and this is what they said: “I’m afraid the news isn’t as good as it could be, and JOE AND NELLY isn’t something for us. Please see this as a sign of how few books for children we handle rather than a reflection on your writing, and I hope you find a good, enthusiastic home for Joe and Nelly soon. Many thanks for letting us read it, and good luck.”
It looks like it is really a matter of finding the right agent for the genre. So back to chasing up agents I have already sent it to and submitting to those I haven’t yet. The thing is, Joe and Nelly is based on all the things my parents, grandparents and other relatives told me about the Second World War when I was a child, so it is very dear to me, since those people are long gone and my mother has dementia. The sense of place and period detail that has gone into the novel, which is for children aged 8+, will be hard to find, as it is from the heart and fond memories, not research from books, the Internet and museums.
If anyone knows an agent who would be interested in representing a British story for children that is set in the Second World War, please let me know.
writing in north norfolk 