A regular at Bologna Children's Book Fair, long-time
literary agent Frances Plumpton, worked with brand-new award-winning publisher
and author Sophie Siers of Millwood Press to promote the rights sales of over
100 New Zealand children’s and young adult titles at the Bologna Children’s
Book Fair this month.
‘Bologna is the major international children’s book fair,’
says Frances, who has just returned home. ‘Thirteen-hundred exhibitors from 75
countries were there to sell the rights to their books, seeking publication in
new territories and different languages.’
The New Zealand titles Frances was representing this year
were from publishers that included Sophie Siers' Millwood
Press, Mākaro Press, Upstart Press and David Bateman. On top of
that Frances was invited to manage the Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature
stand – a base for local writers and illustrators at the fair, which the City
of Literature competed for and won. Luckily Sophie put her hand up too.
‘This was a unique collaboration for me,’ says Frances.
‘It's challenging for small publishers to get established at Bologna. Working
with Dunedin means Sophie and I had a well-designed base to work from
while promoting books – one that gave an excellent snapshot of the length and
breadth of Kiwi children’s literature. As well as that, Sophie could support my
work and I could mentor her.’
Frances says business was brisk with a number of New Zealand
titles attracting interest from publishers around the world including countries
as diverse as Sweden and Turkey. ‘Once they’ve returned home and read the PDFs
provided,’ she says, ‘they decide if they want to buy the rights and make an
offer.’
And Frances and Sophie weren't the only ones working to sell
NZ rights. Larger publishers were from this country were represented on
international corporate stands, and Wellington’s Gecko Press – back at Bologna
for its 14th year – was based with other small independent publishers at the
fair.
Sophie is excited by the interest she perceived in the
titles she and Frances were promoting, and says there were other reasons to be
there too. ‘I think it’s critical publishers get along to international fairs
like Bologna,’ she says, ‘so they get to see the current look and feel of
children’s books around the world and stay current and relevant. And selling
overseas rights to our titles makes publishing more profitable. I would love to
see New Zealand attendance at Bologna supported the way attendance at other
book fairs is supported.’
‘The book fair has been an amazing opportunity for me. I was
also pleased to be able to support Dunedin.'
Frances has been attending the Bologna book fair for the
past ten years selling rights for a selection of NZ children’s books, and
sometimes representing New Zealand with IBBY (International Board on Books for
Young People) and the Australian East/NZ chapter of SCBWI (Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Sophie has only attended one
other international book fair – Taipei, in February, a book fair for both adult
and children's books – but she says it’s in her blood.
Her mother is Judy Siers, the founder of Millwood
Press.
‘Over thirty years ago my mother went to the Bologna Book
Fair for three years to co-ordinate the stand for the Publishers Assocation of
New Zealand,’ says Sophie. ‘She went with top-selling international children's
writers Wendy Pye and Beverley Randell-Price. Beverley was looking for
international rights deals on the Milburn Price ‘Instant Readers’ and was also
trying to find a buyer for Lynley Dodds’ The Smallest Turtle for Mallinson
Rendel – and she succeeded!’
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