Happy New Year! We hope you've had a relaxing and creative break, and are ready and inspired to launch into 2025! For our first event of the year, we had a fantastic line-up at Docklands, Melbourne on Saturday 8 February. The event was sold out and had a lengthy waiting list, so unfortunately there were people who missed out.
To kick off the afternoon we began with our usual Show and Tell Segment. A round of applause for all these talented creators who shared their lastest book news!
Our first member speaker was author, Cassy Polimeni, a children’s author and freelance editor based in Melbourne. Her debut picture book, The Garden at the End of the World (UQP) was a CBCA Notable Book in 2024. She is also the author of Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra, the first in a four-book junior fiction series with UWAP (Ella and the Sleepover Safari is due out in March 2025). Cassy won Just Write For Kids Pitch It! in 2020, and received an ASA Award Mentorship in 2022. She has worked as a bookseller and magazine editor, and been published in The Guardian, Destinations Australia, and Destinations Victoria magazines.
It was great to hear how Cassy’s experience at the Global Seed Bank in Norway inspired her to write her picture book and how it went on to be a published book.
Our second member speaker was illustrator, Deb Hudson who creates whimsical artwork that transports viewers into enchanting worlds, drawing from her childhood imagination and diverse experiences, including teaching in Japan and studying Fine Arts. Her distinctive bright and happy style has earned her collaborations with major clients like Penguin Books Australia and Walt Disney Studios, with her work appearing across picture books, greeting cards, and home goods.
Deb loved art from a very early age and she shared her experiences and journey as a picture book creator and illustrator.
We stopped for our networking afternoon tea which gives everyone a chance to chat and catch up while enjoying pastries and tea or coffee. Although the boiling water tap proved to be a bit finicky, I hope everyone managed to get a hot drink!
Our guest speaker was the very generous Alyson O’Brien, Publishing Director at Little Book Press. She has worked in children’s publishing for 15 years, in both the editorial and commissioning departments.
Alyson has published a wide range of beloved titles, such as The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name (Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira), Jetty Jumping (Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville) and more recently for Little Book Press Almost a Fish (Julianne Negri and Evie Barrow), Two Turtles (Kiah Thomas and Jake Minton) and Little Angler (Zoe Gaetjens and Heidi McKinnon).
Alyson talked through the current Australian Top 10 Picture Books. She also discussed her role at Little Book Press, and what she looks for in a manuscript. There was a lively Q&A at the end with Alyson.
Before we let Alyson go, she drew the names of two lucky door prize winners who each received a book from Cassy and Deb. Congratulations!
Thank you to everyone who came along to make the afternoon such a vibrant and inspiring one. And a big welcome to all our new members! We hope to see you again soon!
And another big thank you to our wonderful speakers, Cassy Polimeni, Alyson O’Brien and Deb Hudson.
Thank you as always to our tireless leader, Caz Goodwin who contributes a lot of her time to put together these wonderful events, with enthusiastic support from the rest of the Committee, Judy Watson, Amy Adeney and myself, Kaye Baillie.
Mark your calendars for our next gathering on May 10, 2025 at Library at the Dock, Melbourne. It’s going to be another fantastic gathering so if you can, please consider booking early.