Sketch and Scribe Festival

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Torquay, VIC
Sketch and Scribe Festival

Festival for illustrators & writers of children’s literature seeking to move up to the next level & get published

17/06/2026

‼️Hey writers & illustrators WHO WILL BE THE LUCK LAST‼️
🩷💙🩷💙🩷💙🩷
Our talented publisher & Coach
CHREN BYNG is flying down from Sydney to assess, COACH & workshop your manuscripts & illo portfolios
✅HARDIE GRANT are huge supporters of emerging talent ✍️🎨
⭐️Chren Byng is Senior Publisher at HARDIE GRANT CHILDRENS with over 20years in the publishing industry⭐️
Coach Camp tix are live and ON SALE 🎟️
IN-PERSON ONLY

📣MOST publishers sold out so do not delay.

✅Receive written assessments on manuscripts & illustrations from one of Australia’s top kidlit publishers

✅Workshop redrafts with your publisher

✅+ a 2nd round of feedback

✅A pitch pro workshop to get you submission ready

✅Submission invitation to your Coach

✅Ocean view venue & fully catered - in-person only

📆September 6th

Link in bio 🔗

13/06/2026

📢June 30 tax year end is coming up so here’s a reminder that your festival tickets are TAX DEDUCTIBLE for all ABN holders.
Also travel expenses to and from events!
✨
They are an educational expense for authors & illustrators. If you don’t have an ABN they are easy & free to apply for.
🗒️
For the purpose of this post, we’re assuming you’re serious and not writing just for fun. We’re assuming you’re earning something from your writing (it doesn’t have to be much) and have deductions.Also consult with a tax professional as each individual’s circumstance differs.

12/06/2026

Let’s meet some of the Pitch Pro Session publishers seeking new talent!
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LARRIKIN HOUSE - Dani Vee is a publisher working in acquisitions reviewing the submission pile. Larrikin House publish quirky, original, funny kid-focused books that push boundaries. The publisher believes in the importance of engaging readers at an early age through fun books such as My Epic Dad (Vee), The Witch Who Couldn’t Spell (Gatola) and Robo Teacher (Barkla). PB/CB/MG/YA/Illus/Authorstrator
📚
WALKER BOOKS – Pitch publisher & professional dev. Speaker. Eve Tonelli brings over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Walker Books publish a mix of commercial and literary books such as The Octopus Keeper (McMullin), A is for A Rabbit’s Tale (Hosking, Gifford) and Hazel’s Treehouse (Zanni Louise, Judy Watson). Open to PB/MG/YA/Illus/authorstrators
📚
UQP - Cathy Vallance is the children’s publisher seeking picture books, chapter books, middle grade and YA. UQP is an independent publisher of children’s books based in Brisbane. They publish bold and inspiring literary books for children including award-winners Mina and the Whole Wide World (Sherryl Clark) and Three Dresses (Wanda Gibson). Last year, Cathy signed a book contract with a successful pitcher. Seeking PB/CB/MG/YA/Illus/Authorstrator

🎟️Pitch Pro Sessions $55 tickets on sale 9am 28 June.

✨Must hold Event 1 or 2 ticket to purchase.

Check out more publishers/agents weblink in bio🔗

loveozya

07/06/2026

Let’s meet some of the Pitch Pro Session publishers seeking new talent!
📚
WOMBAT BOOKS & RHIZA EDGE– Rochelle Stephens is the editor and publisher at Wombat Books and Rhiza Edge (imprint for teenagers). Rochelle is well-known for nurturing and developing emerging talent – both writers & illustrators. Rochelle has repeatedly published manuscripts from pitch events and is particularly interested in junior fiction, upper MG & YA fiction. Recent publications include The Ghost Horse of Snowy River (Gemmill), Sea Glass (Fraser) and Poppy & Pipsqueak (Kelly)
📚
SCRIBBLE - Miriam Rosenbloom is the Publisher & Art Director and is open to picture book author’s boundary pushing stories & illustrators visuals that stand out from the crowd. Working with artists from around the world, they endeavour to publish titles that are inclusive and represent the many different internal and external realities that children face. Award-winning publications include All the Ways to be Smart, Off to the Market, Anemone is Not the Enemy and Saturday is Pancake Day.
📚
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE – Penguin is the world’s largest trade book publisher. Michelle Madden is the children’s list commissioning editor seeking emerging and established author-illustrators, book designers, illustrators as well as MG/YA writers. Recent publications include Howl-o-Ween (Bowd, Porter), Eleanor Jones is not a Murder (Doak) and Raised by Wolves (Bancks)

🎟️Pitch Pro Sessions $55 tickets on sale 9am 28 June.

🎟️Must hold Event 1 or 2 ticket to purchase.

Check out more publishers/agents on our program pages
Link in bio 🔗

06/06/2026

Let’s meet some of the Pitch Pro Session publishers seeking new talent!
📚
AFFIRM PRESS - Megan Whelan is the Senior Editor at Affirm Press and loves strong voices, eccentric characters and whimsy and a particular interest in graphic novel author-illustrators. Recently published novels include the Everglade series (Black), The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Mellor), The Graduate (Lim). Affirm Press (imprint of Simon & Schuster) is dedicated to publishing great Australian stories, big ideas and unique, fun stories. They publish 30-40 children’s books each year.
📚
THAMES & HUDSON - Fay Helfenbaum is a senior editor at Thames & Hudson Australia. Fay is open to any genre with original subject matter but her wishlist includes non-fiction picture books and non-fiction middle-grade, illustrated non-fiction with science, environmental or art subject matter, authors from underrepresented backgrounds. Think Once I was a Giant (Sworder) and We Live in a Bus (Petzold)
📚
WINDY HOLLOW - Cristina Pase is the children’s publisher where her role involves everything from commissioning to editing and sales and marketing. Recent publications include Learning You By Heart (Wallace, Conn), Where the Lyrebird Lives (Conley, Hamilton) & narrative non-fiction picture book F***y & Mina (Tidy, Crisp). Windy Hollow Books is an independent publisher of children’s picture books publishing high quality, literary picture books for children so that they have wonderful reading experiences.

✨Pitch Pro Sessions $55 tickets on sale 9am 28 June.

🎟️Must hold Event 1 or 2 ticket to purchase.

Check out more publishers/agents webink in bio🔗

05/06/2026

📢Let’s meet some of the Pitch Pro Session publishers seeking new talent!
📚
HACHETTE - Jean-Marie Morosin is the Head of Children’s Publishing at Hachette Australia. Hachette publish fiction and non-fiction picture books such as Spare Kisses (Pip Harry) + Wear a Purple Poppy (Fiona White)

📚
SCHOLASTIC - Kate Wenban has been working in the publishing industry for 20 years, most of those as an editor at Scholastic Australia. In that time, she’s edited Australian picture books, middle grade illustrated fiction and junior fiction—including Ella Diaries, Minutes of Danger, Liars, Fartboy and Daring Delly.   She brings a wealth of knowledge, insight and encouragement to every session. Scholastic publish many fun rhyming picture books with animal characters such as Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas (Blabey) and Otto’s INK-credible First Day of School (Mather)
📚
PENGUIN - Amy Thomas is a commissioning editor for Penguin Random House working on books ranging from picture books through to junior fiction, middle-grade and YA titles such as A Ghost in My Suitcase (Wang), The 113th Assistant Librarian (Wilson, Goodnight Joeys (Treml) and seasonal titles such as Howl-o-Ween (Bowd).
🎟️
Pitch Pro Sessions $55each on sale 9am 28 June.

📢Must hold Event 1 or 2 ticket to purchase.

Check out more publishers/agents https://🔗www.sketchandscribefest.com/program-on-line

Link in bio🔗

04/06/2026

📢Let’s meet some of the Pitch Pro Session publishers seeking new talent!
📚
HACHETTE - Jean-Marie Morosin is the Head of Children’s Publishing at Hachette Australia. Hachette publish fiction and non-fiction picture books such as Spare Kisses (Pip Harry) + Wear a Purple Poppy (Fiona White)
📚
THAMES & HUDSON - Fay Helfenbaum is a senior editor at Thames & Hudson Australia. Fay is open to any genre with original subject matter but her wishlist includes non-fiction picture books and non-fiction middle-grade, illustrated non-fiction with science, environmental or art subject matter, authors from underrepresented backgrounds. Think Here Come the Cousins (Hutchins) Once I was a Giant (Sworder) and We Live in a Bus (Petzold)
📚
SCHOLASTIC - Kate Wenban has been working in the publishing industry for 20 years, most of those as an editor at Scholastic Australia. In that time, she’s edited Australian picture books, middle grade illustrated fiction and junior fiction—including Ella Diaries, Minutes of Danger, Liars, Fartboy and Daring Delly. She brings a wealth of knowledge, insight and encouragement to every session. Scholastic publish many fun rhyming picture books with animal characters such as Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas (Blabey) and Otto’s INK-credible First Day of School (Mather)
📚
PENGUIN - Amy Thomas is a commissioning editor for Penguin Random House working on books ranging from picture books through to junior fiction, middle-grade and YA titles such as A Ghost in My Suitcase (Wang), The 113th Assistant Librarian (Wilson, Goodnight Joeys (Treml) and seasonal titles such as Howl-o-Ween (Bowd).
🎟️
Pitch Pro Sessions $55each on sale 9am 28 June.

📢Must hold Event 1 or 2 ticket to purchase.

Check out more publishers/agents https://🔗www.sketchandscribefest.com/program-on-line

Link in bio🔗

Address

Torquay, VIC
3228

Website

http://www.sketchandscribefest.com/

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