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Booked Out is a speakers agency for writers, artists and thinkers. More »
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VIC: (03) 9824 0177
FAX: (03) 9824 0677
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At Booked Out, we pride ourselves on tailored service. Whether we are working with schools, libraries, councils or other clients we aim to provide knowledgeable and expert advice. Our hope is that the recommendations we make provide a perfect match for each given event, taking into account the briefing we discuss with you, the audience, and the context of the event.
This is why, when we receive feedback we take it very seriously—positive or negative. Whether you are a speaker or have booked a speaker, would love for you to let us know what you thought of our service. You can do this via our evaluation form.
In the meantime, please browse some previous testimonials about our work, from our speakers and our clients.
Booked Out has helped me engage and inspire thousands of young readers. I wouldn’t have a career without them.
—Jack Heath, author of The Cut Out.
I have been with Booked Out ever since I was first published back in 1996. As a young and inexperienced author/illustrator, Booked Out were paramount in helping me connect with my readers as well as gaining support from teachers and librarians.
Booked Out also helped me supplement my then pitiful royalty earnings by finding me regular work, even at a time where author visits to schools were a relatively new phenomenon.
I am incredibly grateful to Lauris and everyone at Booked Out for supporting me over the years. Their knowledge, enthusiasm and professionalism is unparalleled and I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
I love Booked Out. I love the team and I love Lauris and I so appreciate the support.
—Sofie Laguna, author of The Choke and The Eye of the Sheep.
Always organised, supportive and all-round great. And they do my paperwork! What’s not to love?
—Nicole Hayes, author of A Shadow’s Breath, One True Thing and The Whole of My World.
Love these guys! Great people to work with.
—Michael Gerard Bauer, author of Just a Dog, Don’t Call Me Ishmael! and The Running Man.
Always there to look after us authors and illustrators of books for children.
—Corrine Fenton, author of Little Dog and the Christmas Wish and Hey Mum, I Love You.
We have been using Booked Out for years, for adult authors and speakers, and in particular for authors during Children’s Book Week. This year we have used the services of Booked Out to book award winning author John Marsden, author of the Wonky Donkey Craig Smith [all the way from New Zealand!], Specky Magee author Felice Arena for a Read Like a Demon session, nutritionists Lola Berry and Arabella Forge, teen authors Lili Wilkinson, Cath Crowley, Jack Heath and Scot Gardner. I have found all the speakers to be of high quality and the website is terrific for searching authors by state age or theme.
Bec and Simon have been fantastic at sourcing speakers on a particular theme, or trying their hardest to fulfil our wishes (e.g. John Marsden). [Booked Out] are always prompt and efficient and very flexible. I particularly like the personal touch…if someone becomes available from interstate they’ll email out an expression of interest to Libraries.
—Cenza Fulco, Community Engagement Librarian, Casey-Cardinia Library Services, Victoria
I have had a wonderfully fruitful relationship with Lauris Pandolfini and her team at Booked Out since the mid-1990s. Over that time, I have received regular invitations to conduct talks and workshops in schools, libraries and seminars in Queensland, where I live, and also in Victoria which I enjoy visiting. All have been well organised and I can’t recall a dispute over payment or a crossed wire about times, venues or transport details. The team are friendly and I look forward to meeting up with them every August at the Book Week party. In fact, it has been a welcome highlight of my year, for more than a decade now, to spend the last two weeks of August in chilly Melbourne visiting schools and libraries on an itinerary organised by Booked Out. I wholeheartedly recommend them to writers, illustrators and public speakers seeking to build a profile and earn part of their living through similar work.
I don’t know what I would do without Booked Out. As my books are on high school curriculums, they’ve helped me balance my part-time legal work with my speaking engagements, and sent me to schools all around Australia. Their exemplary level of service and loyal representation of authors is unparalleled. Lauris and her team really care about education. I am grateful everyday for Booked Out, they’ve given me an opportunity to teach and hopefully inspire students.