Bring out your pens and sharpen your pencils: here's an awesome list of writing and illustrating competitions kids can enter for the rest of this year

Storyathon for Kids

Write a microstory that is exactly 100 words. This writing competition is open to children in years 3–8 during each school term. You can submit up to three stories for one competition, and you can enter all or just a few of the competitions run each year.

She's award winning, she's internationally published and her name should be up in neon lights: say hi to Kelly Canby

Kelly Canby’s new book, Littlelight, is already on the reprint list after COVID-19 led Fremantle Press to let our booksellers get the book earlier than its release date. In this e-interview, Kelly tells us more about the book and shares some recent news.

Birds and koalas have caught the attention of Speech Pathology Australia: Helen Milroy and Katie Stewart land a spot on the Book of the Year Awards shortlist

Congratulations to Helen Milroy, author of Backyard Birds and Katie Stewart, author of What Colour is the Sea? for being shortlisted for this year’s Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards.

Fun new freebies and downloadable teaching activities

Would you like some free classroom activities, stickers or bookmarks? Here’s a selection of the latest.

Cartoons, life writing and science inspired fantasy: these videos and events will warm the cockles of your classes' creative hearts

Our authors are still out there running workshops and talking to classrooms online. Read on to find out what's available in the coming weeks.

Author and illustrator Sean E. Avery releases a series of videos to help you enter the CBCA Make Your Own Story Book Competition

Calling all young aspiring story book authors and illustrators – the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) WA branch is still running its annual Make Your Own Story Book Competition. It is open to WA students from pre-primary to Year 8 and closes on Friday 5 June 2020.

CEO Jane Fraser brings light and darkness to international readers with back-to-back foreign rights sales of Littlelight and Doom Creek

Welcome to May. How is our bookish tribe faring this month? Have you broken the Goodreads algorithm by smashing out your 2020 Reading Challenge in the first quarter? Here at Fremantle Press, right at the moment when the physical world seemed to contract to what was experienced from the lounge room or the home office, our local WA stories expanded into new territories and formats.

We've rounded up eight ways to stay connected to your favourite authors and local booksellers while in the comfort of your own home, from art classes to podcasts and more

We may all be physically apart right now, but we’re closer than ever online. We’ve loved seeing the innovative ways our community is coming together virtually to keep spirits up and ensure we are all still well read. We’ve put together a list of the latest ways to get involved with your local authors, booksellers or publishers.

Video: for illustrator and author Kelly Canby, self-isolating at home means working on the kitchen table and having your 10-year-old son interview you for Paper Bird Books Home Club

Join Will and Kelly Canby as they dive into Kelly's world of developing awesome characters and colours for her picture books, which include The Hole Story, Rodney and the soon-to-be-released Littlelight.

Teach your little ones about the birds in our backyard with these trivia tidbits from Helen Milroy, author of Backyard Birds

Expand your knowledge with kids and grandkids by learning some fun facts about Australia’s native birds.