Macdonald wins 2026 Pixie O’Harris Award

Paul Macdonald has been named as the recipient of the 2026 Pixie O’Harris Award in the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA).

The outgoing president of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) NSW, Macdonald is an author, former bookseller and “tireless champion of children’s books”, said an ABIA statement announcing the award.

Macdonald was the owner of The Children’s Bookshop for more than 20 years, selling books to hundreds of schools and hosting events for over 50,000 children over that period. He won the inaugural Maurice Saxby Award in 2012 for his contributions to raising the profile of teen fiction and was also the winner of the 2016 Lady Cutler Award for services to children’s literature and literacy in Australia.

Macdonald is a consultant working with schools to promote reading for pleasure for young readers and focusing on building reading cultures. He is the co-author of the CBCA Notable picture book The Hole Idea.

Said Macdonald: “I am absolutely thrilled, honoured and humbled to be awarded the 2026 Pixie O’Harris Award – and I am absolutely in awe of the list of prestigious past winners.”

Named in honour of the children’s book author and illustrator, the Pixie O’Harris Award recognises publishers, editors, creators, booksellers, publicists and other industry representatives who have worked consistently in the field of children’s literature, demonstrated commitment beyond the call of duty, and developed a reputation for their contribution. The 2025 winner was Rachel Bin Salleh.

Shortlists for the ABIA book awards and business awards were announced last month. The Hall of Fame Awards – the Lloyd O’Neil Award and the Pixie O’Harris Award – will be presented alongside the book and business winners at the ABIA ceremony at The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney on Thursday 21 May.

Category: Local news