Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators
The Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators Australia and New Zealand have their headquarters at The Hughenden Hotel, 14 Queen Street Woollahra in Sydney.
Our websites: SCBWI Australia & NZ | SCBWI International
Founded in 1971 by US children's film makers and writers, Steve Mooser and Lin Oliver, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators SCBWI is a world wide organization with over 23,000 members and chapters in 20 countries, making it the largest children's writing organization in the world. It is the international professional organization for writers and illustrators of children's literature.
Susanne Gervay and Chris Cheng are the Regional Advisors leading SCBWI Australia and New Zealand.
There are chapters lead by:
- Western Australia – Dianne Wolfer
- Victoria – Corinne King
- Queensland – Tina Clarke, Pru mason, Sheryl Gwyther, Pamela Rushby
- New Zealand – Frances Plumpton
- Illustrator Coordinator for all of Australia and New Zealand – Frané Lessac
SCBWI supports literacy and literature across the world with any projects. A special Australia project was The Hope Card.
The SCBWI Hope Card
Children's Authors & Illustrators from around the World sent Love & Hope to the Australian Children of the Bushfires.
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SCBWI Australia & New Zealand's efforts with 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires
The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires swept across Victorian townships causing devastation of community, life, homes, land and animals.
It was Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire.
- 173 men, women, children died; 414 people were injured; 7,562 people displaced
- 1,100,000 acres burnt; millions of animals were killed by the fires
- Towns of Kinglake, Marysville, Narbethong, Strathewen, and Flowerdale destroyed
- 950 local parks, 70 national parks and reserves, over 600 cultural sites & historic places destroyed
- The amount of energy released during the firestorm in the Kinglake-Marysville area was equal to an atomic bomb.
Susanne Gervay made a call to the children's illustrators and authors of the world to reach out their hands in hope to the children of the bushfires.
A collection of original illustrations and words were specially created for the children of the fires. They come from diverse places around the world including the Caribbean, France, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, the United States, Ireland, South Korea, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and other countries.
SCBWI leaders Susanne Gervay, Corinne King and Claire Saxby presented the original illustrations to Marysville School that had been rebuilt after the fires.
SCBWI leaders Chris Cheng, Corinne King and Claire Saxby organised autographed books for the newly rebuilt library and donations from chapters of SCBWI from around the world to build shelves to hold the books.