New Zealand had quite a presence at the Australia East/NZ Conference with both Frances Plumpton and Maria Gill participating in panel discussions, roving and reporting and assisting in critiques.
Maria Gill was one of the Dynamic Duos who, along with her publisher Claire Halifax, Scholastic Australia, discussed the process of researching her award-winning book Anzac Heroes. She was also very busy as one of the indefatigable Roving Reporters.
Frances Plumpton joined Suzanne Gervay to talk about SCBWI’s involvement with the Bologna Book Fair and then chaired the Ideas to Publication panel where Lisa Berryman (editor HarperCollins) writer Jen Storer and illustrator Lucinda Gifford talked about their work on The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack, and Belinda Murrell, author and Selina Geddes, illustrator about their collaboration on the very popular Lulu Bell series (Penguin RandomHouse). Frances also met with several writers whose work she critiqued.
Maria Gill was also one of the stellar lineup of authors and illustrators who talked about their latest titles at The Children’s Bookshop, Beecroft on Wednesday evening.
NZ SCBWI members should check out the Storylines The Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand awards for writers and illustrators. Unpublished writers are eligible for the Tom Fitzgibbon Award for a manuscript for readers 7-13, unpublished illustrators for the Gavin Bishop Award and the Joy Cowley picture book award is open for both published or unpublished writers.
Several Australia East/NZ SCBWI members presented papers at the very successful IBBY World Congress held in Auckland in August and attended by almost 500 delegates from 60 countries.
Frances Plumpton
