James Catchpole | Author

James Catchpole - headshot. A white man with brown hair, wearing a pale linen shirt. He's smiling at the camera and sitting on his stairs.

James Catchpole is a literary agent and author of What Happened to You? You’re So Amazing! and Going Viral, and co-editor of and contributor to Owning It.

james@thecatchpoleagency.co.uk
Cover of children’s book ‘Owning It: Our disabled childhoods... in our own words’. In a palette of greens with white and purple, illustrations of leafy patterns and musical notes surround illustrations of disabled children and teens around the title "OWNING IT" - in a bold, orange typeface. They include a Black girl with crutches, a ballet dancer of East Asian heritage with a facial difference, a white boy with dwarfism on a skateboard, a blind girl with a cane, two Iraqi boys - amputees - playing PlayStation. The subtitle "Our disabled childhoods..." is visible under the main title, and "in our own words" in a speech bubble, near a white girl playing wheelchair basketball. Several lines of text at the bottom of the cover include the names of the editors: Jen Campbell, James and Lucy Catchpole, and illustrator Sophie Kamlish. There’s also a quote "Honest, hilarious, heartwarming - Cerrie Burnell".
You're SO Amazing! A picture book by James & Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George. A one-legged child with yellow crutches looks out ruefully at the viewer.
What Happened to You? The cover of a picture book by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George. A one-legged child of 5yo or so stands on a swing, on a plain white book cover. He's white, with blonde hair, his shorts are tailored round his residual limb - he isn't wearing a prosthetic leg. He's winking at the reader. The colour palette is red, light blue, dark yellow and red.
Cream book cover with WE'VE GOT THIS in multi-coloured block capitals, 'Essays by disabled parents' in smaller capitals between the words. 'Edited by Eliza Hull.'
Cover of Going Viral, a Big Cat reading book by James Catchpole. Phone screens show a one legged boy playing football, while in the middle the same character looks out at us.
US cover of You’re So Amazing! Strapline: Being singled out doesn't always feel amazing
A jpg image of What Happened to You? The US edition by Little brown.
Que te paso - Spanish edition of What Happened to You? By James Catchpole
Wat is er met jou-gebeurd? - What Happened to You? in Dutch - James Catchpole
Elle est OU ta jambe?

James Catchpole

James is a literary agent and author.

He is reluctant to describe himself as an author, having only written a couple of picture books, so it’s lucky his wife is writing this page instead. Find more about all the books here.

Faber’s biography of James:

James Catchpole was destined to be either an itinerant singer or an amputee footballer. He managed to get off the substitutes’ bench a couple of times for the England Amputee Football Team, and also busked around Provence with a guitar (another profession where it actively helps to have one leg), but reached the limits of his talent in both fields by his mid-twenties, and so joined the family business of children’s books.

He now runs The Catchpole Agency with his wife Lucy, and represents authors and illustrators of children’s picture books, non-fiction and novels, including Polly Dunbar, SF Said and Michelle Robinson. Lucy and James live in Oxford with their two young daughters, the eldest of whom is firmly convinced she will be joining the business too – but at six, she has plenty of time to recant.

Books

Owning It: Our disabled childhoods… in our own words – a non-fiction anthology by disabled authors. Editor (with Lucy, & Jen Campbell) and contributor.

You’re SO Amazing! – a sequel to What Happened to You? co-written with Lucy – Inclusive Books for Children Award winner 2024, Schneider honor book.

What Happened to You?
A picture book – illustrated by Karen George, published by Faber (UK), Little Brown (US). A Schneider Family Book Awards honor book.

Going Viral
A Big Cat reading book for young readers, age 6 & up

If you’re interested in What Happened to You? we made this video about it back in 2020. (So young! So pre-pandemic.)

Other things James has written & said

We’ve Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents
One chapter written by James – and Lucy

The Bookseller
Owning It – could we have curated this anthology if we weren’t disabled?

We Need Diverse Books
A personal essay by James

BBC Breakfast

Booktrust
On children, disabled people and loud questions.

Moon Lane TV
James reads his book. Child friendly!

National Book Tokens
asked James for a version of our KidLitCripCrit list – 7 illustrated children’s books about disability

Book Riot
The current state of disability representation in children’s books – interviewed by Margaret Kingsbury.

James may be available for

  • School visits
  • High offices of state (you never know)
  • Wedding singer
  • Diversity consultancy – disability in children’s books
What Happened to You? You're So Amazing! Mama Car, Owning It: Our disabled childhoods, We've Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents, Going Viral. Books by Lucy & James Catchpole
James Catchpole with young daughters. He's mid-parenting on the beach, wearing his prosthetic leg and holding his baby. His other daughter sits beside him.