Oz bookshops to participate in international SCWBI event

30 October 2013 Books+Publishing

Three Australian bookshops will participate in an inaugural international event run by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI).

Inside Story will launch at independent bookstores in cities across Australia and the US during the first weekend in November. Australian bookshops participating in the event on Saturday 2 November are Black Cat Books in Brisbane, The Little Bookroom in Melbourne and The Children’s Bookshop in Sydney.

According to the SCWBI website, the event has two purposes: ‘to provide an opportunity for young readers, teachers, librarians, and children’s book lovers to become acquainted with new releases, and to build traffic and sales for independent bookstores’. At each event, guest authors and illustrators will ‘share the inside story’ behind their books, and there will be prize giveaways and the chance to win author visits to schools.

Corinne Fenton, SCWBI assistant regional adviser for Victoria/SA/Tasmania, told Books+Publishing that each chapter of SCWBI chose an independent bookshop within their area to participate in the event. Fenton said she chose The Little Bookroom because its staff is ‘always proactive and enthusiastic in promoting children’s books’. ‘I’ve been to many launches at both of the Little Bookrooms and there is always a wonderfully warm feeling at every event. They also have a great contact with schools and children in the area,’ said Fenton.

There are currently no future Inside Story events planned, but Leesa Lambert from The Little Bookroom told Books+Publishing that she hopes it will ‘be an annual event’ which is ‘sure to get bigger and better in the future’.

Inside Story is run by SCWBI in association with First Book, a US not-for-profit book distribution organisation, which will donate a book to a child in need for every book purchased at the US Inside Story events. For more information on Inside Story, and to see a full list of bookshops participating, click here.

Category: Local news