It’s been one full year since Scallywag Press joined the ranks of Lerner Publisher Services, and they feel like family already. In case you missed the blog post last year that introduced Scallywag as an LPS publishing partner, enjoy this interview with Scallywag’s founder and publisher Sarah Pakenham.
What is Scallywag Press?
We are a small, independent publisher who loves books that reflect on our lives and provide valuable perspectives which could be useful to readers of any age. We love books where words and pictures both play their different parts to convey moments of drama, emotion, and humor. We love books as beautiful objects and use sturdy and sustainable materials. Emotion, empathy, and kindness are what we’d like to encourage, via entertaining books with distinctive illustrations.
Launched in 2019, our list is made up of books by authors and artists from all over the world; we are proud to be working with Lerner to make them available in America and Canada.
Tell us how Scallywag started?
Scallywag started when Sarah Pakenham and Janice Thomson both decided that, after many years of working for larger publishing companies, they’d like to have a go at choosing and publishing books of their own choice for their own reasons. We enjoy working closely with authors and artists and seeing their books get into the hands of both children and the adults who read to them and teach them to read. We found brand new authors and illustrators and were also lucky that certain established children’s book creators choose to let us publish their books.
How would you describe your publishing vision?
Our aim is not particularly to expand the number of titles published each year but to make sure that each book has a message from the heart, accompanied by distinctive and accomplished artwork to be enjoyed by children and their adults. We’d like our books to come from people of different backgrounds and have universal appeal. We want our books to be funny or moving or exciting, to play with language and image and challenge readers to engage with the page.
Any upcoming projects you’re particularly excited about?
We have a beautiful picture book called ELKI IS NOT MY DOG, which is about how a group of children care for a stray dog and, by their actions, soften the hearts of the adults and get them to help too. It’s based on the childhood memory of the illustrator and written by her friend – an illustrator turned author just for this book. The touching message of empathy will not easily be forgotten.
Then there’s a light-hearted roller coaster of emotions in DETECTIVE CATZ AND THE MISSING NUT – Catz is desperate to prove himself a successful detective and devastated when he thinks he’s failed – but with help from his friends and determination he finally triumphs and unwittingly does a lot of good along the way. The visual clues are fun to find.
Lastly, I HEARD A BIRD brings us mindfulness and well-being, as a search for the bird who just flew away uncovers many other plants and creatures in the garden; but it is stillness and appreciation of silence that results in the bird finally returning with his song.
Anything else you’d like to add?
We will be publishing a chapter book series about an unstoppable little witch and her shape-shifting friend and familiar – watch out for Ivy Newt and her adventures in Miracula. We also plan a small poetry list which will be illustrated and collectable.
To learn more about Scallywag Press, visit their website to sign up for their newsletter, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and X, or check out their titles on lernerbooks.com!