British SCBWI's 2nd Conference for Writers and Illustrators
November 21 to 22, 2009 • West Downs Campus, University of Winchester SO22 4NR
Denise johnstone-burt
Denise Johnstone-Burt is one of Britain's leading editors of children's books with more than twenty five years' experience in the industry. After graduating from the University of York, she started her career at Macmillan as a desk editor in the company's academic division, before moving to Collins.
In 1985 she joined Simon and Schuster in New York, and returned to London two years later to help set up the UK company as Editorial Director of Children's Books. In 1989 Denise moved to Andersen Press, where as Editorial Director she was able to oversee all aspects of the publishing.
In 1998 she joined Walker Books where she now works as a Publisher and is an Associate Director. She runs a varied and successful list of authors and illustrators including Tim Lott, the teenage cook Sam Stern, the Children's Laureates past and 
present Michael Morpurgo and Anthony Browne, Kate Greenaway winner Michael Foreman and Patrick Ness, author of The Knife of Never Letting Go.
About Walker "We continue to be excited by the new: whether it's a new author, a new format we haven't explored before, like picture books with animated DVDs, or just a new way of doing things. That's why we established Walker Productions in 2007: to develop our characters and stories in other media ourselves.
Over the years, many of our favourite characters and stories - Maisy and The Large Family to name two - now have second lives on TV, while Alex Rider leapt onto the big screen with Stormbreaker the movie. At Walker Productions we're working with a range of world-class producers and animators, bringing books to life and creating environments in which yet more stories can unfold. We already have two series in development - and many more to follow.
It's all very exciting - and thoroughly grown up. We're approaching our thirtieth birthday, but at heart we've never really grown up at all. It's one of the secrets of our success."
Helen McAleer, Managing Director, Walker Books
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