Event Information

COLLABORATING WITH GENIUS: the author and editor at work

Date: 08 June 2005   Drinks: 18:30   Talk Starts: 19:30 OPuS Event

Description

Two giants from the world of children’s publishing, Philip Pullman and David Fickling, discuss the relationship between author and publisher

For our summer meeting on Wednesday 8 June, we are delighted and privileged to welcome two giants from the world of children’s publishing – Philip Pullman and David Fickling. Philip Pullman has recently been announced as the winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (the children’s literature world’s greatest prize), having previously won the Eleanor Farjeon prize in recognition of his enormous contribution to the world of children’s books. Among his many other achievements he is the only children’s author to have won the overall Whitbread Book Prize. He is the author of many books, including the hugely successful trilogy His Dark Materials, now also an acclaimed stage production. David Fickling of David Fickling Books is also a prizewinner: in 2004 he received the British Book Award for Editor of the Year. He has published Philip Pullman’s Lyra’s Oxford and Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. So how does the relationship actually work between author and publisher? What does an editor bring to the creative process? Do literary agents have a role to play as intermediaries between author and publisher? The evening will explore the way authors regard publishers, whether as key collaborators or intrusive interlopers, and how publishers cope with authors’ creativity if it ever becomes unwieldy. Insights into these and many other topics and issues will make for a fascinating evening, and there will be plenty of time for discussion and debate. Book early: places for this popular event will have to be limited, and admission will be by named delegate only. Members’ guests will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis, and will be asked to pay the basic membership cost of £15.

Speakers

Philip Pullman — Prize-winning author of the hugely acclaimed trilogy His Dark Materials

David Fickling — Founder and Director of David Fickling Books