2020 Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program put on hold for 2020.
Given the uncertainty caused the by the COVID-19 situation the CBCA NSW Branch has been unable to secure a sponsor for 2020 and has made the difficult decision to put the mentorship on hold for this year. Keep writing, we will continue to work hard to bring it back in 2021.
The Winner of the AWMP receives the Charlotte Waring Barton Award and a mentorship with an Australian Publisher, which includes two three-hour mentoring sessions with an author selected by the publisher and a one-hour mentoring session with each of the following Publishers employees: an editor, a marketing communications manager and a publisher.
Authors whose careers have been launched by this award include the best-selling/award winning Michelle Cooper, Kirsty Eager, Jacqueline Harvey and Oliver Phommavanh.
2019 Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program
Trudi Sommers wins with Dandy Lion & The Fireflies: The Tree of Whispers
2019 Winner Announced!
CBCA NSW Branch members and friends gathered at the NSW Teachers Federation for the announcement of both the shortlist of the 2019 Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program and of the ultimate winner - of the Charlotte Waring Barton Award.
Guests were charmed by Scholastic author, Aura Parker in her own creative representation of the process of becoming a published author, and were treated to an entertaining and revealing in-conversation between Aura, her fellow Scholastic Author Yvette Poshoglian with editor Rebecca McRitchie (herself a published Author) which provided insights in to the publishing process with helpful comments from authors in the audience such as Libby Gleeson.
It was marvellous to have 8 of the long listed authors present at the event - one from Melbourne, one from Brisbane and one from Parkes. Sarah Hatton, Publicist at Scholastic announced the short list. Descendants of Charlotte Waring - author of the first known Australian book published for Children, written in 1841 – sisters and authors Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell - announced the Charlotte Waring Barton Award for the winner of the Aspiring Writers Program to Trudi Sommers for her young fiction fantasy Dandy Lion and the Fireflies: The Tree of Whispers.
Thanks go to Scholastic for sponsoring the 2019 AWMP and to Robert Oatley for the wine. A good time was had by long term CBCA NSW Branch members and newcomers.
Congratulations to the authors of the following winning titles of the 2019 Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program;
Winner
Trudi Sommers - Dandy Lion and the Fireflies: The Tree of Whispers
Trudi Sommer with Belinda Murell and Kate Forsyth
Short Listed
Gabrielle Cardwell - The Pirates and the Princesses
Gabrielle Cardwell - The Witch with an Itch
Raen Fraser - Twixtlings
Gabrielle Cardwell and Rean Fraser
Long Listed
Dhana Fox - A Friend for Rosie
Angela Costigan - Age Old Magic
Gabrielle Cardwell - Bears Can't Cartwheel
Trudi Sommers - Dandy Lion and the Fireflies: The Tree of Whispers
Tracey Dembo - F is for Feisty and Fierce
Rebecca Ralfe - Lollipop Lu
Yvonne Low - Lucy’s Menagerie
Elle Carlin - Maestro
Nell Cooper - Noak Sark and the Mother Ship
Aly Kenna - Not a Bedtime Book
Dhana Fox - Pepperotti
Ali Stegert - Saving Arcadia
Natalie Cooke - Sleepwaltzer
Sarah Speedie - The Book Bench
Rory Hammersley-Mather - The Dribble Monster
Gabrielle Cardwell - The Pirates and the Princesses
Tracey Dembo - The Sidekick
Gabrielle Cardwell - The Witch with an Itch
Katie Hoskins - Travelling Ted's Adventures in Sri Lanka
Raen Fraser - Twixtlings
Long List Winners who attended the Aspire & Celebrate! event.
With thanks to our 2019 sponsor:
