2023

Meet our CNP Kids judging panel

Chloe Seager

LITERARY AGENT CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS- MADELINE MILBURN LITERARY AGENCY
Chloe is a literary agent at Madeleine Milburn specializing in children’s and young adult fiction. Her list includes bestselling and award-winning authors such as Katie Kirby, Ben Dean, Lex Croucher, Kathryn Foxfield, Danielle Jawando, Helen Rutter, Laura Steven and Maisie Chan.
Julia Churchill

LITERARY AGENT - A.M.HEATH
Julia joined A.M.Heath in 2013 to run the children’s department, after four years building up the UK side of the Greenhouse Literary Agency, and six years at the Darley Anderson Agency where she started the children’s book side of the list. She says, I’m lucky to represent some fabulous writers, but I’m always on the lookout for new writing talent. I’m looking for debut authors with storytelling magic, from picture book texts right up to YA fiction.'
Amina Youssef

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN'S
Amina is Editorial Director on the Puffin 6+ team and publishes the very best fiction for children and young adults. She works with bestselling middle-grade authors such as Robin Stevens, Tamzin Merchant and Nazneen Ahmed Pathak and game-changing YA authors such as Femi Fadugba, Molly X. Chang and Kika Hatzopoulou. In her previous job, she had the pleasure of publishing critically acclaimed authors Tọlá Okogwu, Katie & Kevin Tsang, Adam Silvera, Lauren Roberts, Danielle Jawando and Benjamin Dean to name a few.

Benjamin Dean

Benjamin Dean is a full-time author with a background in celebrity journalism. He has interviewed a host of glitzy celebrities and broke the news that Rihanna can't wink (she blinks, in case you were wondering). His award-winning middle-grade debut, ME, MY DAD AND THE END OF THE RAINBOW, was described as 'One of the most joyful books you'll read this year' (The Bookseller), and he's since gone on to publish THE SECRET SUNSHINE PROJECT, THE KING IS DEAD and HOW TO DIE FAMOUS. Benjamin can be found on Twitter as @notagainben tweeting about Rihanna and LGBTQ+ culture to his 14,000+ followers.

For me, it is always a stand-out concept and voice above anything else – I can help fix a lot of plot and structural issues, as long as the idea is right and the voice sings.
I love a wide range of books so I don’t like to be too prescriptive, but at the moment I’m particularly drawn to YA romantasy and dark academia.
Don’t try to cram too much information into the first few pages – the opening has to be attention-grabbing, but I don’t need to know everything about the world and set-up immediately. Info-dumping is the killer of intrigue.

I know it when I see it. There is a quickening to my pulse when I see a neat concept in a submission letter, and then I start to read and there’s a voice there. I want to connect.
The great thing about submissions is that I never know what’s coming in next. I’d love to find a big romantasy series, a funny early reader idea, a new voice for middle grade, something very funny or soulful or powerful or all three, a picture book with a really child-friendly concept at the heart of it, a fascinating non-fiction proposal with a fresh take. But likely the next author I take on will have written something completely different.
I hope it goes your way, but if it doesn’t, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep writing.

When a protagonist's voice is distinct and memorable, leaping off the page in a way that makes you believe they're truly real. And when the story is well-plotted and high-octane with clear character motivations driving the narrative.
Magical fantasy adventures, contemporary slice of life stories, gooey, heartfelt romances, page-turning thrillers with a unique twist and novels in verse.
Write the story you want to write, not the story that fits an agent's or editor's wishlist or fills a gap in the market.

For me, it's all about the heart. Whether it's in humour, adventure, mystery, fantasy, or contemporary, a children's book that isn't afraid of emotions and makes the reader feel every high and low draws me in and keeps me there, rooting for the characters and cheering them on.
I'm looking for books that take hold of me from the very first page and won't let me go until the end. I've always loved books that start with a bang and catch my attention with a hooky first line and chapter. That doesn't mean it has to be some huge action sequence from the word go – it's more of an intrigue that makes me want to devour the story, whether that's an interesting tone/style, voice, main character, question.
Find your own voice! Of course, your voice and style can be inspired and influenced by some of your favourite authors and books, but figuring out what makes your story uniquely yours is so important. And don't be afraid. Believe in your story, be brave in your storytelling, and let your imagination fly. I can't wait to see what you have in store!