Podcast

27 July 2020

New 6-Part Podcast Series: A Conversation about Diversity in Children’s Books

New 6-Part Podcast Series: A Conversation about Diversity in Children’s Books

Late in 2019, Better Reading was awarded a grant from the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund to produce a 6-part podcast series, A Conversation on Diversity in Children’s Books. At the time we could not have predicted what 2020 would bring. We now understand more than ever how little we know, and how important these conversations are. It’s a time for us to ask questions, and listen to the answers provided by people who are more knowledgeable than us on this subject.

For this series, those people are Dr Randa Abdel Fattah, Will Kostakis, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Laura Bloom, Deborah Abela, Rachel Bin Salleh from Magabala Books.

Episode 1: Dr Randa Abdel Fattah – Listen here now

Dr Randa Abdel Fattah is a prominent Australian Palestinian advocate and a multi award-winning author of 11 books. She is well known for her commentary as a public intellectual, her media appearances and her essay and op-ed writing across a wide range of genres.

Episode 2: Maxine Beneba Clarke – Listen here now

Maxine Beneba Clarke is a widely published Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent. Maxine’s short fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published in numerous publications including Overland, The Age, Meanjin, The Saturday Paper and The Big Issue.

Episode 3: Will Kostakis – Listen here now

After dabbling in celebrity journalism and reality TV, Will Kostakis now writes for young adults. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was released when he was just nineteen, and his second, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award. It was also shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Prime Minister’s Literary awards. The Sidekicks is his third and latest novel for young adults.

Episode 4: Laura Bloom – Listen here now


Laura Bloom is the author of a number of novels for children and adults, including Augustine’s Lunch, which was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Awards and shortlisted for the Young Australian Readers’ Awards, and In the Mood, which was shortlisted for the ABC Fiction Awards, and was a bestseller in France. Her titles with Walker Books Australia include Mika and Max and the Dream Riders series.

Episode 5: Deborah Abela – Listen here now

After completing a teaching degree, Deborah Abela went to Africa where she was caught in a desert sandstorm, harassed by monkeys and thrown in jail … twice! She produced and wrote a national kids’ TV show before leaving to write twenty-six books including the Max Remy Superspy and Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend) series and Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm, about kids living in a climate-changed world.

Episode 6: Rachel Bin Salleh and Magabala Books – Listen here now

Rachel Bin Salleh is descended from the Nimunburr and Yawuru peoples of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She has worked in publishing for over 20 years and is passionate about Indigenous people telling their stories. Rachel lives in Broome with her family. Alfred’s War is her first book.

If you enjoy the series, please leave us an iTunes review.

Listen to the series on Acast.

Acknowledgment of Cultural Fund support

Better Reading acknowledges the support provided by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

 

 

Laura Bloom
About the author

Laura Bloom

Laura Bloom is the author of eight critically acclaimed and bestselling novels for adults and children, and an award winning screenwriter for film and television. Her most recent novel, Mika and Max, about an unlikely friendship which springs up between a young girl and a boy with autism, is published by Walker Books and is on sale now. Her next novel, The Women and The Girls, will be published by Allen and Unwin in 2021.

For more information, visit www.laurabloom.com.au

Books by Laura Bloom

Mika and Max
Laura Bloom

Mika and Max

Retail partners

The Women and the Girls
Laura Bloom

The Women and the Girls

Retail partners

Maxine Beneba Clarke
About the author

Maxine Beneba Clarke

Maxine Beneba Clarke is the author of 9 books, including the Indie and ABIA award-winning short fiction collection Foreign Soil, the memoir The Hate Race, the Boston Globe/Horn Prize and CBCA winning picture book The Patchwork Bike, and the recently released picture book Fashionista. She lives in Melbourne's glorious, diverse western suburbs, and has met many kids like Taj in her neighbourhood, who've journeyed to Australia in search of safe haven. Some struggle to fit in, but just like Taj, most eventually find their light.

Books by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Foreign Soil
Maxine Beneba Clarke

Foreign Soil

Retail partners

The Hate Race
Maxine Beneba Clarke

The Hate Race

Retail partners

The Patchwork Bike
Maxine Beneba Clarke, Van T Rudd

The Patchwork Bike

Retail partners

Wide Big World
Maxine Beneba Clarke

Wide Big World

Retail partners

Aussie Kids: Meet Taj at the Lighthouse
Maxine Beneba Clarke, Nicki Greenberg

Aussie Kids: Meet Taj at the Lighthouse

Retail partners

When We Say Black Lives Matter
Maxine Beneba Clarke

When We Say Black Lives Matter

Retail partners

How Decent Folk Behave
Maxine Beneba Clarke

How Decent Folk Behave

Retail partners

11 Words for Love
Maxine Beneba Clarke, Randa Abdel-Fattah

11 Words for Love

Retail partners

Deborah Abela
About the author

Deborah Abela

Deborah has always been a bit of a coward, which is why she writes books about spies, ghosts, soccer legends and girls who battle sea monsters and evil harbour lords. She’s written the Max Remy, Ghost Club and Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend) series and The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen. Her latest novel is New City, the sequel to her bestselling novel, Grimsdon. She’s won awards for her books but mostly hopes to be as brave as her characters.

Books by Deborah Abela

Teresa
Deborah Abela

Teresa

Retail partners

Bear in Space
Deborah Abela

Bear in Space

Retail partners

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities
Deborah Abela

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities

Retail partners

Will Kostakis
About the author

Will Kostakis

Will Kostakis is an award-winning author for young adults. His first novel, Loathing Lola, was released when he was just nineteen, and his second, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award. It was also shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Australian Prime Minister's Literary awards. The Sidekicks was his third novel for young adults, and his American debut. As a high school student, Will won Sydney Morning Herald Young Writer of the Year for a collection of short stories.

Books by Will Kostakis

The First Third
Will Kostakis

The First Third

Retail partners

    The Sidekicks
    Will Kostakis

    The Sidekicks

    Retail partners

    The Sidekicks
    Will Kostakis

    The Sidekicks

    Retail partners

    Rebel Gods
    Will Kostakis

    Rebel Gods

    Retail partners

    We Could Be Something
    Will Kostakis

    We Could Be Something

    Retail partners

    Randa Abdel-Fattah
    About the author

    Randa Abdel-Fattah

    Randa is a prominent Australian author, academic, human rights advocate, former lawyer and mother of four children. She has been nominated for Sweden's 2019 Astrid Lindgren Award, the world's biggest children's and young adult literature award (she was also nominated in 2018). The award-winning author of eleven novels, published and translated in over 20 countries, Randa writes across a wide range of genres and actively seeks to translate her academic work into creative interventions which reshape dominant narratives around race, human rights, multiculturalism and identity in popular culture. She has been publishing her op eds in Australia's national and international newspapers and journals since 1998. She has had regular appearances on Q&A, The Drum, Lateline and The 7.30 Report, and radio interviews (RN Drive, ABC Books and Arts, The Conversation Hour etc.).

    Books by Randa Abdel-Fattah

    No Sex in the City
    Randa Abdel-Fattah

    No Sex in the City

    Retail partners

      When Michael Met Mina
      Randa Abdel-Fattah

      When Michael Met Mina

      Retail partners

      Does my Head Look Big in this?
      Randa Abdel-Fattah

      Does my Head Look Big in this?

      Retail partners

      11 Words for Love
      Maxine Beneba Clarke, Randa Abdel-Fattah

      11 Words for Love

      Retail partners

      COMMENTS

      Leave a Reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *