Conville & Walsh

Patrick Walsh and Clare Conville are delighted to announce that Jo Unwin will be joining Conville & Walsh Limited to found a dedicated children’s list as from the 8th of September.

Jo Unwin began her career as a writer and a performer, writing for such highly-acclaimed British television series as BYKER GROVE and MY PARENTS ARE ALIENS (Royal Television Society best children’s programme 2000), and was also part of the development team for the award-winning SMACK THE PONY.

Jo Unwin has always worked with children, whether teaching reluctant readers, fundraising for a local school library or performing in children’s theatre and television shows. Jo has also worked at the well-known London children’s bookshop, Tales on Moon Lane (winner of Walker Books’ Children’s Independent Bookseller of the Year award), and in 2006 became Literary Consultant for Aardman Features, the makers of WALLACE & GROMIT and CHICKEN RUN. Whilst establishing her list at Conville & Walsh Limited, Jo will also continue to scout new film properties for Aardman.

Says Jo Unwin: “ I’ll be starting at C&W with a completely clean slate, so please do send me your book projects! I’m looking to build a quality list of both British and international writers, and am also keen to develop a list handling brilliant American and Australian writers into the UK. This is a move that I have been planning for some time now and I feel that C&W will be the perfect home”.

Say Patrick Walsh & Clare Conville:

“We’ve long represented writers and artists for children including John Burningham, The Astrid Lindgren Estate, PJ Lynch, Steve Voake, Kate Cann, Nicky Singer and Niamh Sharkey alongside rising stars such as Peadar O’Guilin, Joshua Mowll, Bel Mooney and Timothy Knapman. Jo presents a wonderful opportunity to consolidate. She knows the market backwards, is incredibly well-plugged into the television world and, above all, is totally committed to finding the books that children and teenagers want to read.  There’s a lot of credit crunch gloom about, but just this week we’re running a six figure auction for a first novel for 7-1O year olds called The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies. Which only goes to show that really good children’s books will always find an appreciative market. Jo is huge fun, extremely dynamic and will be a wonderful asset”.

Jo Unwin can be contacted at