News

Jane Fraser has resigned as CEO of Fremantle Press after 15 years at the helm. Describing her time at the Press as the highlight of her 35+ years in publishing, Jane said, ‘If ever there was a right time to leave, this is it – I have every confidence that the Press is in the […]

Twelve Fremantle Press writers have been shortlisted in the 2021 WA Premier’s Book Awards across four categories; three authors have made it onto the Speech Pathology Award Shortlist and two are shortlisted in the Comic Arts Awards of Australia 2021 WA Premier’s Book Awards In the emerging writers category, the novels Eye of a Rook […]

I am not a reluctant reader. Quite the opposite, in fact. For as long as I can remember, given the choice between just about anything and a good book, the pages always win. And yet somehow I write books that engage reluctant readers. I didn’t set out to do this – I didn’t even realise […]

Growing up, Kathryn Lefroy was not allowed to watch television, and was instead encouraged to create stories for herself and read books. Kathryn gave up writing for fun when academia and university studies took her away from her path. So when she did circle back to it, Kathryn said she made a conscious decision not […]

Synchronicity – it’s a ‘thing’ for many authors. During the research and writing of each story in my historical ‘Light’ series I’ve experienced delightfully unnerving coincidences, making me wonder how books come about. Do I choose the story or does the story choose me? In the case of The Last Light Horse, perhaps it’s the […]

Citizen science is about scientists and volunteers working together on real-life, hands-on research. You and your students can contribute to some amazing projects and discoveries, all from the comfort of your computer. The Australian Citizen Science Project Finder lists more than 500 projects to get involved with. Here are seven of my favourite: PlatypusSPOT Okay, […]

From the wacky and wonderful world of Cristy Burne, ‘Beneath the Trees‘ is a wilderness adventure story like no other. In this activity, kids can join Cam and Sophie on their quest for survival in Eungella National Park in Queensland. Cristy’s make your own mega-leech and paper bag platypus are sure to get the stories […]

Australian animals are unique and interesting in so many ways. Sadly, many are endangered, yet people know little about them. Here are some interesting facts about the animals that appear in my picture book Where Do the Stars Go? I hope these lists give you lots to talk about when you read my book. Brushtail […]

Chosen as Apple’s Book of the Month in April, one reviewer described Brigid’s book, A Year of Loving Kindness to Myself, and Other Essays, as ‘an exquisitely unembellished Zen lesson in the art of attention’. As Brigid explains below, cultivating that attention can be a key source of inspiration for students in creative writing. Lists […]

This book didn’t start life as a book. It began as therapeutic journaling to deal with the trauma that re-emerged when the man who violently attacked me in my workplace was, some twenty-five years later, arrested and charged with brutal rape and murder. When Bradley Robert Edwards was arrested in 2016 for a series of […]

He’s over there! I recently finished reading How to End a Story, Helen Garner’s third volume of her edited diaries. I read it as my daughter was studying Monkey Grip for her VCE. In a captivating February session at the Perth Festival Writers Weekend, Garner told interviewer Gillian O’Shaughnessy that some reviewers complained that Monkey […]

Born in 1927, Gladys Milroy was taken to the Parkerville Orphanage at two years old and spent the next 14 years separated from her mother, Daisy. Gladys say, ‘I think the thing is about growing up in an orphanage is that you live in a story all the time because that’s the way you survive.’

Three Fremantle Press titles are in the running for major awards and another has been highly commended, plus the life’s work of a Fremantle Press writer has been remembered and recognised. Stellarphant is shortlisted for the 2022 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Picture Book of the Year and the 2021 Aurealis Award for Best Children’s […]

Ethics of Representation panellist Rashida Murphy.

nlimited Futures: Visionary, Speculative Blak and Black Fiction is now available and we’re over the moon for all the contributors, editors, designers and publishers involved. A week past the release, we asked editors Rafeif Ismail and Ellen van Neerven to reflect on the journey thus far.

Kyle Hughes-Odgers captures children’s attention and gets their imagination racing in his new board book, Everything You Want to See. Spark kids creativity by asking them what they imagine an alien or monster looking like and getting them to create their own in these fun activity sheets.

Activity Sheet

'Create your own alien'

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Twelve Fremantle Press writers have been shortlisted in the 2021 WA Premier’s Book Awards across four categories. In the emerging writers category, the novels Eye of a Rook by Josephine Taylor and Locust Summer by David Allan-Petale, and the poetry collection Vociferate by Emily Sun, made the shortlist. In The Premier’s Prize for Writing for […]

Michael Burrows joins fellow debut writers Diana Reid and Ella Baxter as this year’s Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists. As reported in SMH’s Spectrum, the judges felt the three novelists stood out from the many other entrants for their ‘strong narrative voices, memorable characters and sharp writing – they’ll make you laugh, cry […]

The amazing Helen Milroy returns to the podcast chair for her first interview of 2022. Helen chats to the co-creator of Stars in Their Eyes, Aśka. You’ll love hearing about Aśka’s journey from high flying physicist to high flying visual storyteller – what a leap of faith! She chats about her unique collaboration with Jessica […]

Sharron Booth had been working on her novel The Silence of Water years before it was shortlisted for the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award in 2020. In this post she shares a deep dive into the research techniques she learned along the way.

Katie Stewart, author of three books for younger readers, knows that goal-setting isn’t an innate ability, but a skill to be learned. In this blog post, she shares how and why teaching kids to set goals at a young age is an important step towards building confidence and resilience.   

David Allan-Petale is in the running to win a prestigious ALS Gold Medal for his debut novel Locust Summer. Awarded annually for an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year, the winner receives a gold medal from the Association for the Study of Australian Literature. David’s book, which was also shortlisted for the Australian/Vogel’s […]

Surrounded by books and authors at the gorgeous Fremantle Arts Centre, the Perth Festival’s Writers Weekend kicked off with the much anticipated ‘The Business of Being a Writer’ event. Emerging authors spent several hours hearing from industry professionals on topics from marketing tips to building your profile to business advice for those just starting out. […]

The Light series by Dianne Wolfer and illustrated by Brian Simmonds includes The Last Light Horse, In the Lamplight, Light Horse Boy and Lighthouse Girl. These four books each look at some of the historical figures who played a part in World War I and are suitable for children to read as they learn about […]

Activity Sheet

'The Light series activity sheets'

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