Emma Middleton is passionate about children’s literature. She is an award winning writer, illustrator and artist.
In 2017 Emma will have two titles released, ‘The Lion in our Living Room’ (Emma Middleton and Briony Stewart, Affirm Press) and, ‘Clover’s Big Ideas,’ (Georgie Donaghey and Emma Middleton, Little Pink Dog Books.)
The wellspring for Emma’s creative passion is fed by many past and present tributaries but it has two main sources.
The first was a career as a professional ballet dancer with the Vienna Ballet in Europe before going on to establish her own Dance Academy in Melbourne. This culminated in the rewarding experience of teaching creative pursuits to a generation of children.
The second was a successful career as a visual artist exhibiting work in prominent galleries throughout Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Now, in children’s literature, Emma has found a place where her two past worlds have a natural creative confluence. Emma’s aim is to bring literature to life by actively involving children in her stories with drama, music and art.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend CYA. After spending many years working on writing and illustrating, I finally attended my first conference in 2016.
I was fortunate to win the illustration category for illustrating a text and I took the opportunity to participate in editorial critiques. The feedback was invaluable. As a result of this, I obtained a contract with Affirm Press for my picture book ‘The Lion in our Living Room,’ for which I have had the opportunity to work with the amazingly talented Clair Hume and Davina Bell at Affirm Press.
I couldn’t have dreamed of a better outcome.
Thank you CYA! I look forward to 2017.
I'm grateful to the CYA team for offering wonderful opportunities for writers and illustrators to learn from industry professionals and each other, and get a foot in the publishing world. Working with Wombat Books on 'The Whirlpool' has been an amazing experience, and it all began because of the CYA Conference. My book is illustrated by award-winning artist Helene Magisson, and is due for release on May 1, 2017.
