Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators - Australia West

On Sunday SCBWI West Illustration Coordinator ran a making workshop for members and it looked like a wonderful time! Members, be sure to read your newsletters and check our website for up coming events, we have plenty planned and there’s something for everyone. Thank you Briony and thanks to those who came along, looked like a whole lot of fun!

Something interesting is heading our way…
Keep your eyes peeled and stay tuned!

What a magical night for SCBWI West tonight at the CBCA WA Book Week Dinner 🌟.

A huge round of applause for our talented members who won CBCA Book of the Year Awards.

Kelly Canby- Picture Book of the Year 🏆 Briony Stewart - Early Reader of the Year 🏆
Peter Cheong - Shadow Judge Award for Picture Book of the Year 🏆
Mark Greenwood and Frane Lessac - Eve Pownall Honour Book

Congratulations to the fabulous Sally Murphy, children’s author, poet and beloved SCBWI West member, who gave an inspiring speech about the magic of reading and story.

It was heartwarming to see so many of our members come together to celebrate these achievements and support the CBCA in their mission to connect, celebrate and advocate for the value of stories. The energy and support in the room was truly inspiring.

Thankyou CBCA for a great night! Book Week of 2024 is officially open. Let’s keep the magic of books alive for our young readers!

Congratulations Dianne 👏

I’m deeply honoured that Scout and the Rescue Dogs was chosen from a stellar shortlist to be awarded Children’s Book of the Year in the WA Premier’s Book Awards. Thank you to the judges, State Library, writingWA, WA govt, and all who organise these awards. Bouquets also to Tony Flowers and the terrific team at Walker Books 💐🐾🥂

Congratulations Kylie!

What a night!! 🥂

Congrats Peter Cheong

Every Night at Midnight is a finalist for the 2024 Crystal Kite Awards!! Thank you everyone and congratulations to all the finalists!



Posted • It’s time to vote for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 2024 Crystal Kite Awards.

Here are the finalists for the Australia, New Zealand and Oceania region. Voting closes on the 21st of June.

I’ve voted. Have you?

Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists.

Tuatara, A Living Treasure
✍️ Katie Furze
🎨 Ned Barraud

My Brain is Magic
✍️ Prasha Sooful
🎨 Geeta Ladi

Hanukkah Upside Down
✍️ Elissa Brent Weissman
🎨 Omer Hoffmann .hoffmann

Neil, the Boring Amazing Sea Cucumber
✍️ Amelia McInerney
🎨 Lucinda Gifford

Anchored
✍️ Debra Tidball
🎨 Arielle Li .art

Every Night at Midnight
✍️ & 🎨 Peter Cheong

From Pen to Print: A Roadmap for Independent Authors - with Kristy Nita Brown - Author
When: Sunday 28 July 10:00am – 12:30pm
Where: State Library of WA, Great Southern Room. Note: This room is accessed via a glass lift and then one flight of stairs. If you have mobility issues or don't like heights please let us know so we can organise access via the goods lift.

Cost: $35 members (see newsletter for discount code)
$70 non-members. Includes light refreshments.

Dive into the world of independent publishing with Kristy Nita Brown, an indie author making waves with her books. This immersive workshop is designed for aspiring authors who dream of taking their stories from the pen to print, without the backing of traditional publishing houses. Kristy will help guide you from manuscript to marketplace.

Get tickets here:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1208434?

SCBWI Australia West’s most recent workshop, Child's Play: The Basics of Illustrating Kids' Books with James Foley (author/illustrator) was ink-redible!

Using his hilarious illustrations for ‘My Dead Rabbit’, James took us on a fascinating deep dive into his process. He explained how he considers body shape, colour palette, proportion, and silhouette to develop a cast of characters. And he delved into the intricacies of visual storytelling techniques such as point of view, font, vectors, boundaries, and more.

It was such a treat to hear James speak. He is a master at his craft and so generous with his time, knowledge, and humour. So many insights. So many Aha! moments. You could almost see the cartoon lightbulbs pinging above our heads as he spoke!

There's still time to grab a ticket for tomorrow's workshop with the fabulous James Foley (author/illustrator) SCBWIS. :)

It's time to start getting excited for our upcoming SCBWI West events in May!! One in particular being:

Child's Play: The Basics of Illustrating Kid's Books with James Foley (author/illustrator)
When: Sunday 26 May
Time: 10am-1pm
Presented by James Foley. This 3 hour workshop will cover character design, storyboarding, layout, typography, media choice, final art, working with publishers, submitting portfolios to publishers, traditional vs digital. Everything you need to know to get started on your own projects, and will include plenty of time for questions.

Book your ticket here:

https://www.scbwi.org/regions/australiawest/our-events

Cost: $35 members / $70 non-members. Includes light refreshments. Please see Newsletter for promotion code in order to receive SCBWI member rates.

Still time to grab a ticket for this superb workshop happening this weekend!!!

It's time to start getting excited for our upcoming SCBWI West events in May!! One in particular being:

Child's Play: The Basics of Illustrating Kid's Books with James Foley (author/illustrator)
When: Sunday 26 May
Time: 10am-1pm
Presented by James Foley. This 3 hour workshop will cover character design, storyboarding, layout, typography, media choice, final art, working with publishers, submitting portfolios to publishers, traditional vs digital. Everything you need to know to get started on your own projects, and will include plenty of time for questions.

Book your ticket here:

https://www.scbwi.org/regions/australiawest/our-events

Cost: $35 members / $70 non-members. Includes light refreshments. Please see Newsletter for promotion code in order to receive SCBWI member rates.

So nice to see so many of our SCBWI Australia West community on The Western Australian 2024 Premier's Children's Book of the Year Award shortlist.

Congratulations to all.

Excited and humbled to be shortlisted in this years WA Premier's Book Awards with such talented creators who are also great friends ... even a wife! Frané Lessac - Books and Art Julia Lawrinson Dianne Wolfer - Author Gabriel Evans - Author & Illustrator Kylie Howarth Creative Walker Books Australia

It's time to start getting excited for our upcoming SCBWI West events in May!! One in particular being:

Child's Play: The Basics of Illustrating Kid's Books with James Foley (author/illustrator)
When: Sunday 26 May
Time: 10am-1pm
Presented by James Foley. This 3 hour workshop will cover character design, storyboarding, layout, typography, media choice, final art, working with publishers, submitting portfolios to publishers, traditional vs digital. Everything you need to know to get started on your own projects, and will include plenty of time for questions.

Book your ticket here:

https://www.scbwi.org/regions/australiawest/our-events

Cost: $35 members / $70 non-members. Includes light refreshments. Please see Newsletter for promotion code in order to receive SCBWI member rates.

Today in The Great Southern Room some of our SCBWI Australia West tribe congregated to hear the sensational share her stagecraft and speaking secrets for creatives.

Cristy didn’t disappoint sharing personal and professional anecdotes, tips and tricks to inspire our kid lit crew to think about how they can serve their audience, be authentic and structure their speaking gigs effectively.

Don’t worry if you missed out on this event. We’ve got many more happening throughout the year which you can discover here:

www.scbwi.org/regions/australiawest/our-events

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Stagecraft and Speaking for Creatives - with

When: Sunday 21 April

Time: 1.30pm-4.30pm

Where: State Library of WA, Great Southern Room

Cost: $35 SCBWI members (see Newsletter for promotion code) / $70 non-members. Includes light refreshments.

Tickets: Via TryBooking at https://www.trybooking.com/CQATO

Whether you love the limelight or go weak at the knees, your public speaking skills are a gateway to engaging your audience, amplifying your message and empowering your career. Join Cristy Burne in this 3 hour workshop. Learn tips and tricks of body language, stage presence, storytelling and more. Try your hand at Donald Trump arms, take the pregnant pause challenge, find new ways to lean into your own unique stage style, and walk away with a suite of new tools and ideas to level up your speaking.

Cristy is an award-winning internationally published Australian children’s author and STEM journalist working on the intersection of story, science, technology and creativity. Whether she’s working from the stage, through a book or in a workshop, Cristy’s message of courageous learning and creative thinking is experiential, exciting, engaging, inspiring and FUN. A scientist, journalist and speaker for more than 20 years, Cristy uses her platform as a science writer and children’s author to empower audiences of all ages to think critically and creatively.

The Publishing Auction is LIVE! Auction proceeds benefit the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, a 501(c)3 nonprofit literacy organization. You can bid on some amazing items, including the below from us!

️2025 New York In-person Conference Package: free conference admission and two hotel room nights for one winner.

The auction closes February 16th so start bidding! 32Auctions.com/LKBF2024

Big congratulations to our own executive director, Sarah Baker! 🎉 🎊

Sarah is a newly-minted debut illustrator, adding beautiful drawings to the words of author Laura Gehl

We look forward to seeing this wonderful collaboration hit the bookshelves. We see you, Sarah, and we’re so happy for you.

Our annual xmas SCBWI Australia West do, children's creatives catch up. So nice to see everyone!

Jodie Davidson Art Jasmine Berry Steve Heron Author Aśka Storytelling HM Waugh Catherine Carvell Suzette Teixeira Alyssa Curtayne J ze Morrell Jeanette Stampone - Author Kylie Howarth Creative James Foley (author/illustrator) Renae Hayward Kristy Nita Brown - Author

Young Readers Day Out was a spectacular success at the State Library of Western Australia yesterday. SCBWI Australia West members entertained a crowd of excited kids and adults by singing, sciencing, dancing, drawing and reading from their super children's books, for all ages.

Thanks to all who came along and to all involved! We can't wait for next year's event!

Chenée Marrapodi Sean E Avery Tracey Dembo - Author Cristy Burne - Author and science writer Julia Lawrinson Writer Sally Murphy Renae Hayward Teena Raffa-Mulligan.Author Jen Sherrington Jennifer Falker and Renee Treml

2023 Xmas Crew. Such a lovely day by the river catching up with this crazy crew. Merry Christmas everyone!

The flag’s up. We’re at Matilda Bay! Hope to see you here at our annual SCBWI Australia West Xmas party!!!!

YOUNG READER’S DAY OUT
This Sunday 26 November at the State Library.

Meet and be entertained by leading WA authors and illustrators Chenee Marrapodi, Cristy Burne, Julia Lawrinson, Jennifer Falkner, Jen Sherrington, Renae Haywood, Renee Treml, Sally Murphy, Sean Avery, Sharon Giltrow, Teena Raffa-Mulligan and Tracey Dembo.

Light morning tea for children and all materials for activities will be provided.

For tots to teens and those young at heart.

For more information and tickets, visit https://slwa.wa.gov.au/whats-on/young-readers-day-out

Registration for the SCBWI 2024 VIRTUAL Winter Conference is officially OPEN!

Can't make it to the In-Person Winter Conference in New York City? Join us at this online event featuring the recorded keynotes and panels from the New York Conference, a choice of three deep-dive Creative Labs, a live marketing pitch-off with the opportunity to win money to market your book PLUS networking and peer critique opportunities! Video recordings of all the Virtual Conference sessions will be made available to attendees for 30 days after the event under RESOURCES.

(and a round of applause for aka Peili Huang for making our incredible conference art
To see more of Peili's work check out her Instagram or website https://www.peiliart.com/)

Register Here: https://www.scbwi.org/events/scbwi-virtual-winter-conference

2024 is just around the corner (how did that happen??). Which means it’s almost time for Perth Festival and it’s wonderful Writers’ Weekend.

I’ll be on a panel with Kylie Howarth Creative and Rebecca M Newman - Children's writer & poet talking about all things kids books!

Here's the official blurb:

"The creative minds of James Foley (Secret Agent Mole), Kylie Howarth (Crocs Stole My Socks) and Rebecca M Newman (Right Way Down) come together for an exhilarating conversation hosted by Writing WA Chair Lesley Reece AM. Join us as we delve into the secrets of crafting engaging stories for young minds and celebrate the wonders of storytelling."

DATE: Saturday 24 February, 2024
WHEN: 10am
WHERE: State Library of WA, Perth CBD
AGES: all ages
TICKETS: pay what you can (recommended price, $25)
https://www.perthfestival.com.au/events/telling-tales/

Perth Festival Fremantle Press Writing WA Scholastic Australia

To say last night's SCBWI Australia West Literary Speed Dating event was a roaring success would be an understatement!

Congrats to all connections made, and a huge thank you to creators, teachers, librarians, program officers and other industry professionals who attended.