Jane Walker from the publisher Barrington Stoke talks about books that empower reluctant readers to get to the end of a story are a big win for all readers. Interview by Nicola Baird
Barrington Stoke is known for its super-readable, dyslexia friendly fiction designed to help every child become a reader. But how did they know what worked?
“We were founded by a head teacher of a school for children with dyslexia and dyspraxia,” explains Sales & Marketing Director, Jane Walker. “As she was retiring everyone kept saying, ‘What are you going to do?’ She knew she wanted to publish books for children who struggle to read because, ‘I’ve been working with them for so many years.’ She teamed up with her daughter-in-law Lucy Jukes, at the time sales director of Bloomsbury Publishing, and they formed the company together. Why we are slightly different is that they felt children deserve the best writers and they also need to feel part of the reading community – they need to be accessing books by Mallorie Blackman and Michael Morpurgo, all the writers everyone is reading and talking about in the playground and at home. We go to very established, experienced writers knowing they can write a gripping, relatable short story that is age appropriate and engages from the first page.”
Recently the company was bought by Harper Collins, so Jane now works in their busy office, near the Shard, or from home. The rest of the 10-member team are in Edinburgh.
Jane is clear that Barrington Stoke books are as much for reluctant or unconfident readers as dyslexic readers. Over the years innovations include language checking and design. Their popular Young Editors scheme let children feedback pre-publication. While the Little Gem series for 5-8-year-olds has “all our accessibility features crammed in that everyone starting on their independent reading journey can read. They are in a tiny format that’s nice for smaller hands and they are all in full colour, bridging the gap from picture books to chapter books. Although they are for everyone, they have a HiLo (high interest, low reading age) use for upper primary, as where the radar’s out that kids are not managing reading, Little Gems can help them to move forward.”
Massive moment
“Librarians really embraced Barrington Stoke ethos from day one, as others perhaps thought it was a bit of a strange business model to publish books for children who don’t want to read,” says Jane. But it was not until Anthony McGowan won the Carnegie medal with Lark in 2020 people began “realising our reach was a lot broader than they’d originally thought. Covid amplified that sea change… We are finding everyone tells us it has affected reading levels and reading confidence. People need more lower reading age books than ever before.”
“That partnership of authors and librarians has kept Barrington Stoke alive, both buying into our mission keenly and giving us such great books. Librarians totally understand and relish what we do, and working with us on that has been wonderful. I love them all and I say it lots!”
Jane Walker
This understanding has led to improved inclusivity with whole class book choices. “Instead of a targeted nurture group or a one-to-one reader session it’s become ‘this is an inclusive read for the whole group’ and ‘everyone can access the same story’. How important and lovely is that? Everyone can enjoy it,” beams Jane who has worked for Barrington Stoke since it began 26 years ago.
Reading resistance is not just a school trend reckons Jane. “In our busy world a shorter text has become much more of a thing. We know it’s immensely satisfying to finish a book. A lot of our readers don’t see themselves as people who finish books – they are too long and too daunting. It’s transformative finishing a book and starting to see yourself as a reader.”
Intriguingly this was Jane’s own experience until she found her local library.
Library fan
“My parents didn’t read, and I found reading for pleasure quite difficult. I had to watch things on telly to get the meaning,” she says recalling her induction into Charles Dickens. “To pass exams I’d watch the drama then read the Brodie Notes. It did me quite well! I ended up getting into books as after university I became a children’s book seller. I’m quite unusual in publishing as hand-on-heart I’m quite a reluctant reader, but I’m not a reluctant story person as I listen to a lot of Audible and I love a short book,” says Jane who is currently enjoying Nigel Slater’s Feast.
“As a child libraries were very important to me because I didn’t have any books in the house. I read Malory Towers (by Enid Blyton) and all the great series, but I also loved the peace of the small village library atmosphere. I actually hid in there a bit and found solace and comfort spending time in that environment. It was just a nice place to be,” she says reflecting on a life’s journey that has seen her adult career dominated by book selling.
“The publishing industry has changed around us and actually is a lot more suited to reluctant readers than it ever was. All books are better designed and more thoughtful in terms of accessibility to reluctant readers,” she says. “We definitely cover books for dyslexic readers, but these books are finding their place with so many kinds of readers, and even confident readers who just want a short story in their lives or are author focussed and just want to read another Lisa Thompson, Tom Palmer or Frank Cottrell Boyce – so read ours as well.”
“Readers used to judge a book by the cover, now some are judging books by the width of the spine! They are told to pick a book and are literally scanning for the thinnest book so at least they know they’ll get through it,” says Jane. She then adds reflectively, “I think that’s everyone. When we started the short novel was seen as somehow short-changing readers, and I think that’s really changed. The shorter novel is much more part of the mainstream world, it’s not just for children in a box under the SENCO shelf.”
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