Roving Reporter - Maria Gill wins Gold!

This year’s SCBWI Sydney Conference Roving Reporter team are part of a collection of exceedingly gifted and talented volunteers. You have already met one of them, Maria Gill. Now, read all about her latest accolade, taking out the prestigious Margaret Mahy Book of the Year prize in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Hearty congratulations, Maria, Arww! You do us proud.

Maria Gill photo attributed to the NZ Herald

Here’s what the NZ Herald had to say about the win:

'A non-fiction book commemorating Anzac heroes from both world wars has taken out the top prize at today's New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Maria Gill's Anzac Heroes was crowned Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at a ceremony at Wellington's Circa Theatre tonight.

It also won the Elsie Locke award for the best non-fiction book. Together the prizes are worth $15,000.

The competition's judges described the book as "simply stunning, with gold-standard production values".

Teacher-librarian Fiona Mackie, who convened the judging panel, said it "was impossible to put down".

Featuring life-like illustration by Marco Ivancic, maps, fact boxes and a medal room, Anzac Heroes "brings to life the people who risked everything, left everything and lost everything" including nurses, pilots, soldiers and spies.

The annual awards celebrate Kiwi authors' and illustrators' contributions to building national identity and cultural heritage, and are run in conjunction with the Hell Pizza Children's Choice Awards.

Hell Pizza's general manager Ben Cumming said the Kiwi-owned company was "really encouraged" by kids' responses to this year's awards.'

Read full article here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11689629

#SCBWISyd

Meet the New Recruit!

The ocean is a capricious mistress at the best of times. One never knows which way her winds will blow and so it is with leaden hearts we bid one of our most idiosyncratic crewmembers farewell. Roving Reporter, Nette Hilton has had to jump ship as it were and is no longer able to attend the Conference. Fear not Nette for you will not miss out! We have recruited a new Rover keen to share all and sundry with you and anyone else who cannot make it to Sydney this year.

Charlotte Calder

So raise your voices and sing a welcome shanty for Roving Reporter, Charlotte Calder.

Charlotte Calder is the author of four YA novels published by Pan Macmillan, a picture book - Stuck! and a junior historical novel The Ghost at the Point, both published by Walker Books. Stuck! illustrated by Mark Jackson, was a CBCA Notable Book, 2010. 

Another picture book, The Twelfth Dog (Hachette, Lothian Books imprint) is coming out at the end of January 2017, illustrated by the brilliant Tom Jellett.  All about a naughty pooch who won’t give the ball back in a backyard game of cricket.

Charlotte lives with her husband, two dogs, a cat and two beautiful thoroughbreds saved from the knackery in a beautiful spot near Orange in the central west of NSW. Plus their three adult children when they drop in for the weekend. These days her time and headspace tend to get gobbled up by pressing deadlines for her daytime job as a freelance copywriter, but she’s determined to get back to writing novels for kids - one of these days!  

Is this your first SCWBI Conference? If not how many have you attended, where?

This is my second CBCA conference, after 2014 at the wonderful Hughenden, in Woollahra.

What is the most memorable (SCBWI) Conference experience you’ve had to date, or hope to have?

Getting to know so many kindred spirits, and feeling so energised by the end of it all!

As a creator in the Kids Literary Industry, what do you want to be best known for?

My books being loved by their readers. (And by relevant adults doesn’t go astray either!)

Name one thing you cannot live without.

Apart from the obvious, Big Stuff … how to limit it to one?? Smooches from four legged (and other) kids, olives, chocolate, roses, sunny days … Writing, naturally, and music … and BOOKS! 

Learn more about the rest of our Roving Reporters, here. And there’s more to come, when we share some tantalising tip bits about what to expect at this year’s Conference.

Rove you then!

Dimity

#SCBWISyd

Meet the Stowaway! A new Rover Revealed

Look what we found lurking beneath the decks, another recruit for our burly crew of Roving Reporters. Please, bang your tankards together for, Kel Butler.

Kel is a newcomer to the writing game, having only discovered her passion for children’s literature and storytelling after becoming a parent, although it has always been a big part of her life in other ways. Prior to kids Kel had a long history in the film and television industry. Through reading to her children every day, Kel came to appreciate the nuances and dual storytelling of picture books and undertook the Writing Picture Books Course at the Australian Writer’s Centre.

Since then Kel has embraced the beauty in all forms of children’s books and dedicated herself to learning about the craft, expanding her knowledge and experience as a writer. She hopes to one day be a published author and is currently working on a couple of picture books, a young reader series and an adult fiction novel that came out of nowhere.

Kel’s passion for writing can only be surpassed by her passion for global literacy and education. Last year Kel came across the book “Creating Room to Read” by Room to Read founder John Wood and the soul connection was instant. From that moment Kel dedicated herself to the plight of global literacy and education. She is a volunteer for Room to Read working on the Writer Ambassador Program and helping to co-ordinate the World Change

Is this your first SCWBI Conference?

This is my first SCWBI Conference and I am very excited to be involved.

What is the most memorable (SCBWI) Conference experience you’ve had to date, or hope to have?

So far it was this year’s CBCA Conference but I am new to all this and have only just started attending.

As a creator in the Kids Literary Industry, what do you want to be best known for?

Writing great books that people can’t get enough of.

Name one thing you cannot live without.

There are two that hold equal weight for me. My people; my family, friends and communities. And stories. I can’t live a day without discovering a story, they are life’s other necessary nourishment.

Ahh, yes – stories – as essential to life as clear skies and calm seas. Now with a full complement of crew, I gaze toward the horizon, ready to bring this ship to shore and the SCBWI Sydney Conference 2016! Hope to see you there.

Rove you Later!

Dimity

#SCBWISyd