From: Erzsi Deak <erzsi>
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 14:31:38 +0200

What timing! As the International Coordinator for the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), I wanted to put in a plug for author and regional advisor to Australia, Jen McVeity. She has just been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to spend two months in 2003 visiting American publishers and agents to raise their awareness of Australian writers. Jen has lit the fire under the local chapters of the SCBWI and is now about to get a blaze of interest for children's and YA literature from Australia.

Regarding Australian picture books, you've mentioned favorites of mine -Mem Fox, Frane Lessac (originally from NY and also a regional advisor for the SCBWI) . . . Margaret Wild is another favorite, and Margaret Mahy (she writes pb's and for the older set, too). . .

Mem Fox's book, WILFRID GORDON McDONALD PARTRIDGE, remains one of my all-time favorite picture books for it's sensitive and yet humorous take on memory (or the lack-there-of). . . Margaret Wild's text's are brief and exacting, especially for the little littles. She has a new one coming out called KISS KISS (illustrated by French?sed illustrator Bridget Strevens-Marzo) that uses precise language (few words) to tell the story of love between a mother and child. . .


Erzsi Deak SCBWI International Coordinator Paris, France email: erzsi at kidbookpros.com
Received on Fri 05 Jul 2002 07:31:38 AM CDT