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On
15 August 2008 Matt Ottley’s book, Requiem
for a Beast, was awarded Picture Book of the
Year by the Children’s
Book Council of Australia. This decision has caused some
controversy. Matt Ottley has posted the following statement:
‘Thank
you to all of the people who have written to me in support
of my award, and of the book. Your emails have been
greatly appreciated.
For those of you who have seen or heard critical reports
in the tabloid newspapers and commercial television stations,
please read the book before making any judgements about
it. Some of those reports have been scurrilously misrepresentative,
particularly Channel Nine’s story on ‘A Current
Affair’. ‘A Current Affair’ was also
misleading in its statement that I had declined an interview.
The main complaint about the book relates to the occasional
use of strong language. There is, in fact, only a minimal
amount of strong language in Requiem for a Beast,
and this is intended to reflect the language often used
by Australian
stockmen. In just over ten thousand words, the particular
word that seems to have offended some people occurs only
five times. One only has to flick through the young adult
books in bookstores to realise that the use of language
in Requiem for a Beast is mild by comparison
with many other works for older teens and adults.
Another criticism of the work has been that it ‘contains
themes of suicide’. The references to suicide in Requiem
for a Beast are oblique, and the word ‘suicide’ is
used only in relation to the suffering of families affected
by the stolen generations.
I have come to realise, from the tone and language of
some of the emails I’ve received, that sadly, racism
and bigotry are alive and well in this country. We can
continue
to bury our heads in the sand about these issues, or
we can confront them by exposing them for scrutiny. That
is
often
the role of literature such as Requiem for a Beast.
The cover and title of the book alone would suggest that
this is not a book for young children. If your local bookstore
has placed it in an inappropriate section, then that is
a matter to be discussed with them.
The
charter of the Children’s
Book Council of Australia is to promote, through its work
and its awards, literature
for children up to the age of eighteen. Requiem
for a Beast is a book for young adults and adults, and no one has ever
suggested that it is anything other than that. Shame on the
individuals in the media who have alleged, by implication,
that it is a work for younger readers. This is quite clearly
very lazy, sensationalist reporting.
For those who are suggesting that I’m ‘cashing
in’ on the plight of the stolen generations, please
note that I have not earned any income from this book in
the year that it has been in print. All of my royalties have
been donated to a just cause. And while I received Australia
Council funding for the production of the book, that funding
came nowhere near to meeting the costs. I spent much of my
own money on production costs of the book and accompanying
CD.
In the year leading up to the CBCA awards, Requiem
for a Beast attracted a steadily growing audience
and much critical
acclaim. The responses from senior high school students
from Catholic, Anglican and state schools where the book
has been
studied have been overwhelmingly positive.
The
following quote is from Lewis, a year nine student from
Victoria:
The
book holds three intertwining stories about a young boy
and a wild bull, an aboriginal woman of the
stolen
generation,
and a man with recurring memories of a terrible wrong.
The words scream out to you from the page, hammering
their message
of love and home lost. With pictures that flow from
the brush and pen of a master, the swirls and colours speak
to your
soul, showing you the joy of the land and the pain
of
loss. The book explores the dark side of history taken
from a
people, despair and pain suffered by thousands. These
stories mix
to create a fascinating tapestry of light and sound.
The following extract is from the CBCA judges report
for the 2008 awards:
Ottley’s picture book is
an artistic masterpiece for an older audience. In his
own words, this picture book is
a ‘work for image, word and music’, and
the combination of word and image is powerful. Visually
it is stunning… This
book is neither a comfortable nor a happy reading experience,
but it must be appreciated for its artistic excellence
and brilliance of meaning.
CHILDREN'S
BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA AWARDS 2008
Congratulations
to all of the 2008 CBCA Award winners, including the
following Lateral Learning authors and illustrators: Matt
Ottley Requiem for a Beast Picture
Book of the Year (for older readers)
Frances Watts & David
Legge (illus) Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books Eve
Pownall Award for Information Books
John Heffernan Marty’s
Shadow Older Readers – Honour
Book
The
following Lateral Learning authors and illustrators were
also shortlisted for this year’s awards:
Jackie
French Pharaoh: the Boy Who Conquered the Nile Older Readers
Jackie French & Bruce
Whatley (illus) The Shaggy Gully
Times Younger Readers
Stephen Axelsen (illus)
Winning the World Cup (by David Metzenthen) Younger
Readers
Craig Smith (illus) Cat (by Mike Dumbleton) Early Childhood
Li Cunxin The
Peasant Prince Picture Book
The
following Lateral Learning illustrators also contributed
to Dust (by
Colin Thompson): Gaye
Chapman, Kim Gamble,
Emma Quay, Bruce
Whatley, Tohby
Riddle and David
Legge.
2008
QUEENSLAND PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS SHORTLIST
Congratulations
to Jacqueline Kent, shortlisted
in both the History Book and Non Fiction Book Awards
categories for
An Exacting Heart.
The
following Lateral Learning authors are shortlisted in the
Young Adult Book
Award category:
John
Heffernan – Marty’s
Shadow
Matt Ottley – Requiem for a Beast
James Roy – Town
The winners will
be announced on 16 September.
NEW
AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS
Lateral
Learning welcomes the following authors and illustrators
to our list of speakers:
2008
NSW PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARDS
Special congratulations to James
Roy and Debra
Oswald – both winners at the 2008 Premier’s
Literary Awards, announced 19 May 2008.
James
Roy Town (Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s
Literature)
Debra Oswald Stories
in the Dark (Play Award)
HANDMADE
BOOK WORKSHOPS WITH DEB WESTBURY
Deb Westbury’s Handmade Book Workshop is a new way to celebrate books
and writing, incorporating poetry and creative writing exercises. Complexity
in form and content is adapted to all ages and abilities, from Kindergarten
students through to adults. For more information please click here.
LADY
CUTLER AWARD 2007
Lateral Learning congratulates Susanne Gervay,
winner of the 2007 Lady Cutler Award. The Lady Cutler Award is presented
annually for distinguished service
to children’s literature. The announcement on the CBCA NSW website
is copied in below:
It is
with great pleasure that we can announce that Susanne Gervay
has been awarded the Lady Cutler Award for 2007 in recognition
of her generosity in supporting of the ideals of the CBCA,
her tireless work in encouraging authors and illustrators
through networking groups at the Hughenden and through
the Society of Book Writers and Illustrators, and her contribution
to the development of new authors through mentoring and
support networks. 
The photo above shows Susanne being presented with her award (in the form of
an original artwork by Donna Rawlins) at the Lady Cutler Dinner held on Tuesday
27 November.
VALE JOHN
WINCH (1944-2007)
It is with great
sadness that we farewell John
Winch, who died at home on
Wednesday 28 March. John was a much loved
member of the children’s book community and he will
be greatly missed. His warmth, generosity and enthusiasm
touched all who met him.
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