Erica Wagner Awarded the Dromkeen Medal For Children’s Literature

Erica Wagner is one of Australia’s most highly respected editors and publishers of children’s and young adult literature. Across a 30-year career, she has been responsible for finding and publishing many award winning and best-selling Australian authors and illustrators.

Currently the Publisher of Books for Children and Young Adults at Allen & Unwin, Erica is widely credited with helping to pioneer Young Adult fiction as a genre in Australia.

CEO State Library Victoria Kate Torney said she was delighted to award The Dromkeen Medal to ground-breaking editor and publisher Erica Wagner.

“Erica’s passion and publishing acumen have helped shape Australia’s thriving children’s and youth literature scene. She has been instrumental in publishing some of Australia’s best loved children’s authors including Leigh Hobbs, Judith Clarke, Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman, delighting young readers everywhere.”

Dromkeen Librarian’s Award presented to school librarian Megan Daley

The State Library also presented this year’s Dromkeen Librarian’s Award to teacher librarian and blogger Megan Daley.

Megan Daley is the Junior School Teacher Librarian at St Aiden’s Anglican Girl’s School, Brisbane. Formerly a National Vice President of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, she was also awarded 2015 Queensland Teacher Librarian of the Year by the Queensland School Library Association.

Megan is currently writing a book on children’s literature for Queensland Press and manages Children’s Books Daily, a blog and social media sites with 20,000 followers.

Kate Torney said Megan Daley was a highly worthy winner of The Dromkeen Librarian’s Award which recognises the central role librarians play in fostering improved literacy and a love of reading in young people.

“Megan Daley is a passionate advocate for children’s literature. She has gone well beyond her formal teaching roles, employing social media to promote Australian children’s literature to the world, and inspire more young people to engage with it.”

The Dromkeen winners were selected by a panel of authors, illustrators, publishers and librarians.

History of the Dromkeen awards

The State Library has presented both the Dromkeen Medal and the Dromkeen Librarian’s Award since 2013. The national annual awards honour outstanding contributions to children’s literature and outstanding work by librarians in support of children’s literacy.

In 2012, the Dromkeen Board of Governors and trustees Scholastic Australia presented the entire collection and archives of the Dromkeen National Centre for Picture Book Art – including more than 7500 original artworks and illustrations from many of Australia’s best loved children’s books – to State Library Victoria.

 Download images of Erica Wagner or Megan Daley at: http://bit.ly/2iqYaLQ