Jesse Kaur is one of seventeen children’s authors from across the UK to win an inaugural GLL Literary Foundation bursary placement, worth £4000.
Born and brought up in Dudley, the secondary school cover teacher had her first picture book published in May 2023.
Since translated into twenty-five languages, ‘When Nani, When?’ tells the story of a little girl who has to learn patience whilst waiting for cherries to grow on her grandmother’s tree.
“I wrote the book in 2014 during a career break after twelve years teaching religious education full-time,” said Jesse. “During my four-month sabbatical, I had time to stand and stare, (out of my window that is), at the cherry tree in my garden.
“I wrote a poem about its seasonal changes which I then turned into a rhyming picture book and then again into prose, which I felt worked better. Many submissions and rejections later, it was traditionally published in May 23.”
The GLL Literary Foundation was launched in November 2024 to support up and coming authors based in areas where charitable social enterprise GLL operates public libraries under its ‘Better’ brand. Dudley is one of them.
Authors across all genres of children’s literature were encouraged to apply, including picture books, early readers, chapter books, poetry, non-fiction, novels graphic and verse novels. Nominations were accepted from the authors’ publishing representative with the entry criteria stating that applicants be required to have published between one and three books in the past five years.
Entries were assessed by a board of trustees drawn from GLL libraries, children’s librarians and the publishing world.
As one of the successful authors, Jesse will receive £750 alongside additional ‘in kind’ support that includes being partnered with a local librarian mentor (Literary Foundation Champion), who will help her deliver a series of author events and provide networking opportunities with local booksellers, publishers, literary festivals and schools. She will also be offered three online training courses on brand identity, marketing and business planning.
“I’m so glad of the opportunity given to me by the GLL Literary Foundation,” said Jesse. “It has come at the right moment and is exactly what I need to continue the momentum after a debut book launch, a stage that is often over-looked and unsupported for new authors.”
Rebecca Gediking, Head of Libraries for GLL said: “We are delighted to welcome Jesse to the GLL Literary Foundation and look forward to bringing together all people locally and nationally to support our authors, encourage reading and champion public libraries.”
Over the last decade, Jesse has written ten books which she hopes will now be published too.
For further information visit: https://www.better.org.uk/library/gll-literary-foundation
