This two day festival for writers, illustrators, teachers and librarians promotes excellence in children’s literature. The festival offers quality, affordable workshops and master classes and the opportunity to obtain feedback on pitches, manuscripts and portfolios. There will be key panel sessions with editors, agents, authors and illustrators and focused sessions with book creators. $100 Book Links members, $130 non-members

James Layton is passionate about creating fun, edgy and unique books for young readers. His industry experience spans thirty years as both a bookseller to schools and in 2018 a children’s publisher. His first question to authors when assessing manuscripts is always ‘What’s the buy-in for the kid?’ As a young reluctant reader himself, James started creating humorous books to engage kids and make them laugh. His frank, no-nonsense approach is invaluable for anyone who wants a publishing deal. James is looking for edgy pitches for Picture Books, JFIC, Middle Grade and Graphic Novels. $70-$100

Activities to get you networking together over food and drinks. An opportunity to actively mingle with industry professionals and creatives at The Plough Inn, Southbank from 6.30pm. Limited seats. Cash bar. Cost $40

Book Links StoryArts Brisbane Amie Kaufman and Peter Carnavas Workshop: Session includes a Pitch Party prior to the workshop $75 - $95

Picture Book Intensive - Author and Illustrator Briony Stewart pulls back the curtain on the creation some of her latest award-winning picture books and shares some of her tips and processes in this hands-on, full-day workshop. Focusing on tricky areas such as rhyming and cadence, composition, and colour, this workshop will have you scrawling, scribbling and playing with ink in fun, and thoughtful, new ways. Session includes a Pitch Party prior to the workshop $75 - $95

Kristy Bushnell is an experienced freelance book editor and mentor specialising in children’s and young adult literature. She has worked with award-winning and bestselling authors and illustrators such as Peter Carnavas, Kate Gordon, Steven Herrick, Tamsin Janu, Lucia Mascuillo, Nova Weetman and Claire Zorn, and publishers such as the University of Queensland Press, Omnibus Books, Allen and Unwin, Scholastic, HarperCollins and Walker Books. She has served as chair and panel member on the Queensland Literary Awards Children’s Book Award and is an alumni of the Australian Publishing Association’s Residential Editorial Program (REP). Kristy has extensive experience in mentoring, structural editing, copy editing, proofreading and assessments, and provides carefully considered and encouraging editorial advice to help authors realise their story’s potential and assist them to meet their publishing dreams. Kristy will give feedback on any genre, any subject. No preferences. $70-$100

Annabel Barker is a Literary Agent focusing on books for children and young adults. Annabel has more than 20 years’ experience in children’s publishing. She started her publishing career selling Rights at Macmillan in London and has also worked for Hachette Children’s Books in London, Pan Macmillan Australia and at Hardie Grant in Melbourne, where she was managing director of the children’s division. She is also accepting pitches on both the Saturday and Sunday. $70-$100

Join, or renew your membership for, Book Links - the Centre for Children's Literature to support our work, receive discounts at local book shops, discounts on event tickets, receive the latest news on what's happening in Qld Children's Literature and find out more about our resources and programs. Join Book Links (QLD) Inc.now! This is an annual membership that runs from January to December.

End of Year Party for the Kids Lit Community with proceeds this year to IBBY Australia. Lunch provided. BYO drinks. Win prizes and raffles. Work in teams of four. $25 per person. When: Saturday 23 Nov. Venue: Good New Lutheran School, Middle Park RSVP by 20 Nov.

A prize of $1000 will be awarded to a book that is not only an outstanding work of fiction but excels at increasing the awareness and developing the understanding of history in children. Entries for the 2025 Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction are now open. The deadline to enter is 31 December, 2024. Entry fee is $30 per book.

Join, or renew your membership for, Book Links - the Centre for Children's Literature to support our work, receive discounts at local book shops, discounts on event tickets, receive the latest news on what's happening in Qld Children's Literature and find out more about our resources and programs. Join Book Links (QLD) Inc.now! This is an annual membership that runs from January to December.