Alan Durant - Editor
Alan has written 100 books for children of all ages – from picture books to young adult thrillers. He writes in many different genres – comedy, mystery, sport, horror, school story to name but a few.
His titles include the award-winning picture books Burger Boy. Football Fever, Dear Tooth Fairy and Dear Father Christmas, the middle-grade fiction stories Gameboy and Clownfish, and the young adult thriller Blood.
He worked for many years in children’s publishing as an editor and copywriter before becoming a full-time author in 2004. He is a frequent visitor to schools, libraries and festivals around the UK and abroad giving talks and running writing workshop and runs picture book masterclasses for The Guardian and Penguin Random House. His first book received many rejections before eventually being accepted for publication so he knows just how tough this business can be and at least some of what it takes to succeed.
From us
WHY WE LOVE ALAN
With over a 100 children’s books published, Alan is an extremely experienced author and editor.
From them
WHAT ALAN SAYS ABOUT EDITING
I love writing. It’s my passion and I’ve managed to make a living out of it. But I’m equally passionate about helping others who are not as far along the writing path as I am. You learn a lot about the craft of writing for children when you have written for and about them as long as I have and there is something rather wonderful about being able to pass some of this knowledge and expertise on to aspiring writers who share the passion – whether it’s for picture books, early readers, middle grade or young adult fiction. I’ve published many books about football and several thrillers, but I’m happy to work on any story about any subject if there’s even a spark of passion in it. Then it’s my pleasant task to make that spark catch fire.
What Alan works on
Editorial assessment
Agent Submission Pack assessment
Post-editorial guidance
Genres Alan specialises in
Alan's published books
Clownfish
Clownfish is a moving and stunningly original story of friendship and life after loss, from the award-winning author Alan Durant. Dak’s dad has been dead for seven days when suddenly he reappears. He’s the same in almost every way, with one startling exception: Dad has turned into a clownfish, and now lives in a tank at their local aquarium.
Dak is delighted by the news – he has Dad back, even if he isn’t quite as he was before. Deciding to keep Dad’s transformation a secret, Dak visits him at the aquarium as often as he can, and ends up spending so much time there that they offer him a job. This is how he comes to meet Violet, the owner’s prickly but kindhearted niece; when the aquarium is threatened with closure, the pair must work together to save it.
For Dak, the stakes couldn’t be higher … after all, if the aquarium shuts down, what will happen to the fish? In parts wry, moving and undoubtedly strange, this beautifully crafted story will stay with you long after the final page.
Quill Soup
Noko, the porcupine, is very hungry. On arriving at a village, he asks the other animals for some food and shelter. But, despite their full bellies, all the animals say they have nothing to spare. Never mind: he’ll just have to make do and cook a pot of soup from the quills off his back – a soup so tasty even the king likes it. Once the villagers hear of his plan they offer just enough ingredients to make a soup worthy of them all…
