Noodle Fuel to launch publishing arm at Bologna

Noodle Fuel is launching as a publisher in its own right at this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair, after almost two years as a packager founded by former The Book People chief operating officer Sarah Walden. 

Walden, managing director of Noodle Fuel, said: “We’ve had an interesting, very busy, and successful 20 months since we started Noodle Fuel at the start of the pandemic. 

“We’ve created and sold over 50 books, both children’s and adult, and worked with clients which include Little Tiger, Quarto, Welbeck, Arcturus and Ladybird. We’ve also stayed on top of the commercial side of the business with consultancy for Gardners and The Works, but it is now time for us to publish some of our ideas ourselves.” 

The Noodle Fuel list will focus on children’s non-fiction and activity books and will work with illustrators including Mr Griff, Luke Newell, Hannah Li, Katie Rewse and Flavio Remontti. 

Walden said: “We believe that what Noodle Fuel brings to the party is creativity and a fresh commercial approach. We’re firm believers in the importance of silliness in children’s publishing and that a fun book to read is a fun book to make. We aim to be disruptive and challenge conventions with titles that help little people answer the big questions in an increasingly confusing world.” 

Noodle Fuel has appointed The Rights Solution to handle foreign rights and co-edition sales and its books will be on the Rights Solution stand during Bologna. Compass Sales Agency will be responsible for UK trade and export sales.  

The company’s first books will publish in the UK in January 2023 with 23 titles across eight series planned in the first seven months. 

Having received a grant from business development service OxLEP’s Go Create scheme for business innovation, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Noodle Fuel is also entering the research and development phase of a “new and exciting project that brings words front and centre for 10 to 13-year-olds”. 

Fellow director Mark Walden said: “We’ve been growing anxious about the number of children, boys especially, who seem to be more and more turned off reading for pleasure, and distracted by social media and other screen-based leisure activities.”  

Sarah added: “We don’t want to say too much about the nuts and bolts of the project at the moment, but we are looking for writers to partner with us. We need writers who understand the importance of mutated sea-monsters, high-speed chases and giant robots."

Anyone interested in finding out more should contact info@noodle-fuel.com.