Hey wonderful Booked Out fam, we hope you’re all going okay in the lockdowns around the country. ❤️⁣
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With Book Week just weeks away, we’re doing our best to stay on top of the hundreds of bookings that have been affected by Covid restrictions. While we’re working remotely in Melbourne, we’d really appreciate it if you could help us help you.⁣
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If you have a booking in the next few weeks, please contact the school to confirm whether it can go ahead, be moved online or be rescheduled. If your booking needs to be changed, please let us know and we will update the details.⁣
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Let’s get through this together ❤️⁣
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Take care all!

Here at Booked Out we’re all feeling very excited about the upcoming Melbourne Writers Festival, especially now that the program has been released! We’re thrilled to see so many of our speakers will be in attendance, doing what they do best – sharing a love of literature, ideas and stories.⁣
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Here are some of our speakers you’ll find in this year’s program:⁣
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Randa Abdel-Fattah⁣
Gabriel Bergmoser⁣
Danielle Binks⁣
Tony Birch⁣
Mark Brandi⁣
Tasneem Chopra⁣
Maxine Beneba Clarke⁣
Linh Do⁣
Ursula Dubosarsky⁣
Astrid Edwards⁣
Morris Gleitzman⁣
Anna Goldsworthy⁣
Leanne Hall⁣
Toni Jordan⁣
Melissa Keil⁣
Chris Kennett⁣
Ingrid Laguna⁣
Marcia Langton⁣
Benjamin Law⁣
Bri Lee⁣
Gary Lonesborough⁣
Thomas Mayor⁣
Andrew McDonald⁣
Nyadol Nyuon⁣
Jacinta Parsons⁣
Alice Pung⁣
Sally Rippin⁣
RA Spratt⁣
Rebecca Starford⁣
Ben Wood⁣
Clare Wright⁣
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This will be Melbourne Writers Festival’s 35th year of bringing together diverse literature, bright ideas and rich conversation, so make sure you check it out! The program includes a range of in-person and online events so you can get involved from wherever you are.⁣⁣⁣

We’ve got this Australia ⁣⁣⁣⁣❤️⁣⁣

We know that there is a lot of uncertainty, disappointment and fatigue in relation to the recent Covid-19 outbreaks across the country, and that this will affect bookings in July and into August. We hear your concerns and want to assure you that we are here to support however we can–whether that’s moving your booking online, rescheduling to a later date or going ahead in-person depending on your location and situation.

We feel for all everyone in Victoria and New South Wales at the moment. We know it’s so hard but we’ll get through it as we have before. If you are in lockdown and have a booking scheduled in the next two weeks, we will contact you to find the best solution.

The upside is we’ve done this all before! In 2020, we successfully moved over 500 bookings online and facilitated reschedules for many others, so we know the drill. We are ready to help and work to find the best option for you. Our speakers have a wealth of experience with presenting virtually after last year, and offer dynamite engaging online sessions. (See some entertaining examples below!)

We know that you have been looking forward to Book Week as much as we have, and we are confident that we will still be able to celebrate our wonderful authors, poets, illustrators and books in general, in whatever capacity that may be.

⁣This is an evolving situation and we monitoring it week by week. If you have a query about your booking or would like to discuss your options, please email your dedicated Booking Coordinator and they will be happy to help.
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Take care and stay safe. ❤️⁣⁣
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David Leser (NSW & Online) is the author of Women, Men and the Whole Damn Thing, one of the most spoken-about books of the #MeToo era. David runs sessions in which he speaks about masculinity, the patriarchy and its effects on both women and men, the history of the #MeToo movement, and where the future may take us.

Get in touch about booking these excellent speakers, either by calling (03) 9824 0177, or emailing bookings@booked.out.com.au.

This week is NAIDOC Week, a time to celebrate and honour the achievements, histories, and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The theme for this year is Heal Country!, a timely call for all to reflect on how we can better protect lands, waters and sacred sites from exploitation and destruction.

We are privileged to work with outstanding speakers in a variety of areas – from advocacy to the arts, education and sport – leading the conversation for change. Learn more about our First Nations speakers here.

One of our favourite things at Booked Out is sending authors on tour! We organise oodles of interstate author tours each year, and 2021 is no exception, with 18 touring authors travelling around Australia over the year.

The inimitable Jack Heath has just returned from a week in South Australia, where he wowed his many Adelaide fans, and connected with hundreds of students over several days.

To read more, you can read Jack’s newsletter online here, or see below for an excerpt.

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I recently returned from Adelaide.

I love Adelaide—I’ve been there lots of times, and every time I discover something new. This time I learned:

• The buses drive above the ground on concrete rails rather than on roads, with terrifying drops on either side and in between
• Adelaide has those zippy electric scooter things available to rent, just like Canberra (and they lock themselves and hurl you off if you try to ride one into Rundle Mall—the scooter is judge, jury and executioner!)
• Adelaideans (is that the right term?) are all very friendly, but sometimes say ominous things like, “You can’t be too careful around here” and “Oh, I love those scooter things. Sometimes you don’t want to risk walking to the train station, you know?”
• The teacher librarians of South Australia are incredible people, trying to broaden the minds of their students despite the resistance of (some) parents, principals and the students themselves (obviously not all students/parents/principals, but still, it’s a battle, and one not contained to South Australia. #studentsneedschoollibraries)
• And that the only place open for dinner after 9:30 pm on a Sunday night is a mini-golf place, but the pizza there is way better than you’d think.

During one of my very early morning walks, I was also startled to discover a pair of breakfast radio hosts sealed in a glass box (they were in there for five days, raising money for Lifeline). Good on them! (pictured).

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If you’re interested in booking a touring author, we’d be happy to help on 03 9824 0177!

Happy holidays to everyone who has just started their break! After a busy Term 2, we hope you get a chance to have a well-deserved rest.

If you and the kids are inside hiding from the wintry weather and need something to do, our kids’ authors have your back! Check out the videos posted by Adrian Beck and Nat Amoore which are full of fun and games.

We also highly recommend checking out the local library – not only can you borrow books to while away the time, many libraries are also running fun holiday activities to keep everyone entertained. Many libraries are offering click and collect as well as online programs for those living in areas currently affected by COVID restrictions.

We’ll be in the office for the duration of the holidays, so as always feel free to call or email to get in touch if we can help with any bookings or questions.

(03) 9824 0177 

bookings@bookedout.com.au

Join us this week in celebrating the courageous, resilient and strong people who make our communities great – our refugee friends and neighbours.

We feel so fortunate to share our country and meet on common ground, coming together to share stories, ideas, and delicious food – and in the process, creating a stronger and more accepting society.

This year’s theme of ‘Unity’ encourages people from all backgrounds to come together to not just survive, but thrive in inclusive and welcoming spaces for all.

We’re proud to represent many fantastic speakers who can speak on their own experiences as refugees and develop empathy and resilience in your students.

🔹 Abdi Aden

🔹 Sumaya Harare

🔹 Bic Walker

🔹 Najaf Mazari

🔹 Valanga Khoza

🔹 David Nyuol Vincent

🔹 Mariam Issa

Contact us on 03 9824 0177 to have a chat about hosting a speaker at your school today.

It’s no secret that we love all things literary! But did you know that we also represent some of Australia’s leading experts in better health and wellbeing for school students?⁣
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These speakers lift the lid on topics that often go unspoken in Australian schools and help young people to navigate and understand the world around them:⁣
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🔷 Lucy & Rosie Thomas launched PROJECT ROCKIT to tackle bullying, hate and prejudice.⁣
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🔷 Jonny Shannon’s life’s purpose is to help young people and talks on cyber safety, drug & alcohol addiction, sex & relationships, mental health and resilience.⁣
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🔷 Sumaya Harare connects with students from schools all over the country on topics of bullying and overcoming it, body image issues and integrating as a refugee.⁣
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🔷 Benjamin Law writes and speaks on a range of topics including sexuality, bullying, growing up and unconventional families, and coming-of-age rituals in rural Australia.⁣
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🔷 Dr Jodi Richardson is dedicated to elevating the mental health and wellbeing of others and works with parents, educators and other professionals to support students and children with anxiety.⁣
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🔷 Chris Daicos is a trained teacher and social worker who has also completed the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology, using her skills to support and promote the wellbeing of young people and adults.⁣
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And the list goes on! You can check out many more of our inspiring wellbeing specialists by browsing our speaker list, or get in touch for a recommendation.