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I’m just back from Melbourne for the second time in a month. Despite busy May in the book world, this was my long-awaited chance to attend ‘Reading Matters’ conference, which is organised by the Centre for Youth Literature (CYL) and focuses on YA literature and storytelling. Presenters aimed their content at librarians and teacher librarians; […]

Reading Matters is Australia’s leading youth literature conference for professionals and youth literature enthusiasts.

Gather to discuss big issues, YA trends, and celebrate new and established young adult writers. Share ideas with colleagues from across the country, find inspiration in outstanding talent, mull over the big issues and celebrate the strength of our industry at Reading Matters.

Dates: 29 – 30 May 2015

Venue:  ANZ Pavilion, Arts Centre Melbourne

Bookings:

• Early bird (until 31 January 2015): $490
• Full price: $540

Book now.

The Centre for Youth Literature is excited to announce its 2015 roster of incredible talent:

• Laurie Halse Anderson (USA)
• Clare Atkins
• Sara Farizan (USA)
• Sally Gardner (UK)
• Erin Gough
• Kyle Hughes-Odgers
• Amie Kaufman
• Will Kostakis
• Jaclyn Moriarty
• Abe Nouk
• Tom Taylor
• Jared Thomas
• Sean Williams
• …more speakers to be announced on the program launch – 3 February 2015.

*Program is subject to change.

Join the conversation!

• Centre for Youth Literature enewsletter
• Twitter: @CentreYouthLit – #YAMatters
• Facebook: Centre for Youth Literature

It’s that time again on the youth literature calendar – Reading Matters 2015 is in production!

Reading Matters is a national celebration of youth literature taking the audience on a journey into fiction, graphic novels, poetry, gaming and prose.

Dates:   28 May – 2 June 2015 in Melbourne; then touring. 

There are six key components to Reading Matters 2015:

• National conference for youth literature professionals and advocates.
• Publishing Expo, pop-up bookshop and author signings.
• Schools program in Melbourne.
• Public events program in Melbourne.
• Victorian tour: regional public, schools and professional events.
• National tour: regional QLD, TAS & SA (tbc).

Reading Matters is a unique opportunity for youth literature fans and professionals to gather to discuss big issues, trends, and celebrate new and established young adult writers. Our audience is the most important element of the program and we want to hear from you.

Pitch us your Reading Matters ideas! What would you like to see?  What is youth literature to you?

Share with us:

• Your dream panel – the theme, authors etc.
• The author pairing that would make for a thought provoking discussion.
• The authors teens would love to meet.
• Youth literature trends or themes that need to be explored.
• Anything else you can dream up!

Help us make it the best Reading Matters ever. Relive any events that made your heart sing; MT Anderson’s discussion of language accompanied by a live concert violinist or Raina Telgemeier’s live creation of a graphic novel.  What should we bring you next year?

If you have a great idea we should consider for the 2015 program, email us the following:

• Introduce yourself
• What you would like to see featured on the Reading Matters program
• Your experience in youth literature and teen reading

Submissions will close at noon on Friday, 18^th of July 2014.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you at Reading Matters in 2015.

Bookings will open in November 2014.

Courtesy: Dave Roman
Reading Matters 2013 sketch

Libba Bray picking the brains of Melbourne students.
Schools Day

Schools day

Morris Gleitzman

Ambelin Kwaymullina, Garth Nix and Programs Officer Jordi Kerr

Program Coordinator Adele Walsh, Keith Gray and Fiona Wood.

Schools day

Schools day

Young adult fiction!

UK author Keith Gray was a highlight of the first day of Reading Matters 2013 with his thought provoking keynote, ‘Gatekeepers – the good, the bad and my mother’.

Keith Gray is a full-time writer living and working in Edinburgh, a sister City of Literature. His first novel, Creepers, was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. He has since released a number of critically-acclaimed YA novels which have won, or been shortlisted for, several major awards including the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Children’s Book Award.

As you know, our Writer In Residence program over at Inside A Dog offers teenagers an opportunity to interact and workshop with authors.

Following is a line-up of our Writer In Residence program for the first 6-months of 2013. If you see a student’s favourite author, or perhaps are reading an author’s book, pop on by!

• February – Alyssa Brugman
• March – Myke Bartlett
• April – Raina Telgemeier
• May – Garth Nix
• June – Ambelin Kwaymullina

You’ll notice that from March to June we will be showcasing Reading Matters authors, who will be involved in the Reading Matters Student Day program.

Enjoy!

We are very excited to announce our incredibly diverse and supremely talented author line up for the 2013 Reading Matters program:

Libba Bray (USA)
Gayle Forman (USA)
Raina Telgemeier (USA)
Keith Gray (UK)
Tim Sinclair (NSW)
Paul Callaghan (VIC / UK)
Fiona Wood (VIC)
John Flanagan (NSW)
Alison Croggon (VIC)
Myke Bartlett (VIC)
Morris Gleitzman (NSW)
Ambelin Kwaymullina (WA)
Garth Nix (NSW)
Andrew McGahan (VIC)
Gabrielle Williams (VIC)
Vikki Wakefield (SA)

For more information on all our authors you can visit our biographies page.

More information on the conference, student day and special evening event (including bookings) can be found here.

Accommodation

We are pleased to announce that Reading Matters attendees can access special accommodation rates at select Accor hotels.

The Centre for Youth Literature invites you to save the date for Reading Matters 2013.

School Day

Thursday 30th of May 2013

State Library of Victoria

Conference

Friday 31st of May

Saturday 1st of June

Storey Hall, RMIT

Start marking your calender folks! This promises to be a great program.

The Centre for Youth Literature 2009 program booklet and the Reading Matters program will be posted out on Friday 13 and Monday 16 February. However, all information is now available online. The 2009 program is available to download here. You can view all event details online or print off the program and booking forms. You can [...]

As if this week wasn't exciting enough already, we heard - just yesterday - the news that Colin Thompson's The Short & Incredibly Happy Life of Riley has been chosen as a finalist for this year's Children's Choice Book Awards.

I'm meeting with Colin Thompson (and some folks from Fox Studios) so if there are any questions I can ask him from his fans, pass them my way. He's thrilled to publish his picture book, The Little Book of Happy Sadness (coming in September, 2008) and even more from him in seasons following, including Norman and Brenda, a sequel to The Short & Incredibly Happy Life of Riley.

Norman and Brenda

(coming soon from Kane/Miller Book Publishers, Inc.)