VALE Errol Broome (3.8.1937 – 14.09.2022)

It is with much regret that Fremantle Press acknowledges the death of Errol Broome who was 85 years old when she passed away on 14 September 2022.

Errol grew up in Perth, studying Arts at the University of Western Australia and working as a journalist at the West Australian. Even before her first book with Fremantle Press, Nightwatch, was released in 1995, Errol had established a strong writing career with seven books released between 1978 and 1995. Errol went on to publish another 18 titles, including Fremantle Press books Fly With Me, What a Goat!, Tough Luck, Away with the Birds, My Grandad Knew Phar Lap and The Judas Donkey. Errol had five titles optioned for the North American market and her books were translated into several different languages. She was also the recipient of many honours including a Western Australian Premier’s Book Award, USA Children’s Book of the Year Award and Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award.

Errol was well-known as a gracious writer, always ready to support her West Australian colleagues, even long after she had moved to Melbourne, where she told us it was considered ‘parochial’ to do so. Her emails to the Press typically noted how pleased she was to see writers such as Dianne Wolfer and others winning awards and publishing wonderful books.

We were honoured to have Errol’s books on our list and to have been associated with such a talented and long-standing member of the children’s book community.

Errol is survived by her sons Nicholas, Jonathon and Benjamin and we send them and the Broome (Moss) family our best wishes.