Gleeson awarded CBCA Nan Chauncy Award

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has presented author Libby Gleeson the 2015 Nan Chauncy Award for her work in Australian children’s literature.

The award was presented on the evening of 21 August, following the announcement of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, during which Gleeson won in the categories of Younger Readers and Early Childhood for The Cleo Stories (illus. Freya Blackwood, A&U) and Go to Sleep, Jessie! (illus. Freya Blackwood, Little Hare) respectively.

The CBCA said in a statement: ‘[Gleeson] is a true leader and she continues to make a valuable contribution to Australian children’s literature’.

In her acceptance speech for the award, Gleeson said she ‘loves being a writer and being active in the world of books and writing—especially in that world for children’.

Named after award-winning Tasmanian author Nan Chauncy, the award was created in 1983 to ‘honour individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature’. Originally conferred every five years, it moved to a biennial format in 2000. The award consists of a judges’ citation and a commemorative plaque.

Previous recipients of the award include author Margaret Wild, editor and writer Robyn Sheahan-Bright and founder of the Literature Centre Lesley Reece.

For more information about the award, visit the CBCA website here. 

Category: Local news