on age-banding, given at this weekend's conference in Cambirdge.
Read every word.
No to Age Banding: Philip Pullman's address
I read in Julia Eccleshare's Guardian article this morning that Kate Wilson presented a fair, interesting and informed response to the age-guidance discussion that actually echoes the opinions of a lot of people in the children's book trade. There is no mention of this here - only a link to Anne Fine's address, which as we all know, very much echoes that of Philip Pullman's.
I've always been a _huge_ admirer of Kate Wilson. I read this report too and, as far as I could gather, Kate expressed an informal personal response which acknowledged that publishers had handled the situation rather badly, especially in regard to not seeking the views of authors first. There was no indication or suggestion that she rebutted in any substantial way the other objections made in Philip Pullman's address.
But if Kate is indeed fully in favour of age-banding, I can't envisage a more intriguing two-way debate than a head-to-head between Philip Pullman and Kate Wilson. I'm sure it would make great television!