Anna says “the response to the online petition, the announcement that we’re
bringing this book back, the article that The Guardian ran about it – and all
the other news that we’ve been able to share so far – has been phenomenal.
It’s been amazing to connect with so many people who shared a collective
memory of this book and satisfying to have played a part in answering their
call to bring it back. People to thank are too many to list here (but if you
played a part, thank you!) but I must mention the Borley Rectory team –
Reece Shearsmith, Ashley Thorpe and the guys at Nucleus – who sparked it
all, as well as Haunted Magazine for their help spreading the word. It’s been
a campaign close to my heart, so from a personal point of view I’m thrilled.
But from a professional point of view (as brand director at Usborne) it’s
also been fascinating to see how things haven’t really changed from those
early days at Usborne. Peter Usborne’s passion and vision for the company
is still the same; the way in-house writers and designers work together to
make the very best books for children hasn’t changed; the ethos of never
speaking down to children, making knowledge irresistible and putting
kids at the centre of everything we do is just as it was when World of the
Unknown: Ghosts was first published in 1977. Usborne is still leading the
way in creating books that spark children’s imagination and curiosity – and
for parents who grew up with Usborne books themselves, that’s a really
powerful message.”
Usborne’s World of the Unknown: Ghosts will be publishing on 3rd
October 2019. Ashley Thorpe’s Borley Rectory will be released on 14th
October 2019.