The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

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Rosen picked as Children's Laureate

11.06.07

Michael Rosen has been selected as the new Children's Laureate, replacing novelist Jacqueline Wilson. The role will see him working to promote children's literature to as wide an audience as possible. He will hold the position for two years.

Rosen's work encompasses non-fiction, novels, picture books, stories from other cultures and poetry. He has been involved in the creation of more than 140 books. Sone of his best-known works include We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy, You Wait Till I'm Older than You, and Quick, Let's Get Out of Here.

He is currently writing a biography of Roald Dahl, due to be published by Puffin in 2008. He has also written for adults, including Carrying the Elephant: A Memoir of Love and Loss, a story of his life, following the sudden death of his teenage son from meningitis. This sense of loss is also addressed in another book for children, Michel Rosen's Sad Book.

Rosen told The Bookseller that he will use his time as Children's Laureate to work to change the current perception of children's poetry. "Poetry sales are struggling in the trade and I'd love to speak to retailers about how we can work together to change that," he said.

As children's laureate, he will also focus on children's literature in general and is looking to achieve a much more local focus on children's books and authors. "Wouldn't it be good to have local trails of children's literature? Libraries have fantastic records of local figures and that would be a great starting point for this kind of project," he said.

Bookseller interview with Rosen

children's Michael Rosen Children's Laureate Jacqueline Wilson