AustLit

'Australian writer Margaret Wild was short-listed in the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Awards, to the delight of her compatriots. In her more than one hundred books for children and young adults, she has attracted universal acclaim for her splendid, highly layered writing, which is spare and yet suggestively complex. In books that canvas a wide range of challenging topics, her respect for young readers, and her unwillingness to shield children from uncomfortable truths, have been paramount. She is one of Australia’s most revered picturebook creators, and this acknowledgment has cemented her international reputation.'  (Publication summary)

'Australian reading advocates have the right to be proud of their many achievements in promoting literacy but one of the most recent initiatives is something to be truly celebrated. For, on 11 February 2020, the sixth Australian Children's Laureate - Ursula Dubosarsky (2020-21) - was announced to follow the five who have previously held this prestigious position - Boori Monty Pryor and Alison Lester (2012-13) who shared the role, Jackie French (2014-15), Leigh Hobbs (2016-17) and Morris Gleitzman (2018-19).' (Introduction)

'Richard Yaxley has in recent years received the sort of acclaim that many writers dream of. But his is not the overnight success publishing story but rather the years of hard work leading to very welcome success' story. For thirty years he has been a highly respected teacher and writer but the accolades he has received for his young adult novels have now cemented his reputation.' (Introduction)

'One of the many benefits of attending biennial International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY) Congresses in different countries, hosted by national sections, is meeting and befriending those engaged in book promotion all over the world and discovering how similar we are, despite our cultural differences. Doris Breitmoser has worked for The Association for Children's and Youth Literature (AKJ) Arbeitkreis fur Jugenliteratur for twenty years and has been its director since 2002. We met at the IBBY Congress in Santiago, Spain in 2010, again in 2014 in Mexico City, and most recently in 2016 in Auckland , NZ. Doris's work with AKJ is truly inspiring and so I share it with you here.' (Introduction)

'In October 2016, Australian readers lost one of their most significant and best-loved picture book creators. Narelle Oliver (25 February 1960 - 3 October 2016) was an exquisite linocut artist, and gifted writer and illustrator of fifteen picture books, and also collaborated on several other texts ... ' (Introduction)