Georgina Lippiett

As an author for both children & adults, I’ve thought deeply on this, & I feel the heart of the issue isn’t celebrity authors themselves. I wholeheartedly embrace and celebrate anyone who ignites a love for reading in children. Rather, it’s about the overall frustration of hard-working authors and valid concerns often going unaddressed within the industry. Whilst publishing is first and foremost a business, it’s a complex landscape: non-celebrity authors often face uphill battles – from their books securing shelf space to navigating opaque advance structures and marketing challenges to name but a few, and these hurdles have been even steeper for historically marginalised authors. Ultimately, though, we need to nurture a more inclusive, equal, supportive environment for all voices. So I ask celebrity authors to reflect on their position and invite them to really start championing and supporting fellow authors and to use their platform to amplify other brilliant voices waiting to be heard and seen. Support. Celebrate. Uplift each other’s words because together, we can create a fantastical world of stories as magical, beautiful, and varied as the young minds reading our books.