I joined David Higham in 2025 after more than nine years in illustrated children’s publishing. I began my career at Templar and Big Picture Press, where I worked across their boutique list of illustrated books – commissioning everything from non-fiction and high-end activity to comics, gift and picture books. As Commissioning Editor at Walker Books, I worked across a trusted and much-loved list, building on its rich heritage while also helping to shape its future publishing programme.

I love seeking out talent in unexpected places – I’ve scouted illustrators on Instagram, commissioned picture-book creators from graduate shows, trawled through Kickstarter campaigns and found inspiration from podcasts and TED talks. For me, the most exciting moment is when an original voice or a single image captures your imagination – and then comes the delicate craft of shaping that idea into a book and positioning it perfectly in the market.

At David Higham I am building a list of exceptional children’s book creators. I am on the lookout for exciting new talent and market-leading concepts that reflect the qualities I value most: innovation, longevity and – above all else – truly original publishing. My taste is eclectic – I am just as excited by a perfectly pitched picture book as I am by visually extraordinary non-fiction – and I enjoy working across all formats.

Children’s books are a kind of magic. I’m sure many of us remember the first book that sparked our imagination – for me, it was the mischief of Max and his monsters in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I believe every child deserves that moment, and those of us who work in children’s publishing have a responsibility to help tackle the reading crisis – and to share the joy and transformative power of books.