SLUSH PILE CHALLENGE WINNER - Jenny Moore

 

 

 

Jenny Moore, winner of the October 2024 Slush Pile Challenge, tells us why she entered the competition and about her experience of having feedback from Millie van Grutten, of RCW Literary Agency.

 

 

Jenny won this challenge set by Millie van Grutten of RCW Literary Agency:

 

 

Millie’s challenge: “I’d like to set a picture book challenge that can really appeal to the younger readers, 500 words or less. I’m looking for a bold and punchy text that does a lot with a little word count and that is funny. I’d love a book with a big character(s) at its heart, and I am always keen to see a bit of an interactive element in there too e.g. a search-and find, what is…?, who is… ?”

 

 

Millie stated: “My winner for this Slush Pile Challenge is ONE LONELY STICK INSECT by Jenny Moore. A search-and-find counting book that sees funny little stick insects increase in number every time you turn the page, but keep your eyes peeled as they aren’t always easy to spot when disguised in whacky and wonderful locations!

 

For me, this one hit the brief pretty perfectly – it had a brilliant interactive element, and I loved that the text really utilised the page turns to the text’s advantage. Each spread moved on seamlessly to the next so that the text really flowed, and the rhyme worked beautifully over each page.

 

I adored the variety of images and silliness of each scenario in which we found the increasing number of stick insects, I thought that an illustrator would have a super time playing around with this text, while a reader would have a total hoot trying to find the stick insects in more and more wonderfully silly scenarios. Ultimately this was a brilliant counting book for younger readers with a fun search-and-find element. A funny and accessible counting book that was really targeted for that younger age group and above all, it was a real pleasure to read out loud. Congratulations!”

 

 

Jenny:

 

“One Lonely Stick Insect is associated with some very different places in my memory: the long, summer walk in the beautiful Scottish Borders, where the idea for a counting book about stick insects first popped into my head; the café in Sussex on a rainy winter’s day, where I chatted with my lovely writing friend Kate about entering it into the Slush Pile Challenge; the dark road in Sri Lanka I was driving down when I got the exciting news that Millie had chosen it as the winning text. Millie was in touch as soon as I got back to the UK and we agreed to meet on Zoom in January.

 

Winning a competition is always a huge confidence boost. I had initial interest from a publisher on One Lonely Stick Insect a few years ago (it was taken to their editorial meeting and everyone was keen), but their picture book programme was subsequently put on hiatus, as were my hopes for my quirky insect counting book. When I saw Millie’s brief for the October Slush Pile challenge, I dug my poor, forgotten story out again and sent it off. I was thrilled when Millie picked it as her winner, and it was a brilliant note to end the year on.

 

I’m always nervous before meetings, but Millie put me at my ease straight away and I thoroughly enjoyed our chat. While she didn’t think the text needed any changes, Millie suggested using different animals if stick insects proved too niche for the overseas market, which is always an important consideration when trying to sell a picture book. We talked about which publishers might be a good fit for the story and, more generally, about options for writers such as myself, who are published but unagented. Getting an agent’s view on this was invaluable and has given me lots to think about moving forwards. I’m also freshly inspired to try and find a home for my lonely stick insect!

 

A huge thank you to Millie for her time and expertise and to Elaine for organising the competition.”

 

 

Photo: Jenny Moore

 

 

A special thanks to Millie van Grutten of RCW Literary Agency for setting the competition, judging it and providing such valuable feedback to Jenny.

 

 

 

Elaine Cline has been a SCBWI member for over ten years and loves to write picture books, middle-grade and teen books. She lives by the sea and has one adorable dog. Elaine is a member of the Words & Pictures editorial team, managing The Slush Pile Challenge.

 

X (formerly Twitter): @elaineccline

 

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