Ashling Kwok has been writing for as long as she can remember. She wrote her first picture book at the age of 14 and while it never saw the light of day, she knew from that moment on that words and stories would play an important role in her life.
After graduating from University, Ashling went on to become a journalist and magazine editor, before taking time out to become a stay-at-home mum to two gorgeous children.
During her time at home, Ashling read voraciously to her children and this reignited her passion for children’s books. She started learning everything she could about the art of writing picture books and before she knew it, the ideas and words started to flow.
Once she had completed a couple of manuscripts, she put them away, never thinking for a moment that they were good enough to be published. Life took a few interesting twists and turns, and Ashling decided that she would never let fear or self-doubt stop her from chasing her dreams again.
Ashling started sending her manuscripts to publishers and was absolutely delighted when Little Pink Dog Books offered her a contract for Lola and Grandpa, which was released just before The Battle, in 2020.
Ashling has three more picture books due for release in next couple of years and she can’t wait to share them with the world.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
In 2018, I attended my first CYA Conference and booked a manuscript assessment with Anouska Jones from EK Books.
Anouska showed an interest in one of my picture book manuscripts and asked me to formally submit it. A few weeks later I had a contract for The Battle, which was released in July 2020.
I can’t tell you how grateful I am to the CYA team for all their hard work and for providing authors with a platform where they can have their work assessed, meet fellow authors, and listen to industry legends share their experiences.
It doesn’t matter where you are in your writing journey, the CYA conference is a great investment in your career, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
