Neil Sharpson: Humour, Voice and Misdirection in Picture Books

About the event

This June we are delighted to welcome Neil Sharpson, author of the multi-award-winning Don’t Trust Fish to our Klaus Flugge Salon.

Have you ever noticed that fish spend all of their time under water? What are they plotting down there?

 And did you know that a group of fish is called a ‘school’? Exactly what are they learning in these ‘schools’?

We must find answers. But one thing’s for sure. Whatever you do: Don’t. Trust. Fish.

Don’t Trust Fish, illustrated by award-winning Dan Santat, is Neil’s debut picture book and it has already acquired a legion of fans and awards. It won Peters Books Children’s Book of the Year, the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland’s Book of the Year, as well as being shortlisted for Blackwell’s Book of the Year, An Post Irish Book Award and the UKLA Book Award.

Join Neil and his editor at Andersen Press, Alice Milner-Watt, for a fascinating deep dive into his career as an author and how his picture books use humour and misdirection, making them a firm favourite with children and adults.

The Salon will take place on Tuesday 30 June and is limited to 45 tickets. Tickets cost £8 each, which includes entry, refreshments, a copy of Don’t Trust Fish and the opportunity to have your book signed by Neil.

Access

** If you have any access requirements, please email publicity@andersenpress.co.uk **

About the Klaus Flugge Salons

Now in its second year following a hugely successful 2025, the Klaus Flugge salons are an initiative from Andersen Press to celebrate their founder and chairman Klaus Flugge and welcome people to their offices in Bloomsbury.

These events are open to anyone who wants to meet others in the publishing industry, enjoy a glass of wine and listen to an author talking about their work. They are a celebration of all that is good about the world of children's publishing today and an opportunity to make new friends, learn about new books and discuss ideas without the toxicity of social media.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Praise for Don’t Trust Fish

‘Wonderfully funny.. a quirky gem, highly recommended’ IRISH INDEPENDENT

‘So good, with a cracking twist’ FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE
‘Deliciously deadpan and absolutely hilarious’ WATERSTONES

‘As we all being a genuinely funny book it is rally very sophisticated’ BOOKTRUST

‘Guaranteed to make you laugh’ IRISH EXAMINER

‘A riot of a book’ IRISH SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
‘Consider a book that makes everybody, and I do mean everybody, laugh from the cover onwards. THAT, my fiends, is a picture book worth celebrating! That is a rarity! That… is Don’t Trust Fish’ SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

‘Kids are hooked! And to be honest, so were we’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Image copyright © Julien Behal

About Neil Sharpson

Neil Sharpson is an Irish author and playwright, who has written for theatre since his teens. He transitioned to writing novels in 2017, adapting his own play The Caspian Sea into When the Sparrow Falls. A huge fan of animation, Neil writes the comedic review blog Unshaved Mouse, focusing on animated film and comic book movies. He is a graduate of the Abbey Theatre's New Playwright's Programme, and was shortlisted for the Maguire International Playwrighting Award. Don't Trust Fish is his debut picture book. Neil lives in Dublin with his wife and their two children.