Brenda Gardner

Brenda Gardner is Founder and Managing Director of Picadilly Press, 2009 IPG (Independent Publisher's Guild) Children's Publisher of the Year.

Born and raised in Canada, Brenda moved with her late husband to Britain in the seventies while he was finishing his doctorate in history. After a spell of teaching, she joined Puffin Books working under the legendary Kay Webb for seven years. She left in 1979 for her first commissioning editor's job at W H Allen (now Virgin Books/Random House). After working at EJ Arnold and then Evans she set up her own company in 1983, Piccadilly Press.

Piccadilly has two full-time employees and eight part-time and freelance staff, publishing about forty books a year.

When Picadilly Press won the Children's Publisher of the Year 2009 (having been short-listed three times), it was congratulated by judges for a year of strong books and marketing, and for its long-term dedication to independent children's publishing. "Agile, nimble and always looking for new markets, Piccadilly Press really goes the extra mile as a small publisher."

Website: www.picadillypress.co.uk