Lucy Juckes

This month we decided to pick Scottish Book Trust board member Lucy Juckes' brain about her role and experiences in the publishing world...

Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Lucy Juckes and I’m a literary agent for children’s writers and illustrators at Jenny Brown Associates.

What do you like best about working with Children’s books?
There are so many different things – above all, there are so many really strong stories written for children. I love the scope of ideas and emotions now found in children’s books. In a morning, I can read about serious subjects such as love, family and death, but also work on a Handbook for Adventurers, considering how best to cross a troll bridge. There are some remarkably talented writers working in children’s books today, such as Keith Gray, and it’s a privilege to work with them. 

If you could offer one piece of advice to a new author what would it be?
First impressions are critical - the letter you send with your proposal should be as carefully crafted as the manuscript itself.

What gets you really excited about a new manuscript?
It’s like opening a present, you’re not sure what you are going to find and then you meet the characters and hopefully find yourself swept up into their world. It’s also great to find a manuscript that makes you laugh out loud. 

And what puts you off?
Poorly written books which patronise the reader.    

Do you have a particular type of reader in mind when considering new manuscripts?
As I co-founded Barrington Stoke, the leading publisher for reluctant readers, I often wonder if the manuscript would hold the reader who needs encouragement. An enthusiastic, prolific reader is easier to please.

How do you keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of contemporary writing?
I’m an avid visitor to bookshops and libraries, I follow reviews and love recommendations from friends and colleagues. I also get plenty of feedback from the views of my own children.

What are you reading at the moment?
I always have several books on the go – I’m reading City of Thieves by David Benioff, which I was given for my birthday, and also a new manuscript from Gaby Halberstam, one of my writers whose stories are reliably exciting but sensitive too. This is set in Namibia during the 1900s when diamonds are first discovered.

What are your ideal reading conditions?
Lying on my bed, at about 6pm when the evening sun streams through our bedroom window and I also love reading on trains as I know I won’t be interrupted and can lose myself in a story.

Which would you prefer to have – unlimited money or unlimited intelligence?
Neither, but a bit more time in the day would be ideal!

Links:

Jenny Brown Associates

Barrington Stoke Publishing

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