program - on-line

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on-line festival events

Sept 1-19th pitch pro sessions

Oct 18-19th on-line professional development days

The on-line program provides access for those who can’t make it in-person.

On October 18th, you will receive a recording of professional development day part 1 of the in-person program, filled with expert presenters, panels, TEDx talks and the inside scoop from the publishers. A recording offers flexibility in soaking in the festival information at your own pace.

October 19th is the professional developmental day part 2 live via ZOOM, filled with workshops and developmental presentations from expert creators to help you level-up your writing and illustration skills. Ask the award-winning pros your burning questions and discover the secret to their success.

Wait – there is more! During the month of September, you can pitch your manuscript or illustration to publishers, editors and agents in the pitch pro sessions.

festival details

Dates & times
Pitch pro sessions
1-19th September see session timetable below

On-line weekend
From 9am 18th October 2025

9am - 4pm 19th October 2025

Location
Digital media and ZOOM

download program

on-line timetable - coming soon

download pitch session timetable

While all publishers, speakers and workshop coaches have confirmed their appearance, no responsibility can be accepted for changes which are beyond the festival’s control.

creative speakers

Featured

zanni louise

Author

Zanni Louise is a bestselling Australian picture book and fiction author of over forty books including the best seling Human Kind (PB) series, Hazel’s Treehouse (JF) and Queenie in Seven Moves (MG). Her latest, A Guide To Falling Off The Map, is a young adult romance about best friends who fall in love just as things are falling apart. Zanni loves visiting schools, running retreats for grown-ups, and running in forests.

Dive Into Story Structure

This workshop gives you a basketful of tools to shape your story. Whether you're writing picture books, chapter books or longer fiction, these tools will give you everything you need to plot your next book.

mark smith

Author

Mark Smith is the author of five novels: The Road To Winter, Wilder Country, Land Of Fences, If Not Us and Three Boys Gone. He is also an award-winning writer of short fiction, and the co-curator of Minds Went Walking, Paul Kelly’s Songs Reimagined and Into Your Arms, Nick Cave’s Songs Reimagined.

Getting Your Books in Schools

The Road to Winter is a young adult class text in secondary schools across Australia. Mark will present how to align your book to core curriculum, getting your book in schools and school workshop planning and techniques.

pete cromer

Artist/Illustrator/Author

Pete Cromer is a contemporary Australian artist based in the Colac Otway region of Victoria. Inspired by the optimistic personalities in people and wildlife, Pete’s work is renowned for his signature bursts of glowing colour and beautiful textures, all reflected in his bold collages, wildlife books, paintings and sculptures.

Make Art that Sells

Building a career as a full-time artist requires diversified income streams. Pete Cromer will share his experience working across different mediums and markets to help you with your artistic career.

renée treml

Author/Illustrator

Renée Treml is the author and illustrator of several best-selling picture books for very young readers, including Once I Heard a Little Wombat, Goodnight, Joeys, and Ten Little Owls. She is also the creator of the engaging and funny graphic novels featuring Sherlock Bones and the Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea series. Renee’s most recent graphic novel, The Thylacine and the Time Machine, draws upon her background in biology and environmental science, and her passionate love of natural history.

The Ins and Outs of Working with an International Agency

Renée will share her experiences working with international literary agents for the past 10 years. She’ll help you understand the benefits and challenges involved, which may help you when considering if it’s the right path for you.

stef gemmill

Author

Stef Gemmill used to write music reviews about big kids in bands but swapped the mosh pit for toys and tantrums to write books for curious smaller kids. Stef is the Program Director and founder of the Sketch and Scribe Festival and also an advocate for children’s literacy and helping her kid lit tribe to get published. She lives on the Surf Coast with her family and sleepy cat, Luna, the star of her international award winning book, A Home for Luna. Stef has been published with EK Books, New Frontier Publishing, Storm Books and CSIRO.

Kickstart a New Project - Scrapbook Crafternoon

Progressing your writing or illustration craft means trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone. Join Stef to kickstart a new story seed or character illustration by getting crafty. Learn how to deep dive into character and plot while creating a keepsake scrapbook to help you progress a new project. This booklet will become a reference book for your new storybook project!

pitch publishers & agents

PB - picture book, CB - chapter book (earlyreader, junior fiction), MG - middle grade, YA - young adult, GN - graphic novel, Illus - illustrators or author/illustrator

Featured

michelle madden

Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House (PRH) is the world’s largest trade book publisher. PRH strive to make the perfect book for every reader producing some of the world's most iconic children's books and characters.

Michelle Madden is the children’s list commissioning editor seeking emerging and established author-illustrators and illustrators.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB author-illustrators/illus

kate pickard

UWAP

UWA Publishing (UWAP) shares stories, research and education with the world to encourage thought, inspire action and create and connect with engaged communities.

Kate Pickard is interested in stories with a unique viewpoint and a riveting storyline. Kate is also interested in works from marginalised voices.

Pitch Pro Sessions

CB/GN/MG/YA

naomi perry

Jacky Winter (agency)

Jacky Winter is an Australian artist agency with offices in the UK and USA. The agency offers a healthy, creative ecosystem where artists can thrive and clients can access a network of the world’s strongest talent,.

Naomi Perry is a literary agent interested in children’s picture books and graphic novel (GN) texts and illustrations - GN from junior fiction, middle grade to YA and will consider widely in these categories. She loves mysteries and adventure for younger age groups. Also thillers and romance for GN YA. Naomi is also open to adult graphic novels; both narrative non-fiction or contemporary fiction (not sci-fi or fantasy).

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB authorstrators only/GN/Illus

dani vee

Larrikin House (Publisher & Coach)

Dani Vee is a publisher working in acquisitions reviewing the submission pile. Dani is also a published author, English teacher and host of the popular literary podcast, Words and Nerds.

Larrikin House publish quirky, original, funny kid-focused books that push boundaries. The publisher believes in the importance of engaging readers at an early age through fun books such as My Epic Dad, My New Croc and Robo Teacher.

Join Dani sharing publishing insights on various panels, in a Pitch Pro Session or in an intimate Coach Camp workshop for a lucky few.

Coach Camp

Dani is a publisher, teacher and author and will coach you on either 2 x picture books or middlegrade/YA extract or graphic novel extract. Dani is currently actively acquiring PBs (prose and rhyme), MGs, YA and adult fiction for the Larrikin House 2027 list. Dani’s coaching style supports authors to recognise what is marketable as well as providing feedback to get their manuscripts ready for submission.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/JF/MG/YA/GN/Illus

rowena beresford

Riveted Press

Riveted Press is an independent publishing house 'Where unforgettable stories are forged' and that epitomises what the publisher is looking for. Rowena acquired, edited and published CBCA award-winning title Aster’s Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon, and has had multiple titles longlisted and/or shortlisted in a variety of established literary awards.

Rowena is interested in science fiction, mystery, action/adventure, fantasy, myths/fables, historical fiction, clever humour (not toilet humour), dystopian, contemporary fiction.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/CB/MG/YA/Illus

rochelle stephens

Wombat Books

Wombat are passionate about great books with the motto of Stories You Will Want to Share. Wombat Books has national and international distribution of all new titles and is focussing on including audiobooks with each new novel release.

Rochelle Stephens is the editor and publisher at Wombat Books and has repetitively chosen manuscripts from pitch events.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/CB/MG/Illus

pooja desai

Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing has modern families and children at the core of everything they do. They have built their success on stories of kindness, diversity, resilience and courage to reflect the world we live in, and the world we want to build.

Pooja Desai is the Art Director at Hardie Grant Children's Publishing where she also publishes books into a ground-breaking list, Bright Light.

Actively seeking stories that;

Champion diverse voices who have meaningful stories to tell
Stories that weave the traditions of culture with modern life
Narrative-led everyday stories from marginalised perspectives
Subversive stories with heart and humour
Catchy, clever hooks that draw you in and guarantee a laugh

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/Illus

sarah mckenzie

Sarah McKenzie Literary Management (SMLM)

SMLM represents a growing list of Australian authors and illustrators. As well as proudly representing a range of best-selling authors, SMLM love to identify and champion new and emerging writers of adult fiction, nonfiction and children’s books.

As a boutique, author-focused agency, SMLM works closely with authors to provide personalised and friendly support and guidance at every stage of the publishing process.

Sarah McKenzie is a literary agent interested in stories with unique ideas & empowering themes. SLML is actively pursuing diverse and marginalised voices and First Nations authors.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB, CB, MG, GN

nathan james thomas

EK Books

EK Books publish children’s books aimed primarily at kids aged 4 to 8 as well as fiction for young readers, and their motto is “Books with heart on issues that matter.” Their books are recommended by schools, education and health professionals.

Nathan James Thomas is the senior editor and publisher at EK Books seeking original stories on issues that matter from picture books to middle-grade fiction novels.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/MG/Illus

coral huckstep

Affirm Press

Affirm Press is a Melbourne-based publisher dedicated to publishing great Australian stories, big ideas, and the most engaging local and international authors.

Coral Huckstep is the children’s editor at Affirm Press and loves funny books, eccentric characters and whimsy.

Affirm Press currently have a particular interest in graphic novel author-illustrators.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/CB/MG/GN/YA/Illus

bethany loveridge

Perentie Press

Perentie Press is an independent publisher of graphic novels for 5-17 year old readers. The publisher is seeking exciting mysteries, contemporary stories, humour and school-yard tales, as well as intergenerational, multicultural stories with heart. Not a good fit for toilet-humour, erotica, graphic horror or graphic violence.

Pitch Pro Sessions

GN/Illus

anna solding

MidnightSun Publishing

MidnightSun Publishing is a small press based in Adelaide dedicated to finding new and unknown voices.

The publisher is seeking stories that are unusual, especially about characters with diverse backgrounds. Also middle-grade adventure stories, YA addressing complex questions and picture books that cover historical non-fiction as well as books that are environmentally aware (and books that are plain fun).

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/CB/MG/YA/Illus

cathy vallance

UQP

UQP is an independent publisher of children's books based in Brisbane. They publish bold and inspiring literary books for children including award-winners Mina and the Whole Wide World (Sherryl Clark) and Three Dresses (Wanda Gibson).

Cathy Vallance is the children's publisher seeking picture books, chapter books, middle grade and YA. For picture books, no rhyming verse, no talking animals, and no looking for lost items please. For chapter books, MG and YA verse novels are welcomed as well as diverse/marginalised voices and unique stories that have something important to say and leave a lasting impression on the reader. No series or graphic novels.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/CB/MG/YA

sophia whitfield

New Frontier Publishing

New Frontier Publishing is an independent publisher of children's books based in both London & Sydney. They publish high quality picture and board books for children that inspire, educate and uplift children. Many of their books have won CBCA awards including Don’t Worry Felix, Lionel and Me and Please Handle With Care.

Sophia is the children's publisher where her role involves both commissioning and editing.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/Illus

cristina pase

Windy Hollow Books

Windy Hollow Books is an independent publisher of children's books based in Melbourne. They publish high quality, literary picture books for children so that they have wonderful reading experiences.

Cristina is the children's publisher where her role involves everything from commissioning to editing and sales and marketing.

Pitch Pro Sessions

palmina vilone

Ford St Publishing

Ford St seek to maintain excellence as a publisher of high quality books for children and young adults. Their books explore themes of contemporary relevance, including childhood grief, ageing, interfaith issues, war, bullying and whaling. Ford Street have published award-winning books such as My Dog Socks, Country Town , Our Mob and I Need a Parrot.

Palmina is a senior editor at Ford St Publishing.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/CB/MG/YA/Illus

leanne white

Wild Eyed Press

Wild Eyed Press publishes Children's Picture Books with an Australian natural environment focus - whether it be wildlife, bushland, nature play, humour or storytelling.

They also sell Australian art by Australian artists, available as Greeting Cards, Children's Books, Stationery, Mugs, Giftwrap at over 140+ retail stockists and pay quarterly royalties to artists.

They encourage public awareness and concern for Australian fauna and the sustainability of their fragile habitats.

Leanne White is the commissioning editor and art director.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/Illus

virginia greig

Woodslane Press

Woodslane Press primarily publishes Australian fiction and non-fiction books with a growing children’s list by Australian authors. They mostly work collaboratively with authors under the traditional book publishing process as well as hybrid publishing, in some instances.

Virginia Greig is the commissioning editor interested in fiction and narrative/innovative non-fiction picture book author and illustrators and diverse voices.

Pitch Pro Sessions

PB/Illus