When illustrator Erica Wagner, 61, was judged the winner of best New Illustrator by the Children's Book Council of Australia , hers was not your typical reaction. Login or signup to continue reading "It's hilarious and to be brutally honest, I actually felt a bit guilty," Erica told The Senior , noting she'd only begun her full-time career in illustrating after she turned 50. "I thought the award should go to one of the others because there's six people on that shortlist, all of them younger at the start of their career, as they should be.
"One of them should get it, I thought, But I also feel, very excited and happy as well, because it was a very meaningful project for me.'' There were 656 entries in this year's awards, representing 155 publishers, including self-publishers. Debut creatives were also recognised with entries from 121 writers, 70 illustrators, and 59 writer/illustrators.
Council national chair Jonathan Howard announced the winners on Friday August 16 at the Australian Theatre for Young People Rebel Theatre in Sydney. Erica won the award for the book Hope is the Thing , a collaboration between the creative and author Johanna Bell. The project emerged from a story camp in Darwin.
The pair crafted a narrative that intertwined text and pictures, creating a fusion of storytelling and visual art. Erica said illustrating the book connected her to what she loved doing as a child, which was drawing and making things while listening to stories. "My parents .
.. used to read stories to us and that was when I felt totally secure and happy," she said.
The book tells the story of a little girl happily absorbed in observing birds and discovering how they live and adapt to the world around them. "She is playing - the best way to learn - painting and cutting out bird shapes, hanging them in her room and also making a bird mask and wings for herself, " Erica said The story ends with the girl finally releasing her creations out the window to find their way in the world, then joins them, Erica said, in a "soaring flight of imagination." She said her aim in the story was to "express the joy of imagination and the fun and transformative power of making things from everyday materials.
" Erica had a few lovely avian encounters while making the book. "We were visited by a family of tawny frogmouths who roosted in our peppercorn tree! "This was such a joy for us, They weren't always there and when they were we felt so happy that they felt safe and trusting in our garden." DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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