SCBWI SA Welcome to 2020

A wonderful bunch of SCBWI SA members met up at the Ed to welcome in the new year over drinks and dinner this month. In between the clinking of glasses, members had a chance to catch up with each other for the first time in several months. There was lots of chatter, plenty of laughs and much discussion about Adelaide Writers’ Week.

Members also accepted a challenge - find something you have in common with each other BESIDES being involved in the children's book industry. Many learnt some interesting, and often intriguing, facts about other members.

For example; Kelly and the two Davids still iron clothes (what a thrilling conversation that must have been).

Kristin, Kylie and Katrina are an alliterative trio of brunettes who coordinated their wardrobes and all chose to wear green dresses to dinner.

Becky and Kristin have both started out 2020 on a health kick.

Adam and Lauren each love a good mystery.

Becky and Katrina not only share a love of books. Both also adore dogs, koalas and the beach.

David C and Kristin are the barefoot gardners amongst us.

What do Simon, David L and David C have in common?

No their shirts dont match but this photo does hold the key.

*Answer at the end of this post.

Charlie, Lauren and Kylie have all been to Amsterdam . . . and had a good time (only they know how good).

By default, Becky and Mike have stacks in common - same address, same kids and they even sleep in the same bed (good to hear Mike’s not on the couch). So one intrepid reporter set out to find something they did not have in common. Anyone willing to have a guess which of the dynamic husband and wife duo are a real firecracker?

Such a terrific night spent together. Great company, good food and friendly atmosphere.

Until we meet in March.

Kelly Hibbert

˙ʎɹǝʍǝɹq sɹǝdooƆ ɔᴉuoɔuᴉ s’∀S ʇɹoddns ǝǝɹɥʇ ll∀*

Berbay Books Want your Submissions

From 1 January - 30 April Berbay Publishing is accepting chapter book and junior fiction submission for readers between the ages of 6 -12.

We'd like to see contemporary narratives, with or without a touch of whimsy, and stories that inspire the imagination. Authors can submit a cover letter and the first 50 pages of their novel to submissions@berbaybooks.com.

They'll receive an automatic email confirming receipt of their project, and if our editorial team is interested in seeing more of their work, we will contact them directly.

We kindly ask that authors submit only one project during open submission window.

Berbay is not accepting picture books, short stories, poetry or young adult fiction.

Threatened Tresaures Poetry Submissions

THE PROJECT:

Entitled ‘Threatened Treasures,’ the vision is to create an anthology of poetry, basic scientific text and Indigenous knowledge as it applies to some of the diverse, threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities of Australia. The aim is to create an exquisite book that will inspire curiosity, wonder, and hope, whilst recording, honouring and celebrating our country’s threatened treasures.

The children for whom this book is being created will grow into the adults who will, in part, be responsible for the ongoing nurture and care of our unique Australian environment. We hope that the book’s contents will play a role in developing the love, care and empathy that will be a catalyst to current and future affirmative action, contributing to species’ and ecological communities’ survival. We also hope that our readers will recognise, embrace and be inspired by the immense richness of Australia’s First Nations People’s relationship to Country and the fact that this relationship, imbued with knowledge, is the foundation of the thousands of years of ongoing stewardship, that has ensured the strengths that exist today, in Australia’s natural world.  

A well-qualified science research team has laid the foundation of the project by selecting species and ecosystems to be included in the anthology. For each Australian state and territory, the team has created a list of threatened flora, fauna and ecosystems, across various scientific sub-categories. They have referred to the Commonwealth Threatened Species List created under the EPBC Act. The science team also researched what conservation work is being conducted for each species and ecosystem. Each potential poetry subject has some conservation work associated with its survival which will help ensure that the book tells a story of hope.

WHO IS INVOLVED?

Mandy Langlois is a trained primary and special education teacher, with particular interests in early literacy, music education, the arts, equity and child welfare. She has 25 years teaching experience, have worked as a children’s entertainer and is now working on her first picture book as both author and illustrator. The book ‘Flora’s Basket’ will be published by Little Pink Dog Books.

As coordinator of the project, she is working with a large team of volunteers from the children’s literature community. They are assisting her to bring together this large project. The team includes scientists, web designers, editors, administrators, researchers, writer, illustrators, publishers, academics and others.

FUNDING/ROYALTIES:

Whilst the project is being propelled by voluntary contributions, we will be seeking a traditional publisher for the anthology. Once a contract is secured, all earnings and royalties will be donated directly to two organisations. 50% of earnings will go to Bush Heritage and 50% to the cultural fund of Magabala Books. These two organisations have been selected for their commitment to ecological conservation and to the preservation of Indigenous knowledge. 

* Here is a link to an article about Bush Heritage’s ‘Right Way,’ conservation approach https://www.bushheritage.org.au/what-we-do/science

*Here is a link to an article about Magabala Books cultural projects https://www.magabala.com/pages/cultural-projects

Should you agree to participate, you can select from this list of threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities. From this list, you can choose which subject/s you would like to write about. Please note that the most popular subjects are furry and feathered creatures, less popular subjects are insects, plants and spiders. 

If you have a poem that has already been published elsewhere, that you feel would suit this anthology, we would be grateful for permission to re-publish. You will maintain copyright for any of your work that is published in this anthology.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Should you intend participating in the project, would you please reply to this email by March 13th 2020 at threatenedtreasures@gmail.com with the subject line “Intention to Submit: Invited author/poet.” 

The deadline for poem submissions, for yourself and other invited contributors is Friday 8th May 2020. Please submit via threatenedtreasures@gmail.com with the subject line “Invited author/poem subject/your name.”

Poems should be no longer than 30 lines in length, excluding the title.

THEME OF THE BOOK:

As stated, the anthology is about Australia’s threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities. It is an anthology about Country.

The underlying theme of this anthology is ‘hope,’ which we seek to evoke through creating a beautiful and engaging book, via its text and illustrations.

Whilst there is heightened concern about the reasons for the extinction crisis that Australia is facing, ie drought, water mismanagement, feral animals, climate change, warming sea temperatures, fires, land clearing, over development, floods, cyclones etc. We will not be including poems which refer to natural disasters and mismanagement.

For more information and submission guidelines, please head to the submissions page of our website www.threatenedtreasures

threatenedtreasures@gmail.com