Lisa Edwards – Editor

After spending 23 years in the UK trade publishing industry, for the past five years I've been a freelance writer, editor, agent and publisher, offering consultancy, copywriting, agency and editorial services to publishers, brands and authors.

I have worked at director level across both children’s and adult imprints, with experience in fiction, illustrated/narrative non-fiction and picture books. My publishing portfolio in the children's industry includes The Hunger Games, His Dark Materials, Mortal Engines, Horrible Histories, Horrible Science, Tom Gates series, Klutz, Captain Underpants, Disney, Beano and Julia Donaldson picture books and Little People, BIG DREAMS™.

I was head of editorial, digital and licensing at Scholastic Children's Books UK, named Children's Publisher of the Year 2013 by The Bookseller. I was responsible for the entire list, comprising fiction, non fiction, picture books and novelty, including the imprints Alison Green Books and Marion Lloyd Books. I also initiated the digital and audio programme for SCB, and managed the licensing of key brands and properties.


Highlights of the publishing included The Hunger Games, Horrible Histories, His Dark Materials, Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler picture books such as Stick Man, Klutz, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates and Captain Underpants.

I led a team of editors, designers and a paper engineer for the Templar Books and Big Picture Press imprints, producing around 80 titles per year in picture books, non fiction, classics, fiction, pre-school and gift.

Highlights of our Templar publishing included the groundbreaking Ology series, Gigantosaurus by Jonny Duddle, Black Dog by Levi Pinfold and Father by Graham Baker-Smith. Big Picture Press highlights included the addition of Dinosaurium, Planetarium and Anatomicum to the bestselling Welcome to the Museum series and a Kew Gardens partnership for Fungarium.

I headed up editorial for all the Carlton adult imprints: Carlton Books, Goodman, Goodman Fiell, Andre Deutsch and Prion.

My portfolio included official FIFA World Cup and Tour De France publishing in 2014, along with a four-year Imperial War Museum military-history programme to coincide with the centenary of World War One. Brand partnerships included MENSA, Liberty of London, the ABBA museum, the Design Museum and Rugby World Cup.

I managed a team that commissioned a list of approximately 150 non fiction and media titles per year, including the bestselling Horrible Histories series. I directed the licensing of Horrible Histories following its 2003 tenth anniversary, including (ongoing) live stage shows, five BAFTA-winning BBC TV series', two major Imperial War Museum exhibitions and an extensive merchandise programme including toys, gift products and a monthly magazine.

I also worked closely with New Line Cinema and Scholastic companies worldwide to create and implement The Golden Compass movie tie-in programme, based on Philip Pullman's bestselling novel, Northern Lights.

Managed a team of editors working on the bestselling list, which was dominated by the 'Horribles' publishing: Horrible Histories, Horrible Science, Horrible Geography, Horribly Famous, Murderous Maths and Foul Football.