Recipient of the Lady Cutler Award 2026-2027

HUGE Congratulations to Deborah Abela on receiving the Lady Cutler Award 2026-2027.

The Lady Cutler Award is a bi-ennial award, administered by the CBCA NSW Branch, for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature. It commemorates the contribution to the Children’s Book Council NSW Branch by Lady Helen Cutler, its first patron.

Author, Deborah “is so thrilled to receive an award for something I truly love. Being part of the kids' book community and to write and work with kids is a privilege I've been lucky enough to do since 2002.”

Deborah will be presented with her award at a special ceremony on November 14, 2026. Well done Deborah, what a wonderful achievement!

New MG for Debra Clewer

Congratulations to author, Debra Clewer on the publication of

Harriet and Will : The Secret Gold

a paperback MG, for readers aged 9-13 years, with book cover illustrations by Joel Broughton, published by Lilly Pilly Grace Publishing.

When Harriet Cooper and Will Taylor embark on a school excursion they hurtle through history to three gold rush locations. When Harriet discovers gold sovereigns and a nugget missing for 100 years, will she be allowed to keep them?

Capture a young reader’s imagination by purchasing this book HERE.

ACT Literacy Award 2026 - Winner!

Huge congratulations to author, Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrator, Ingrid Bartkowiak on winning the ACT Literary Award for

Peculiar Parents

a hardback PB, for readers aged 6-12 years, published by NLA Publishing

Peculiar Parents explores the weirdly wonderful mating and parenting behaviours of sixty Australian native animals. It won the Children's Nonfiction Award in the ACT Literary Awards 2026, run by MARION Writers.

Peculiar Parents is also shortlisted for the Eve Pownall Award in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2026 and can be purchased HERE.