Event: Festivals
2022 Kids & YA Festival
Saturday 25 June 2022
10:00am – 6:00pm
Callan Park, Lilyfield
This event has already occurred.
Missed out on the Kids & YA Festival? Catch up on all the action in our round up.
You can also listen to our recorded sessions – Writing with Passion, a conversation with children’s authors Deb Abela and Belinda Murrell, is available to view here.
For insights into the publishing business, we’ve also recorded Building Career Longevity: Publicity, social media, marketing and resilience, a chat with Dot Tonkin, Paul Macdonald, Mick Elliott and Belinda Murrell. Catch up here.
Attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, wear a face mask during sessions, and comply with any other precautionary measures Writing NSW puts in place.
Now in its eleventh year, the 2022 Kids & YA Festival will be bigger and brighter than ever before.
Directed by award-winning, internationally published children’s author Belinda Murrell, this year’s Festival showcases some of Australia’s best-known and dearly loved authors, illustrators, publishers, media personnel and industry professionals, many of whom have achieved international success.
The 2022 Kids & YA Festival will examine emerging trends, engage with celebrated authors, and offer informative and inspiring sessions on writing for children and young adults.
The Kids and YA Festival will be held at Writing NSW in Callan Park, Lilyfield, on Saturday 25 June 2022.
Read Belinda Murrell’s article for Women’s Ink where she shares her insights into the industry.
Watch First Friday guest Belinda Murrell discuss her writing career, her writing practice, and what we can expect at the Kids & YA Festival.
More Information
Covid Safety
Writing NSW is working to keep our community safe. To ensure this, we require all attendees, speakers and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and require that face masks be worn during festival sessions. Inside the building, we are keeping the rooms well ventilated with the use of air purifiers.
If you are feeling unwell and experiencing any COVID-related symptoms on the day of the festival, you must stay at home and contact us to let us know. As an attendee, you will be required to follow all COVID safety measures in place by Writing NSW to ensure the health and wellbeing of our community. These measures are subject to change in response to the COVID situation and health advice.
Ordering Your Ticket
There are four different ticket options for you to choose from. As there are no cafes in Callan Park, attendees have the option to purchase their ticket with lunch included for an extra $16.50. Attendees who want to purchase the festival ticket only will need to bring their own lunch. Please see the lunch options here.
Ticket types:
- Festival only
- Festival + Lunch 1: Chicken Wrap
- Festival + Lunch 2: Honey Ham Roll
- Festival + Lunch 3: Roasted Veggies & Falafel
Ticket purchases that include lunch need to be made by midnight Wednesday 22 June.
Please note that attendees consent to their filming and sound recording as members of the audience. By purchasing a ticket to this event you agree to being filmed or photographed which may be used for marketing or promotional purposes.
Getting There
Writing NSW is located in Callan Park, Lilyfield. It’s accessible by bus and light rail, and there is parking available on-site. Writing NSW is walking distance from either Lilyfield light rail stops. We recommend you take the Wharf Rd or Glendale Dr entrance (as there are currently roadworks happening on Balmain Road opposite Cecily Street) and follow the orange signs to Writing NSW in Callan Park. On Google Maps, our location is listed as “Writing NSW”. For more information about how to get here please refer to our website here.
Book Seller
Better Read Than Dead will be selling titles from the festival speakers on the day. There will also be opportunities for book signings.
Pitching Sessions
Festival attendees have the opportunity to submit to be part of a pitching session. To prepare for the pitching sessions, read Belinda’s tips and go over the rules in this flyer.
You can download the Kids and YA Festival Program here >>>
More from Writing NSW
Check out our full range of in-person writing courses in Sydney, our online writing courses and our feedback programs to see how we can help you on your writing journey. Find out about our grants and prizes, as well as writing groups across NSW, and sign up to our weekly newsletter for writing events, opportunities and giveaways.
Program
Deborah Abela talks to Belinda Murrell about the highs and lows of Deborah’s career, her passions, inspiration, writing process, and being part of a writing community.
Deborah Abela talks about the highs and lows of her career, her passions, inspiration and writing process, building a career as a children’s writer, things she wished she’d known when she started out, pivoting during the pandemic, and being part of a writing community. In conversation with Belinda Murrell.
How do you build a thriving writing career in a rapidly changing industry? How do you help make your books sell? These highly successful professionals discuss the business of publishing including creating dynamic author platforms, social media, dealing with publishers and booksellers, advances and royalties, diverse income streams, and building resilience.
With Dot Tonkin, Paul Macdonald, Mick Elliott and Belinda Murrell (chair).
Publishers who are also authors discuss their craft, lessons learned, and their top tips for how to get published. These four writers have had successful careers both on the publishing side and as children’s authors, giving them the inside edge.
With Sue Whiting, Jane Godwin, Rebecca McRitchie and Louise Park (chair).
Four highly successful authors share their secrets, sources of inspiration, lessons learned and insights into their writing process. How do you create characters that readers adore and stories that keep readers coming back for more? What are the key ingredients for a bestselling children’s book? What are the joys and difficulties of a writing life?
With RA Spratt, Oliver Phommavanh, AL Tait, and Kate Forsyth (chair)
Industry leaders reveal their insights into the future of publishing, the current market, what grabs their attention, where they find new talent, and how publishing really works.
With Zoe Walton (Penguin Random House), Clare Hallifax (Walker Books), Pippa Masson (Curtis Brown) and Kristin Darell (chair).
Pitch your idea for a kids or young adult book to an expert panel. Festival attendees have the opportunity to submit to be part of a pitching session. Approximately 5-6 participants will have the opportunity to pitch, for one minute each.
With chair Zoe Walton (Penguin Random House), Pippa Masson (Curtis Brown), and Rebecca McRitchie (Hardie Grant).
Please note: Those interested in pitching will need to submit a 100-word written pitch before midday. Submissions will be selected at random during the session to pitch.Please read the pitching tips on the Writing NSW website.
What are the secret ingredients of a successful children’s picture book? How do writers and illustrators collaborate? Five picture book creators discuss their inspiration, process and craft.
With Jane Godwin, Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Matt Cosgrove, Kate Temple, Katrina McKelvey (chair).
How do authors explore serious themes in YA literature such as sexuality, climate change, social justice, refugees and mental health? How do they create diverse YA voices?
With Tobias Madden, Rawah Arja, Samera Kamaleddine and Wai Chim(chair).
How do you create enthralling books with messages that get kids thinking?
With Yvette Poshoglian, Sarah Ayoub, Nat Amoore and Tristan Bancks (chair).
A key trend is the continuing growth of independent publishing. Three writers with different journeys discuss their self-publishing process, how they market their books, the costs, the pitfalls and the highlights.
With Graham Davidson, Ali Gray and Wendy Fitzgerald (chair).
Pitch your idea for a kids or young adult book to an expert panel. Festival attendees have the opportunity to submit to be part of a pitching session. Approximately 5-6 participants will have the opportunity to pitch, for one minute each.
With chair Clare Hallifax (Walker Books), Zoe Bechara (Penguin Random House), and Dani Vee (Larrikin House).
Please note: Those interested in pitching will need to submit a 100-word written pitch before midday. Submissions will be selected at random during the session to pitch. Please read the pitching tips on the Writing NSW website.
Jane McCredie, Writing NSW; Liz Bowring Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA); Olivia Lanchester, Australian Society of Authors (ASA); Sue Whiting, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
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Writing with Passion10:00 am - 10:45 am
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Writing with PassionBelinda Murrell In Conversation with Deborah Abela10:00 am - 10:45 am
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Building Career Longevity: Publicity, social media, marketing and resilienceWith Dot Tonkin, Paul Macdonald, Mick Elliott and Belinda Murrell (chair)10:45 am - 11:45 am
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Straddling Both Sides of the Publishing PictureWith Sue Whiting, Jane Godwin, Rebecca McRitchie and Louise Park (chair)12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
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Lunch1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
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Magic, Mystery and MayhemWith RA Spratt, Oliver Phommavanh, AL Tait, and Kate Forsyth (chair)2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
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2022 and Beyond: The future of publishing, post-pandemicWith Zoe Walton (Penguin Random House), Clare Hallifax (Walker Books), Pippa Masson (Curtis Brown) and Kristin Darell (chair)3:15 pm - 4:00 pm
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Pitching Session: Kids and Young Adult NovelsWith chair Zoe Walton (Penguin Random House), Pippa Masson (Curtis Brown), and Rebecca McRitchie (Hardie Grant)4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
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Crafting Perfect Picture BooksWith Jane Godwin, Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Matt Cosgrove, Kate Temple, Katrina McKelvey (chair)10:45 am - 11:45 am
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Navigating the Real World for Young AdultsWith Tobias Madden, Rawah Arja, Samera Kamaleddine and Wai Chim (chair)12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
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Lunch1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
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Creating a Brave New World: One word at a timeWith Yvette Poshoglian, Sarah Ayoub, Nat Amoore and Tristan Bancks (chair)2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
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An Independent Journey: Self-publishing success storiesWith Graham Davidson, Ali Gray and Wendy Fitzgerald (chair)3:15 pm - 4:00 pm
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Pitching Session: Picture BooksWith chair Clare Hallifax (Walker Books), Zoe Bechara (Penguin Random House), and Dani Vee (Larrikin House)4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
