Local illustrator Freya Blackwood was the special guest with family, friends and supporters at the weekend celebrations for her latest collaboration with author Libby Gleeson titled Look, a Book! The event was hosted by Collins Booksellers. About the book: Amongst the jumble of modern living two children find a book. It is a bright red beacon in the muted and desolate environment in which they live as they open the pages their world awakens and so does their imaginations! It is a beautiful book with the exquisite design carried through onto the cover making it look loved - like a book should.

Are you a children's book author? Would you like to have your book on the world stage? Australian Self-publishing group are calling for expressions of interest for any author who would like their book to premier at the Bologna Children's book fair in March 2012. Bologna is the main children's book fair in the world and where all the publishers, agents, and distributors of children's books go to get new titles.

This is a face to face book fair where they make appointments with industry professionals and show them Australian author's books. If you have a children's book (ages1 to 18) or will have one before March 2012 then contact them for inclusion and get your name in. Spaces are limited for this fair so do not hesitate to get in touch.

Contact William at: www.australianselfpublishinggroup.com Email: publishaspg@gmail.com Australian self publishing group: Promoting Australian author's to the world.

QUP are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts including:

"Children's and young adult from the 14 January 2011 to the 31 January 2011.

Manuscripts postmarked before or after these dates will not be accepted. Due to the volume of submissions, we will not accept follow-up phone calls, letters or emails. Please ensure that the below submission guidelines are followed or your submission will be returned.

Please note we are not accepting the following genres of children's and young adult manuscripts: Fantasy and speculative fiction for children and young adults; Picture books for children; Poetry for children and young adults; Series fiction for children and young adults.

We are only accepting:

Young adult fiction; Middle reader fiction; Younger reader fiction; and Non-fiction for children and young adults."

For more details, go to the website: http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/faqs.php

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for the Arts Simon Crean announced the four winners of the 2010 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Australia's richest literary prize:

Eva Hornung, Grace Karskens, Bill Condon and Lorraine Marwood each received $100,000 for their winning books which were selected from a field of over 330 entries.

The winner of the Fiction award is Eva Hornung for her outstanding novel Dog Boy. This daring novel with ancient folkloric and literary traditions of children lost, then raised and nurtured in the animal world was chosen for its testing but triumphant feat of the imagination.

The winning entry for Non-fiction is Grace Karskens' The Colony: A History of Early Sydney an intimate account of the transformation of a campsite in a beautiful cove to the town that later became Sydney, was praised by the judges for its high literary quality and originality.

This year the Prime Minister's Literary Awards included two new categories; Children's and Young adult fiction. The inaugural Young adult fiction winner is Bill Condon's Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God. This poignant, funny and deeply insightful rite of passage novel is about a student who attends a Catholic boys' school in 1967. The pain of first love and the morality attached to individual life choices is made contemporary in a work praised by the judges as one of tremendous honesty and integrity.

The Children's fiction winner is Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood, a verse novel told through the eyes of a young girl depicting the joys and heartbreaks of a farming family as they struggle to cope with the devastating effects of long-term drought. According to the judges it was the 'surprise package' in the list and the voice in which it is written is appealing, authentic and irresistible.

Mr Crean said the Prime Minister's Literary Awards celebrate the important contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life and reflect the government's commitment to supporting a strong and vibrant arts community. Congratulations to all.

Arts Minister Peter Garrett has announced 29 great Australian titles that have made it onto the 2010 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists. Minister Garrett said being shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards is a great achievement for authors that will bring further public recognition of their writing. For the first time, Young Adult Fiction and Children's Fiction categories have been added to the awards. Here is the Fiction shortlist: Summertime, J.M. Coetzee; The Book of Emmett, Deborah Forster; The Lakewoman, Alan Gould; Dog Boy, Eva Hornung; Ransom, David Malouf Lovesong, Alex Miller; and As the Earth turns Silver, Alison Wong. The Children's Fiction shortlist includes Harry and Hopper, Margaret Wild and illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Find out more about the shortlists at www.arts.gov.au/pmliteraryawards/shortlists

Congratulations to our very own Freya Blackwood who has won The Kate Greenwood Medal, the UK's most prestigious children's illustration award. Her prize-winning illustrations are inspired by the memory of a beloved pet dog in Harry & Hopper. The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children. It is named after the popular nineteenth century artist known for her fine children's illustrations and designs. The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people. To read more http://www.booksellers.co.nz/book-news/trade-news/freya-blackwood-wins-2010-cilip-kate-greenaway-medal or http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/

Dogs, cats, forest fauna, rabbits in top hats, graveyard ghosts, imaginary headgear, a bizarre crowning glory and a band of kids determined to get their own back on a horrible teacher parade across the pages of the eight books shortlisted for this year's the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Kate Greenaway Medal, the UK's oldest and most prestigious award for children's book illustration. In their widely contrasting styles, the illustrations in these eight shortlisted titles encourage children of all ages to consider the world in new ways from the place between magic and reality (Leon and the Place Between); the sad death of a much-loved pet (Harry and Hopper illustrated by Freya Blackwood with text by Margaret Wild); the importance of looking after our environment (The Great Paper Caper); the power of the imagination (Millie's Marvellous Hat and Crazy Hair); life after death (The Graveyard Book); what teamwork can achieve (The Dunderheads), and the sheer playfulness of felines (There Are Cats in This Book). The Chair of this year's CILIP Kate Greenaway judging panel is Margaret Pemberton:"The 2010 shortlist proves that picture books are not just for pre-schoolers. Illustrations can enrich the reading experience of all age-groups, and the eight titles in contention for the 2010 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal are outstanding examples of this".

The 2010 winners will be announced at a ceremony at BAFTA in central London on Thursday 24th June. WooHoo! Congratultations on being shortlisted Freya. For more details go to: http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway/current_shortlist.php http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/greenaway_illustrators.php

Illustrator Freya Blackwood and writer Margaret Wild's book Harry and Hopper is in the running for the Patricia Wrightson Prize (children's literature) in the Premier's Literary Awards. Freya has also been nominated in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards (early Childhood) for her work with author Libby Gleeson in the book Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House. Here's some more details about the Harry and Hopper: Ever since he was a jumpy little puppy, Hopper has done everything with Harry. One day when Harry comes home from school Hopper isn't there to greet him and Harry realises his dog will never be there again. The shock and grief Harry feels at the sudden death of his beloved pet is all-consuming and he deals with it in his own way. But he gradually learns that in his memory Hopper can be with him always. Margaret Wild's story is poignant, warm and ultimately satisfying. There is an economy or words in her writing style that convey the story of this special relationship with style and the touch of a true professional. Freya Blackwood's expressive and tender illustrations capture the mood of the story perfectly and enhance the relationship between Harry and his dog. A definite tear jerker for all ages. Check out Freya's website www.freyablackwood.net and Margaret Wild's www.scholastic.com.au/common/books/contributor_profile.asp?ContributorID=66&channel=kids And to read about all the shortlisted writers head to: www.pla.nsw.gov.au/awards-shortlists.

Join in talks by author Libby Gleeson and local illustrator Freya Blackwood when they tell school children about their latest book Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House. The book is published by Little Hare Books and was launched just this month. It is about a little boy called Clancy who has moved to a new house that is huge and unfamiliar. He is missing his old house terribly - the new house is much too big and much too lonely. How will he ever make it his home? As despair takes hold Clancy hears a small voice. Soon, Clancy with the help of his new friend Millie is building towers to the sky and trains to the street outside, and together they build the home that Clancy thought he had lost forever. Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood will be speaking at Orange City Library on Friday 30 October at these times: 9.30am – 10.30am; 11.30am – 12.30pm; 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Come along and sit in on one of the talks by this award-winning team. The event is supported by Boomers Bookshop & ABC Centre. They will also be siging books on Saturday morning (1st Nov) at the bookstore from 11am.

Winner of The Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing in 2009 is... Leanne Hall for This Is Shyness. Text are excited about Leanne's compelling novel about two teenagers finding their place in a world that is increasingly difficult to understand. This is Shyness follows Wolfboy and Wildgirl through one night in Shyness, a city where the sun never rises. On a quest to retrieve a stolen card, they confront the menacing Kidds and push themselves to the boundaries of their fears as they help each other face the pain in their lives. It's a highly original story from an exciting new talent. Text would like to thank all those who entered the competition and to congratulate the shortlisted writers. The standard of entries was extremely high. Please watch the Text website for details of the 2010 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing. And keep writing! Text hope you have been following the success of last year's winner The Billionaire's Curse, which is on sale now. The rights have already been sold into five territories, and author Richard Newsome is appearing at the Melbourne Writers Festival. To read an interview with Leanne Hall and to find out more about this competition go to the Text Publishing website www.textpublishing.com.au