New Zealander Kate Willson grew up reading books under the blankets by torchlight. Her goal is to write books that have children reaching for their torches too.
Now living in Adelaide, Kate works as an invigilator for UniSA when she’s not busy with her own children, reading anything she can lay her hands on or re-writing her current manuscript.
Kate won a number of short story competitions prior to publishing her first children’s novel, Race For Home (Ginninderra Press) in 2007. Celapene Press will publish Kate’s second novel, Have A Go, Henry in March 2012.
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME
My first entry in the CYA competition was in 2007. Mum’s Blue Pumas was commended in the Chapter Books category. That was such an inspiring and confidence-building experience, it will stay with me forever.
Since that time I suspect I have formed an addiction to the CYA competition! I enter something every year and eagerly await the judges’ scores and comments. And of course any success in this increasingly popular competition looks great on one’s CV.
Have A Go, Henry was entered in the competition for two consecutive years before a contract was offered by Celapene Press for publication in 2012. The judges’ feedback assisted me in developing the manuscript to a publishable standard.
UPDATE
Since my children’s novel ‘Have A Go, Henry!’ was published in 2012, I have diversified into writing feature articles for magazine and newspaper along with copy and content for business. I have been offered commissions to write articles for business websites based on the fact that I tend to write with flair and colour, which I credit to my background as a fiction writer.
