Falkner wins Books that Help and Little Tiger mentorship for rhyming book 

Writer Lucy Falkner has won the Books That Help and Little Tiger Press mentorship for her rhyming book Dung Beetle Doug, which is about a dung beetle that dreams of recognition. The runner up is Krystal Snead for her story Something Different. 

Clare Helen Welsh, the founder of the Books That Help initiative, launched a mentorship in partnership with children’s publisher Little Tiger Press in autumn 2022. The mentorship will offer an un-agented writer or writer-illustrator a series of virtual sessions with Welsh, starting this year. 

The aim is to support the writer in the development of their picture book. The book has to fit with the ethos of Books That Help, which aims to create emotionally honest spaces for children and families.

Editorial director at Little Tiger Press, Ellie Farmer ran a live webinar in which she answered questions. Applications opened on 19th October, and over 100 entries were received from writers all over the world. 

On behalf of Little Tiger Press, senior editor Perry Emerson joined Clare Helen Welsh to decide on one winner, one runner up and two highly commended. 

Falkner is a teacher, and her story Dung Beetle Doug has environmental and educational themes. It is written in rhyme and balances character and story with action, humour and a message aimed at empowering young readers. 

She said: “Having completed a writing course with Clare I knew that the chance to win this mentorship was not to be missed. I wrote Dung Beetle Doug during many sleepless nights with my youngest after hearing about a dung beetle safari at a farming festival. I am thrilled that my story has been selected and I look forward to benefiting from Clare’s guidance.” 

Snead is a Yorkshire-based writer and part-time social worker. Her story, Something Different, aims to support children with change. Books That Help will offer her a session with an agent, Alice Williams (Alice Williams Literary). 

She said: “I had been reluctant to send my story out into the world, not sure if it was too niche, or too personal to resonate with others. But I guess that is what attracted me to Books That Help in the first place, a safe space where important and sometimes difficult subjects can be explored.”

Perry Emerson, senior editor at Little Tiger Press, said: “Helping Clare to choose a winner was both a joy and a challenge. A joy for the variety and quality of texts that were submitted; a challenge for having to pick only one. In Lucy, we have found an author with a real natural talent for picture book writing, and I’m excited to see how she and Clare work together to develop her stories over the course of the mentorship.”

Welsh said: “The stories were read, re-read and carefully considered. It was incredibly difficult to decide between them. I urge everyone who entered to keep writing and to keep sending their words out into the world. It was a privilege and a pleasure to read every single one.”

The two highly commended texts were Daddy Has Feathers by Victoria Gatehouse, which explores the emotions a child can experience when a parent cross-dresses, and When A Goldfish Dies by Andi Chitty, which is about the death a pet.