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Studio Notes


How To Draw: Why Drawing Matters More Than Ever
Seeing, Reading, Drawing
As the number of art teachers plummets and children spend more time swiping than sketching, we risk losing one of the simplest, most powerful forms of learning: looking.
Reading and drawing both teach us how to see — one through words, the other through lines. They nurture curiosity, empathy, and imagination, and they shape the way children think about the world. In a society increasingly addicted to the instant, these slow, patient arts might just
9 min read


Children's Reading: The Language Recession: Why Children Are Arriving at School Unable to Speak
A generation is arriving at school unable to speak. The UK faces a “Language Recession” — and until we restore talk, play and storytime, the reading crisis will deepen.
4 min read


Gravestones and Ghost Jobs: How Britain Forgot to Teach Its Working Class
Why does the white working-class education gap persist? From lost industries and early language delays to poor attendance and a shrinking reading culture, too many pupils are being failed before they begin. This blog explores the causes, and the practical fixes, that could restore dignity, skills and opportunity.
10 min read


AI-generated books. Who Wrote This Book?
When Amazon withdrew a string of unofficial biographies of SNP politicians riddled with false claims, it exposed more than one publishing scandal. In an era of AI-generated misinformation, author anonymity, and disappearing credits, how do readers know who to trust? This article explores the new Wild West of publishing — and what parents, teachers and librarians can do about it.
5 min read


H.E. Marshall, The Woman Behind "Our Island Story"
H.E. Marshall’s Our Island Story was once the go-to tale of Britain’s past, kings, queens, and glorious Empire. But in 2025, what kind of story do we really need to tell our children? This blog revisits the 2005 revival campaign and explores what a more inclusive, honest, and compelling national narrative could look like.
22 min read


Why Erasing Creators Always Backfires
What happens when a publisher decides the creator of a book no longer matters? When authorship becomes an inconvenience and branding takes centre stage? This article explores why the corporate strategy of erasing origin stories is not just ethically questionable—it’s commercially short-sighted. Books aren't toothpaste. And readers, as it turns out, have very long memories.
6 min read


Celebrity Books and the Ghostwriting Problem
What happens when the biggest names in children’s books didn’t write them? This blog unpacks the ethics of celebrity authorship, ghostwriters, and rebranded classics.
6 min read


Why Kids Are Losing Interest in Reading?
New reports reveal a troubling decline in children’s reading for pleasure. Fewer children are being read to, and reading is increasingly seen as schoolwork—not joy. From misused reading programmes to celebrity book distractions, we urgently need a smarter, more joyful approach.
5 min read


It’s Only a Book!
In the world of publishing - the selling of book ideas, the rights eightsome reel — every step matters. Every fair, every pitch, every deadl
3 min read
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