About

Telling Trails is an online guide to children’s book authors, illustrators and literary landmarks in south-west London. Part literary travel guide and part biographical dictionary, the site explores the importance of place in the creative process of children’s writers and illustrators. Where possible, I interviewed the featured writers and illustrators myself. It also includes books that have been inspired by the area or have some other connection to it. I initially developed Telling Trails in 2005 for a web publishing module during my MA course in librarianship. In 2013 I migrated that content to this WordPress site.

This site is for anyone who shares an interest in children’s books and/or the local area. It is an independent, educational, non-commercial website.

If you know of another children’s book, author or illustrator that you think should be included here, please get in touch.

About me

My name is Terri McCargar and I am the author of Telling Trails. I grew up near the Mississippi River in Minnesota and now live not far from the Thames in Twickenham. My mother worked as a school librarian before I was born; as a child I was surrounded by discarded library books so well loved they were falling apart. This led to a lifelong love affair with books and initially to a career in educational and children’s publishing. I worked as a book editor in London for about 10 years before deciding to re-train as a librarian. Since first publishing this site, I have worked as a children’s librarian for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and as a school librarian in independent secondary schools in London.