The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

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Conville and Walsh launches children's arm

02.09.08 Benedicte Page

Scriptwriter and actor Jo Unwin will join Conville and Walsh next week (8th September) to found a dedicated children’s list.

Unwin, who is married to comedian Chris Morris, has written for TV series such as "Byker Grove" and “My Parents Are Aliens”, and is also literary consultant for Aardman Features, the makes of “Wallace & Gromit” and “Chicken Run.” She will continue to scout part-time for Aardman while in her new role.

Unwin said she intended to build “a quality list of both British and international writers,” and was “also keen to develop a list handling brilliant American writers into the UK.”

Patrick Walsh said: “We’ve long represented writers and artists for children including John Burningham, the Astrid Lindgren Estate, PJ Lynch, Steve Voake, Kate Cann, Nicky Singer and Niamh Sharkey . . . Jo presented us with a wonderful opportunity to consolidate. She knows the market backwards and is also incredibly well-plugged into the television world.” Clare Conville described Unwin as “highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and above all, totally committed to finding the books that children and teenagers want to read”.

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