The Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) takes place in Singapore from 6 to 9 May 2010. We are expecting about 300 to 400 delegates from all over Asia, Australia and New Zealand, North America and Europe to attend the event.

NBDCS has been organising the Asian Children's Writers & Illustrators Conference (ACWIC) for the past 10 years and this time will take the lead and launch the inaugural AFCC. The conference will feature new programmes, including the Asian Children's Media Market, Children's Book Award, Children's Writers Award as well as workshops and master classes.

The goals of the Asian Festival of Children's Content are to:
·        Develop the writing and the illustrating of Children's stories and content.
·        Promote publishing of Asian content.
·        Provide the world with access to such material created in Asia.

 IMAGINE THIS! IMAGINE THAT!
The NSW Branch of the CBCA two-day conference in Sydney on 18/19 June 2010.

Award winning writers Patrick Ness and Isobelle Carmody talk about literature and imagining the future. The session will also include performances of scenes from the books.

Patrick Ness is the author of The Knife of Never Letting Go and its sequel The Ask and the Answer, two compelling novels. The story of teenagers Todd and Viola fighting for survival in a totalitarian post-holocaust future raises complex moral questions. The Ask and the Answer won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Booktrust UK Teenage Book Prize. Patrick has also taught creative writing at Oxford University.

Isobelle Carmody is Australia’s international queen of fantasy literature. Carmody began writing Obernewtyn aged 14-years-old. Obernewtyn is an adventure story set in a dystopic future. Twenty two years later, Obernewtyn comes to its climax with The Sending. (Released March 2010)

 Presented by the Centre for Youth Literature, supported by Walker Books Australia 

The Somerset Conference for Librarians and Teachers is an academic forum for national and international research on the promotion of reading. The Somerset Writers' Festival follows the conference. The theme 'Reading Locally, Learning Globally: creating a universal experience' will provide an excellent opportunity for delegates to hear and learn from international library professionals and literary specialists. The conference Monday will be held on 15 March 2010 at Conrad Jupiters Hotel, Broadbeach on the Gold Coast. Workshop Tuesday will be held at the Somerset College Library on 16 March 2010. Presenters at the 2010 Somerset International Conference include: Dr Carol Gordon; Janet DeNeefe; James Moloney and Anthony Eaton; Kevin Hennah; Keith Webster; Marj Kirkland and Maggie Garrard.

 
Presenters include:
 
Bob Graham, Libby Gleeson
Glenda Millard, Libby Hathorn
Sherryl Clark, Dee White

There is no other award in Australia that reflects what teenagers want to read. The Inkys are international awards for teenage literature, voted for online by the readers of insideadog.com.au. Join us for the Inky Awards Ceremony (and cake!)
Featuring author James Roy, the young judges, the winning authors, and the winning Creative Reading Prize entries.