Meet Our Mentors: Liz Bicknell

Welcome, Liz!

Liz Bicknell has worked as a children's book editor for more than 25 years. Most recently, she was Executive Editorial Director at Candlewick Press, working with such luminaries as M.T. Anderson, Ekua Holmes, Gregory Maguire, Jon Klassen, Laura Amy Schlitz, and Carole Boston Weatherford. Books she has edited have won the National Book Award, the Caldecott Medal, the Coretta Scott King Medal, and many other awards.

Your favorite book of all time? 

If you had asked me at age 11, I would have said Jane Eyre. At 21, I would have said Madame Bovary. My most recent favorite, though, is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – a stunning character study.

Your favorite children's book?

Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep by Eleanor Farjeon. Young Elsie defeats an evil developer, combating injustice with her skipping skills (and the help of the fairies). A timeless fable, first published in 1937.

The book is by your bed right now?

As soon as it arrives from Waterstones, it will be Landlines, by Raynor Winn, the third volume in a memoir trilogy about a husband and wife who walked part of the Cornish coastal path after a devastating diagnosis and the loss of their Welsh farm.

Your go-to writing/editing snack?

Do you have an hour? Salty, crunchy, chewy, sweet, gooey, crispy, candied, chocolatey, sugary, crumbly, savory ... but which must not stick to the keyboard!

Best movie you've watched this year?

Well, I have only seen two, and they were both on airplanes, so I will pick the first one, which was riveting – Nomadland (2020), starring Frances McDormand. Based on a book of the same name, Nomadland has a documentary feel to it, and depicts a traveling, unhoused community out West.

You're the go-to mentor for…

Experienced writers seeking honest feedback and clear direction. I'm focused on literary merit but can also talk about the current state of publishing market readiness. 

Coffee or tea?

Yes, please! As a Brit-living-in-USA, I am inordinately fond of caffeinated beverages.

What’s your secret talent?

Finding parking spaces.

What would you say to a writer considering our mentorship program? 

Prepare to work hard, be inspired and challenged, and find a whole team of talented, dedicated people ready to support you in your writing and publishing goals.