New Spanish Books: The online guide of titles from Spanish publishers and literary agents with rights for translation in the UK. To consult titles available in other markets please click on the above links.
Steven Pryse
In 2012 Steven and his partner Urmi opened Pickled Pepper Books, a specialist children's bookstore in Crouch End, North London. Along with their three children, Steven, Urmi and the team at Pickled Pepper are constantly developing innovative ways to engage young readers and their families and promote reading as the most fun thing you can do! Steven is a member of the BA Children's Booksellers Group and has previously been a judge for Independent Booksellers Week and the Costa Children's Book Award in 2016. When not reading a book Steven can be found gardening or up the nearest mountain.
How did the idea of opening a bookshop come up? why specifically a children´s bookshop?
We opened Pickled Pepper Books in 2012 as a response to not having a bookshop at all in our local area. We wanted to create the kind of space that we would take own children too; a welcoming, fun, knowledgeable, and non-intimidating environment where children and their extended families could relax and engage with books and reading in a creative way through preschool groups and afterschool illustration clubs.
What are the challenges facing book retailers nowadays? Any challenges specific to children´s bookshops?
We've always seen ourselves as offering a distinctly different experience to that found online, however the apparent decline in some high streets is a worrying trend as people increasingly find it convenient to shop online and as a consequence don't visit their local shops. Children's books have seen an upsurge in sales in recent years and the larger chains focussed more heavily on children’s sections within their stores and are able to negotiate larger discounts with publishers meaning they can offer heavily discounted prices.
How did you decide on the name of your bookshop?
It comes from the classic tongue twister Peter Piper pecked a peck of pickled peppers which has long been a favourite! We were keen not to define the shop as overly locally based as we have always harboured ambitions to open more than one shop and we felt this name while also being fun and memorable would also not confine us geographically.
How can we encourage children to read more?
By reading more ourselves! As adults we are in a great position to lead by example when it comes to reading. We also feel it's important not to be overly prescriptive, let children choose what they want to read. Libraries are crucial too whether they be in schools or public. We own a bookshop but still take our children to the library at least every couple of weeks where they have free rein to choose whatever they want!
What are the current trends in children´s publishing and how do you see them evolving in the near future?
Books by celebrities have become very important to the publishing industry and voices like David Walliams have undoubtedly created an excitement in children's books. It's hard to see how sustainable this is though and there is a concern that more 'literary' voices risk being overlooked in favour of the larger sales guaranteed by known name authors.
High quality, beautifully produced non-fiction has also made a huge impact on children's books and it will be interesting to see where this goes next.
Are the themes of kid´s stories changing in the computer age? How have children's tastes changed? Which books/themes are most popular now?
Not really, the same themes of adventure are as popular today as they were thirty, forty years ago. The Choose Your Own adventure books that I loved when I was 10/11 years old have been recently reissued alongside new titles in the series and are proving very popular.
Book series such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates are still very popular for younger readers while for older readers adventures with elements of fantasy still capture the imagination.
Do you think we should let children choose the books they want to read or should parents guide them?
It's important for children not to be put off reading by getting stuck on the 'wrong book' and we pride ourselves on our knowledge when children come into the shop and can make recommendations based on their interests and what they've read to date. By providing the kind of information that you can't find online we aim to help them find the right book for them at the right time. The most successful reading stories we hear are those where children have chosen their own books!
What is the secret of a good children´s book?
I think it's the ability to imagine yourself in the middle of the story whether as one of the main characters or as an 'off stage' presence observing the story as it unfolds.
What’s your earliest/best memory about visiting a bookstore as a child? Which was the first book you remember reading
My favourite memory to do with reading is being taken to my local library and spending what felt like hours flicking through Asterix and Tintin books. The sense of freedom was totally intoxicating and I have no doubt that without that experience there would be no Pickled Pepper Books.
Which are your favourite children´s books? And children’s books in translation?
I still love the Asterix books and enjoy sharing them with my children now. My 12 year old daughter and myself both love the Oksa Pollock series by Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf published by Pushkin. A phenomenon in France it was amazing to welcome the authors here a few years ago as part of a schools tour.
Do you have many translated titles at Pickled Pepper Books?
Yes, we have a large number of Spanish, French, German, Italian families within our customer base and we are always on the look out for something that you won't find in the main bookshop chain. We're really looking forward to the publication later this year of A Winter's Promise by Christelle Diablos which was a bestseller in France.
What surprised you most of your experience with NSB?
I was surprised in the short time we spent together that we were able to connect so well together and have remained in contact since the panel meetings. It was also a real pleasure that beyond all the economic and logistical reasonings present with being part of NSB that what decisions came down to at the end was whether the book excited us!