators who are keen to work within publishing. I’d like to help to break down some of the perceived barriers to entering the industry and make it less intimidating for new graduates. As a writer/illustrator in my 50s, I’m also keen to support established professionals and help to defend their rights in a rapidly changing industry and raise the profile of their work.” Contacts and social media: [email protected] www.nielbushnell.com Twitter: @NielBushnell Instagram: @NielBushnell Rebecca Colby Rebecca Colby writes picture books, poetry, creative non-fiction and early readers. Her publishers include Macmillian, Penguin Random House, Collins, Nosy Crow and the National Trust, to name but a few. Before writing for children, she taught English in Taiwan, worked for a Russian comedian, travelled the world as a tour director, managed screenwriting retreats and worked as a librarian. She’s also a screenwriter and film producer. Born in America, she now lives in Yorkshire. “Growing up in a single parent family on benefits, I spent my childhood in libraries. Books helped me grow and learn. They still do. Having worked as both a librarian for 10 years and taught KS1 students in an inner-city school, I know what a difference access to free books can make to children. I am keen to support libraries and prevent further closures. Additionally, I’d like to help pave the way for more authors from low-income backgrounds to break into publishing. In my youth, I never considered writing a viable option for a career. It seemed an impossible way to make a living. With perseverance, it can be viable, and the voices of more low-income and working-class writers need to be heard. This is being addressed by various diversity campaigns, but many are focused strictly on ethnic diversity. It’s important that the lack of opportunities for anyone from a low-income background are considered—regardless of race or age. New opportunities are always at the forefront of my mind. What I can bring to the committee is a genuine desire to help ALL authors find opportunities that will allow them to make a living and/or expand their prospects. I am experienced in managing events and keen to organise events and training, with ample opportunities to network. And as a Northern writer, I’d like to ensure that once in-person events are allowed again, that more events are run outside of London.” Contacts and social media: [email protected] www.rebeccacolbybooks.com Twitter: @amscribbler Ted Dewan Ted Dewan is an award-winning writer and illustrator of children’s books and animated series. His critically acclaimed Bing Bunny (published by HarperCollins and produced by Acamar Films) has won an Emmy, Writers’ Guild and is BAFTA Award nominated. It airs on CBeebies every morning receiving over 400 million BBC iPlayer views with the books being sold into 70 countries. Other awards include the Blue Peter Award and Kate Greenaway Award commendation for Crispin the Pig Who Had It All, the Association of Illustrators’ Non-Fiction Award for Inside Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures and the Mother Goose Award for Inside the Whale and Other Animals. Ted has served on the CWIG committee and was Chair during 1993-6. He has been artist in residence for the Oxford Story Museum and has been on the development committee for Seven Stories. He is an editorial illustrator for most British broadsheets, book critic for The Times Educational Supplement and does a range of exhibition, sculpture and installation commissions for museums and commercial clients such as Luminox and Tiffanys. “I'd like us in the children's media to be ready for the time when, as a culture, we move past being preoccupied with diversity and simply become accustomed to being diverse. I've news from the world of children's TV animation, having somewhat left the book world, and it's good news.” Contacts and social media: [email protected] www.teddewan.com Twitter: @bingbunnydaddy Instagram: @Ted_Dewan Rachel Faturoti Rachel Faturoti is a YA and children’s fiction writer, freelance editor, and poet with a passion for broadening the scope of authentic Black representation in YA and children’s fiction. She believes it’s important for readers to see themselves represented well in stories. “I would love to join the committee because I believe in the important work that the SOA is doing as I have used their valuable services before, including the contract vetting service. I am very passionate about the promotion of reading for pleasure and supporting libraries as they were so important to me growing up. The CWIG Reading for Pleasure Award is an amazing initiative to highlight the efforts of librarians and schools promoting reading where it would have been previously overlooked. As a committee member, I would be given the chance to contribute to other initiatives such as this one. As a Black- British Nigerian woman who grew up in London, I would be able bring lived experience and diversity to the committee. I want the voices of diverse creatives to be heard and for them to be properly supported. As an avid writer and soon to be published author, one of my goals is to find a way to support creatives from underrepresented groups and to use my resources to do so.” Contacts and social media: [email protected] www.rachelfaturoti.com Twitter: @RachelWithAn_E Instagram: @authorrachelfaturoti Alice Harman Alice Harman is an author, editor and slightly obsessive reader of children’s books. She loves writing fun, thoughtful books that make big ideas feel exciting and easy to understand. She has written 43 of them so far, about everything from art to outer space. Alice’s psychology quiz book, Who Do You Think You Are? was longlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards, and her book Modern Art Explorer has been featured in The New York Times amongst others. It was a lovely article that called Alice a ‘bright light’ and made her mum cry. She also has a monthly kids’ books newsletter, What Book Now?, which gives her a great excuse to slink off and read ‘for work’. Alice grew up in London, studied in Brighton and Paris, and spent several years working for children’s publishers and charities. She now lives in a village near Oxford with her husband, young daughter and very silly cat. “As children’s authors, we have a responsibility to create books worthy of kids’ time and attention. But we also have a responsibility to look out for each other. It’s not easy being a children’s author, especially at a time when so much is asked of you – often for so little financial return. I want to join the CWIG Committee because I believe in its power to bring authors together, to share knowledge and create change while giving us all some much-needed solidarity. I have 12 years’ experience as a children’s non-fiction author and editor. I started out as an author the way many of us do: head down in my writing, totally overwhelmed by anything author-related beyond the page. Over the past few years, I’ve connected with other authors, learned about our industry and the issues affecting it, braved social media and begun sharing my knowledge with others. And although it’s sometimes been hard, I’m a better writer and happier person for it. What I bring to the CWIG Committee is this experience and understanding of what so many authors need, and the drive to help all members feel part of a friendly, welcoming and collaborative community. Our collective energy for campaigning can be so powerful, such a force of good for children – and if we listen, learn and support each other, we’ll be so much stronger. As a neurodiverse author with ADHD, I also bring a different perspective on writing that still isn’t often properly understood or discussed.” Contacts and social media: [email protected] www.aliceharman.com Instagram: @aliceharmanauthor Peter Locke Peter Locke’s passion for storytelling led him to a career in the entertainment industry and for 50 years he was a television producer, director and studio cameraman. Peter’s Mikkee the Martian series are a funny, moving must-read for any child between the ages and 6 and 12. Peter has served on the committee of the British Film and Television Veterans society as their television representative and negotiated discounted Sky TV subscriptions for members.

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