Now in its tenth year, the 2018 Kids & YA Festival will take place on Saturday 30 June! Directed by best-selling, 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.

This month we’re joined by Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins. Come along for a discussion on book publishing followed by a delicious morning tea.

In its annual Honouring Australian Writers series, Writing NSW pays tribute to writers who have made an important contribution to our literary culture. This year we honour Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920-1993), Australia’s first published Aboriginal poet.

Jan Allerton reviews Drawing Sybylla by Odette Kelada, a novel which combines fantasy, poetry and humour.

‘By drawing upon these archetypal figures in our creative writing and storytelling, we can speak from our unconscious to the unconscious of the audience, imbuing our characters with greater symbolic power and emotional resonance.’

‘Personally, I like heroes with all the old-fashioned virtues of honour and courage, with a good sense of humour and a sharp brain.’

‘Write daily, read widely in all genres and don’t think too much about the fashion. Don’t expect to get rich, and don’t go about comparing your work or your progress to others.’

‘Rather than being motivated by imagined commercial success, be driven by the joy of telling stories which give pleasure to readers.’

‘Write what excites you. Forget trends or “what’s hot”. Writing what you love will motivate you to finish it.’