Francesca Young, Associate Publishing Director, DK Children's

I commission across Baby and Toddler, Picture Books, Fiction (under our DK Flip imprint), Activity, Non-Fiction, and Gift. It’s a broad and brilliant list, and I love the creative freedom it gives us to be ambitious with formats, playful with ideas, and always thoughtful about what readers and their families want and need.

I’ve been proud to publish a wide range of talent across the list – from experts like Dr Fern Riddell and Dr Punam, to household names such as Rose Ayling-Ellis and Jake Humphrey, and exciting new voices including Hazel Atkinson, Leah Osakwe and A.A. Wilson. 

I’m always hungry for ideas that feel fresh, whether that’s a big giftable non-fiction concept, a dazzling teen novel, a unique voice in early years, or a playful and powerful way to talk about the world. At DK we’re in a brilliant position to think differently, and I’m always open to hearing from creators who are doing just that.

A book I’m proud of…

A book I’m especially excited about is I Am a Royal Rulebreaker by Dr Fern Riddell; a joyful, feminist re-telling of royal history that invites children to see themselves as change-makers. Over in DK flip, I still pinch myself that we published Cornelia Funke’s Green Kingdom, which will soon be a trilogy… 

A book I wish I’d published…

A book I wish I had published? Anything by Lex Croucher - razor-sharp, inclusive, and just brilliant. Their ability to speak to readers with warmth and wit is hugely inspiring.

francesca.young@uk.dk.com