I also think there is a class bias. Picture books are too much the domain of the middle class, who demand cosy reassurance. That is fine, and?needed. But my own upbringing was gritty northern working class, totally unsentimental, a survival course. I think grittiness has a place too. It is called 'tricky' i.e no one wants it. I was saved from my childhood by Fairy Tales, many of which these days, would never see the light.

I have published about 80 stories, with some fabulous illustrators and publishers, so I count myself very lucky.  I have about 30 unsold. I think some of?them are  good, the rest best forgotten.  I'm taking what I like of these and putting them out here in the hope that someone else does too.

HOO-HA AND BALLYHOO
This is a rhyming alphabet of sound. It includes all the sounds in the language that I could find. I was curious to see how the sounds made by the letters of the?alphabet defined their character. Because I am deaf, I was also looking for a way that deaf children, and other disabled children, could be given access to?language. So the alphabet is not meant just to be read, but to be acted, danced, played with, in a multi sensory way, in other words, as a bodily experience.?Rather than the letters defining an object, such as A is for apple, they are given as sound, in the context of meaning. Rather then trying to connect the letter   with an object, they could experience it, for instance by squelching, splashing and scratching, with S. Every letter has its own mood, connotations, suggestion, rather than just an image.?

It is a very odd piece, because some of the letters are much noisier than others. B, for instance, or S, make a lot of noise. M is medium I has hardly anything to say.

Here is sample from A:

If it's surprised,?lt;br> A says AH!
If it's frightened
A goes AAAGH!
When you go to the doctor,
Feeling glum,
Say 'AAR' he'll say
And stick out your tongue.

Read aloud; it is a playful, entertaining, idiosyncratic, strange. It needs really clever visual interpretation, sensation rather then image, graphic, rather than illustration.  It is, above all, a celebration of sound,written by a deaf woman, and there is nothing in the language like it.  I would like to see it danced and performed, the boisterous dance of B, the subtle dance of S, and so on. I think it would make a good ballet.

? It would suit an enterprising educational publisher - an accompaniment to phonics - and an encouragement to engage with the personality of sound.
Children could choose a letter and present it as a visual performance, with music and movement and art and play.

A few publishers have taken an interest, but can't work out how to do it. I need imaginative help with that.

GOBLIN GREED AND HIS STIR OF SQUABBLES
I wrote this in the Thatcher years, when greed was good. It seems to have made a come back.?

It is a story in rhyme, about two children stirring the Christmas pudding. But instead of making a wish, they squabble. On Christmas Day, lo and behold,?out of the steam comes Goblin Greed and his stir of squabbles. The family start to complain about their presents and havoc ensues.  The children are?appalled. Luckily, the Christmas Fairy on the top of the tree helps them to save the day.  The recipe for the Christmas pudding is Delia Smith's.

A cautionary tale, a bit old fashioned perhaps, not at all sentimental - but fun and something to share with the family. About the same length as THE PIED?PIPER OF HAMELIN,  so maybe too long for today's children.

COSIMO'S CLOUD
A picture book story about a boy who makes friends with a cloud and takes it to school, inspired by Andy Warhol's silver pillows at Tate Modern.

YOU DON'T SCARE ME, MR FOXMAN
? A small girl called Carla hears strange sounds in the night. She goes out to investigate, wearing a crown. ?She sees a creature, half man, half fox.?She is not afraid. She challenges him to a game. She outplays him and he disappears into a wisp at dawn.

A spooky story, mysterious, but the little girl triumphs. It is about facing one's fears, taming the beast.  It was inspired by a sculpture by Nicola Hicks.?It scares publishers to death and I think the pc brigade would have a field day. They don't scare me.

THE BADGER AND THE FAIRY
A lonely badger passes his time by collecting bright things for his scrapbook. His eyesight is not too good, and one night, he unknowingly collects a fairy. He?almost presses her into his book. She is saved at the last moment, but injured. The badger takes care of the fairy but falls in love with her. His offerings are all?wrong (inappropriate) and when she tries to escape, he traps her in a jar.?

The fairy languishes, but eventually fights back.  The badger sees the error of his ways and sets her free. The fairy, in turn, sets him free from his lonely obsession with a dusty old scrapbook.

A powerful story, about love and loneliness, difference and freedom, and about the cruelty of possessiveness, ?Like all fairy tales, it has a moral and a happy ending.

POLLY'S CLOWNS
Written in absolutely cringe making verse, this is a story about my daughter Polly, who was passionate about clowns and painted them all the time. She was also unbelievably untidy ( a creative imperative for her, I have discovered). So this is about the day Mum orders her to tidy up her room and the painted clowns come to the rescue. If someone liked the story enough, I would do my best  to turn it into prose.  It sounds   very 1950's - somewhat retro.  But then I did write it about 25 years ago.

THE JEWEL QUEEN
This is inspired by Princess Diana and her eating disorder. Also, by the preoccupation with youth and beauty. In my story, a young queen eats jewels to keep herself beautiful. Even so, she is outshone by her own beautiful daughter, whom she banishes. There is reconciliation in the end, and the Queen accepts the natural fact of ageing.?

The story is far too long, but my agent at the time really liked it. Gathering dust for years. It needs a savage, but sympathetic editor.

MOUSE & MOLE
Last, but not least, the stories that I consider as a whole,  the best of my career. There are 26 stories, 500 words long. They are domestic, humourous,   philosophical, written mostly in dialogue. There is also a film script of about 50 minutes. 19 of the stories were published, illustrated first by James Mayhew,?  then by Alison de Vere, the animator.?

Grasshopper productions made 19 of these stories into beautiful 5 minute animation, with Alan Bennett and Richard Briers playing the lead parts. For the Christmas Special, they were joined by Imelda Staunton.

There are seven unpublished stories. Two of the original books were Waterstone's Book of the Month at the time.

These stories are looking for a publisher who will either re-issue the books, or start again with  a new illustrator. At the time of publishing they?were hailed as 'characters that stand alongside the greats of English Literature. ' They were fortunate enough to attract three of the greats of English actors, (one of them also a great writer)  a great producer (Joy Whitby, who started Jackanory and Playschool)) and a great animator. Alas, they have been long been out of print and the animation project is looking for the funding to complete.

One day, I am convinced, these will be discovered as a treasure. It would be nice if it were to happen in my lifetime.