In this issue:
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 Welcome
The start to the year has been busy with a lot of demand for speaking engagements. If you are planning a special event for CBCA Book Week, or any other week of the year, please have a look at the profiles of our wonderful speakers to lock in a visitor and presentation.
Contact us at Speakers Ink or call on 07-3040-8465.
At Speakers Ink we are always looking to improve and moving forward there will be a slight change to the booking confirmation phase of our process. Rather than receiving an initial confirmation email, parties involved in any booking will receive a Booking Calendar Invitation to confirm the booking. If you accept the invitation, the booking will then populate directly to your calendar. This is a new initiative that we will be trialing. If you experience any issues with this new form of communication, please don't hesitate to let us know.
Finally, and sadly, one of our Speakers Ink Team will be leaving us over the coming months - Anna has been a great asset to our team and will be greatly missed. Anna's replacement, Trina, will be working alongside Anna during this time to learn the ropes. So, on behalf of the Team, we wish Anna all the best for what lies ahead and offer a big welcome to the Speakers Ink Family to Trina!
Voices on the Move
Louise Cusack has advised that as she has recently moved from Elliott Heads to Beaudesert and is now available for Brisbane/Gold Coast/Toowoomba/Scenic Rim work without clients needing to pay for accommodation. Here is a lovely testimonial for Louise from one of her Year 9 audience members:
"I am in Grade 9 this year, and I just wanted you to know that I thought you spoke very well. I came home and went straight onto your website and printed out your writing tips. I hope to get down to the library soon to borrow Destiny of the Light. So thanks very much for coming to speak to us today. I know you had a big impact on some of my friends. Good luck for the future."
Laura, Year 9, Voices on the Range (Toowoomba)
We have many speakers travelling during 2018 - some speakers are coming to Brisbane while others are visiting other areas: too many to list here so check out all the up-to-date details on our Touring Speakers page.
Congratulations! Wendy Orr
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Wendy Orr 's amazing novel Dragonfly Song recently won the Prime Minister’s Award for Children’s Literature (shared with Bob Graham’s Home in the Rain.)
Here the complete list of awards.
Adelaide Festival Award for Children’s Literature, finalist 2018
Prime Minister’s Award for Children’s Literature, 2017
Honour Book, CBCA Younger Readers 2017
Shortlisted WAYRBA Junior Readers 2017
Finalist Crystal Kite Awards 2017
Shortlisted Queensland Premiers Award 2017
ASO Librarians Choice Award, Secondary 2016
Junior Library Guild Selection 2017 (USA)
Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Books 2017 (USA)
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The Spotlight is on Aleesah Darlison
What's Happening?
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Kathy Hoopmann's books are highlighted at Booklover Book Review with a competition to win two book packs of her books (6 books in each). Competition closes on 28 February.
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On Saturday 10 March there will a Book Fair held in Everton Hills where local authors will be displaying and selling their books and giving book readings with giveaways and competitions. Gary Clark, author of the Swamp cartoons will conduct a workshop (bookings essential). Kathy Hoopmann will be selling all of her books for 20% discount on the day. For details click here.
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Reminder: Both the CBCA Book of the Year Awards Short List announcement and Awards announcement are coming to Brisbane in 2018.
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These two flagship events will be open to the public through a ticketing process. Tickets to both events are limited, so mark these dates in your diary now and stay tuned for details on how to book.
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Short List announcement - Tuesday 27 March, 10.30am at The Ithaca Room, City Hall, King George Square, Brisbane – bookings open 9am Tuesday 27 February
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Awards announcement – Friday 17 August, 11.30am in Auditorium 1, State Library of Queensland – bookings open 9am Tuesday 17 July
Booking links will be on the CBCA website and Facebook page.
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The new Australian Children's Laureate will be announced on 12 February. Our own Leigh Hobbs has done an outstanding job in this role for the past 2 years.
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 Dates for your Diary
Reading Centre Webinar
The Reading Centre is presenting Reading in the learning areas, a webinar which emphasises the knowledge, skills and understandings of Australian Curriculum required to successfully engage with each learning area in the secondary school.
This webinar, presented on 20 February, will explain the importance of teaching reading in the learning areas.
To register, go to: https://staff.learningplace.eq.edu.au/OneChannel/Pages/Program.aspx?cid=2&eid=21551
More information about the professional opportunities offered by the Reading Centre can be found at https://ahrc.eq.edu.au/services/workshops.
The Last Word....
 .....belongs to the Australian Book Collective, which aims to promote Australian authors for the Australian literary world. To preview the first catalogue, simply visit the website.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
Yours in promoting literacy from all at the Speakers Ink team,
Sandie, Helen, Margie, Anna, Jan, Trina, Rob and James
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