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CBCA Book Week is the highlight of Booked Out’s year.

In 2020 the Booked Out team has run the longest, hardest marathon to make sure that our clients, speakers and young readers across Australia have the most wonderful Book Week possible.

With the finish line in sight, it’s time we recognised the incredible efforts of our brilliant booking coordinators:
Georgia Atkinson, Susie Kennewell and Maddy Crehan.

These incredible women have taken the challenges of 2020 in their stride – whether you’re a client or a speaker, you’ll be familiar with their gorgeous personalities and unwavering professionalism.

As a team they’ve worked tirelessly to make sure each and every speaker visit was meticulously organised. Their hard work has included rescheduling hundreds of bookings from August to October, moving yet more bookings online, and making sure that clients and speakers have everything they need for Book Week celebrations that run like clockwork.

What’s more, as Booked Out is based in Melbourne, these three legends have achieved all of this while working from home in the strictest Covid lockdown in Australia.

Whether you’re an author, illustrator, teacher or librarian: please give Georgia, Susie and Maddy a virtual round of applause (or send gifts to PO Box 580, South Yarra 3141 😉).

And coordinators: It’s time to pop some Prosecco and pat yourselves on the back for an AMAZING Book Week that we will never forget!

Christina Cox, Booked Out manager

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 📚 🥳

Book Week 2020 is finally here, and with hundreds of bookings in October alone, it’s going to be another big week of celebrations!

Book Week is looking very different this year with many speakers visiting schools virtually due to pandemic restrictions. We are grateful to work with such a fantastic group of speakers who have gracefully risen to the challenge, and have been delivering high-quality sessions remotely, and connecting with students wherever they may be.

A special thanks also goes out to the incredible teachers and librarians, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that their students can still virtually meet their favourite authors and illustrators in these very uncertain and tricky times – we see and appreciate all the work you do.

We can’t wait to see all your pictures, so don’t forget to tag us in your posts to be featured! Time to don your costume and get partying as Book Week has finally arrived! 🥳🥳🥳

 

 

We love a good viral hashtag, and there’s none better than one launched by our own speakers!

The legendary drug and alcohol educator Paul Dillon has started the awesome #classof2020yourock tag, to encourage and show our support for Year 12s who have faces so many struggles this year.
Heaps of famous faces have joined the fray, including some of our brilliant speakers from our sister agency, Speaking Out. Check out the tag to see which celebs are thinking of Year 12s and wanting to show their support.
To print out your own sign, you can visit darta.net.au/classof2020/. Don’t forget to tag Paul Dillon and leave a message for students doing it tough.
This Saturday is Love Your Bookshop Day! 💗📚💗

We’d like to thank all the wonderful bookshops across the country for keeping us and our community well-read, especially in 2020. Their tireless efforts to keep up deliveries in this new digital age of online shopping has brought joy to so many during this difficult year.⁣

The Booked Out team is based in Melbourne, so we’d like to give a special shoutout to the local bookshops who have been looking after us in lockdown:
Readings, The Little Bookroom, The Younger Sun Bookshop, Pictures and Pages, Avenue Bookstore and our neighbour Brunswick Street Bookstore.

We can’t wait to be browsing the shelves again soon. But for now we just want to say thank you and keep doing what you do best; spreading a love of books. ⁣⁣
You can join in the celebrations by make an order from your local bookstore or sharing a photo on social media of your favourite moment amongst the shelves.⁣

You can find your nearest bookshops here.

We’re thrilled to receive the constant positive feedback for our speaker’s online sessions – it feels like each day we are bombarded with teachers letting us know how much an author or illustrator visit has meant to their students.

We loved this feedback from Sacré Cœur in particular, for the very talented and energetic Lucinda Gifford, highlighting how a virtual visit can be educational and very uplifting.

If your students are in need of a lift as well as some excellent writing tips, contact us on 03 9824 0177 / bookings@bookedout.com.au to organise an author or illustrator visit.

We had our sessions today. Lucinda was amazing. She connected with our students from Prep to Year 6. It was so delightful to hear the girls laughing so much. The level of excitement was palpable.

Lucinda was engaging, she was so responsive to the students that made the girls feel so much a part of the presentation.

The response for the students and teachers was so positive. Everyone came away feeling happy.

It was wonderfully uplifting for all.

  • Sacré Cœur, August 2020

Welcome to the holidays!⁣

Now that all Australian states are officially on school holidays, we just wanted to say congratulations to all the dedicated teachers for making it through Term 3 – we know it wasn’t always easy.⁣

We hope that you can use this time to take a breath and reward yourself for your hard work. And if you’re looking for help to plan some fresh ideas for Term 4, check out our website for all available authors, illustrators and motivational speakers.⁣

The plus side of 2020 is that you can book a speaker from anywhere around Australia streamed right to your classroom! Many of our speakers have lost work and income this year, and are keen to reconnect with schools to encourage a love of reading and writing. You can support these speakers, and motivate your students at the same time, by booking a virtual visit for your school.⁣

Our team will still be working hard over the break, so please feel free to get in touch Monday–Friday to organise your booking for Term 4. You can reach us at booking@bookedout.com.au or (03) 9824 0177. We’re always happy to chat all things literary!⁣

Happy holidays all 💗🎉

We are thrilled to be representing the wonderful Yves Stening, author and speaker on child eating habits! 🍳 🍣 🧁

Yves’ very popular series, The Dinner Detectives involves travelling back in time to discover the magical histories of common foods we eat today (dumplings anyone?).

Simple recipes are included, great for a home-cooking afternoon during COVID restrictions. Click here to view the recipes in video format and become a Masterchef at the drop of a chef’s hat.

For superfans, we are doing a GIVEAWAY of the Dinner Detective titles! The first three schools to book Yves will be sent a set of his books for free, with postage covered by us.

Call us on 03 9824 0177 or email bookings@bookedout.com.au to get involved – Yves offers fantastic live-streamed sessions for schools and libraries, as well as in-person visits outside of COVID restrictions.

Happy cooking everyone! 🥟🍪🍎

 

 

 

 

 

16 September 2020
A Warm Welcome to Lisa Fuller

Profiles:

New speaker alert!

We are delighted to welcome Lisa Fuller to the Booked Out community! Lisa is a Wuilli Wuilli woman from south-east Queensland. She now teaches creative writing at the University of Canberra, where she is also doing her PhD in creative writing.

Lisa’s debut YA novel, Ghost Bird, has won and been shortlisted in a slew of awards, and in 2018 she came second in the Feminartsy Memoir Award 2018 for her piece, ‘Story ends, is, begins’. You may recognise Lisa from this year’s digital Melbourne Writers Festival School’s Program. 

Welcome Lisa!

To read more about Lisa Fuller, or to book a session, contact us on 03 9824 0177 or email bookings@bookedout.com.au

Thursday the 10th of September is R U OK?Day – a national day of action to remind us that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” if someone in your world is struggling with life’s ups and downs.

R U OK? aims to protect people from suicide and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and support anyone who is struggling.

At Booked Out, we care a lot about wellbeing and mental health. We work with some amazing role models and inspirational speakers from across the country who tackle important issues in schools.

Check out our Well Within program which includes Australia’s leading experts in better health and wellbeing for secondary school communities. Because there’s more to say after R U OK? And these speakers can help you find the words.

Today is International Literacy Day! 📚🌟
 
This year’s theme focuses on literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond with a focus on the role of educators and changing pedagogies.
 
With that in mind, we’d like to express our admiration and gratitude for all the teachers and librarians who have been working so hard this year to improve and encourage their students’ literacy, despite the many challenges 2020 has brought. We know this year has been tough, but we just wanted to say we think you’re doing an outstanding job!
 
And thank you to all our wonderful speakers who are always passionate and dedicated when it comes to youth literacy and learning – keep it up legends!