The Aspiring Writers Mentorship
was presented on
November 11
This year two writers were awarded the Cottesloe Mentorship with Cathie Tasker, and the Charlotte Waring Certificate at the Aspire and Celebrate Event:
Kelli Bradicich and Tracey Sloan.
Kelli Bradicich, Cathie Tasker and Tracey Sloan
Kelli Bradicich
The Great Big Aussie Bus trip
Tracey Sloan
The Lost Boy of Divine
Runners up Linda Harrison and Helen Hayden with Cathie Tasker as they receive their certificates and their copies of How to Be an Author and access to writing videos from Fremantle Press
2023 Longlist
These aspiring authors presented their pitch
-
Kelli Bradicich The Great Big Aussie Bus Trip
-
Kelly Doyle Two Trains
-
Leanne Edwards Bug Cake with Snail Slime Icing and Worms
-
Annelise Fatkin Griffin's Guard
-
Linda Harrison Moonlight Wallaby
-
Helen Hayden From the Ashes
-
Bree Morgan. Up. Around. In.
-
Tracey Sloan. The Lost Boy of Divine
Thank you to all those who entered this program
We thank Fremantle press for their support in
providing copies of
How to be an Author
and access to their writing videos to the runners-up.
Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program
The Winner receives the Cottesloe Mentorship: 5 hours face to face mentoring with Cathie Tasker
Are you a budding writer?
Do you have a manuscript ready and would love to be published?
Enter the Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program for a chance to be professionally mentored
Consider entering in 2024
Key dates
Open date: July 1
Closing date: September 2
Entries will be received in these categories - Young Adult, Middle Grade and Picture Book.
Cost of entries: CBCA members: $50. Non-members: $65
Entrants must upload the appropriate entry form. There is a different entry form for each category. Enter the category best suited to your manuscript. If submitting multiple manuscripts, one entry form per manuscript is required.
Longlisted authors will be invited to present their pitch before the Shortlist and Winner of the Cottesloe Mentorship is announced at A.spire and Celebrate event
Please read the Terms & Conditions carefully and comply with all the conditions outlined. The terms and conditions also contain information on how files are to be formatted, saved and uploaded.
Terms and Conditions are here.
4 Steps to enter:
1. Complete the 2024 Support Form. You will need to include the manuscript title, genre, target age, pitch, back page blurb, writing experience and synopsis.
2. Submit your manuscript.
You may find this easiest with a
gmail account.
3. Email to alert us of your entry. click on this link
email cbcansw@outlook.com - use the subject AWMP2024
4. Pay the entry fee: Members use Hello Club
Non - members click the link on the form
Click here if you need help to How to write a pitch guide.
About the Aspiring writers program
The Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program was re-launched in 2021 with sponsorship by Cathie Tasker who will mentor the winner. Fremantle Press will provided 2 runners-up with access to their online writing course plus the text How to be an author by Georgia Richter & Deborah Hunn.
The Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program aims to foster the talent of aspiring writers of children's literature across Australia and is open to all Australian citizens residing in Australia.
CBCA NSW Branch and Cathie Tasker are delighted to enter into a five year partnership to ensure that this important program encouraging aspiring writers is maintained. The winner receives the Cottesloe Mentorship and the Charlotte Waring Certificate.
Cathie, a publisher and editor, now works as an independent creative writing consultant. Over her career, she has commissioned nearly 800 books. She is passionate about books and reading, in line with the objects of the CBCA NSW Branch.
When asked about how the Cottesloe Mentorship came about, Cathie Tasker said - “I loved judging the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, and joined a great panel of other judges. The face-to-face discussions about the quality of books submitted were a highlight of my year. When the judges came together in Perth, Alan, my husband and I wanted to follow a long-held dream - to watch the sun set at Cottesloe Beach. We hoped it would be a special moment for us. Alas this was not meant to be due to torrential rain. Dreams can come true but not always as we imagine them. I have named the Mentorship for that moment with the hope that the Cottesloe Mentorship will be a special moment for an aspiring writer.”
Authors whose careers have been launched by this program include the best selling/award
winning Michelle Cooper, Kristy Eagar, Jacqueline Harvey, Nathan Luff and Oliver Phommavanh.
Full list of previous winners is here.