CEO Jane Fraser writes in praise of the artistry, commitment, guts and gumption of three wonderful Fremantle Press creators

Hello and welcome to December. In what’s been a tough year for so many, we are very happy to report some good news this month. Congratulations are in order for three wonderful Fremantle Press creators.

Nandi Chinna has been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, the winners of which will be announced on Facebook Live on Thursday 10 December 2020. Her poetry collection The Future Keepers helps us discover the gifts we receive when we are open to encounters with other species and ecosystems. Another wonderful advocate for interspecies connection is WA Australian of the Year, Helen Milroy, whose latest work Backyard Birds turned out to be the perfect picture book for 2020, with so many kids at home with nowhere to visit but their back gardens, courtyards and balconies. (The tenfold increase in Australia’s lockdown birdwatching habits has been widely reported!) Helen’s achievements in mental health and advocacy are many and I recommend you read about her important work. On the digital front, we were delighted to discover that life coach, speaker and author Kemi Nekvapil (pictured here) will be reading Kelly Canby’s picture book Littlelight for Story Box Library. Look out for it early next year.

Thank you to the judges of both awards and to Story Box Library. We love and appreciate it when other people see what we see – the depth of feeling, the commitment to the task, the artistry and the guts and gumption of our storytellers who help us learn about others, while exploring facets of ourselves.

Please note that Fremantle Press will not be accepting submissions over the summer, from Monday 14 December 2020 to Monday 1 February 2021. The Fremantle Press office will be closed from midday, Wednesday 24 December 2020 and will reopen at 8.30 am Monday 4 January 2021. We look forward to receiving your manuscripts, your Fogarty Literary Award entries, your book orders and your reviews, comments and author fan mail in the new year.

Personally, I’m excited about taking some time off over the next few weeks but, like many of you, will be thinking of family and friends who can’t be with me in the flesh this year. Wherever you are and whoever you’re with, we wish you all a happy, safe and creative festive season.

Jane