It's always a tension filled time waiting to see if your book has made it to the Notables list of the CBCA awards. At 7 pm when the awards were announced on the website, the web page wouldn't load for awhile, then slowly it revealed 'Leave Taking' was nestled in the younger readers category.
Notables Book of the year 2019
Such relief, such excitement, such sweet joy for my publishers who had risked and had faith in my verse novel- not an easy genre to be published in.
Then two days later 'Leave Taking' became shortlisted in the NSW Premier's Literary awards.
State Library NSWPremiers Literary awards
So it has been exciting times and a boost to keep writing, keep writing. And reading. I am loving reading books listed in the same category as mine and have enjoyed Shine Mountain by Julie Hunt and Maya and Cat by Caroline Magerl and of course celebrated with my good friend Claire Saxby with Dingo. Exciting times in the world of Children's literature, I should say Australian children's literature.
And best of all there is a new verse novel in the wings for me!
Happy writing and reading.
