About Us

What is Booked Out?

Booked Out is a speakers agency for the Arts.

With roots firmly planted in Australian literature, Booked Out has long-established connections with all major and independent publishers and we count some of Australia’s most popular authors among our friends and colleagues.

Our list boasts authors of children’s books, young adult novels, literary fiction, genre fiction and non-fiction. Then there’s the picture book illustrators, performers, biographers and journalists. You’ll also find professional motivators and published commentators on issues of social and personal welfare. A few of them are even comedians, poets and hula hoop artists! And each of them has a remarkable story to tell.

Who is Booked Out?

Established in 1994, Lauris Pandolfini chose the niche of booking authors into schools due to her passion for beautiful picture books and imaginative children’s prose. The business also tied in her original calling of teaching English and won bonus points for the ability to close over school holidays to look after her school-aged children. They’re all grown up now and she’s looking forward to a new generation to whom she can read picture books.

Early on, while Booked Out was still run out of a spare room, Lauris needed a little extra help and approached her alma mater in search of a ‘girl friday’ who might want some faxing and typing work after school. That girl was Esther Kennedy, who turned out to be a real stayer. She finished high school, and then a Bachelor of Commerce and decided her favourite challenge all along had been the role in which she’d flourished at Booked Out. Lauris and Esther, the modern odd couple are the Company Directors of Booked Out.

From home office to an ex-gallery space above the once iconic Greville St Bookshop and onwards again to our spacious office in Collingwood, Melbourne. You can find the Booked Out team huddled around a steaming coffee plunger and a rhubarb tart at “little lunch” sharing book recommendations, dividing up the latest haul of new titles and combing through the never-ending stream of reviews, festival programs and book launch invitations.