Dear Members,

Welcome to a new year! 2020 was a testing time for CBCA and there are still challenges ahead. After several changes at National Board level and the recent resignation of Kate Flamsteed, our Executive Officer based in Queensland, we are looking to the future and invite suitably qualified individuals to apply for two Independent Board Director positions. Please advertise these opportunities widely to anyone in your networks who might be interested.

The WA Branch is in a more fortunate position than most and can still hold face to face meetings, host our annual events, attend book launches and conduct business pretty much as usual.

Membership renewals were sent out on 4 Jan, and you will be pleased to note there is no increase in fees. We rely on your support in renewing promptly and hope you will take advantage of the member discount on your ticket for A Night with our Stars (ANWOS).

ANWOS tickets have also been pegged at last year's prices and, with an exceptional line-up of talent, they offer great value. Treat yourself, your friends and colleagues to a great night out and count it towards your Professional Learning for the year. Places are restricted owing to COVID-19 regulations so don’t delay your booking or you risk missing out. Once again Westbooks are offering a generous discount on pre-orders and there will be a Karen Blair original art work for silent auction.

CBCA Book Week 2021 returns to the normal August location and we are looking forward to seeing Shaun Tan’s designs on the theme Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds and unveiling the official merchandise very soon. Stand by for the announcement of the Notables on Tuesday 23 February which is always an exciting time.

Save the date for our WA Branch AGM Wednesday 21 April 2021 – when it is time for me to step down and hand over the reins to a new WA Branch President.

Best wishes and I hope to see you at a CBCA WA Branch event soon.



Jan Nicholls
CBCA WA Branch President

Work has been happening feverishly behind the scenes ahead of a new website for the WA Branch of the CBCA. We are looking at a February launch date, so stay tuned for further information and be ready to update your bookmarks!

Sarah Klass

This original charcoal and watercolour sketch is signed by the artist Karen Blair and will be offered for sale via silent auction in the lead up to A Night with our Stars 2021. It is based on her winning CBCA Honour Book When Billy was a Dog written by Kirstie Murray and published by Allen & Unwin. This exquisite framed piece measures 43cm x 33cm.

Please see the link to bid here.

The CBCA WA Branch thanks Karen for her ongoing generous support.

The CBCA Book Week theme for 2021 is:

We were lucky to see a preview of the 2021 theme towards the end of last year. If you haven't seen the short video, you can view it here.
The artwork has been illustrated by Shaun Tan, Winner, 2019 CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Cicada and, if his past designs are anything to go by, they will be exquisite.
 

 

Congratulations to Rebecca Newman, previous CBCA WA Branch Newsletter editor, featured in this wonderful anthology published by Bloomsbury – the same publisher as JK Rowling no less! This little book is exquisite on so many levels. It’s the perfect size and shape to hold, is filled with magical poems and delightful illustrations however the absolute best thing about it, in my unbiased opinion, is the poem on page 97 Potion Problems. Grab your copy now from Paper Bird.

Jan Nicholls
 

24 February

Loner
by Georgina Young
Text Publishing

Winner of the 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing
 

24 March

This One is Ours
by Kate O'Donnell
UQP

‘A heart-swelling book of passion, protest and Paris.’ – Lili Wilkinson
Reading Time review: http://readingtime.com.au/this-one-is-ours/
 

Welcome back to all Members. I am sure I am not alone crossing everything and hoping this year is going to be easier than the last. I will not be the only person writing to you who is craving increased, constructive personal contact at meetings, events, and within our own personal communities. It has been hard and challenging. 2020, we must also acknowledge, was hard for our CBCA, there were challenges and change. I hope, as the CBCA Chair, I can alleviate any concerns around the changes within the CBCA, while acknowledging that the broader social context has definitely added a layer of complexity. I have heard from many individuals and organisations that they feel a bit disconnected, they are tired. Some people, and organisations, were better able to somersault and land perfectly, while others are still feeling a little off balance. I think that is true within our community of CBCA Members, we all experience stresses, challenges, and change differently. My drive this year on the Board and with working with you, our Members, is to create a stronger focus on common goals and purpose, and to effectively communicate these.

Unfortunately, we have started 2021 with the immediate challenge of having Kate Flamsteed in our office resign. The Board with regret accepted this, and must now carefully consider a way forward. We acknowledge the tremendous contribution Kate gave to the organisation. Within the office we have Shannon King (Merchandise) and Anne Varnes (Awards), who are proceeding apace with their areas of responsibility, both have the support and guidance of Sarah Mayor Cox as their Sub Committee Convenor and the Board.

The 2021 Shaun Tan merchandise will be shared with you over the next week. Shannon is moving this all along with our designer intern, Hannah. We are really delighted to announce that we have agreed to ask Jasmine Seymour, we hope she accepts, letter on the way....to be our 2022 Merchandise illustrator. Perhaps this will help you rank your top 10 suggestions for a theme for her to work with!

The Book of the Year Awards 2021 judging is in full swing. All meetings are being carried out via zoom in panels, they are all meeting this week to finalise Notables, and then on the weekend of February 5-7 the remaining hard work will be done. A huge thank you to Sarah Mayor Cox and Christine Oughtred for undertaking this huge job.

The Board this week has started two important, and really intertwined, processes. Our budget and our strategic thinking. One really informs the other. You will receive a draft discussion paper around strategy from Karys McEwen. Unfortunately, we require a lot longer to discuss this as a group—one of the real challenges of COVID zoom meetings. There is no attempt to create a new strategic plan, but we are attempting to really focus on who we are and what we need to do—a real challenge meeting this way. The budget is still a work in progress, but there is no doubt the organisation is particularly feeling the revenue pain because we have had been unable to have a Conference since 2019. It will have to happen in 2022, but we must start now to build it. Over the next week we will put out a ‘call sheet’ for Members to volunteer for this and other Sub Committees.

Attached to this “from the desk” however are the advertisements for two critical Independent Directors, one in Finance, and one for legal/governance/company secretary. We urge you to disperse these within your communities. They remain open until March 1st. Please view the links below. There was further discussion at this meeting around the Awards Foundation, and we are having to work through, with their CoRP, some residual governance clarity. So for now the Independent Director from the foundation is on hold.

We approved at the Board meeting the go ahead for us to apply, on behalf of the whole organisation, for a grant from the Australia Council, within their Reimagine Collaborate scheme. It was suggested, and was accepted, that will attempt to create a Shadow Judging program across all states and territories. I will send a separate request for information, and input for this... very soon as applications close at the end of February—unfortunately we need to longer to write this—but we are going to give it a red hot go!

Finally, the Partnerships Sub Committee is working on a new prospectus, we will be asking you all for data, photos and information on your events and programs, so we can offer potential partners a better and fuller picture of the value of engaging with us.
 
As always, the Board is open to your questions and inputs.

Wendy Rapee
Chair

The Little Street Library is situated near seating in a new playground in Kendenup township. There are over 1300 residents around a shop, hall, and primary school. The Hall, playground and skating park are being revamped to bring a greater community vibe.
As I filled the box with new books and DVDs for adults and children, a little group gathered. A mum said, ‘Our Scarlett (six years old) has already found the box and wanted to know why it was empty. She’ll be really pleased to find books now.’ We will be monitoring the library weekly, making sure its contents are refreshed and community information flyers kept up to date.
 
Thank you again for your gifting of this library and your patience as we organised its installation.

Kathryn Dye

Entries are almost closed for the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards 2020.

Closing date to submit entries for the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards 2020 is 5pm (WST) 8 February 2021.

To enter, or for further information please click here.

Nadia L King
Illustrated by Nelli Aghekyan
The Lost Smile
Dixi Books
October 2020

Teniele Arnold
Illustrated by Bronwyn Blackwell
The Adventures of: Ellie's Wellies
Peacock Press
November 2020

Rebecca J Palmer
Monkey Mind
Little Pink Dog Books
November 2020

Ambelin Kwaymullina
Billie and the Blue Bike
Magabala Books
February 2021

Sally Morgan
Welcome, child!
Magabala Books
March 2021

Helen Milroy
Backyard Bugs
Fremantle Press
March 2021

Danny Parker
Illustrated by Ruth de Vos
Shine
Fremantle Press
March 2021

Sonya Hartnett
Illustrated by Gabriel Evans
Blue Flower
Penguin Boos
March 2021

Child Education Services
96 Royal Street, East Perth WA 6004
T: (08) 9225 6516 

Dymocks Busselton
48 Prince Street, Busselton WA 6280
T: (08) 9754 4410