Fremantle Press and Alphabet Soup Books collaborate on Right Way Down, a new poetry collection for kids

Fremantle Press Children’s Publisher Cate Sutherland announced the co-publication of Right Way Down and other poems with fellow local publishing house Alphabet Soup Books.

Right Way Down is a creative collection of poetry for middle readers full of entertaining poems by writers including Sally Murphy, A.J. Betts, Cristy Burne, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker, Cass Lynch, Amber Moffat, Meg McKinlay, Sally Morgan, James Foley, Dianne Wolfer and many others. It’s the perfect introduction to the wonder of poetry, and will have kids laughing, thinking and playing with words.

Sutherland said the project will follow on from other successful co-publications like An Unexpected Party (with Get Ya Words Out) and Unlimited Futures (with Djed Press). She said, ‘Co-publications are a wonderful way for Fremantle Press to work alongside publishing professionals who specialise in particular genres or who are integral members of communities with specific lived experiences. It’s an opportunity to pool resources while also expanding the scope and experience of publishing industry professionals in Australia. We all learn from these collaborative efforts.’

Made possible through generous funding by the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, the book also features illustrations by Briony Stewart. Alphabet Soup Books publisher Rebecca Newman said, ‘The aim of the collection is to provide a fun way for young readers to access poetry, covering a variety topics. We also hope literacy educators will find it a useful tool to engage young people through performance, creative writing, art and wordplay.’

Alphabet Soup Books is an independent publisher in Perth, Western Australia established in 2023 to publish books for children. Right Way Down and other poems is scheduled for release in March 2024.