Illustrator sought for collection of Scottish YA poems on LGBTQ themes
The Emma Press is looking for an illustrator for the debut collection of children’s poetry by Scottish Book Trust New Writer Award-winner Rachel Plummer.
The collection, titled Wain, was commissioned by LGBT Youth Scotland, which is the largest youth and community-based organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Scotland. The cultural commission was funded by Creative Scotland.
Wain is a collection of LGBT-themed poems for teens, based on retellings of Scottish myths. Poet Rachel Plummer is based in Edinburgh, and she won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2016. She has a pamphlet of sci-fi poetry, The Parlour Guide to Exo-Politics, currently available from House Press.
Rachel Plummer says: ‘With LGBT+ characters and families from bisexual mermaids to transgender selkies, an asexual goddess to a nonbinary Nessie, this book re-imagines traditional Scottish fairytales and folk stories. I hope it will be a beautiful gift for families, schools, young people and story readers of all ages, sparking discussion and encouraging the embracing of our differences.’
Fergus McMillan, Chief Executive at LGBT Youth Scotland, says: ‘It’s a real joy to remember special stories we were told growing up. LGBT young people tell us they’d like to see their families and lives reflected more often. That’s why we commissioned Rachel to write a book of children’s poetry with an LGBT flavour, based on traditional Scottish myths. We are really pleased to see the book being published, so that it can reach more children and families and create lots of happy memories.’
The book is scheduled for publication as a full-colour, fully-illustrated deluxe paperback (£12.00) on 9th February 2019, to tie in with LGBT History Month. The publisher is inviting illustrators to take a look at the sample poems on their website and get in touch via email or Twitter by 4th November 2018.
Emma Press publisher Emma Wright says: ‘We are looking for an illustrator who can create magical, sumptuous images to complement Rachel’s gorgeous poems. Style-wise, we’re looking for watercolour-y, rich, detailed images, with the feel of the illustrations in the classic storybooks we grew up with. This is a paid gig.’
Emma Press editor Charlotte Geater says: ‘This collection is a magical mix of myth and contemporary LGBTQ themes – it is perfect for children who are learning more about themselves, other people, and the world around them. I’m very proud to be working on such a wonderful and vital book.’
Illustrators can find more information about contacting the publisher on the publisher’s website: https://theemmapress.com/books/wain/
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