Tamara Macfarlane
Hello
Tamara has always had a passion for children's literacy and opened Tales on Moon Lane while she was still teaching full-time. She has judged the COSTA Children's book award, the UKLA book award and the Branford Boase book award and has appeared at Bath, Oxford, Just Imagine, Hay and Southwark Libraries festivals as an author and bookseller.
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You can take a look at Tamara's books below, and book a bookshop consultancy session!
My Story
As a child Tamara Macfarlane practically lived in Blackwell’s Children’s Bookshop in Oxford. Later in Cambridge she read more children’s books whilst studying English and Education and specialising in Children’s Literature. After a number of years spent as a literacy co-ordinator trying to persuade children in schools that the world inside books was generally a lot more interesting than the real world, Tamara had her first child and decided she would like to live in a children’s bookshop again. As she couldn’t find one that she liked she founded the award winning Tales on Moon Lane bookshop in Herne Hill, subsequently opening two more shops, filling them with even more of her favourite books.
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Tamara has over 15 years’ experience working with children and schools - as a teacher and literacy coordinator, and still runs INSET training on reading development and talks for parents on reading for pleasure. She combines running three bookshops with writing her own children’s books and currently has series with Hachette (Hodder), Simon and Schuster, Troika Books and Puffin.
Publications
Achievements
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Winner of the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize 2022
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Awarded by Trinity Hall and the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation.
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" Tamara makes a difference by addressing the lack of representation in children’s books. In doing so, she paves a way for change in the bookselling and publication industries, enabling diverse authorship and broadening the offerings available to young readers and their families. "
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Nicole Helwig, Cambridge Social Ventures Programme Director
Appearances and involvements
​Judging Panel Positions:
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Teach Primary UK
The Wainwright Prize
The Costa Book Awards
The UK Literary Association
The Branford Boase Book Awards
The British Book Awards
Muslim Young Writer’s Award
Event Appearances:
Hay Book Festival
The Oxford Literature Festival
Bath Literary Festival
Sharjah Literary Festival
Chengdu Literary Festival
The Wilderness Festival
The London School's Festivals of Fun
Social and Equality
Involvement:
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Co-Founder / Director Moon Lane Ink CIC
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Chair of the World Book Day Advisory Committee 2019 - 2021
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Consulted on the ‘Diversity Steering Group’ for the Book Trust.
- Available Online
An introductory conversation about Moon Lane franchise opportunities.
30 min
- Available Online
Half hour initial introduction to discuss your book idea.
30 min
Lively and engaging events to raise reading excitement in your school.
6 hr
900 British pounds- Available Online
Lively and engaging events to raise reading excitement in your school.
6 hr
540 British pounds