Oz children’s books revealed for the Hello! from Australia exhibition at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2015

Oz children’s books revealed for the Hello! from Australia exhibition at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2015

Media Release: Friday, 6 November 2014

Illustrations from 32 books have been selected out of 109 submissions from 24 Australian publishers for 2015 Hello! from Australia exhibition. The works, which celebrate and promote the vibrancy and variety of Australia's children's book illustrators and publishing, will be showcased at the 2015 Bologna Children's Book Fair.

The exhibition is the seventh annual display of Australian children books to be displayed at the fair, and is an initiative of the Australian Publishers Association created in partnership with Books Illustrated, funded by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.

The Australian illustrated titles to be represented at Bologna include:

·       One Minute's Silence (David Metzenthen, illustrated by Michael Camilleri, Allen & Unwin)

·       Our Village in the Sky (Janeen Brian, illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, Allen & Unwin)

·       The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present (Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood, Allen & Unwin)

·       Thunderstorm Dancing (Katrina Germein, illustrated by Judy Watson, Allen & Unwin)

·       The Unlikely Story of Bennelong and Phillip (Michael Sedunary, illustrated by Bern Emmerichs, Berbay Publishing)

·       On a Small Island (Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Fremantle Press)

·       Caravan Fran (Cheryl Orsini, Hachette Australia)

·       The Arrival (Shaun Tan, Hachette Australia)

·       The Hairy-nosed Wombats Find A New Home (Jackie French, illustrated by Sue De Gennaro, HaperCollins)

·       Mike I Don't Like (Jol & Kate Temple, illustrated by Jon Foye, HaperCollins/ABC)

·       Withering-By-Sea (Judith Rossell, HaperCollins/ABC)

·       Outside (Libby Hathorn, illustrated by Ritva Voutila, Little Hare/Hardie Grant Egmont)

·       Silly Birds (Gregg Dreise, Magabala)

·       Alphabet City Zoo (Maree Coote, Melbournestyle Books)

·       One Step at a Time (Jane Jolly, illustrated by Sally Heinrich, MidnightSun Publishing)

·       Tea and Sugar Christmas (Jane Jolly, illustrated by Robert Ingpen, National Library of Australia)

·       A River (Marc Martin, Penguin Books Australia)                  

·       Hasel and Rose (Caroline Magerl, Penguin Books Australia)         

·       The Greatest Gatsby (Tohby Riddle, Penguin Books Australia)     

·       Tim and Ed (Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Andrew Joyner, Penguin Books Australia)

·       Alligator in an Anorak (Darron Parton, Random House Australia)             

·       Alfie's Lost Sharkie (Anna Walker, Scholastic)

·       Thelma the Unicorn (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)

·       Forest of Bones (David Kennett, Omnibus Books/Scholastic)

·       Imagine a City (Elise Hurst, Omnibus Books/Scholastic)

·       The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade (Davina Bell, illustrated by Allison Colpoys, Scribe Publications)

·       Sticks & Stones, Animal Homes (Tai Snaith, Thames & Hudson)

·       Sylvia (Christine Sharp, University of Queensland Press)

·       Bogtrotter (Margaret Wild, illustrated by Judith Rossell, Walker Books Australia)

·       Vanilla Ice Cream (Bob Graham, Walker Books Ltd)

·       Bridie's Boots (Phil Cummings, illustrated by Sara Acton, Working Title Press)

·       Scary Night (Lesley Gibbes, illustrated by Stephen Michael King, Working Title Press)

In addition to the illustrations, the exhibition also includes the display of more than 100 contemporary Australian illustrated books published in 2014 and 2015.

The exhibition aims to:

·       support publishers in the promotion and sale of rights

·       facilitate contact between Australian publishers and international agents and promoters

·       promote Australian culture internationally, and

·       draw attention to the diversity and depth of Australian children’s books.

Previous Bologna exhibitions of Hello! from Australia have received an enthusiastic afterlife at other book festivals and fairs, including presentations at:

–      Paju Bookcity in South Korea;

–      the National Youth and Children’s Library, Seoul;

–      the Korea Foundation Cultural Gallery, Seoul;

–      the inaugural International Illustration Concours on Nami Island, Korea; and

–      the Capital Library Beijing, China, as part of Australian Writers Week.

A highlight of the 2015 fair will be the presence of the Australian Children’s Laureate Jackie French who will give the opening speech at the Australia Party and be part of the second international Children’s Laureate Summit in Bologna.

For more information please contact Ann Haddon at Books Illustrated on info@booksillustrated.com.au
or +61 3 9534 7751

View the 2014 catalogue online here.

The 2015 rights catalogue will be released in February 15.