Anna James

Anna James is an English writer of children's books.

Early life and education James grew up in Ponteland, Northumberland, and attended Ponteland Middle School and Ponteland High School.

Career James was a school librarian for five years before becoming book news and media editor at The Bookseller. There she launched their YouTube presence and established a prize for young adult literature, and during this period was shortlisted for the 2015 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize, which "celebrates exceptional women in publishing". has also been literary editor for ELLE UK.

Writing

James published the "Pages & Co." series of six books, featuring a bookshop of that name, between 2018 and 2023, and in 2024 began her Chronicles of Whetherwhy.

Her Alice with a Why, a "reimagining" of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by Matthew Land, was shortlisted for the 2025 Waterstones Book of the Year.

Her first novel for adults, Good Fortunes, is to be published by HQ, an imprint of Harper Collins. The Bookwanderers (2018, Harper Collins: ) The Lost Fairy Tales (2019, HarperCollins: ) The Map of Stories (2020, HarperCollins: ) The Book Smugglers (2021, HarperCollins: ) The Treehouse Library (2022, HarperCollins ) The Last Bookwanderer (2024, Harper Collins: )

Whetherwhy Chronicles series

The Age of Enchantment (2024, HarperCollins: ) The Season of Flames (to be published in 2026)

Standalone children's titles Alice with a Why (2025, Harper Collins: ) Books for adults Good Fortunes (Forthcoming, )