Craving a creative outlet right now? We hear you. The good news is it’s easier than ever to engage your mind and fast-track your learning from the comfort of your own home. If you’re feeling inspired to focus on your writing right now – or just seeking a more productive
Calling all editors! Applications for the 2020 Residential Editorial Program hosted by the Australian Publishers Association is now open. According to the media release, the Residential Editorial Program is “an intensive 5-day program for talented mid-career editors in the Australian book industry to work with experienced mentors and speakers.” So
An exciting opportunity for children’s book authors – Berbay Publishing has opened its doors to submissions. They’re accepting chapter book and junior fiction manuscripts for consideration. According to their media release: We’d like to see contemporary narratives, with or without a touch of whimsy, and stories that inspire the imagination.
If you find yourself stuck at home, we have good news. Now is the perfect time to start an online course. You can learn a new skill without leaving the house. We live in a golden age of online learning. You can learn how to crochet on YouTube, study financial
Attention picture book writers. If you have an original picture book manuscript burning a hole in your proverbial drafts’ drawer, now’s the time to pick it up and dust it off. The 2020 Writers Unleashed Picture Book Writing Competition is now open and is offering some sweet prizes. First prize
It’s a celebration of children’s books this week as the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) announced their list of Notable Books for the 2020 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. We’ll find out which books are selected for the shortlist later this year. But for now, we’re jumping for
We’re absolutely thrilled that our amazing presenter Lesley Gibbes has published another children’s book. Three Little Mermaids, which is beautifully illustrated by Lisa Stewart, is out now with Scholastic Australia. Lesley is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for children. Her chapter book series Fizz has been
We already knew that AWC presenter Pamela Freeman was amazing but now we think she’s stratospheric! She currently has not one, not two, not five, but NINE books under contract! Incredible. We were so impressed by this feat that we had to ask Pamela just what it means to have
We’re only a few weeks in but this year has already been a rough ride, with so many other things to distract and deter you from your wordsmithery. So as the entrance gates to Twenty Twenty start to fade in the rear-view mirror, it’s a great time to sit up
There are few things more satisfying than completing a manuscript. And there are few things more challenging and isolating than the process of writing that manuscript! The act of writing a book is usually a lonely experience, immersing yourself deep in your story and your own mind. But you don’t
What if the only way to keep your job was to antagonise your boss? Happy 2020 everyone, and this week we have a new book from award-winning author, Elliot Perlman. It’s called Maybe the Horse Will Talk and here’s a synopsis: Stephen Maserov has problems. A one-time teacher, married to
If you’re a lover of words, at some point you might decide to explore writing fiction. Perhaps you’ve been scribbling out short stories for years, or you may have suddenly developed an itch to tell tales. In any case, taking a course is a great way to start you off
It was the day before Christmas and throughout the world, writers sat waiting and curiosity swirled. Whose holiday was about to get merrier? Let’s find out – here were the criteria… Each story had to include SOMETHING EITHER BEING SENT OR RECEIVED IN THE MAIL. Each story had to include
It was a hot weekend in November when we held our Writing Picture Books course in Perth, the last for 2019. Five students from across the city got together to spend two days learning about the craft of picture books with award-winning author Judith Rossell. In fact, one particularly eager
Every year there are hundreds of literary events across Australia (and the world!). The great news is that these are not just confined to the major cities, with events also being held in regional areas. We’ve whipped up a calendar of Australian writers’ festivals for 2020 so get out your
If you can’t quite believe that 2019 is almost over, don’t worry, you’re not alone! We hope you’ve had a great year with many wonderful achievements. And guess what? 2020 is right around the corner! Which means you can already start planning all the incredible things you’re going to do
Our Brisbane classroom was buzzing earlier this month, with children’s author Zanni Louise leading the weekend Writing Picture Books course. “The course went really well,” Zanni told us. “There was a very warm, positive energy, and heaps of great story ideas.” A typical Writing Picture Books classroom course will have
Writing is a surprisingly physical experience. When you’re caught in the middle of a story, hours can pass while you tap at your keyboard or scratch away at your notebook. When inspiration catches you, time becomes irrelevant. And when you finally step away from your desk, you may find that
Do you write middle grade or young adult fiction? We are excited to share with you this new competition. The Matilda Literature Prize is a brand new inaugural prize from the folks at HarperCollins. The winner of this prize will receive a publishing deal and a $10,000 advance against royalties.
The Penguin Literary Prize 2019 is now open for submissions. Do you have an unpublished manuscript burning a hole in your proverbial drawer? The Penguin Literary Prize value is a whopping $20,000 with the winner also receiving a book every month for a year. Plus, winners have the potential to
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